Welcome to Chapter Two. Oh and, as to not create any confusion, this is NOT a sequel to Fair Addiction. Anyway, this chapter is written a bit sloppy, and I'm sorry, I'll probably repost it later, but I really wanted to put this up. Anyway, I wanted to make Jack's character a little different from what it is in most fan fictions, which is the I-don't-care-about-what-happened-on-the-island-and-want-to-continue-the-hunt type (Not that I'm saying that's bad! I actually like that; I just wanted to go for something different. That's all! Please review if you liked it! And if you didn't like it…I'm sorry D:!

*Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Lord of the Flies.

[They Call Me Merridew]

Ralph shuffled back into his room, hoping the plain walls would swallow him up, and protect him from the savage that stood before him. It didn't matter if Jack's blue eyes swelled with sympathy when he saw Ralph's terrified state. It didn't matter if he tried to murmur 'it's okay' over and over again. He's a murder. Ralph felt the thick wood of the bed frame hit the back of his knees, and the fair boy awkwardly fell over the twin bed. His head smashed against the wall. He's finally come for me!

Ralph had had dreams that followed this format before. Why, his mother had even sent him away to a mental institute for them! But, guessing by the pain buzzing in the back of Ralph's head, this was real. He watched with large eyes as Jack advanced on him. Ralph squeezed his eyes shut and prepared for the worst.

"Ralph."

Ralph slowly opened his eyes and was surprised at their proximity. Jack's face was a mere foot away from his own and his blue eyes were watching Ralph concernedly. He glanced down at a pale freckled hand reaching out politely to aid him back to his feet. Ralph cleared his throat, embarrassed, and hesitantly took the red heads hand. Jack pulled him up with startling strength.

"Why are you here?" Ralph mumbled, pulling at his sleeves. Jack was silently staring at Ralph, and the blonde rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. It seemed like hours past before Jack opened his mouth to speak.

"Ralph…I-I'm so sorry I-"

"Why are you here?" Ralph asked again. He didn't want Jack's apologies, he wanted Jack to leave.

"I was sent here." The choir boy said, clearing his throat. "I show all of the new students around." Jack said proudly. He looked Ralph up and down once more. His slender hand reached out toward Ralph and the blonde flinched, throwing a glare in his direction.Ralph tried desperately to read Jack's thoughts, but his icy eyes didn't slip once. "I'm not the same anymore." The angelic voice cut the silence like a blade. "I swear Ralph."

Ralph played with the frayed ends of his sleeves. Not for one second did he believe a thing Jack Merridew was saying to him. "Can you just…show me around now please?" He asked, horrified when his voice cracked unevenly. He just wanted his encounter with the red head to end. For the rest of the year, he would avoid Jack Merridew and finally get over himself. Ralph sighed, trying to believe his new made plans would work.

"Yes, follow me." Jack said, turning on his heel; his black cape floated gracefully behind him. Ralph shyly walked after him, shutting the door quietly. The halls were relatively empty, and Ralph blew out a sigh of relief. There were a few boys in similar black capes and they nodded vaguely at Jack, recognizing the red head with respect.

"Do the others go here as well?" Ralph asked quietly. His question was only referring to one choir boy: Roger. The rest didn't really matter to Ralph; in fact, he barely bothered to remember their names.

"Yes. Most of them. But after the…the island, Roger never came back to school." Ralph nodded at Jack's response. The blonde was guilty as he felt relief sooth his body. One murderer was bad enough.

"I see."

"We're heading for the church by the way. It's where we go every Wednesday and Sunday at seven am." Ralph noted the dozens of crucifixes hanging around them. He felt as though Christ was glaring at him, damning him to hell. Ralph flushed and focused on Jack's cape. The blonde felt like Simon's blood was sticky and fresh underneath his fingernails.

"Jack, what are these rooms here?" Ralph asked, glancing at the multiple doorways lining the stone walls. Jack didn't turn around, and kept walking as if Ralph hadn't of spoken. "Jack." He said again. "Jack!" The choir boy glanced back at Ralph like he was a loon, and then awkwardly grinned at him.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"What are these rooms?" Ralph said hotly, losing his patience.

"Oh right. The classrooms leading up to the church are all mathematics."

A boy dressed in the ridiculous choir uniform ran toward Jack and Ralph with an excited grin plastered onto his face. He pounded Jack in the shoulder and said cheerily, "Hey Merridew, you'll never guess what-" The boy trailed off and acknowledged Ralph curiously. "New kid?" asked the savage—boy. God, he did it again, putting war paint on every single human he saw.

"Yes, Jack's showing me around." Ralph murmured shyly, and flushed when the boy began to laugh loudly. Did he say something wrong? Did Jack not show around new kids? Was he tricked? That would be a dirty trick.

"Jesus Merridew I haven't heard a kid say your first name in ages." He crooned, patting Jack on the shoulder once again. "Hey, I'll talk to you later." He winked and resumed his fast flight down the hallway.

"So, everyone calls you Merridew now?" Ralph asked, falling into step behind Jack's flowing cape once again. That kind of explained why Jack hadn't responded when Ralph used his name.

"Yes." Jack said flatly, like he didn't want to discuss the topic, and Ralph was completely fine with that.

A large pair of oak wood doors appeared at the end of the hallway. They elegantly arched toward the ceiling, and two nuns stood on either side, scolding students who were running in the hall. Ralph blew out a heavy breath as Jack wrenched the doors open, grunting quietly at their weight.

The church was lined with large stain glass windows. They flooded the marble floor with natural light of pink, yellow, and purple. The pews were wooden and facing a marble alter, where a golden bible stood proudly. Jack slipped into one of the pews and shyly pat the hallow wood next to him. Ralph hesitated before kneeling and sitting down beside the chorister.

"I know you think that I'm not sorry for what I did." Jack said quietly, his blue eyes planted on the golden bible. "Everyone just assumes that I'm fine because I was, 'one of the painted ones'. But Ralph," he suddenly turned his gaze to the flushed boy, "you don't know the guilt I feel."

Ralph balled his hands into fists in his lap. He was glad. He was glad Jack was miserable. Serves him right, Ralph thought angrily. "Why are you telling me all this?" Ralph asked through clenched teeth.

"I'm telling you this because no one else understands! And, I want you to forgive me." Ralph played with the ends of his sleeves. Damn Jack Merridew, making Ralph feel guilty. Ralph tugged at his shirt. Did Jack know the kind of things…? "You probably don't care but-"

"You're right." Ralph said, abruptly standing up. "I don't care." He edged out of the pew quickly and briskly walked out of the church. He could feel Jack's icy eyes picking away at his back, until he mercifully closed the heavy doors behind him. Ralph didn't care that he had no idea where any of his classes were. As long as he never had to see Jack Merridew again, he would be okay.

Ralph rushed down the hallway, ignoring questionable looks from other students. They were all the same. Each one of them was a painted savage, waiting hungrily in the shadows for Ralph to join them. Ralph slammed the old door to his room shut and sat down in front of it. He pulled his legs up to his chest.

Ralph frowned and pulled his right sleeve up slowly. His pail arm prickled with the rush of fresh air. Scars covered the entire forearm, slices of dark lines, never to be erased. He glared at his arm, as if it was mocking him of how weak he was. Ralph remembered what an idiot he was when he returned from the island, unable to cope with anything.

The blonde brought the soft sleeve back over his arm, where the roughly carved name Jack Merridew had embedded itself in Ralph's skin forever.