Chapter Ten:

I wake up in a dark room and am instantly struck with a massive headache. I feel around for a lamp or a light switch and I finally find a lamp and turn it on. What the fuck happened? And where am I? I look down at my body and I have a big grey sweater covering right below my ass and my skirt is still on. All I remember from before I fell asleep is arriving at a party and alcohol... well that explains it. I hear the door knob twist open and I see... Griffin? He looks more relaxed than usual. He isn't wearing his usual turtle neck look or his Chandler Bing looking vest, instead he is wearing his normal blue jeans but with just a hoodie.

"Hey." He says breaking the awful silence.

"Um hey? What am I doing here?" So many questions fill up my mind but i can only form the one.

"You uh started dancing and stripping on a table last night and you passed out." He explains...Oh no.

I cover my mouth in disbelief, "Oh no! I'm so sorry you had to bring me upstairs and deal with drunk me."

"It wasn't as bad as it seems and I actually didn't bring you up here...Gabriel did."

"Is he-"

He cuts me off, "No, he left after he brought you up here, do you want something to eat?"

I nod. He just left? I pass out and he leaves? Once an asshole always an asshole. Griffin takes a seat on the corner of the bed,

"He was pretty upset after you did that so I told him I would take care of you." He says trying to explain Gabriel's actions.

"Thank you." I don't blame him for being mad, I was drunk as fuck, stripping and probably said something stupid. That is basically a formula to make Gabriel mad. I still cant believe he just left me with Griffin... I mean I don't mind, Griffin seems great and he is super sweet but he's suppose to be my boyfriend and he just left? I don't give a fuck how mad he was, If it was the other way around I would stay with him until he woke up. I know I shouldn't of gotten drunk for obvious reasons but still that's fucked up.

"I'm going to go get you a starter kit for a hangover that includes Advil, breakfast and orange juice." Griffin tells me.

"Your great, thank you for everything... you don't even really know me well and your taking better care of me than my... well just everyone I know better." My boyfriend was what I was going to say but right now he doesn't deserve that title.

"What are friends for?"

This guy is actually the best. He is so warm and fuzzy and just amazing. I'm starting to realize Griffin and Leandro are even more alike than I thought before.... Only Leandro has better taste in friends. I feel embarrassed really but not for myself, for Gabriel actually. If I really just left my girlfriend at my friend's house when she is wasted I would feel really fucking pathetic. No offence to Griffin but a random fucking dude shouldn't be taking care of me but again, Gabriel is a stupid fucking asshole that says he can make things better but he really cant, all he does is fuck up with me.

Griffin eventually calls me down to eat and explains that his parent's are on vacation and his sister is at a friend's house. The house is still trashed from last nights party and I offer to help clean up, especially since my OCD is killing me right now but he insists that he doesn't need any help.

"Can I ask you a question?" I ask him and he nods in response, indicating I should just go ahead and ask.

"Why does that girl and guy that you guy's were hanging out with at Joe's have such a impact on Gabriel? Who even are they?" He remains silent and I take it upon myself to push for him to tell me at least something,

"Please Griffin, I need to know why he is so weird when they are around." I beg and he sighs.

"I really want to tell you but it's not my place... I'm sorry." Great well that led nowhere.

"At least tell me their names and who they are to Gabriel."

"Sirena and Liam... Sirena and Gabriel have known each other since I met Gabriel a long time ago and their relationship is complicated and Liam is well just like Gabriel you can say? Only he's funny. They argue a lot since they are so alike, I would say Gabriel is closest with Rose, me and Sirena. He's only friends with Liam because of us." He explains.

I smile at him as I realize he answered my questions without really answering them in a way but I have one more question that I need to know the answer to.

"What do you mean their relationship is complicated?"

"I shouldn't say..."

"Griffin just say it." I insist and he nods in defeat,

"Him and Sirena have been off and on for years... never really in a relationship but they sleep together every little bit, especially when Gabriel has melt downs.... He's always had a spot for her in his heart." My heart drops when he says that. What if Gabriel slept with her last night? He was mad at me... he could have.

"I don't think he was with Sirena last night, she left with Liam and Rose way before Gabriel left." He says basically reading my mind. A huge weight lifts from my shoulders but still I'm scared if he did.

"Don't go running to Angelica about this but he left with her last night.... I wasn't suppose to tell you but I know your friends with her." Of course he did.

"Weren't all of you friends? So I don't think I have much to worry about." I say. I trust Angelica, I know she wouldn't do anything with him... at least I hope she wouldn't.

