*** time skip back to freshman year ***

“Hey Leo, you think we’ll get a dorm together? You, me, and Luke?” I ask. Sure, it might be the middle of a war, but hopefully we’ll be able to escape it while at school.

“Hopefully mate. What would I do without you guys?” Leo responds.

“As long as you guys actually let me study. Last year was a train wreck. No wait, that’s insulting the trains.” Luke responds sarcastically. At least we hope sarcastically. I look at Leo and he shrugs. Neither of us can ever tell.

*** time skip - one year later ***

“Leo!” I yell across the platform. “Leo, where are you?”

“Right behind you.” Leo says, suddenly behind my back. I let out a little scream and turned around. Luke doesn’t even flinch. 

“Leo, when did you acquire this young child? Did you kidnap him?” Luke asks casually, glancing up from his book to look at the kid at Leo’s side, who’s maybe a year younger than us.

“What child? Oh.” Leo sighs as he looks to his side. “Fredrick, I told you to leave me alone.” Leo spits angrily at who I assume is his younger brother. I know very little about Freddie, but from what I do know, I know that the brothers don’t get along. Leo’s parents have German roots, and side with the Nazis. Leo defies them by siding with the Allies. I’ve always had a feeling Fredrick feels the same, but is scared to defy his parents. It’s unfortunate for the brothers, because before I knew Leo and before the war started, I know that they were each other's best friends.

*** Time Skip to about halfway through the school year ***

“Freddie?” I whisper, sneaking down the dark hallway, “Freddie are you down here?”

“Don’t call me Freddie, James.” Freddie pouts.

“Sure thing Freddie. Are you okay? Do you wanna talk?” I ask, finally finding him in the dark corridor. I slid down the brick wall, adjusting my glasses, and settling next to him on the floor. He leans his head against my shoulder, and I feel his tears dripping down onto my jumper. “Freddie?” I whisper more gently.

“Why does Leo have to always do this to me James? Doesn’t he know I’m on his side?” He asks, matching my quiet tone, referring to a nasty fight he had with Leo earlier in the bathroom during dinner.

“I don’t know Freddie. But you know I’m always here for you?” I ask. I feel him nod against my chest. 

We sit there for a while, quietly in the dark corridor. Unaware of our friends looking for us. Just comforting each other from the scars the war has created on us.

*** time skip to current time ***

Between the thought that Leo won’t care and the fact that only Freddie used to lead me the way Luke is now, with his arm around my shoulder pushing me down the hall, I ran. I left Luke behind and ran. I hear Lukes empty attempt at telling me to come back, but I have a feeling he knew I wouldn’t make it to the dorm. 

I run through the never ending halls of this school, and feel the cool breeze of the Scottish winds whipping my hair through the open windows. I run past the classrooms and toward the library. I stop in front of the intimidating open arch leading into the massive room lined with bookcases and change my mind, turning left. 

This time, I am already alone and I don’t take up a run. Instead, I walk toward that hallway. Our hallway. A place neither his friends nor my friends knew about, to protect the fact that we were hanging out. Leo didn’t want me to be friends with Freddie. He claimed Freddie was unworthy of friendship. I didn’t listen. 

I walk into the dark corridor and slide down the brick wall, the same way I did a couple years ago to comfort him. I take a deep breath, and tear open the seal of the dreaded letter. I skim the contents before peering at the name on the bottom. The war office makes their letters very brief, as if they know no one wants to read it anyway. 

Frederick Arcturus Noir

It was Freddie. Freddie was dead.

I sit there, in that empty hallway for what feels like forever. Luke eventually finds me sitting there, with tears dripping down my cheeks in an almost constant stream. He slides down on the other side of the hallway, facing me.

“Was it him?” Luke asks quietly. His voice breaks the silence of the hallway. I nod, more tears dripping down my face. “Oh, James.” he whispers quietly. He gets up, and walks across the narrow hall. One, two three steps, echoing in this no longer silent space. I stand too, not knowing what else to do. And Luke hugs me. I cry and he hugs me. 

Eventually we make our way back to the dorms, and we tell Leo. The shocked look that overcomes his face is filled with anger and grief and regret. 

Looking back, I should have known Leo cared more. I should have tried harder to show him the real Freddie. But letters change us, and show us what we could have done differently, even if it is a happy letter from home. They show us things we would never have thought of.

It’s all about how you perceive it.