Roman POV
Once we reached Virgil's neighborhood, the rain had come and gone as quickly as it had arrived.
I pulled into Virgil's driveway. We were in a neighborhood on the bad side of town. I looked at the shabby, run down, tiny house in front of me and felt bad for Virgil.
"You live here?" I asked, not meaning to come off so mean.
"Yeah, not all of us are rich or have perfect lives like you Princey." He said.
"Princey?" I asked, causing Virgil to blush.
"Everyone calls you that at school, sorry, didn't mean to call you that." He explained quickly.
"I like it." I told him with a smile. "But anyways-"
I was cut off by a middle aged man walking out of the house. He was about a tall as me with a bed of horribly unkept hair. He wore a white tank top that was stained with god knows what.
Virgil quickly got out of the car. I noticed he was starting to shake again. I got out of the car and stood next to Virgil in front of the man.
"Who are you?" He asked me, narrowing his eyes. The smell of beer wafted off of him.
"Roman King." I told him.
"What are you doing with his kind boy." The man hissed at Virgil.
"Sorry Dad." Virgil mumbled. This man can't possible be Virgil's Dad. I felt even more pity for the poor guy.
"Look King," Said Virgil's Dad, turning back to me, malice in his eyes. "We don't take kindly to your type coming down here, so get the hell of my property."
"Leave him alone Dad." Said Virgil, trying to calm his dad down.
"Henry!" Called a shrill female voice from inside. "Who are you talking to?" I heard the door open and slam shut. "Is one of your little whores back to sleep with you again."
A tall, skinny women appeared from the porch. She looked furious but stopped when she saw me. She wore ripped leggings, a white tank top, and a long black sweater. She took a long drag from her cigarette, just staring at me.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here." She purred.
"It's nothing Mom, can we just go inside." Snapped Virgil, obviously starting to get frustrated. "Roman just drove me home because it was raining."
"Don't talk to your mother like that boy." Growled his dad.
"You talk to her like that." Virgil mumbled under his breath.
"What was that?!" Screamed his dad, accenting it with a sharp slap across Virgil's face. I flinched. Virgil whimpered, holding his cheek.
His dad grabbed him roughly by the arm and dragged Virgil into the house before I could do or say anything.
Virgil's Mom turned to me with a pleading look in her eyes. She dropped her cigarette and grabbed my forearms.
"You gotta help him." She whispered. "I can't protect Virgil from his father any longer."
"I...I don't understand." I mumbled. She had tears brimming in her eyes.
"You care about him right?" She asked.
"Yeah of course." I answered, probably faster than I should have. A blush crept up my cheeks.
"Than protect him." She told me. "Help him through high school and once he's graduated, get him as far from here as possible. I can't protect him but you can. Don't let Virgil die okay? I can't loose my other child too."
"Okay, okay. I won't let anything happen to Virgil." I told her as she started crying. Other child? What the hell is going on in this family?
"Good that's good." She mumbled, a crazed look in her eyes. She didn't say anything else. She turned and ran back into the house.
I stood there, dumbfounded. I just intended to get Virgil home safely. I didn't know his home was just as unsafe as school was. All that did was make me want to be Virgil's friend even more.
I heard a scream come from the house. It sounded like Virgil, which was than followed by a woman's scream.
I turned to get back into my car, but something hit the top of my head. I reached down and picked up a book of short horror stories.
I looked up to see Virgil hanging out of a window, blood was dripping down the side of his face. He crawled out the window and slid down the roof, crouching near the edge of it.
"Think you can catch me?" He whispered. I nodded walking over to him. He jumped off, landing in my arms. He weighed next to nothing. I helped him to his feet.
"What the hell Virgil. Are you okay?" I asked him. His hand raised to the cut near his eye. He hissed when he touched it.
"Yeah, nothing I'm not used to." He said quietly. "Sorry you had to see all that."
"It's not okay that they do that." I told him gently.
"Doesn't matter." He said sternly. "Just get me out of here. Doesn't matter where. Somewhere. Anywhere away from here is fine. Except school." He rambled. His mom's words ran in my head as he asked me to get him away from here.
"Yeah sure." I told him as we got back into my car.
"And quickly before they realize I'm gone and come storming out here." He added on.
"Okay okay." I told him, starting the car.
-•-
I pulled into the parking lot at the park. The playground was empty, only some soccer team practicing out on the field was there. I parked the car and turned to Virgil.
"Is this okay?" I asked him. He smiled gently.
"Better than okay." He said, getting out of the car. I got out and followed him over to the play ground.
"Do you need anything for that cut?" I asked, worried for him. He rubbed all the blood off onto his hoodie sleeve.
"I'll be fine." He mumbled. I didn't believe him. He sat down on one of the swings and looked at me.
"Thanks I guess..." He mumbled. "You didn't have to save me from Jackson or help me get away from my parents."
"I don't mind." I told him, sitting down on the swing next to his. "I didn't want Jackson to hurt you and any one with a sane mind would've helped you get away from your parents."
"Thanks." He said again.
"No problem JD-lightful." I told him, laughing at my own joke.
"What?"
"It's a joke. Ya know, JD...from heathers." I told him. He gave me a look of confusion.
"Okay, you're listening to the entire soundtrack from that musical." I said with a laugh. "I think you'd like it a lot."
"I think I'll stick with my rock bands." He said, laughing with me.
I looked over at him and blushed and felt my heart jump. Virgil looked beautiful. He was laughing gently, his hair falling down into his face again. I wanted to reach over and tuck it behind his ear.
Fuck.
I think I've fallen for the emo.