Albert wasn't saying much but supper was roasted chicken and mashed potatoes, and he kept glancing at Craig and smiling a tight little smile. Craig tried to get the angry, wounded look off of his face but just sitting on the hard kitchen chair was hurting his tailbone and he was still popping motrins and Tylenols like crazy. Through his narrowed eyes he was looking at his father and thinking, 'it'll just happen again,'.

It was this period of his father's shamed silent apologeticness that he could get away with the most. He chewed his chicken and sipped his soda, trying to remember when he last had a pain pill.

"Uh, dad, I'm gonna hang out at Sean's house again tonight," he said, and sipped his soda, watching his father over the rim of the glass.

"Okay," Albert said, and smiled a real smile at his son.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Sean and Jay stood near the movie theater downtown waiting for Craig. Sean was thinking about the bruises he'd seen on Craig, the tears, the cracks in his voice, 'I had a fight with my father, I can't go back,' He wondered if he should have asked him exactly what was up right then. Sean knew how time could erode the emotions that got you out of a situation. He knew that was what happened.

Jay handed over the bottle of Jack Daniels and Sean took a quick swig, almost enjoying the burning sensation as it went down his throat. Telling Jay wasn't even an option. What could Jay do?

In the distance he saw Craig, and as he got closer he told himself he just wouldn't say anything. Not until he could figure out what to do.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

In school, the hallway flooded with morning light, Sean watched Ashley walk by. Ashley. He wondered why he hadn't thought of her before. Ashley was in love/lust/something with him. She'd be able to help.

They had the same study period in the library and Sean watched her from across the room, watched the play of light on her reddish brown hair, the way her eyes scanned the page she was reading. He walked over.

"Hi, Sean," she said, looking up from her book.

"Hi," He scratched his head. How in the hell should he bring this up? He sat down at the table she was at and rocked a little in the seat.

"What's up?" Ashley said, chewing the end of her pen.

"Well, I'm kinda worried about Craig,"

She leaned forward, her interest level ratcheted up a notch when he mentioned Craig's name.

"Why? Why are you worried?" He could just feel the concern in her glassy blue eyes. He rubbed his own eyes, felt the sick twinge of a headache.

"Well, I don't know. It's his dad, I guess. I don't think they're getting along. I think maybe his dad is hitting him or something,"

"Really? That's awful," she said.

"Yeah," he said, "it is,"