✤ The grave below the flowers ✤ (CRAIG OF THE CREEK)

M-A-M-A B-O-WHY?

The sounds of the water flowing from the watering can filled Craig's ears, which worked as an alternative for Jason's usual talking.

But this time, Jason stood still, and his right cheek held a square bandage that covered most of whatever scar was under there. Craig attempted to get a closer look, when he did so, Jason caught on and tried covering his temple with his hair to complete the job the bandage couldn't.

Just getting out of bed this morning was hard enough for Jason, he wondered if he should just lock the door for the rest of the day and stuff his pillow in his mouth so his father wouldn't hear him breathing or crying in his room and think he's dead, at least he'll be left alone. But he figured not to annoy his father with an unexcused tardy from the school, so he dragged himself out of bed.

If Jason gripped the edges to his desk any harder out of anxiety, he would have broken all his fingernails off.

His brain flopped like a fish for the rest of the day, it flopped between thinking 'Wow, never thought I was that stupid to think my mom actually got hit by a truck' to 'All my life I thought my mom was so amazing yet she was cheating on dad for God knows how long'.

Not a single math, science, history, or english lesson was learned in that entire day.

But on the bright side, during recess, a strong slavic boy came to him.

"Is Jasaginae okay?"Boris asked, sitting down criss crossed.

Jason shook his head as a no.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Another side to side shake.

Jason kept his face in his knees, sitting away from the other kids. The kids he grew up jealous of, kids that don't have to listen in on their parents arguments, kids who have parents that are loyal to the other parent and kids whose fathers or mothers wouldn't be in jail for murder.

The children's hair flew in the wind as they played, of course he just had to get reminded of how he fucked up even getting ready in the morning.

As if Boris read his mind, he let Jason scoot closer to him, and Boris was brushing his hair.

The bristles glided down Jason's blond hair. He uncletched his jaw and felt his bones flow as Jason finally relaxed.

The flow of the brush made his brain float away like a cloud to when he was younger.

Back when stuff was simpler, when his mother was actually there and when his father wasn't a prick.

He remembered the flow of the gentle brush, him sitting on the cushion seat in the living room or bathroom while Vitamin was in his lap to keep him distracted. The way she'd leave the brush clean with barely any hairs on it every morning, then she'd sit him down at the table to eat toast with jam the way he liked it. And she'd be off to work to deal with another client or talk to the man Jason just found out existed last night.

Oh, the black 'strings' on her clothes were from him weren't they.

By the end of recess, Jason was crying.

Craig slowly raised himself from the ground, Jason carefully placed the watering can back in the box and opened the sliding door for Craig to come inside.

They remained strangely quiet as Craig walked inside the house.

The barking chihuahuas is what rudely greeted Craig as he walked in, "Hey! You guys lay off him. He's a friend! You don't bark at Eleanor's friends or dad's coworkers so you're not barking at my friends!" Jason scolded until the dogs were then running off.