Waffles! Moms special syrup recipe makes them all the better. It’s only a matter of time before she teaches it to me. Then I’ll be able to make them whenever I want, which is always. It has been almost two weeks since she’s made some. I can smell them baking from all the way upstairs. The delicious whiff of the batter makes my blood boil. I rush down the spiral steps and straight through the halls. Pictures line the walls, I love to look at our family portraits, when we all look so happy. My Captain America drawing is framed and up there too, I think he’d be proud of it if he saw.

Mom’s smile is so playful, it lights up the whole room. My older sister, Lina, one of the most annoying people I know, looks to me with a waffle sticking out of her mouth. I can see her grinning from behind it. It makes me want to just snatch it from her mouth and eat it. Dad must be at work already or he would have joined us for breakfast. He always does. I set my most honorable Captain America action figure down on the counter and sneak two waffles of the table instead of one. What can I say, I’m addicted.

Today we’re going to Lina’s dance recital. Sounds boring to me but I guess watching teenage girls flop around in ugly dresses is fun. I don’t have a choice as Mom would say, “You’re part of this family right? So you’re coming whether or not you want to.” I’d much rather stay home and re-enact the Avengers Infinity War movie. I’ll admit the ending crushed my love for all avenger movies and makes me want to cry. I won’t though, Dad says boys don’t cry.

“Time to get ready guys. Lina go get in your outfit and Jax go change please.” Mom doesn’t leave me a chance to complain, even though I really want to, instead she disappears down the hall and up the stairs. I take my time and savor every last bite of the MOST AMAZING WAFFLES in the entire universe. Mom helps me get dressed, eventually. Before we leave I grab Captain America, can’t go anywhere without him.

We all pack into the car and for the first time I get to sit in the middle. Lina always gets to because she’s “older” and whatever mature means. Sometimes I enjoy being rebellious and I fake the sound of a click to the seatbelt. I feel like I’m superior to her stupid self. I love her kind of, only sometimes since she’s so rude and ruins everything. If not for her I could’ve eaten four waffles this morning instead of two. Now I want more waffles.

Traffic lights are so nice, it’s three colors all in one thing, red, yellow, and green. My favorite color’s red. I wonder if it would make sense to add another color, maybe blue, yeah blue, blue’s nice. Mom’s such a good driver. She takes me everywhere, like the park and school too. She’s always doing things for me, and Lina too. She’s great. Not everyone is a good driver, though. Next thing I know horns are honking and everything is white, just like the clouds that were in the sky. I don’t even remember much.

When I open my eyes, I’m far away from our car and it’s wrecked. I don’t think I even got hurt because I can walk just fine and I don’t have any cuts from what I can tell. I don’t understand what happened. When I get closer to the car I only see Lina, she’s still in the car. It’s upside down. What do I do? I’m right next to her now but she won’t open her eyes.

“Lina, wake up please! Tell me what to do! How do I help you?” She won’t answer me. I think she’s sleeping. I have to find Mom. I look around and people are getting out of there cars, looking at us. They aren’t helping me. Why aren’t they helping? I found Mom. She isn’t awake either. I see her laying down in the middle of the road, her head is bleeding. I try to make it stop but it doesn’t.

I’m not sure how much time goes by before the sound of an ambulance blares close enough to hear. They pull up and two guys run over to my Mom, then one to my sister. They still haven’t paid any mind to me. It’s okay, I want them to help Lina and Mom. It takes forever for them to finally pull Lina out and get her in the ambulance. Right before they close the doors I slip in and head to the hospital with them.

Doctors are rushing over the place and there are people crying in waiting rooms and holding each other. It reminds me of my grandpa’s funeral, it was sad. That was the only time I ever saw Dad cry. Since then, not a single tear fell from his eyes. I guess he wants to seem tough all the time. So I can’t cry right now, it will make him so proud to see that I didn’t cry, and that I’m being tough. Right? I wonder when the doctors will call him and tell him what happened to us.

Mom and Lina are out of surgery now. Everyone acted like I wasn’t even there. They were just running around and They must just feel bad for me and don’t want to talk to me. I sat by their bedside until finally, Mom’s eyes opened. When I went to hold her hand I couldn’t feel her. Why could I not hold her hand?

“Mom? Are you okay. Lina isn’t awake yet but I’m okay.” She doesn’t even look at me. I don’t understand. “Why won’t you look at me?”

Some guy doctor, Tim I think, walks in holding with something in his hands. He treads over to Mom slowly and grabs ahold of her hand. I finally see what he had in his hand. It was my Captain America. How did he get it? He’s probably not even a true fan like me.

“You’ve been in an accident. And I’m so sorry but your son.. He didn’t make it.” What is he talking about, I’m right here.And he still hasn’t put down MY Captain America.

“No Mom, I’m right here, next to you.” This time I can’t hold in my tears, I’m trying to. How can I hold them back, when they don’t realize that I’m standing right here? I am calling out to Mom; she won’t even look my way.

No one can see me, or hear me, or even be with me. It’s like i’m invisible. Maybe it isn’t that bad, as long as I can still have waffles whenever I want.