Virgil, 5

Time went by, weeks passed. Virgil didn’t see a lot of his friends, he spent most of his free time with Hans. Sometimes his brothers were there as well, but mostly it was just the two of them.

His mother wasn’t the only one who was disapproving of his new friendship, most of his mates where warning him off as well. Even Mac and Joyce were united for once in telling him to be careful.

Missy growled at him and told him that he was a fool, but that was nothing new – she told everyone that.

Lachlan and Gary came and tried to talk to him. He told them to fuck off, he didn’t need their advice, he was doing nothing wrong.

Why shouldn’t he make a new friend? Joel wouldn’t mind. Joel, it seemed, knew nothing about what he was doing and Virgil wasn’t telling him. It was none of his business anyway; Joel didn’t own him and he was entitled to a life of his own, wasn’t he?

They never talked much. Joel was busy at his course all day and Virgil was often busy in the evenings. Joel’s only access to the ‘net was at internet cafes, but he did send regular, long and chatty letters.

It was an effort to reply, so Virgil just sent brief responses. Joel was lucky to get that much. He was busy. Besides, by the time Joel returned, he planned on having his learner’s licence. That’d be a surprise for him, wouldn’t it?

The bad thing about him and Hans getting their licences would be that they wouldn’t spend so much time together. He was fascinated by Hans but he had no doubt that he’d drop him like a hot brick once he got what he wanted.

Hans and his brothers were totally self-obsessed. It as hard to believe that Peter was their rellie, but he was. Also, Hans still hadn’t said how he planned on repaying him for his time, but he was pretty sure that it involved sex. He hoped so.

Virgil met the Examiner, at the Council offices, on Thursday after school. He wasn’t nervous, he knew his stuff and he was ready, but even so, he was disappointed that Hans wouldn’t come with him. He didn’t need him there, but he would’ve liked his support. Joel would’ve come, if he was there, but he wasn’t.

Anyway, he blitzed the test, oral and written questions, and did the practical driving demo, no trouble at all. He went home proudly bearing the temporary certificate that promised his provisional licence would arrive soon. Choice.

Hans was due to sit his test on Monday and was going to Christchurch for the weekend, with his brothers of course. They had an appointment there, but he wouldn’t say what for.

Friday night, Virgil was home alone and bored. His mum had gone out boozing and Gran was away, tripping around, as she did. So he was delighted to have some visitors come to see him, but not for long.

There was a knock at the door and Lachlan, Gary, Riley and Jacob and Colin and Missy all came trooping in. Wow. Missy had never been to his house before and he was wondering what brought her there.

He soon found out and he was not happy about it, to put it mildly. They had come around as a concerned group of friends to do ‘an intervention’. When he realised this, Virgil hit the roof and he ordered them out of his house.

Lachlan said no, they were not going, they cared too much to give-up on him.

Missy didn’t have a lot to say, but what she did say annoyed him most of all. “I never really thought that you were a fool. You’re proving me wrong! You had a great life, Boy. Why do you want to throw it away?”

“I’m not throwing anything away.”

“Oh, but you are. That pretty little tart is dangling a bait, and he’s got you well and truly hooked. Where’s Joel? Doesn’t he mean anything to you?”

“Joel doesn’t fucking own me and neither do you lot! You can all fuck off and leave me alone. I don’t want to know you – bloody Busybodies!”

They weren’t going anywhere, so he did. He stormed out of the door and just kept going. He didn’t go downtown; he’d had enough of people and didn’t want to see anybody. So he went up and over the hill and down towards South Bay.

He didn’t go into there though, there was nothing there for him. He went instead into the racecourse near the corner and sat up in the old grandstand, in the shadows where he couldn’t be seen.

It was quiet, private and peaceful there. He calmed down and lost the anger. He was feeling a bit stupid now over how he’d reacted.

They were his friends and they were only trying to help because they cared. Well, they were his friends, he hoped that they still would be. He’d have to mend some bridges.

It was quiet, just the sound of stones rattling as the waves flopped on the beach over the road and the occasional car going past, out on the highway. It was getting late. A train whistle sounded in the distance. Was there ever a lonelier sound?

He was very alone now. He wished that Joel was with him. What was Joel doing tonight? Who was he with?

Damm! He wouldn’t actually be with someone, would he? No, of course he wouldn’t. Not Joel, he wouldn’t do that. Joel was no tart, he was faithful, steady and true. Unlike some people.

One of the patchy clouds slid away, the face of the full moon was revealed and the cold, hard, light was as bright as day. Virgil sat looking up at it and he felt that he’d come out of the shadows in more ways than one.

What the fuck was he doing?

He had the love of the greatest guy ever. He wouldn’t even be alive if Joel didn’t love him, and he’d been lusting after Hans, like a randy dog around a bitch in heat. Was he friggin’ insane?

