To Understand

Julian's boots clicked as he walked swiftly down the Warbler's Hall to his English teacher, Mr Murdoch's office. It was a Saturday, almost three months after Hell Night, and Julian was still trying to make up for late assignments.

The Hall was almost empty, but Julian turned a corner and saw someone standing just outside the main entrance to the rehearsal room. He noticed the blond hair and tall stature in his reflection in the glassy marble floor, and knew at once that it was Logan.

His heart sped up, and he continued walking towards him, but Logan still didn't turn around. His fists were clenched, and he appeared to be gasping for breath. He was angry.

"If you're gay then I guess Wright isn't bad, he's got a great voice and they all seem to think he's hot -"

"But to any dude who isn't gay, Logan's just a douche, no one can stand him and I don't blame them."

Someone else piped up, but Julian still couldn't tell who it was. Maybe Logan could, by the way his jaw dropped. "It's true!" The boy laughed, then continued, "And besides, who's to say that he won't start going after straight guys, since clearly things didn't work out with Kurt so well!"

There were sounds of chiming laughter again, then another voice broke through. "Obviously not, I mean he never went after Julian all those years, and he shows no signs of even giving him a glance now either!"

That was it. Logan took one deadly step forward, but was suddenly blocked by a swift moving body, smaller than he was but far more determined. Julian swallowed his own hurt at the comment, and looked Logan in the eye. The prefect was too surprised to do anything more than stare as Julian turned him away from the door, and pulled him towards the exit of the building.

He couldn't let something like this ruin Logan again, not when he'd been working so hard to control himself these past few months. Julian just couldn't have that on his conscience.

Bailey watched someone's shadow by the door as the other boys continued talking loudly. Thad said one particularly cruel comment about Julian, and Bailey felt sick. I thought he was Logan's friend... Then he saw a brunet (wearing what looked like Julian's coat) push the other boy away from the door and he felt like throwing up. They'd heard.

He made a hasty excuse, then jumped up and headed for the door. Bailey saw that telltale blond hair as the smaller boy pulled him down the hall. He ran as fast as he could, and the sound of his footsteps caused the other two to turn around to face him.

"Guys! I know they didn't mean it, I -"

"Bailey just save it." Julian's tone was flat and dead sounding. He had one arm around the prefect as though he was trying to restrain him. Logan's jaw was clenched hard, and Julian's arm was the only thing keeping him in check.

After a moment's pause, Julian continued. "I kind of thought that after Hell Night, things would've changed. You know, move on from things in the past - It's what Mr. Harvey would have wanted from us, right?"

Logan shut his eyes for a moment, and said, "I should just quit, I don't know why I ever stayed in the Warblers".

Logan knew it, and Bailey knew it, but Julian said aloud, "Nothing's getting any better, isn't it."

Nothing was. Windsor still had problems with Stuart, and everyone had problems with Logan. The Hanovers had been under investigation for two weeks after the incident, and what ever secrets had been discovered were still undisclosed. Now Logan was thinking about quitting one of the only things in his life that gave him happiness, all because of what the Warblers had said.

Bailey bit his lip as he watched the two walk away. Julian's grip was looser on Logan, but the prefect grabbed his hand even tighter when he tried to pull away.

It was a few days later when Logan heard a rustling sound by his door. He looked up to see that an envelope had been slid underneath.

It didn't have a name on it, so he warily held it up to the light, but couldn't see what was inside. Logan ripped the flap open, remembering an ivory letter opener that his father always kept in his study. The envelope had inside of it a stack of small slips of paper, each with different writing on them.

I'm really sorry about what we said the other day in the Warblers Hall when we thought we were alone, it was horrible, especially the crack about Julian and Kurt. Please don't take it too hard, we were just joking around and we took it too far.

Hey Logan, don't let them haterz hate!

I feel like a complete jerk and I'm sorry. You're my prefect, and occasionally my friend, and I feel like I've failed you.

Sorry. I know Hell Night's been tough on all of us, but you really didn't deserve that. Sorry Julian had to hear all that too.

The very last one said,

Logan, they care more than you think; please don't leave us. -Bailey, and your friends, the Warblers.

Logan read and reread each tiny slip, unsure of how he should feel. Most of them didn't mean what they had written, he reasoned. They still thought he was an obnoxious asshole who deserved everything that had happened to him.

But some of them had meant it, and that's what counted.

Julian cautiously opened the blank envelope he found under his door. He felt uneasy, it could be fan mail, hate mail... Perhaps another 'anonymous' letter blaming him for Mr. Harvey's death...

Inside was one slip of paper.

Just hold on a little bit longer, Logan just needs time, but he'll come around. You deserve so much more than what life's been throwing at you lately, and believe me, you'll get what you want. I've seen you take care of him and so many others for so long. I'm so sorry about what you heard in the Warblers' hall, just remember that some people take heros for granted.

Julian's face broke out into a small, sad smile. Some people take heros for granted.