LOTF: Before and After

Phase 3: Chapter 20

Getting on that bus was a no brainer. In fact, Jack Merridew had turned off his brain over an hour ago. He was running solely on heart as he jammed a few articles of clothing into a duffle bag and left his stupidly big house unnoticed. He wondered how long it would be before his dad or Paige noticed he was gone, though it didn't matter. After the ten minute taxi ride to the outer city bus stop, there was only two hours and seven minutes left in the public transportation journey from Dalton to East Point.

Ralph wasn't good at secrecy; at least he hadn't always been. Since he'd been home, he'd gotten enough practice to pull off the skill he never wanted to have. It was easier than it should've been for him to sneak out. His dad was home, so he'd have to avoid the side of the house that Jeffery's office window looked out to. The front door was creeky and loud, so that was out. Ultimately, it was Ralph squeezing himself through the little window above the kitchen sink. But only after he pushed the screen out. As he sealed it back on as best he could, he tried to ignore the horrible possibility of his father discovering him missing and panicking, with no way to contact him. But he'd been complaining of being behind and overworked at the office, so Ralph crossed his fingers that the man would be too swamped to notice his absence.

Ralph sat in the bus shelter, propped up against the cold glass as he continuously waved the bus drivers on. After he sat in wait for seventeen long minutes, Jack stepped off the next bus that pulled up. Ralph jumped to his feet and practically ran at the blond boy. But he suddenly stopped in his tracks as the bus drove off and left Jack and Ralph alone outside the bus shelter. Ralph wasn't sure how close to Jack he should get. Something was holding him back; even under the circumstances that had brought Jack back to East Point in the first place.

The two boys stood with only about a foot of space between them and stared in silence for a moment. Ralph could tell that something was holding Jack back too. A moment later, Jack bridged the gap between them and wrapped his arms around Ralph. The latter surrendered to it, letting his head fall onto Jack's shoulder. As Ralph returned the embrace, they stood like that for several minutes before either of them spoke.

"You're gonna be okay" Jack whispered as he rubbed Ralph's back comfortingly.

"How do you know that?" Ralph replied as tears began to reform in his eyes, and in his voice.

"Because I'll make sure of it" Jack insisted as he squeezed the brunette boy a little tighter.

Ralph didn't reply, he just held Jack in his arms and let himself be held in return. The next bus pulled up and caused the boys to break apart as it's occupants began to unload around them.

"Now what?" Ralph wondered curiously.

"I don't know. I didn't plan that far ahead" Jack admitted as reality hit them both at once.

"I didn't either" Ralph confessed, surprised by his own lack of preparedness.

"What did you tell your parents to get out?" Jack wondered.

"Nothing. I snuck out the window" Ralph admitted shamefully, but Jack's eyes went wide with both shock and pride.

"No shit! I didn't know you had it in ya" he joked as he held his hand up for a high five.

Ralph stared unamused at the blond boy until Jack's face fell as he awkwardly dropped his hand back by his side. "But seriously, what now?"

"I'm not good at these things" Ralph informed him. "Or pretty much anything I'm not supposed to be doing."

"Alright, alright. Step aside, amateur, I got this" Jack said as he pushed past Ralph and started walking.

"Jack?" Ralph raised an eyebrow.