After Before and After

Conclusion: Chapter 1

Every ending is a new beginning. At least, that's what Laurie Langley told her son as everything about his life changed in under six days. He wasn't ready for any of it. He wasn't sure he'd ever be.

It started with all the moving.

The Langley family were given until the end of the week to vacate their hotel room in Savannah following the verdict. They spent the first three days after it packing, comparing hotel prices in and around the area, and budgeting for the unexpected financial burden of not returning home right away.

The Merridew siblings had until the end of the year to vacate their family mansion in Dalton following Jack's sentencing hearing. They spent the first three days after the verdict making plans for trips back and forth between Savannah and Dalton, prepping with Brett Winslow for Jack's sentencing hearing, and budgeting for the financial burden of losing their millionaire trust fund status overnight.

The week between the verdict and the sentencing hearing was a challenge, to say the least. It felt like a painful waiting game being played in slow motion. Everything and everyone was in a frenzied state, and Jack and Ralph spoke more through adult third parties over the phone than they did in person. Jeffery and Laurie were juggling their own living arrangements with trying to support Paige and Jack through their next step in the trial, and Paige was frantically taking their calls between planning for the next unknown stage of hers and Jack's lives.

It wasn't until the day before the Langleys had to be out of the government hotel that they finally found alternative housing. The new hotel was a few miles outside the city, but it was one of the only half decent places they could afford to pay for out of pocket without dipping into their emergency savings. Jeffery booked the one room only until the date of Jack's sentencing hearing because everything after that was a still a big question mark. Jack's sentence would largely determine what both the Langleys and Paige's next steps were, and it was virtually impossible for anyone to make any long term decisions without knowing what was going to happen.

In any event, the Langleys first had to say goodbye to Room 513; their home away from home of the last twelve months. Jack and Paige were there to help them pack and load their bags into Laurie's SUV. The new hotel was a twenty minute drive from the old one, something Ralph was struggling with immensely. He'd grown used to Jack being only steps away around the corner of the hallway. There would be no more late nights bouncing between the two rooms. There would be no more sleeping in the same room at all for the time being.

Paige passed the last bag to Jeffery, who securely pushed it down on top of the others in the trunk of the vehicle before closing it shut. The five of them stood in the parking lot of the government hotel ten minutes after the Langley family's twice extended check-out time. It was getting dark now, and though he was hungry, Ralph couldn't bring himself to think about dinner. He was consumed with the anger at having to leave while Jack had to stay. Two drastically different verdicts for two drastically different boys. It wasn't right, Ralph thought.

Except that it was exactly right. It was the story of their lives. Ralph's good family and luck clashed with Jack's misfit family and endless misfortune.

"We'll call once we're settled in over there" Laurie assured Paige under the cold moonlight.

"We'll wait up" the blond girl smiled sincerely, her warm breath piercing the chilly air.

"Why can't I just stay here with them?" Ralph asked for the fifth and hopefully the last time.

"We've been through this, kiddo" Jeffery sighed heavily and tiredly. "Not tonight. We've all got a lot to get sorted before the hearing."

"What about tomorrow?" Ralph pleaded like a child eager for one more cookie before bed.

"I won't make any promises right now, Ralph. You're old enough to understand the gravity of what's going on, and I need you to step up for the next couple days and do your part to make this all as easy as possible" Jeffery answered him, firm but kind.

"Fine" the brunette answered his father, but all his attention was on the youngest Merridew. He took Jack's cold hands as he said the word, and lifted his head to look the older boy in the eye.

"It's only a few days" Jack pointed out.

"Five days" Ralph bitterly corrected him.

"Same diff" Jack scoffed with a slight smile. "It's not like we won't see each other before the hearing."

"I need to see you before tomorrow too though" the younger boy moped. "I don't wanna waste anytime apart in case---" he abruptly stopped himself.

"You can say it" Jack said in a smaller voice, smaller and quieter than he normally spoke. "In case I get slapped with a life sentence."

"You won't" Ralph whispered as he dropped his head. "You can't. They can't toss you out to dry like that."

"Wouldn't be the first time" Jack pointed out.

Jeffery and Laurie exchanged a heavy look with one another before finally convincing the boys to part ways. Laurie had to ask Ralph more than once to just get in the car, and she hated every second of it. Jeffery promised again to call Paige when they arrived and finished unpacking, and with that the Langleys were off. Ralph watched Paige and Jack out the back window as they headed back inside the hotel. Ralph, Jeffery, and Laurie pulled out of the parking lot, leaving the Merridews, the hotel, and everything it represented behind.

Both families had a chaotic and busy few days ahead of them. Jack and Paige would spend a large chunk of time meeting with Brett Winslow, who reminded them that victim impact statements would be read at the sentencing hearing. Piggy's parents. Jack faintly remembered turning his head to watch Ralph converse with them at the Virginia airport. If they weren't sure of Jack's role in their son's death before, they would be now that there was a guilty verdict. Not kind of guilty, not maybe guilty, but plain and certainly guilty.

How ironic it was to have been found guilty for the only crime he had no hand in committing, the one he couldn't have done anything to prevent.

There was no plan to kill Piggy, no conspiracy between Jack and Roger to inflict maximum pain, no plan on where and how it was going to happen. It was a false flag, the only charge Jack wasn't guilty of. How frustrating it was to get away with the thing he did do but not the thing he didn't.

Every second was long and excruciating leading up to Wednesday, the morning of the sentencing hearing. Jack wasn't expecting Evan to show up, but for the first time, he was fine with that. Ralph and his parents were gonna be there, and Jack wasn't exactly excited about the prospect of them and Evan being in the same room after the boys' relationship was exposed to the entire courtroom.

One might've expected Jack to be nervous about the hearing, but he was actually looking forward to it. Jack hated playing the waiting game. Nothing was worse than being a sitting duck while your entire life just hung in the balance. However bad it would be, he just wanted to get it over with, even if that meant the rest of his life was about to be over with too.