Taurtis was sitting at a grave.

Not in it, mind you. He's not that stupid. No, he was sitting at it. Near it. Whatever you want to call it. But he wasn't inside it, no.

He held a flower in his hand. Not sure what it meant, though, what it symbolized or whatever. Yellow flowers meant happiness, right? And roses meant love. So a yellow rose probably symbolized something along those lines. At least, that's what he hoped.

Oh, how he wished he had done something, anything. Something to stop the death.

He was told over and over again that it was inevitable.

The car was going too fast, they said. She couldn't have possibly moved out of the way, they said. No avoiding it, they stubbornly, stubbornly said.

But he still could have at least tried, right? Tried to help her, right?

He turned the rose over with his fingers, nimbly avoiding the thorns carefully, he'd evidently been practicing. The rose wasn't fake, as Sam had lamely tried to convince him. No, the petals felt soft and the thorns were properly sharp.

He winced. Speak of the devil and he shall appear, he thought as he examined the finger he had pricked on a thorn. He was probably using the saying wrong, but who cares. They're only his thoughts, after all. Unless someone was, say, reading these thoughts, he didn't have to say things right. Pjklfdiw jkfdh oiwdlk, euionfdkls ued kdoso.

His phone buzzed a few times, buzz, buzz. Who was so intent on texting him? Nevermind. He ignored it. Didn't let anyone interrupt. He was thinking, pondering.

Sobbing.

He should have saved her, he should have tried harder, he shouldn't have let Sam ever push him around, he shouldn't, wouldn't, couldn't.

How long has he been sitting here?

He couldn't remember.

He wiped a tear away, ignoring the fresh ones pouring down his cheeks.

He dropped the rose.

Stood up, walked away.

Numb.

Ignore the people walking by, Taurtis. They don't matter, never have, never will.

Ignore the classmates watching.

Ignore your friend calling.

Ignore, ignore, ignore ignore ignore.

Just curl up and be alone with your thoughts.

Hm.

The new teacher, whatsherface, Okami, yeah, her, always told him he needed to let more people into his life. To let them try to help with this, his sorrow.

He didn't want more people in his life.

He just wanted Salex.