breaking free - jalph (lotf) ੈ♡

Chapter 3

I have to write a series of letters from Jack's perspective for an English project, and let me just say, writing this fanfic is not helping my accuracy in depicting his voice properly :,)

Two Weeks Later

Every single parent was overjoyed to finally have their children back. Simon and Piggy's families were informed of the passing of their children, but had the funerals paid for by the airline company.  A week after they got home, all the boys were sent to where they were originally going before the crash.  Jack and Ralph were sent to a private school for kids in Year 12 and 13.

Ralph walked out of the school office, room keys in hand and suitcase trailing by one hand behind him. He could sense everyone checking him out, wondering who he was and why he was starting Year 12 so late. The same thing was happening to Jack. Thankfully, their names had been kept from the media to assure their own personal safety, no nobody had any idea about what had happened.

A few minutes later, Ralph finally reached his room. Reaching out his keys, he unlocked the door and was greeted by an empty room. One bed seems to have been used recently, Ralph thought. There was another bed that seemed to be for him, and two small chestnut dressers for clothing. A mirror hung on the beige wall.

Ralph set his suitcase down gently on the ground, and took off his coat flopping onto the bed. The navy blue blankets wrapped around him, feeling soft on his bare arms. It was one hundred times more comfortable than the cots on the ship. The blond haired boy let out a moan of pleasure as he sunk slightly into the mattress, ever so grateful that he had the day off.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened, and boy with a towel wrapped around his waist stepped out into the open. "Hey. I guess I'm your roommate," he said flatly, not expecting much from the other. He examined the boy on the bed curiously, not being able to see what he looked like due to the blankets. Ralph poked his head up and gasped when he saw who it was.

"Jack?!" He shrieked. Sure, they were on better terms than they had been before, but that didn't mean Ralph was excited to share a room with him. He was still an egotistical murderer, after all.

Jack laughed, "Oh, we have the best luck." Ralph groaned and hid back under the blankets. How cute, the redhead thought, not thinking about what his words meant.

"I'm not cute," Ralph pouted, voice muffled from the fabric. Jack stiffened. Had he said that out loud? 

"Well," Jack began, "There's no use trying to change this. I guess we'll have to become friends now." He sat down on his side of the room, shrugging his shoulders as Ralph got back up. He groaned again, although he knew that it wasn't the worst thing that could have happened. He did seem to have changed his ways. At least he wasn't stuck with a complete stranger.

"Fine. I guess this is it." he grumbled before starting to unpack his clothes. Jack grabbed a book off of the bedside table, opening it up to where his bookmark was.

"I've been catching up on some reading," Jack said nonchalantly, "Have you ever read You Can't Go Home Again by Thomas Wolfe?" Ralph paused his folding to answer, "No, but my mother and her friends read it a few months ago." Jack nodded and returned to his book. After a few minutes, though, his eyes grew tired and he bookmarked his spot before setting it back in it's place.

"Ralph?" Jack asked, "Do you mind if I practice my singing? I would like to join this school's choir." Ralph gestured at him without looking, a sort of 'go ahead'. Jack stood up, facing the mirror and fixing his posture.

"Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do!" He sang, his voice ringing out loud and clear. Ralph paused what he was doing, glancing at him in admiration. Even though he was only singing a simple scale, Ralph could tell that he had a beautiful voice. Jack sensed him watching, and smiled. After all, he was partly doing this for attention. 

He cleared his throat after he finished the major scale along with the major triad. Ralph looked away, face burning although he didn't know why. Hands shaking, he looked down and tried to calm himself.

"Du meine Seele, du mein Herz. Du meine Wonn', o du mein Schmerz," somehow, he was able to pronounce every German word correctly. The song was perfectly executed, and soon he finished with a dramatic "Mein guter Geist, mein bess'res Ich!" Ralph couldn't help himself, and so he clapped.

"That was surprisingly good," he stated truthfully. Jack bowed, "Thank you, thank you, 'mein bess'res Ich'." Ralph looked at him, confusion written on his face, and Jack shook his head. "It's nothing."

Jack didn't want to explain what he had said. Mein bess'res Ich. My better self. He didn't know where to begin, he didn't know why his heart and his nerves went crazy when he saw the other boy. He didn't know where the rushes of affection came from, where the desires to hold him close stemmed from. He thought he had wanted him dead. 

Now he wasn't so sure.

Lyrics are from a choir song called Widmung! We're doing it in my choir, aaa I love it so much. Here are the translated lyrics : https://www.oxfordlieder.co.uk/song/406 (I highly reccomend reading them, it's short and an absolutely beautiful love song. You should listen to a recording of it as well! ;) Hope you enjoyed!