"Yeah, we were. Well me and Angelica still are and Gabriel and Angelica talk all the time still but she will never trust him again because-" he stops himself,

"Of something that happened in the past but I think honestly he trusts her more than all of us." He's hiding something about Angelica and Gabriel. It's probably the reason why she doesn't consider him a friend. Something big must have happened if none of them will talk about it.  I mean I'm assuming if Griffin and Angelica wont then everyone else that was involved wont either but at this point I feel like I need to know.

After continuing to ask, Griffin finally let me help clean up but we didn't have enough trash bags so we decide to stop by the grocery store since he needs other things as well. He gives me some clothes to wear, I keep on his grey hoodie and he gives me a pair of track pants that are his sister's. The Grocery store is close to the end of the town where Griffin lives, so he told me it isn't a far drive. I've actually never been here before so I have no idea what it looks like. When we pull up the grocery store is fucking huge. It makes sense since it's the only one in town. As we pull into a parking spot I stare at the big sign that reads, "Fresh Foods." Such a good name. I follow as Griffin gets out and grabs a cart.

"Want to do something fun?" He asks.

"Always but what?" I give him a big smile and he points to the cart,

"Let me push you around."

"Is this a plan to kill me because I really don't feel like dying today." I joke.

"No of course not, I just thought it would be fun." I hesitate before nodding and he grabs my hand helping me in the cart. I wouldn't usually do this not because I'm scared to get in trouble or anything. Mostly because carts hurt my ass but I guess for him it's a acceptation.

He starts by going a normal speed as we cross the parking lot to the grocery store but once we get inside, he starts to speed up pushing, faster and faster. I scream in laugher as people stare at us probably thinking were crazy kids but I don't care. He comes to stop as we get to the junk aisle. He throws in a variety of different types of chips. We then go to the freezer aisle and he gets whip cream, ice cream and also cookie dough. I look up at him,

"What? my parents never let this stuff in my house so I've got to take advantage." He is literally my spirit animal.

"Well get mac and cheese... my parents don't let me eat it because it's artificial apparently but that shit is good." I tell him and he gives me a big smile, letting me see his dimples.

"Same with mine, good idea." He starts pushing the cart fast again and I fall back in result of me not expecting it.

"If you don't mind me asking where did they go and how long until they're back?" I know I shouldn't get in his business, especially since we don't really know each other well but I'm curious.

"They went back home, they always leave around this time for a couple of weeks." He explains.

God I wish my parents would leave for a couple of weeks. Speaking of parents, I haven't even told them where I am... oops. They didn't even text or call though probably because I told them I'm going to Angelica's after the party but really I thought I was going to go to Gabriel's... even though I was mad but I'm kind of glad I didn't. Right now Griffin is much better company.

"I don't know if this is weird and you can say no but would you want to hang out a bit longer... maybe I can pick up something for us to do?" He asks. I love how polite he is, I'm not very polite myself but at least I have basic manners.

"Yeah sure... maybe we can paint or something?"

"Painting is fun... I guess while were here we can pick up some stuff." I get why he would think its weird but it really isn't... it's really nice in a way.

This place is literally like as knock off version of Walmart, it seems to have a makeup aisle, food and arts and crafts. It is literally just Walmart with a different name.

We pick up the trash bags and the rest of the stuff he wanted and also some painting stuff. By the time were done, it's only a little before 3:00. We make it back to his house and finish cleaning up and then make cookies and paint as we wait for them to finish. I'm not the best painter, I prefer drawing but its still just as fun.

"So what are you planning to do after high school?" He asks.

"I don't know... I mean I want to become a fashion designer." I see his eyes light up,

"You would be good at that, any school's in mind?"

"Parsons school of design... New York and then maybe later on transfer to the one in Paris... but so far New York is the plan." It feels good to finally tell someone that. My plan to go to New York has been in my head for so long I started to believe it was all just a pathetic dream but saying it to someone makes it feel so much more than that.

"Wait really? I'm planning to go to school down in New York too."

"Oh my God! That's actually so great... at least if I go I'll know one person down there!" My paint brush flips out of my hand as I stand up in excitement and I quickly bend over to retrieve it.

"Yeah my parent's hooked it up for me, they know some of the professors... actually the Chancellor at Parsons is a family friend, my Mum went to school with her. I can ask her to put in a word for you." My jaw drops open,

"Holy shit, really?! I mean your Mom doesn't even know me."

"As long as I tell her your nice to me and your my friend, she would be happy to and besides you really want to go to that school right?"

I get up again and go hug Griffin tightly and he hugs me back, wrapping his arms around my back tightly as well.

"Thank you so much." The kindness he has given me since they day we met, I can never repay. He barely knows me and he was still one of the kindest people I have ever encountered. I'm glad to be able to call him my friend and to say I know he cares about me and I care about him.