"VIRGIL, GET UP NOW. YOU ARE GOING TO BE LATE FOR SCHOOL! AGAIN!" Grandma sounds furious, but Virgil no longer cares. He doesn't want to go to school, he doesn't even want to get out of his warm, comfortable bed. Turning to face the wall, Virgil drifts back to sleep.
It is the middle of winter, he has a huge test he has not bothered to study for, and Johns snoring kept him awake half the night.
He hates his brothers. Scott is so damned perfect, with his perfect hair and his perfect eyes and his perfect grades. Nothing Scott ever does goes wrong, he is the older brother, the one who has taken over everything since their dad disappeared. Disappeared, Virgil refuses to believe his father is dead. John, snores loudly, every single night and he can't even remember what it felt like to get a decent nights sleep. Shy and socially awkward, Virgil is tired of pretending he isn't related to who his class mates refer to as "Nerdboy". And do not get him started on Gordon. The squid would be squat if it was up to Virgil. Irritant, thorn in his side. Yes he would gladly deny being related to him too. Alan is fine, for a baby, but he would rather eat one of Grandmas cookies than admit it.
Living with his Grandma in the house that belonged to his parents feels wrong. This isn't a home anymore, it is just a house he is unlucky enough to share with four strangers who call them selves his brothers and a crazy old lady who seems determined to poison them all.
He is suddenly ripped from his cocoon by the crazy old lady who tears away his safety net and chucks a glass of what feels like icy cold water over his head.
"I will not have this discussion with you every morning Virgil, get up, get dressed and get out of here, the bus left 5 minutes ago, Scott dropped Gordon off at the pool an hour ago and it's a 40 minute walk so unless you want detention, MOVE!"
Virgil is not going to school, he does not want the bother of having to explain why he is late in front of a room full of his judgemental peers, and John who has skipped two grades and joined him in the 9th Grade. He knows that John will tattle the minute he is home, but right now he does not care.
He heads downtown to the music store, music has always been his escape. The one thing he always did with his mum and dad, the one thing that has never let him down.
"Hi Virgil", Stan the owner says to him as he opens the door and enters the warm exterior of the store. It is bitterly cold outside, cold enough for snow. Virgil hates snow.
"Hi Stan". Stan is Virgils only friend, the one person who gives and never asks for anything in return. He is 54 years old, and spent his whole life in this store. As far as Virgil can see, he has the perfect life. The life Virgil would love. All day surrounded by music and no family to annoy him.
He heads upstairs to where Stan keeps the piano. Flexing his fingers he sits down at the bench, practising the hardest, darkest piece he can think of. Mozart had it so much easier than he does. His life is so hard. No one has it as hard as he does. No one.
"Mrs Tracy? This is your grandsons head teacher Mrs Simpson, Virgil has not shown up for school. Is everything okay? Its just this is the third time in two weeks, and he has missed a maths test worth 25% of his grade, and he is in serious danger of failing the 9th grade and having to repeat".
Grandma Tracy is furious, not again. "Yeah, he is home sick, he has a cold. I am really sorry, I did not realise he had a big test today. Is there anyway of allowing him to take it when he is feeling better?" Deep down, she knows that covering for her errant grandson is not going to do him any good in the long run, but she knows that he is hurting. Losing his father less than 4 months ago really took its toll on Virgil, they're all suffering but Virgil is really struggling to cope.
"I will see what I can do, I can't make any promises. I know he is having a hard time at the moment, but nobody's life is perfect and he needs to realise that the world does not revolve around him" Mrs Simpson replies.
Sheesh, no wonder Virgil is skipping school, with a heartless woman like that running it! Grandma Tracy thinks to herself before promising to have a word with him once he has woken up from a nap. She will always be there to protect him.
Returning to the lasagne she is attempting to cook for dinner, she can't. Sitting down at the table, she places her head in her hands and for the thousandth time since her beloved Jeff died cries. She is crying for them all.
