Chapter 3
"Jack, what do you mean by that?" Ralph whined.
"Nothing," Jack blushed. He couldn't tell Ralph that he liked him, at lest not yet. "It's none of your business, that's all that it means. I wasn't implying anything." Laura just sat there and giggled. Shawn stooped down to Laura and whispered something into her ear.
"Okay," Laura said, seeming a little depressed.
"Look, Jack, I don't know what's going on here, but -"
"All right everyone," Ms. Berg said. "Settle down, we need to warm up our instruments and vocals. Let's start with a B flat concert pitch." She picked up her baton. The three boys ran and sat down in their seats. Ralph and Shawn picked up their flutes, and played their scale, with the rest of the band, and the vocal half of the group sang their notes.
School was over for the day and the four teens headed off to Jack's flat. They made their way down Main Street, passing the local Butchers', The Plough Pub, and The Red Lion Pub as well, past the little post office, towards the church.
"Well, this is going to be an interesting year in music class." Ralph said.
"You're telling me." Jack said, checking out Ralph's body. "So, what are you doing after school, Ralph?"
"I don't know. You three are the only friend I have here, so I'm not doing anything else."
"Do you want to come over to my place? I have my own flat here in Farnsfield."
"Your own flat? You mean no parents? You live by yourself?" Ralph's sudden string of questions surprised Jack.
"Yes, my own flat." Jack said slowly, as if he was talking to a wall, which just wasn't listening.
"Yeah, of course I'll come over." Ralph exclaimed.
"Are we still invited?" Shawn asked, referring to himself and Laura.
"If you want," Jack answered.
"The more the merrier." Laura giggled, taking Jack's words sexually.
"So, we're going to have an orgy, then?" The four teens all laughed at the joke. Ralph was feeling especially good, that he had made some friends on his first day. He was still uneasy about Jack. It was really odd for Ralph to see him acting so normal, as if they were long time friends. The four teens walked down the street, and past the church. It was a little church, with a clock tower, that rang every fifteen minutes. The old hand- laid sandstone bricks worn by the long years, now had some moss growing on them, giving the bottom half of the church a slight green coloration. Ralph looked up at the brass numbers and clock hands, to see it was already almost four o'clock. Ralph followed the other three down a little road called Eaton Close, which basically consisted of a small paved courtyard for cars, and four houses whose garages opened into the paved court. Jack went to the first house on the right, number four, and went through the gate, leading to the back of the house. The others followed suit. Jack removed his key from his pocket, and stepped into the house. Ralph immediately followed him in.
"Welcome to my house." Jack said warmly as Ralph's eyes went wide, looking at all the stuff in the room. "You can just put your stuff here, on the other side of the door," Jack indicated a small cloakroom, brushing some of his golden hair from his eyes, and walking into the kitchen, right where the door was. Ralph was in amazement of the amount of stuff that was in the house. Just in the kitchen with adjoining family room, there was a stainless steel table, with four wooden chairs, a water heater/stove, refrigerator, washer and dryer, 60 inch LCD television with ALL the sky channels, two black leather couches, an eight speaker surround-sound system at the telly, with DVD. The room was painted in modern purples and reds, with black carpets. "Wow," Ralph gasped as he took in the sight of wealth.
"It's not much," Jack started.
"C'mon, don't give us that crap again." Laura said, knowing full well, that this was Jack's dream house.
Everybody sat on the ebony couches except Ralph who seemed to still be taking in his surroundings. Shawn and Laura looked at each other and laughed at Ralph's odd behavior.
"Is he like this all the time?" Laura asked Jack, over Shawn.
"I dunno, I really don't think so." Jack responded just as puzzled as Laura was at his behavior. "You know, you can sit down," Jack voiced loudly so Ralph would snap out of his trance.
"Huh? Oh ... okay," Ralph felt embarrassed, what had gotten into him all of a sudden? He found himself sitting next to Jack, maybe a little to close. Their legs were touching. It was making Ralph uncomfortable. Jack seemed to grin at the contact, enjoying the touch. He knew it wouldn't be long before Ralph would move over.
"So, did Monica say she was coming over, today?" Jack asked curiously, shifting his position slightly.
"Argh ... no, thank God," Laura said dreading the idea of her sister coming over.
"Who?" Ralph asked.
"Monica," everyone said at once in different tones.
"Who's that?" he started to feel dumb now.
The other two boys replied in monotone. "Laura's sister."
"It doesn't seem that you like her too much."
"I do, it's just, well ... we don't always get along," Laura replied, somewhat annoyed.
"I like her," Shawn said.
"Me, too," Jack added. The two boys looked at each other and smiled, "Not in that way." They said in unison, laughing.
"Yeah, you and Monica are at war, aren't you, Laura?" Jack joked.
"Shut up!" Laura pushed Jack straight into Ralph.
"OW! You elbowed me in the stomach!" Ralph yelped in pain.
Jack shrugged, "It's not my fault." Just then there was a knock at the door, and someone stepped in.
"Hello, everybody," the voice belonged to no one else but Monica. Laura just sat there and pouted, now that her sister was here.
"I didn't think you were coming over today." Laura said. She was really agitated by her sister's presence. Monica was the shortest of the group, and also the youngest. She was about ten, whereas the others were fifteen and sixteen. She had the same chocolate hair as her sister, but without the highlights. She had brown eyes that seemed to glow with vitality and innocence, the same innocence that Jack had lost back on the island three years previous.
Monica came in and sat down beside Ralph.
"Who are you?" Monica asked in a cheery voice.
"I'm Ralph,"
"Monica," Laura moaned. "Don't be so rude."
"No, it's alright." Ralph explained to Laura. "I'm used to little kids."
"Hey! Who are you calling little?" Monica queried Ralph, as he patted her on the head.
The sun was setting, and the time was ticking away before Ralph noticed that he forgot something.
"Shit, Jack, I forgot my flute at school. I need it because I have to practice tonight. That Ms. Berg gave us stupid test for tomorrow."
"Shit, yeah!" Jack answered, standing up.
"Well, we should be getting home anyways." Laura said for her and her sister.
"Me too," Shawn added. All the teens got dressed for the outdoors, and left the house, Jack locking the door behind them all. Jack and Ralph took off at a run for the school. They soon reached the school. Jack tugged at the closest door. It opened.
"Wow! We're lucky the school is still open." Ralph said.
"It shouldn't be. Let's just hurry." Jack replied. The two boys ran into the music room.
"Where is it?" Jack asked.
"It's in the back room." Ralph said, rushing over to the other side of the room. He rummaged around the many selves looking for his flute, which had seemed to disappear. He was frustrated.
"It's gone! It's like it grew legs and walked away!"
"It couldn't have!" Jack said walking over helping Ralph look through the instruments, "what number is on your case?"
"Seven, lucky number seven", Ralph replied now feeling that the number was unlucky. A slow and subtle breeze came in and gently pushed the door shut.
Click.
"What was that?" Jack said.
"I don't know," Ralph responded. Jack calmly walked over to the door, and pushed it, trying to open it.
"It's locked!"
"Stop joking around Jack!"
"...I'm not"
