Roman had followed Patton around the school while he said hi to almost everyone and talked about each thing. Patton had made him leave his bags at the lobby and told him they would be brought up to his room. He had put a tag on it and Roman noticed that the back of the suitcase had the dual emblem on it and he smiled inwardly. Only Remus would..

He pushed those thoughts away and focused on the bubbly kid in front of him.

"And the last stop before the Headmaster's office is the Library. They have an array of books ranging from fiction to science to almost anything. It's a big library and the founders enjoyed their books."

"I can tell." Roman said. He knew Patton was trying but he was really guarded. He was too busy trying to hold himself together. Patton frowned slightly and then turned and continued with the tour.

"This is the Headmaster's office. Most of the time he is in here or his apartment but you don't need to worry about that, you can always ask me if anything." Patton said.

"And why is that?" Roman asked.

"Because I am his son." Patton said easily and continued on. OF course that would be Roman's luck.

"Off topic, but who was that kid that was talking to me before you came up to me?" Patton's eyes darkened slightly and Roman didn't know why. Did he hit a sore spot? He was surprised everyone here was so nice, how did he mess it up already?

"Which one?" He asked quieter. He had stopped walking.

"The one with the hat?" Roman said. "He was the only one I really saw." Patton nodded and he went back to his normal self again.

"Oh! That's Janus! You don't need to worry about him, he is just a floater but he's okay." Patton said. Roman knew he was hiding something or someone.

They had made it to the office and Patton knocked on the door. "Wait, who was the other kid?" Roman asked but before Patton could answer, the door to the office opened. And there stood the Headmaster. He was a bit taller than Roman and he had brown eyes, clearly Patton didn't get his eyes from him. He also had brown hair.

"Welcome Mr. Kingsley. I am Thomas Sanders and I am the Headmaster here at Westward. Please come in. Thank you Patton, see you at dinner." The Headmaster let him enter the office. It was a spacious office that was very nice. Roman couldn't ignore the big rainbow flag sitting behind his chair. "Oh, that is for my Son and nephew. They both go here. You already met Patton but my nephew..he's not as well seen in public. Well known but people don't mess with him."

"Oh." Roman said, was that a warning? Thomas smiled and told him to sit down.

"It looks here on paper in strictly academics you do very well but it's the discipline you lack. I am not going to threaten you with dentition or any other horrible thing you can think of but I will say this. You didn't put religion down on your papers so I am going to put you in study hall but if you decide to mess around and look at the record you have..it may not be an easy change. Just know we take bullying, fights, and other violence very seriously. Especially bullying. Anything like that and you may not only find yourself doing detention but community service and I will take away your ability to choose your classes, sadly you don't have that luxury this semester but you will after the winter break. We move fast and efficiently here, Mr. Kingsley. However, I see you are an older brother. May I ask you a personal question?" Thomas scared him for the pure reason he had authority and the way he talked when he was serious. Other than that, he was a nice guy.

"Sure?" Roman asked.

"How many of these detentions were to-" The question was cut off by the door opening. Thomas looked up and Roman turned around to see. A familiar black and purple coat. The kid from earlier.

He had his eyes down and he walked and froze when he saw both people staring at him. He didn't do anything but looked at Thomas pleadingly.

"Virgil, what are you doing here?" He walked over and handed Thomas a piece of paper. "Oh, thank you. Tell the Doctor I said that." The kid with the coat, Virgil, nodded and then looked up at Roman. Then to Thomas and raised an eyebrow. Thomas must have known what he was asking because he jumped to introduce Roman and Virgil. "Oh, Virgil this is Roman. Roman, this is my nephew Virgil."

Just his luck again. Headmaster's nephew was friends with the kid who talked to him earlier. Roman nodded. "Your jacket looks familiar, did we meet earlier?" Roman asked and Thomas turned to Virgil surprised.

Virgil shook his head no vigorously. Roman was wondering why he wasn't talking.