For Scotty, so determined to hold it together and prove to the world that he is Jeff Tracys son. For John, who is desperately trying to find a place in this world that would accept him for who he is. For Gordon, who is hiding his own pain underneath a mask of terrible jokes and even more terrible pranks. For Alan, at eight years old, too young too understand that both of his parents are dead, and that they are not coming back.
But mostly for Virgil, tough as nails on the outside, bitter and resentful to everyone who dares to look at him in the wrong way. But on the inside is still the loving sensitive Virgil they all know and love. He has to be, this is just a phase he has to go through and get out of his system.
Yes, life is hard, but she has to keep it together for the sake of her five beloved grandchildren, she has to keep it together.
Virgil is waiting by Scotts car at 3:30, his arms folded, face set, daring Scott or John to say something as they all get into the car before driving to the elementary school to pick Gordon and Alan up.
"I am telling Grandma you skipped school again" John tells him.
"You skipped school? AGAIN?" Scott blows up, glaring at his younger broker in the rear view mirror "WHAT ABOUT THE TEST? ARE YOU SO DETERMINED TO FAIL THE 9TH GRADE THAT YOU WOULD DELIBERATELY SKIP AN IMPORTANT TEST? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU VIRGIL?"
"Stop the car Scott, I want to get out" Virgil replies, dodging his questions. Being stuck in this tin can is not his idea of fun, and he is getting claustrophobic just thinking about it.
"No, I am taking you home, and I am going to tell Grandma".
Scott pulls into the car park at the elementary school, where Gordon and Alan are waiting for them. Gordon looks exhausted, there are dark circles under his eyes, and he is wheezing when he breathes. But they ignore it, convincing themselves that there is nothing wrong, even Gordon, he can't be sick, not now when they are all so concerned about Virgil.
"You try to get out this car Virgil, and I will run you over" they both know that Scott is not joking, as he pulls up for Gordon and Alan to get in.
Grandma is waiting for them when they get home, Virgil tries to flee but is caught up in Grandmas surprisingly strong arms.
"No! You are coming with me, we are going to talk".
"I have nothing to talk about" Virgil grumbles.
"Now, we both know that is not true. There is your attitude problem, for a start"
Confronting the angry teenager was not a good idea, as he clams up and that protective bubble he has spent the last 4 months carefully cultivating crumbles, and he is shouting.
"I DO NOT HAVE AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM, YOU LITERALLY HAVE NO IDEA HOW I AM FEELING, AND LETS FACE IT GRAND. MA YOU DO NOT CARE, YOU NEVER HAVE. YOU ARE ONLY HERE BECAUSE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU OWE IT TO JEFF. NEWSFLASH SALLY, I DON'T NEED YOU. I DON'T NEED THEM I DON'T NEED ANYTHING!"
Virgil tears himself away and flees to the barn, determined to hide away from the world, and not giving a damn about how cold it is out here. He doesn't care. He really does not care.
"How about sending him to brat camp?" Gordon suggests, grinning evilly.
"Get in doors and get your homework done" Grandma tells him, ignoring the way he is holding his ribs as he walks into the house.
Dinner is a tense affair, with no one talking much. Scott furious at Virgil, John silently wondering how he is going to survive another three and a half years of high school, Gordon is sick but to afraid to mention anything, he is pushing food around his plate and no one has noticed that he hasn't eaten a single thing and Alan has no idea what to make of the changes to his family. He tries to keep everyone smiling but he can't, the family is falling apart. As for Virgil, he has not come back in from the barn. They know he must be hungry and cold, but until he is prepared to talk there is nothing they can do about it.
Virgil has snuck back into the house and is in his and Johns bedroom, Johns side as always is pathologically neat annoyingly clean, just like John. Once he has started, he can't stop. Grabbing the clothes from the closet he throws them on the floor. Tearing whole pages out of his books, stamping on the model spaceship until it is in a million pieces. He doesn't stop until everything is destroyed. Then he leaves. He is gone and he is done with his family.