Hans de Groot was gorgeous, there was no two ways about it. He was a stunningly beautiful boy in his sexual prime. He was sex-on-legs, but his beauty was definitely only skin-deep. Inside he was as hard as flint and totally self-absorbed, unlike Joel.

Joel was the opposite, he was warm and giving, level-headed and loving, and he was not too bad to look at either! He was the greatest guy in the world, he was in love with Virgil and he loved him totally. Life with Joel would be a life full of loving.

Life with Hans? Who knew? It would only last until he set his sights on his next target, if that long.

Fuck! He was so stupid! How could he even think of risking what he had with Joel for a dip in Hans’ honeypot? Stupid fucking idiot! He did not deserve Joel, he never did.

He leapt to his feet and hurried for home. He was going to talk to Joel. Well, not to actually talk to him, he couldn’t do that, but he could email him and tell him everything.

He had to before some other idiot did it for him. Not that he’d actually done anything, but he was heading there and “as a man thinks in his heart, so he is.”

He could not afford to lose Joel. He couldn’t live without him. He loved him. He went home to tell him so.

He was still sitting there at the computer when his mum came rolling in, drunk of course. Someone had dropped her off, he heard a car outside, but she was alone when she came in. Thankfully. Anything else would just be embarrassing really.

“Virgil! How is my beautiful boy? You’re up late. Who are you talking to there?”

“I’m not talking to anyone, Mum. I’m just emailing Joel.”

“Well good! About bloody time too. Send him my love and tell him it’s about time he got his butt back home.”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll do that. Go to bed, Mum.”

“I’m going, I’m going. Joel’s a good boy, you know – the best you’re ever going to get. Don’t stuff it up or you’ll be sorry.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll tell him. G’nite, Mum.”

“Nite, Honey.”

It was very late when he went to bed, but, whatever. Tomorrow was Saturday, (or should that be Sunday?)

He hit ‘send’ and shut-down. That was the longest email ever! It was almost an hour-by-hour account of his life since Joel had been gone. (Whoah! He’d be home next Friday – at last!)

He told him everything, every stupid thing that he’d been doing and nearly doing. Told him that he loved him and asked for his forgiveness.

He went to bed and slept for most of the day – as did Natasha, that was how she avoided the worst of the hangovers.

As soon as he was out of bed, he was on the computer, but there was no reply from Joel. There was no mail from anyone else either, but that didn’t matter, it was Joel’s thoughts he was looking for.

He did think of sending him a ‘hurry-up’ note, but didn’t. That’d be desperate. He put some clothes on and went to find something to eat. Cheese on toast was as good as it got, so he had that.

He was sitting there eating, there was a knock on the door and Lachlan came in. “Hey, Virgin.”

“That’s VirGIL! Hey, Lachlan.”

“Hey. Are we still mates?”

“Yeah, if you want to. We’re mates.”

“Cool. I want to. Thanks.”

“Thank you. Thanks for not giving up on me.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“No, you wouldn’t, would you? You’re a good friend, Lachie. Get yourself a drink and sit down.”

“Thanks, I will.” Lachlan made a drink and sat down across the table from Virgil. “Sorry about last night. We shouldn’t have done that to you.”

“Don’t be sorry. It was a good thing you did, I needed it.”

“Yeah, you did, but we still shouldn’t all have landed on you like that. I should’ve come to you on my own but I wasn’t brave enough and didn’t think you’d listen to me anyway.”

“I probably wouldn’t have, but don’t let that stop you. You don’t have to be scared to talk to me. If I’m being an arse, tell me.”

“You were being an arse,” Lachlan grinned.

“Yeah, I was, but not now. I know I didn’t take it very well, but you guys woke my ideas up last night. I was being a dork. Joel is my mate and he’s worth far more than any Canadian Poser. I wrote and told him everything when I came home.”

“Good for you. What did he say?”

“Dunno. I haven’t heard back from him yet.”

“Joel will be fine. He loves you, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. I know that I love him too.”

“Don’t forget it!”

“I won’t, not again.”

“So, no more Cowboys then?”

“Definitely not. Never!”

“Well, good.”

Lachlan took a sip of his drink, and then he grinned.

“So what was he like anyway?”

“Lachlan! We didn’t do anything. I was heading that way, but it didn’t happen.”

“Never? You’ve been spending a lot of time together.”

“We did, but we didn’t do that. We were working on getting our driver’s licences. I got mine on Thursday, Hans will get his on Monday.”

“But nothing else happened?”

“No, not quite. He was dangling a bait and I was sniffing at it, but that’s all.”

“Good job too. You should still be ashamed of yourself.”

“I am. I told Joel that too. Where’s Gary?”