LOTF: Before and After

Phase 3: Chapter 14

What was less surprising to Ralph than Jack showing up at his front door late on a Thursday night was the fact that Jack didn't look like Jack.

In Ralph's mind, Jack was strong, fearless, untouchable. There wasn't a thing Ralph knew about Jack Merridew that made him seem small. That was, until now.

Ralph's mother clutched her son's chest as they took in the Merridew siblings. Paige stood behind her brother, well over a whole head taller than the boy. They looked so much alike, Ralph realized. They were both tall and lanky, and had piercing blue eyes. Their hair was as blond as the sun was bright. Paige looked like an older, female version of Jack. Their facial features weren't scary identical, but they were close to it. She was unmistakably his sister.

Ralph's eyes found Jack's across the room. Even from where Ralph was standing in the living room, he could see the bruising around Jack's face and neck. The blond boy was wearing a long sleeve black hoodie with some heavy metal band on it Ralph had only heard of in passing. He was wearing grey sweatpants that were slightly too short for the length of his legs.

Jeffery turned to raise a questioning eyebrow at his wife across the room, trying to communicate with her while keeping all three of the kids out of it.

"Ralph, honey, go get ready for bed, m'kay?" his mom peered around the boy's shoulder to quietly say.

"Why?" Ralph challenged her. His desire to stay and figure out what was going on made him bolder and more defiant than he usually would be.

"Because I said so, baby. Go. It's not up for debate" she insisted as she released him and gently shoved him toward the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

Laurie stood in the living room by herself after Ralph had unwillingly obeyed, and folded her arms over her chest as she waited to see how her husband was going to handle this.

Jeffery turned back to the Merridew siblings. Paige had a desperate look on her face. Jack looked as if he was staring right through him.

"What happened?" Jeffery asked in a hushed voice as he kept his eyes on Jack's bruised face.

"Jack and our dad started arguing and things got heated really quickly and I couldn't separate them. I tried but I'm not stronger than either of them. My dad just kept going and going and he didn't stop until I started screaming and crying. I threatened to call the police, but... Jack can't stay there tonight" Paige's eyes began to water. Jeffery noticed her mascara was rubbed off around her eyes. She clutched onto Jack's shoulder as she finished talking, just as his wife had clutched their son's only a minute or so earlier. It was a sign of fierce protectiveness, a sign Paige Merridew had written all over her.

Jeffery sighed heavily. He turned to look at his wife again. She had picked up her tea from the side table and was sipping it as Paige spoke. Laurie shrugged her shoulders at her husband. She felt trapped. She couldn't say no, not with a thirteen-year-old boy covered in bruises standing in her doorway after dark. She'd have to let him stay, no matter how uncertain she felt about it.

"Come inside" Jeffrey said as he made way to let them both in. He scrunched his eyebrows and shot Paige a confused glance when he looked down and realized Jack wasn't wearing any shoes. It was late March, and cold outside at this hour.

"He won't wear 'em" Paige informed him as she watched him stare down at Jack's bare feet.

Jeffery offered Jack some hot chocolate and let the boy sit down on the couch under a blanket and sip away at it. Himself, his wife, and Paige stood around the kitchen counter and talked.

"I can come get him as soon as my dad calms down. I thought he would go easier on Jack on account of what happened to him, but he hasn't been. I'm scared that he'll like really hurt him if he has the chance to when he's this mad" Paige explained quietly, hoping her brother couldn't hear her.