LOTF: Before and After

Phase 1: Chapter 6

Ralph attempted to talk to Jack when they crossed paths in the hall on the last day of his sixth grade year at Bainbridge Military Academy. Jack, who'd just lost colonel to his younger friend, refused to even look him in the eye. The former pushed past the younger boy and ignored Ralph's attempts to get his attention.

It was over a month into the summer. Ralph sat in front of the TV in his humid living room. He was propped on a mat on the floor, doing sit ups to the tune of Full House. His parents were both out at work, leaving Ralph to himself in the house.

"47... 48... 49..." Ralph panted as he sat up and down, his fingers grazing his sweaty, damp temples. Suddenly, as Ralph sat into the next sit-up, the phone started ringing. Ralph released the tension in his body, dropped his back down onto the floor and took a deep breath. He rose to his feet after a quick moment of recovery and pulled the phone off the standing landline charger.

"Hello?"

"Ralph?"

"Speaking. Who is this?" Ralph questioned.

"Uhm, it's me... Jack."

Ralph scrunched his eyebrows in confusion as his brain went through the Jack's he knew. There were only two, and one was his dead uncle.

"Merridew?"

"Yeah uhm, I-I know you don't want to hear from me but—"

"Course I want to hear from you. Everything okay? I know we exchanged numbers back in fifth and sixth grades but you've never actually called me during the summer before. Are you okay?" Ralph cut him off to say.

"I'm... would it be cool with your folks if I came and stayed the night?" Jack dodged the question.

"I think it would be. They're at work right now, won't be back until 1845 hours at the earliest. You could come by now and we could hangout until they get here and then ask them together. History has proven they're less likely to say no if you're already here" Ralph proposed.

"You're in East Point, right? That's about an hour and a half from here by car" Jack inquired.

"Yeah, the address is 317 East Haven Manor. Is your dad able to drive you?"

"I'm taking a cab."

"Can you afford a 90 minute cab ride?" Ralph wondered.

"My dad can."

Less than two hours later, Jack was standing on Ralph's front doorstep. The brunette glanced down at the multitude of bags at his friend's feet.

"Are you like moving in?" Ralph joked, but Jack didn't laugh.

It was painfully silent for only a few seconds before Ralph wordlessly bent down and began collecting some of Jack's bags. Jack gathered the rest and the boys carried them to Ralph's bedroom.

"Where's the rest of it?" Jack asked.

"Rest of what?"

"Your room" Jack said plainly.

"This is my room, the whole thing" Ralph clarified.

"Oh... really?"

"Yours is bigger?" Ralph wondered.

"Way. Walk in closet, my own bathroom next door, two light switches overhead, enough room for three of your room to fit inside I'd guess" Jack said as if it were common.

"So you're rich" Ralph insinuated.

"My dad is" Jack corrected him.

Ralph was continuously thrown by the way Jack kept separating himself from his family. His dad lives in Dalton, his dad can afford the cab, his dad is rich. Jack seemed detached from the rest of his family, and Ralph assumed that played a role in why he was standing in his bedroom right now.