LOTF: Before and After

Phase 3: Chapter 12

While not a perfect theory, Ralph was finding that 'out of sight, out of mind' was working rather well most of the time when it came to Jack. However, it didn't seem to apply to the island itself. Ralph continued to wake up every night in a cold sweat, worried he was still on the island, his life in the reckless hands of the hunters.

March had come at the speed of light, and Ralph was forced to think about what returning to school would look like for him. His dad was now less insistent on his immediate return to school than he had been, but both the Langley parents made it clear that even with the exceptions Ralph would receive, he was still required to do his part to complete 7th grade.

Five months had already been lost to the island, and Ralph was already a whole semester behind. Of course, the rest of his squadron at the academy would be too. Ralph would have to take summer school to graduate on time. He was used to having summers off, taking it as a well deserved break after months of military training and vigorous late-night studying. He was also used to being in school for ten months of the year. Ralph decided to call up the twins and see what they were planning on doing. Ralph hadn't realized how much he needed to lean on his squadron as part of the recovery process, but he did. None of the boys could compare their education, mental health, or their ability to put one foot in front of the other in civilized society, to anyone outside their dismantled squad. Nobody else knew what they were going through. Nobody else had the same gaps in time, education, and childhood that the boys had to deal with now.

"We're finishing the semester at home" Eric said over speakerphone.

"Yeah, then I guess we'll end up graduating a semester behind. No big deal I guess. It's not like we have classmates to compare ourselves to" Sam added.

"Your parents are homeschooling you?" Ralph wondered.

"No, they hired an education aid person to teach us at home. Mom already talked to the separate school district homeschooling falls under and they're still gonna pass us in the classes we're in now if we work from March to June" Eric went on to say.

"But didn't the semester technically start in January?" Ralph pointed out.

"Yeah, but they're giving us a free pass on whatever we missed then. Since we were, ya know, not here. But only if we finish everything else strong" Eric continued.

"But there's no way to make up the five months we were gone all of last semester" Sam chimed in. "So we're still a semester behind where we woulda been if it wasn't for the island."

"I guess that's inevitable" Ralph shrugged. "I forgot how long five months actually is."

"Us too" they said in unison. Pain came through in their synched voices as memories crept into theirs and Ralph's minds.

Shortly after he talked with the twins and had time to think things over, Ralph decided he did want to revisit possibly returning to school to prevent falling a whole year behind.

"Are you sure there's no way for me to do it at home? Like Sam and Eric are? Did you talk to their parents about it?" Ralph asked his mom and dad as they sat on the couch one Tuesday night.

"We did, honey" Laurie answered. "But private education is expensive, and we just don't have the means for it right now."

"But we've always been able to pay for the academy" Ralph pointed out.

"Yes, and we're still paying for it. We've pulled you from the school but with the exception of the international program, we're still paying Bainbridge for your education until June" Jeffery chimed in.

"I forgot about that" Ralph admitted with defeat.

"Unless you want to wait until next year and repeat the whole year, public school is the only option we have right now, sweetheart" his mom regretfully informed the boy.