"No?" Thomas asked. Then Virgil wrote something down and Thomas nodded. "That makes sense then." Roman had no idea what was going on. But Virgil was cute. Grey eyes that resembled thunderclouds, his hair was the same color as Thomas's but had faded purple in the bangs and he had a blush of embarrassment on his cheeks. He also had harsh eyeshadow under his eyes. How the nephew of the Headmaster could get away with dyed hair and intense eyeshadow was beyond Roman.

Virgil wrote something else down and went to leave. "Virge, are you sure?" Virgil nodded. "Alright, Roman that's it. The rules and such are self explanatory." Virgil had slipped out of the room at this point. Thomas handed him a sheet. "This has your room number on it, show it to Virgil he will take you up."

"Alright." Roman went to leave when Thomas stopped him.

"Oh, also don't take Virgil's silence for rudeness. He's just shy, he said he will help you to your room before dinner. The bell rings and you will hear it. Don't be late." Thomas winked and Roman walked out of the room. Virgil was standing on the wall waiting. He glanced over at Roman.

"Uhh, my room number is 312?" Roman said and Virgil nodded and started walking. When he realized that Roman wasn't following him he gestured for him to follow. The two walked in silence with people waving at Virgil but never talking to him. Virgil seemed to ignore them. Roman felt that he was being followed by who he didn't know.

Virgil led him through the winding hallways of the school. "You know, Patton told some jokes while he was showing me around." Roman said, trying to entice a conversation. Virgil nodded.

Another minute went by and Roman had to talk. "Mind if I tell one?" He asked and Virgil glared at him. Roman got the message as a no. Virgil meant shut up but apparently that wasn't in this guy's vocabulary. "Will you ever talk to me?" He asked, Virgil rolled his eyes and pointed to the door. 312, they were here. Roman still couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched.

"Is someone following us?" Virgil raised an eyebrow at him and shook his head. He then pointed to an area where it said the key would be in the room and the door would be unlocked. Then when both parties arrived that they would be able to lock the door. When Roman looked back up, Virgil was gone.

Huh, he was intrigued by this unknown boy, but that could wait. He had to meet his roommate and then unpack. He opened the door and saw two barren beds on with his stuff next to it the other was not even touched. He went on of the desks by the window. It had a note.

His roommate wouldn't be back until tomorrow which meant he had time to relax and get settled before he had to meet a new person. Roman huffed and then put the paper down. He read through the rules.

Rules of Westward Boarding High School

1. You must wear your uniform at all times during class time.

2. You are allowed to accessorize your uniform within reason, you must be wearing the dress shirts and ties however

3. Dyed hair is allowed, no tattoos should be shown

4. Never be late to meal times. Breakfast is from 7-9, depending on your schedule Lunch may change. Lunch is served at 12, 12:30, and 1pm. Dinner is from 6-8pm.

5. Classes are from 9am-4pm, Monday-Friday. Your schedule is attached to this paper.

6. No boys in the girls dorms and vice versa.

7. Laundry day is on Sunday and the housekeepers will take the clothes from your room each Sunday morning and you will receive them back Sunday night.

8. Library closes at 9pm.

9. Curfew is at 11pm Monday-Friday and 1am on weekends.

10. You are allowed to go into town with a few people with written permission from a teacher during the weekends

11. Weekends are your time to do what you please, but you may be required to attend a few study halls during the year.

12. If you break any of the rules or are late to class 5 times in a row in the same class or have an excused absence more than 4 times, you will get a detention.

13. If you fail to show for detention or get more than 3 then you will be asked to do 5 hours of community service

14. These will only get ramped up the longer you get in trouble there will be privileges taken away and you will be required to have a session with Dr. Picani.

Any questions or concerns about these rules then you can talk to the Headmaster or a teacher.

"Nice room." Roman heard a voice from behind him. He turned and saw the kid from earlier. Expect this time he had touched up the foundation. He still wore a bowler hat but had a suit jacket on.

