Just Hit 'Send' By Grasshopper

Just Hit 'Send' - The Happy Years by Grasshopper Ch. 10

Joshua Daniel Latham-Lawrence Langley sat on the edge of the back porch, his still stubby legs poked through the railings, swinging his feet, his cheek pressed against the wood, deep in thought.

He could hear his mommy's voice as she told Pops about this kid in her class that just would not sit still. How she'd tried everything she knew to do, but Charlie was just gonna be the death of her. JD frowned. Mommy didn't sound scared. She sounded mad.....and how could a little kid kill his mommy anyway?

He heard Pops say that if they didn't get more funding for soccer they'd have to cut the team next year and he'd think twice about staying.

He could hear Daddy telling Papa D to hold still one minute more while he adjusted the braces and he heard Papa D say the really bad F word; that he hated the braces and knew Daddy did too, that maybe Daddy should find someone who didn't need braces. JD's frown got bigger.

He thought about his new friend Riley who was always so scared, wet his pants at school and the teacher yelled at him. It wasn't Riley's fault that his daddy yelled at him all the time and he was always scared.

He wanted to go sit out on the log with Gabriel and Mitch, but sometimes they had big guy stuff to talk about and they didn't want him around. He watched Gabriel put his arm around Mitch's shoulders and knew they were talking about Marc. JD could always tell when Mitch was sad. He could hear bits and snatches of their conversation:

"...went to the cemetery..."
"...sat in the grass..."
"...never forget..."

All his people that he loved were mad and sad, but he didn't know what to do about it, not ever. JD felt tears and he snuffled his cold nose, wiping his face on the sleeve of his jacket. He tried so hard to be a big boy, but everyone just always said, "Go play, JD, smile and be happy." How could he when everyone else was so sad? His frown was turning into a quivering bottom lip.

Griff looked out the window, checking on JD. "He's still just sitting there, staring at the water," he told Markie. "What's up with him, do ya think?"

"I have no idea. See if you can get him to snap out of it," she suggested.

Griff opened the door, felt the chill of the cold wind combined with the warmth of the weak winter sun. "Hey, Buster, it's cold out here. Come on in and we'll find something on TV to watch. I bet Spongebob and Patrick are up to something today."

JD sighed. He didn't want to watch Spongebob. He wanted to make everybody happy again. He climbed up from his seat on the cold boards and walked quietly into the house. "I do not like Spongebob today," he said as he went down the hall to his room. He heard his mom call after him, "JD, smile honey."

He sat down on the floor beside his bed, stuck the tip of his thumb in his mouth and tried to think of how to help.

**

"Jordy," Markie sat down by Jordan on the sofa, "Will you talk to JD? There's something going on in his head and he's acting strange."

"Strange how?"

"He is real quiet, didn't eat his cookies and didn't watch Spongebob," Markie said, as if that explained it all.

"Maybe he doesn't feel good."

"I asked him and he said he was okay. He doesn't have a fever. I think it's more something in his head. You know how he gets."

Jordan walked to JD's door and tapped. "You in there, little guy?"

"No," came a small voice.

Jordan shook his head, "Well, do you know where JD went? I need to talk to him."