I'm a homosexual, and I love myself. (I love my dead gay best friend)

Chapter 1 - Handsome

September first, 1949.

The fair haired boy begrudgingly stepped into the school's looming halls. Halls he never thought he'd have to step into, but alas, there he was. He looked around the interior of the hallway. Cheap, worn down, and kind of smelly, but what else could you expect from an emergency boarding school?

His parents, along with multiple other families, evacuated their children to the school because of the expanding war. Danger grew every day, and they found no other choice but to send their littluns to this dump. At least there would be some positive sides to this hellish scenario. He'd get to start anew, make new friends, be a whole new person, if he wanted to be.

He barely gained sense away from reveling in the past until his childhood best friend, Piggy, appeared in front of him. Though jarred, Ralph couldn't recall the last time his friend's real name was uttered, Piggy was all he ever knew.

"You're here?" was all he said. Piggy was the last person he'd want here. Though a great friend, his geeky personality shined through any interaction. Judging by his everything, Piggy would absolutely kill his social status, as he did back home. Though he appreciated having a familiar face, he wished it could've been anyone else but the nerd he begrudgingly called a friend.

"So are you?" Piggy blinked, seemingly just as surprised as his counterpart.

"I'm guessing you were also sent away, huh." He sighed. "Some war they're all chatting about."

"Well, obviously, Ralph." Piggy snorted. "I wish my parents didn't send me to this slum.."

"Yeah, I guess." Ralph sighed, already growing tired of Piggy, despite barely coming into his presence.  Ralph looked around the halls, to see multiple other boys, seemingly around their age, pacing back and forth.

"Reckon these guys got sent here too, huh."

Piggy nodded. "A lot of folks sent their kids here. Hasn't got the best reputation, but there weren't many other options."

"Yeah," Ralph chided. "I bet it only gets worse from here, huh? I can already see the walls peeling."

"Try to be appreciative, Ralph. At least we're not in the middle of a battlefield."

"Yeah, alright you hypocrite." Ralph snapped.

Lost in their conversation, the two boys hardly noticed when another walked up and approached them, before one had interrupted them suddenly.

"You two are new here, right?" A voice spoke.

Startled, Ralph and Piggy's heads snapped towards the speaker, before realizing it was just another student, along with another not too far behind. Ralph turned, crossing his arms. "Yeah, what of it?" he announced, puffing out his chest.

"Roger", he pointed to himself, before pointing to the boy next to him, "Maurice."

Ralph sized up the boys for a moment. Roger was stout; not nearly as tall as his counterpart, Maurice, who seemed to tower over all of them. Despite his height difference, Roger spoke with an obvious confidence that only could've been earned from a heightened social status.

"Tell us your names. Now." Roger harshly spoke again. Piggy shuttered with fear, as he typically would whenever faced with a situation like this. Like prey for a predator.

Ralph acknowledged the brashness of the boys before him. Maybe if he watched himself right, he could make friends with them. To have a group of his own, to finally get away from Piggy.

"Acknowledge us, you ninnies" Maurice spat, before giving Ralph a shove. Nope, they weren't the friendly type it seemed.

"Lunkhead boys like you wouldn't last a day in war, let alone here." Roger sneered. "This is our territory."