Roman knew he was just getting on his case, the room was bare. "What do you want...Janus right?" Roman said.

Janus smiled and leaned against the door frame. "Ah, so you heard of me..or should I say you asked?" Roman didn't like the smirk he was giving. It was sarcastic.

"How did you know that I-" Roman said and was cut off.

"Here, I know everything about everyone. To be honest, I don't like the way that you look. You are closed off and almost too emotional. But I do have a message from someone you have yet to meet. Stay away from Virgil, he's already had a rough experience here and he doesn't need anything else in his life to go wrong." Janus said. Roman was taken aback but didn't show it.

"Yeah? Or what? Who is going to stop me from being in a group that is assigned to me with him in it? Who says I have to listen to you?" Roman said and stood up to use his height to intimidate.

Janus chuckled and looked at him. "Really? Using height to try and get me to back down. Listen Princey, you aren't the king of the school anymore. Trust me, I was you. The difference was I found people who allowed me to work through my things and I listened. You are not like that, I came from a background that is rough. From the looks of your clothes and those personalized bags, you come from a good background. Yet you're a behavior problem student, you should be interesting to me. And I will admit that I am interested but it doesn't matter what I think. If you don't stay away from Virgil there will be consequences." Janus said, turned and disappeared down the hallway.

Roman was left wondering what the hell happened, but he knew one thing Virgil was too cute to ignore. Maybe he could get away with getting to know him if he was in any of his classes.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

It was after dinner, and Virgil was sitting in the bathroom while he ate a lollipop. He had just washed his hair and changed into a shirt he usually wore to dye his hair. Logan was wearing a t-shirt and some jeans. Virgil had said it was not normal. Logan rolled his eyes and adjusted his square glasses.

"So, Virgil where did you disappear before dinner?" Patton asked. Virgil waited for Logan to be finished with the section before responding. When Logan nodded, Virgil responded.

Dr. Picani and I had something to do. Then I ran something to Uncle Thomas. He had me show the new guy..Roman, to his room. He was interesting, kinda full of himself but nice. Virgil caught the look that Logan and Patton shared. But he decided not to ask about it.

"You talked to Roman?" Patton asked.

If it was up to me, I would have avoided it. But it was Picani's idea for me to show him to his room. If he had his way, I wouldn't have helped Janus with unpacking.

Logan nodded and started another section of his hair. Granted it was only his bangs that he was dying but Logan was particular about coverage. He learned how to dye hair a year ago when Virgil first wanted to dye his hair. Logan taught Virgil and Patton helped Virgil when he asked.

"Well, just be careful Virgil." Logan said while finishing up. Virgil shrugged but tried to stay still for Logan.

He doesn't seem too bad. Virgil stood up, sure Roman wasn't his usual friend or even look but he wasn't horrible. Sure he expressed nerves to Picani who said he should meet the guy to get rid of that initial fear.

"Looks can be deceiving." Logan said.

So is Janus. Virgil pointed out. I am trying not to be scared of people just because I can't talk. He wasn't as bad as I thought. I know what I said earlier, but I think I just needed to push through the initial fear...like Picani said. Virgil signed and set a timer.

"All I am saying is that you are very kind and you need to make sure that people don't use that. Promise me you'll be careful with him." Patton said and Virgil nodded. If it kept Patton happy then he didn't care. So they spent the night watching movies while they waited for Virgil's dye to set.

Virgil washed his hair out while Logan and Patton watched the movie they had picked out. When he dried his hair he looked at the deep Violet that Logan had found and smiled. It was a departure from his usual but he liked it.

He cleaned some things up while he thought of the reasons they could be so defensive towards Roman. Was it just because of what had happened with Janus? Or was there something they knew about that he didn't? Whatever it was he was curious.

If anything, he could go ask? Virgil knew his room number and curfew doesn't set in until Monday..so he could go for a walk. But how to explain it to Logan and Patton. Virgil was a night owl anyway, he could outlast them when it came to staying up late. Virgil knew he would have to be subjected to a lecture when he got back.

