Fools

Ten

Ralph panicked as Jack was forced into the back of a police car. He was hiding in a nearby diner, sitting at a booth next to the window. His hands shook as he watched them drive away. He looked around for a telephone, praying that the diner had one he could use. He didn't see one in sight so he decided to go up to the counter and ask. He rehearsed what he was going to say in his head a few times before being brought to the empty break room where the phone hung on the wall.

He dialled his aunt's home phone, waiting anxiously for her to answer. She picked up on the fourth ring.

"Hello?"

"It's Ralph, something happened." His voice was shaky as he tried his best to hold back tears.

"What happened?"

"Jack got arrested for assaulting an officer, I need you to come and bail him out." He said.

Anastasia paused before answering. "Ralph, we don't have the money to bail him out." She said. "I don't get paid until next week-"

A tear trailed down Ralph's cheek. "Take it out of my college fund then! I don't care we need to get him out-"

"Ralph we can't do that!" Anastasia cut him off. "I really enjoy having Jack around the house, and I support your relationship, but I will not throw the money your father left specifically for your college career away!"

"I don't care." Ralph sobbed. "We need to get him out of there! He doesn't belong in jail, Aunt Annie."

"I'll talk to you about this when I get there, tell me where you are right now so I can come and get you." Anastasia said. Her word was final and she did not want to argue with Ralph over the phone. Ralph told her the name of the diner and hung up the phone.

He slid down the wall until his bottom touched the floor. Tears streamed down his face as he tried desperately to get himself together. He was all alone in the city, his boyfriend was in jail and he didn't know how to help him. Gregory was going to kill him when he found out, but he wasn't so scared of Jack's dad. It was more of a fear for what he would to do Jack. Would they actually have to call it quits?

Ralph stared forward numbly at that thought. He wasn't ready to just let go of Jack and didn't think he ever would be. He stopped wiping the tears as they kept coming because there were too many. They dripped down his chin and onto his shirt. His vision was blurred as he took shaky breaths. He could almost hear Jack telling him to calm down, something he's had to do a time or two before they became official.

After a long there was a knocking at the door. Ralph wiped his face and swallowed hard. "Yeah, come in." Ralph's voice came out hoarse, almost unrecognizable to his own ears. The door swung open to reveal his aunt and the kind waitress who led him there. Anastasia helped him up and guided the boy out the door, thanking the woman who allowed her nephew to stay there for the hour.

The car ride home was quiet. Anastasia felt her heart break for Ralph as he sat, staring forward. His usually bright eyes were now dim and red. He had run out of tears to cry, so he was just sitting there feeling the pain in his chest. He didn't want to go home. He wanted to bail Jack out. He didn't care what the cost was, he'd give anything to bring him home.

"Ralph..." Anastasia tried.

"Don't." Ralph snapped. Anastasia sighed, making Ralph feel even worse. "I'm sorry. Snapping at you wasn't called for."

Anastasia gave him a half smile and reached over to grab Ralph's hand. "We'll figure this out, okay?"

Little did they know, it was not okay.

***

The day of Jack's court trial, Ralph sat towards the front on Jack's side. The officer's wife sat on the other side. After a visit with Gregory in jail, Ralph found out that Gregory officially disowned his son. Anastasia was quick to offer Jack a place to live until he was old enough to move out. It was the least she could do because she didn't have enough for Jack's bail.

The judge sat down and so did the rest of the crowd. Jack stood in handcuffs, his attorney next to him. Though he had a calm expression on his face, Ralph knew that Jack was silently panicking; or at least that was how he imagined how Jack might feel.

"Jack Merridew, you are sentenced to five years in prison for the assault of Officer Alexander Bennington." The judge said.

It felt like the air was sucked from Ralph's lungs. Five years in prison. Ralph watched as everyone got up to exit the courtroom. Ralph stood up, keeping his eyes trained on Jack. He was doing his best to memorize what Jack looked like before he was locked up. He didn't know when he could visit Jack, or if he was allowed to.

"We have to go." Anastasia said gently. She put her arm around Ralph and guided him out of the building. Ralph's eyes were nearly lifeless as he just allowed her to guide him around. He didn't know what was going on anymore. It felt like everything had just been taken from him.

"How about we go grab lunch?" Anastasia said softly. Ralph didn't answer. He didn't feel like lunch. He just wanted to go home and lock himself away in his bedroom. Anastasia put Ralph in the car and buckled his seatbelt for him before getting in on her side. She knew this side of Ralph well. This was the same way he was when he'd found out that he'd lost his parents in the war. He had the same look in his eye, so she knew how fragile he was in that state. "Is Dairy Queen okay?" She tried again.

Ralph looked at her. "I guess." His voice was monotone. She nodded her head and drove on.