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

The father below the tree

Xavier stared down at the wrapped present he had for Jason in his hands as he walked around the creek, trying to find where Jason could be. Omar looked back at his phone, waiting for a text message from Craig, while also walking beside Maya, who was following behind Xavier. "Has Craig told you if he knew where Jason was? Getting kinda bored walking around...".

Omar didn't answer and stared at his phone until he finally got an answer. "Good news, he's not far. Jason's at The Stump getting his gift from Craig. " Omar went a step ahead of them by already turning to the direction of The Stump. "You think he'll like it?" Xavier started following Omar towards The Stump while staring down at the wrapped present. "How many times do we have to go over this? You already know what Jason likes, Craig, and those other scouts told you. They know him."

Xavier bit down on his lip until he finally reached The Stump. Kelsey and Jp looked as bored as Omar and Maya, but to Xavier's surprise, Tony and Boris weren't beside Jason.

Jason looked down at the present Craig had gotten him. In Jason's hands was the VSH tape Craig had dug up at school. But that wasn't all. On the inside was the yellow and pink bracelet that read 'Fuck War' and a blue one with the words 'Drink Water' on it. "I got a uhh...Kandi set for my birthday, and I hardly touched it, but then I heard your birthday was coming up, so I made you the blue one...".

Jason did the job of placing the blue one on his wrist in order to admire it. The words were a bit silly to Jason. Why would he need a reminder to drink water? Regardless, he appreciated the bracelet made by Craig. "Well, thanks for the gift. Now that I think about it, I think my mom used to have a kandi set in her old craft room. Do you want to use it with me?". It was no surprise that Craig nodded to the invite without hesitation, though Kelsey and Jp looked as if they were being tortured, being forced to wait out the conversation between Craig and Jason.

Xavier watched from behind him. Oddly enough, he felt as if the ground was going to swallow him whole. But, he cleared his throat in order to make his presence known. "Oh hey, Xavier." Jason's face returned to the same dullness Xavier was used to. Jason put his attention on the wrapped present in Xavier's hands. "Happy birthday, Jason...Just like what I promised." Xavier held out the wrapped gift and handed it to Jason.

Jason put the VSH tape case under his arm to take the wrapped gift. He gave it a light shake before tearing the wrapping paper, revealing a stuffed eagle toy. Huh, he kept his promise. Jason slowly got the eagle plushie out and examined it. One eye was blue while the other brown. "Huh, you remembered..."

"Of course I did! I said I'd get you something nice for your birthday. "

"Well, thank you... Guess I'll have to hide this when I get home..." Jason let out a sigh while half joking about the yard sale incident that almost happened.

"Ha, yeah...Did Mrs.Durchdenwald get you anything yet?"

"Nah, Eleanor didn't get me anything. I'm used to it by now. " Jason shrugged his shoulders. He was midly annoyed that Xavier had to bring her up. Maybe he was friendly with her due to knowing who he was at work or the yard sale. He wondered what Xavier did to get on her good side that Jason or Craig couldn't do.

But instead, that opened some kind of confusion for Xavier, "Jason, you call your mom by her first name?".

Maybe Xavier couldn't talk as much as he thought, Xavier was rather disrespectful to his parents and had a smart mouth from time to time. Yet they let them do it for a reason Xavier doesn't understand why. But Xavier had never crossed a line to the point he would call either of his parents by their first names.

But Jason ended up mirroring the confusion, "Eleanor's not my mom...".

"S-She isn't?"

"No."