I stopped in front of Virgil's first class, my hand still clutching his. He turned to face me, and I brushed a stray strand of hair from his face. I couldn't help but inhale sharply every time I saw him. Complete with a smile, Virgil was quite the looker. He had a fair complexion and a strong jawline. His eyes, sharp and cat-like, were bright when they weren't weighed down by his past.

     I caught people staring at him and felt a pang of jealousy and a bit of anger. These people, who previously ignored his existence, now looked on with curiosity. The nonsensical part of me wanted to bark at them, tell them he was mine and only mine. 

     But that was only the Soulmate Effect talking. I would never do something like that... At least, not in public. I shook the thought out of my head entirely, as if its very presence was embarrassing. Virgil's eyes were on me currently, and I prayed that was where they would stay. If he gazed elsewhere, even for a second, I was certain it would kill me.

     God, I sound crazy! How long did they say this stupid effect lasted?!

     My conversation with Logan resurfaced and I recalled what he'd said. What if I didn't like Virgil as much when it faded? What if all this was just extreme infatuation, and not the beginning of a wonderful romance novel? 

     Virgil touched my arm, his hand slipping out of mine, and I snapped to attention. My soulmate offered me a kind smile and said, " You're going to be late if you don't get going. I'll see you at lunch?"

     The tension fell from my shoulders and I returned his smile. " Yes, I would," I responded dreamily. He raised an eyebrow. I blinked. " I mean- I will! I'll see you at lunch!" With a slight chuckle, he turned and walked into his classroom. 

     I watched him go and sighed happily. No, these feelings weren't going anywhere. Maybe it wasn't love yet, but we were still strangers. Albeit, strangers connected by fate. It was normal for new couples to take it slow. I turned and headed to my own class.

     In front of the door of my math class, I skidded to a stop. Did I just think of us as a couple?! A blush broke out on my face and I had to refrain from curling up in a ball on the spot. Sure, we'd kissed once. But Virgil had said he'd wanted to take it slow, not to mention we'd only met a few days prior. 

     For years, I've hated that trope in books and movies. Oh, you may not have had a conversation about your relationship, but you've gone through all the motions, just say you're together! It was ironic that I was now having that exact struggle. In the middle of the school hallway, no less. 

     " Hey, move it! I'm gonna be late," someone growled from behind me. I apologized and quickly jumped out of the way. " Oh, you're the dude that was with the new kid!" Th stranger pointed out.

     " Um," I stammered. They stared at me as if expecting something. " Sure, yeah, that was me."

     " He's cute, he your soulmate?" They raised an eyebrow and I felt another pang of protectiveness. 

     " Yes, he's mine," I said. They snorted and I realized the words that had left my mouth. " I mean - Yes, he's my soulmate."

     They rolled their eyes and walked into class. I followed sheepishly, glad to find my seat was nowhere near them. Class started and ended the same way it always did. I'd doodled on my paper all class and hardly paid attention at all. 

     When I snapped out of my doodling daze, I realized I'd drawn a tiny Virgil. My first reaction was to erase it so the teacher wouldn't think I wasn't paying attention. But the moment I turned the eraser to my paper, I regretted thinking that. Instead, I set the eraser down and tore the picture out. Now, I walked to my next class clutching the slip of paper inside of my pocket. 

     Through my next few classes, I counted the minutes until lunch. Sometimes, in the hallway, I'd catch glimpses of Virgil and feel a rush of happiness. However, I could never speak to him. It was like a nightmare come to life. He was always just out of my grasp, always surrounded by people, and none of them were me. 

     So, when the bell finally rang and signified lunch, I about tipped my desk over trying to get out the door. Patton was waiting for me when I arrived. " Hello, my good sir. How're you this evening?"

     I tried to focus on Patton, but my eyes were busy scanning the room for my soulmate. " Patton, it's the middle of the afternoon."

     " Jeez, someone's in a hurry to find their lover boy," Patton teased. " If you must know, he's sitting in his usual place in the darkest corner in this cafeteria."

     I recalled him sitting at the table farthest from where I'd been sitting all by himself. My eyes immediately darted over to him. Except this time, he wasn't alone. Far from it, actually. It reminded me of the way people had reacted when I'd first arrived. 

     I could barely see Virgil over the sea of faces, but his stood out to me. He was smiling, but it didn't reach his eyes. As I drew nearer, I took note of the way he fidgeted with his shirt, and the way his gaze never rested on anything for too long. " Shit," I breathed out. 

     He looked almost the same as he did at my party. I could tell he was uncomfortable with the amount of people slowly gathering around. I searched for a way to get him out without causing too much of a scene. When there wasn't another visible option, I silently apologized to Virgil. 

     I walked to the edge of the mass and put on the meanest look I could manage. " Hey," I barked. Heads snapped towards me, but not as many as I needed. I pushed through the crowd until Virgil could clearly see me. " What are you all doing near my soulmate?"

     Virgil's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. If I had to guess, it was because I was causing a scene, but I liked to think it was because I declared him my soulmate in front of so many people. I noticed a few people looking upset with the new information. 

     When they didn't move, I snapped again, " Get out of here! Haven't you ever heard of privacy?"

     Most of them grumbled a complaint and left, while a couple stuck around, glaring at me. I forced myself in next to Virgil and slipped my hand into his. I gave him a small squeeze, trying my best to tell him I was just trying to help. 

     I locked eyes with Patton, and he winked at me. I was surprised when Logan wiggled into the spot on the other side of Virgil, where a girl had planted herself and refused to move. Patton shooed off the remaining stragglers and plopped down next to Logan, the widest smile I think I'd ever seen on a person. 

     Logan surprised me with a little chuckle and we met eyes. He slipped an arm around Patton's waist and pulled him closer. Patton gaped at the surprise affection, and his soulmate sent me a wink. I felt the sudden urge to do the same to Virgil.

     Speaking of Virgil, he was staring off into the distance blankly. I put a hand on his shoulder. Without warning, he turned and slapped my shoulder. I jumped, not hurt by it at all, but shocked by his sudden movements. " Ow, what was that for?!"

      " Oh, I don't know! Maybe because you caused a scene with the full knowledge that I hate attention being directed towards me," he huffed. 

     " Calm down, kiddo," Patton tutted. " From what I could see, you already had plenty of attention on you, all we did was keep you from having a panic attack in the middle of it."

     He puffed out his cheeks and grumbled, returning to his picked-over meal. I heard laughter ring from a nearby table. I looked up and released a small gasp. Light shone through a window and lit up the cafeteria. I rubbed my eyes, confused as to why I was only just now taking everything in. 

     For the longest time, I believed the world revolved around me. I was the only one that mattered, and everyone should've known that. And, as wonderful as that might of been, it really limited my experiences with the actual world around me. Now, I gazed in awe as I saw for the first time. 

     No, the world was not all about me, and I had proof. The proof sat next to me, laughing about something Patton had said, strands of hair falling into his face and a giant smile dancing on his lips.

     He turned to face me, eyes sparkling with joy, and butterflies filled my stomach. I leaned closer and placed a small kiss on his nose. Our faces were a breath away when I whispered, for only him to hear.

     " You're my world."