If he was caught. Fresh air, that's what he needed. So he waited for both Logan and Patton to say good night and lock their door. He waited another half hour knowing Logan always went to bed at the same time and Patton followed soon after. Not to mention it was a safety buffer. Patton was swaying on his feet when he walked through the bathroom back to his room.

He took his room key, had a folded note from Picani saying he could take walks when needed and because something compelled him to, his notebook with a few pens. He threw them in a bag quietly and opened his door and left. Was he still in the old clothes?

Yes, but he wasn't planning on seeing anyone plus he knew how to sneak around.

He went to the old window Patton found him at earlier that week. It was a good place and kept him hidden in the dark. He felt better at night. The school was calmer now, many kids sleeping after a long day of reuniting.

Virgil stayed there for a little bit and then heard someone coming. He stayed and listened to the person. They stopped before Virgil's hiding spot.

"Anx, if you are going for a midnight walk..try doing it when people aren't already breaking the rules." Janus was waiting below. Janus called him Anx because Virgil's heightened anxiety made him scared to tell people his real name. Also Virgil slipped up when he introduced himself after they were on better terms and said his name was Anxiety. It was a bit of a running joke and Janus only used it when he was in a good mood or if he was trying to comfort Virgil in his own way.

"Before you ask, I saw you climbing up there. Now get down, before your uncle or security comes." Virgil rolled his eyes and jumped down from the ledge.

Janus joined him on his walk, they didn't do much just walking. Sometimes Janus would talk. Other hallways they just enjoyed the company.

"I know Patton and Logan already told you but be careful around Princey." Janus said. Virgil rolled his eyes. He met the kid! He was fine! Virigl wrote a note and handed it to Janus.

I appreciate the concern but it was the first meeting him that was what worried me.

"Well does he know you are mute?" Janus said. Virgil froze. He didn't know, he thought his uncle would have told Roman when he first left. "I am going to take that as a no." Janus said. After that, Virgil was ready to turn in. Janus walked him back and Virgil closed the door. This is going to be an interesting time.

Saturday came and went, so did Sunday and Virgil didn't see Roman. Much to many people's distress, Virgil had decided to take another night walk but closer to the end of dinner rather than at midnight. Janus was trailing him and he knew it. Janus was good but so was Virgil. He opted to get lost in a crowd and slip into a bathroom. He reversed his hoodie so there were different colors and slipped past Janus and went to the library.

One of the last places to look for Virgil was the library, during the summer at least. Virgil sighed and went into the quiet place. He found his usual corner and got set up. He wasn't sure what he was doing but he was there for a reason.

His uncle had asked him to write a ritual for the October full moon for Patton to perform. As much as Thomas loved his son, he wasn't the best when it came to writing rituals. That's what made Patton and Virgil a good team. He had a bunch of older rituals and drew on knowledge he had of the past ones he had participated in.

"I thought I saw you come in here." Virgil heard a voice say. He looked up and saw Roman standing there,smiling a dazzling smile. Virgil was glad he put foundation on this morning. Virgil nodded and then went back to his work ignoring Roman.

Roman was still standing there. "Can I sit?" Roman asked. Virgil wrote on a post it note and stuck it to the place in front of him.

If you are quiet then I don't care. Distract me then I am leaving.

"Well darn, I was going to actually have a conversation with you. But I can opt for watching you work instead." Virgil looked up and was a little annoyed. He wanted to get away from people, that's why he came here. Roman wasn't making it easier.

I want to be alone. Virgil wrote and put on the table in front of Roman. Who read it and nodded.

"Well, that's a kind request. But I figured I'd give you company." Virgil sighed and then signed to himself.

He just won't leave it alone. Roman looked confused.

"What- what was that?" Roman said and Virgil looked at him. He got an idea.

Do you know sign? He asked and looked surprised.

"What?" Roman asked. Virgil knew he couldn't understand him. Good.