Kings and Queens | Spencer Reid - Multifandom ✔

Crystal - Chapter Twenty-One

TW for this chapter. Proceed with caution and tissues.

[I'm so cold.]

"She was a genius of sadness, immersing herself in it, separating its numerous strands, appreciating its subtle nuances. She was a prism through which sadness could be divided into its infinite spectrum." -Jonathan Safran Foer

'~-Jessica (JJ)-~'

December 12th, 2020

It took two months for the arguments to stop. I guessed that they blamed the other for Derek's murder. Fortunately, my parents never hit each other whenever they fought- only opting to yell at each other. Though one time, Dad had spun around sharply, to which my mother flinched. They no longer fought after that. I even caught them making out on one occasion- they were very embarrassed, but I didn't mind that much. I just wanted my parents to not fight anymore.

The chilled winter breeze chilled my exposed shoulders as I played with my monster trucks in the grass. Fresh air hit my nostrils, the smell resembling the countryside. The sound of squawking reached my ears as I saw a flock of black crows flying overhead. I was alone, besides the birds, but I did not mind. It gave me more time to think about my future and the state of my family.

Jason seemed to be doing fine, though he buried his face in his work just like Mom often did. Crystal, on the other hand, was struggling immensely with the death of her closest sibling. I only understood because Jason had described to me what it felt like for him- how it had changed him completely. My sister seemed to be facing a worse kind of grief- if that was even possible.

The green monster truck almost blended in with the reflecting grass as it rolled around in my pale hands. I found it slightly childish that I was playing with toys, but I was eight, so I cut myself some slack. I spotted a Rubik's cube a foot away from me and grabbed it. Swiftly, I mixed it up and solved it, sighing when the speed was in record time. I was bored.

I waltzed back into the house, deciding to play on the couch instead of in the yard. The trucks collided together as I imagined scenarios in which there was an apocalypse. I even made up a love story that ended in tragedy- I was smiling to myself while remembering the time that my father read "Romeo and Juliet" to me. Honestly, it was a terrible book with so many plot holes that I cringed whenever I read it. But hey, I was a freshman in high school. No one could blame me.

I played for a while by myself before boredom overtook my brain, drowning out my other emotions. I sighed, suddenly getting the bright idea to ask Crystal to play with me. It would brighten up her day for sure, and maybe, I would even be lucky enough to see her infectious smile.

The floorboards creaked as I stepped off the couch and onto their surface. They were a dull brown but polished nonetheless. I admired them for a moment, grateful that I was living here. I was also grateful for my status as a royal. I slowly made my way across their surface, each step slow and precise as to not drop the toys in my hands. One step, two steps, three steps, four steps.

Crystal's room was adjacent to the living room. The walk there wasn't a very long one. I set my toys down at the door as I pushed the white wood open.