GRIFFIN

This holiday season, Griffin had managed to stay out of the hellscape suburban moms roamed: the mall. Griffin already did Christmas with his parents. They handed him an envelope with one hundred dollars and then, left for an Alaskan cruise. Griffin hated only one thing more than boats: being trapped on one with thousands of people he'd probably hate. Nothing worse than strangers that gathered for a common stupid interest.

His dad made some offhanded comment, "Well, if you don't like it, we'll just leave you here."

It was meant to be a joke.

But Griffin's reply flew out of his mouth before he could catch it. "Yeah? Well, that's fine by me."

It didn't feel serious until he woke up the next morning and the house was quiet. He hadn't been back home since.

"Are you a psychopath?" Griffin asked Indie as he stared out into the hustle and bustle of people who wanted to get through the crowd but were also contributing to the crowd. It was tail eats snake of dumbasses annoying other dumbasses.

Griffin hated Christmas.

"Are you my therapist?" Indie asked back. "Don't diagnose me."

When they cracked a smile, Griffin finally realized Indie was joking.

Sighing, Griffin pushed up with glasses and crossed his arms. Even talking to Indie was exhausting. He couldn't figure this person out. Griffin was good at reading people, talking them up, and calculating all the ways to make someone really like him or really hate him, but all on Griffin's terms.

Indie however was a different story.

It was like figuring out the rules to a game as he was playing it. Like first he thought Indie was a game of Sorry, but then Indie revealed a new game piece and Griffin thought maybe this was Twister. By Christmas Eve, Griffin might learn this was all just cat and mouse and he was just the cheese.

"What are we doing in my worst nightmare?" Griffin asked.

"I have a task for you," Indie said, reminding Griffin the rules of this dumpster fire of an agreement meant he couldn't argue with anything Indie requested. The regret pressed Griffin like wet hair in a straightener and he was steaming.

"Anything else?"

"Finally, a good question. Yes," Indie said and reached for their small red sequin change purse hanging off their and pulled out some money. "Your budget is twenty-five dollars."

"Ridiculous," Griffin huffed under his breath, but he snatched the bills and stalked off to the first store he saw. Some little boutique and went to the first obvious spot: the jewelry. He picked the first blue shiny thing he saw, a butterfly necklace and whipped around, nearly crashing into an older woman.

"Oh, wow!" she gushed, smiling so much she looked she wrinkled more than a raisin. "You have good taste. My granddaughter would love that."

Griffin's stomach dropped alongside his jaw. His face immediately flushed like Indie doused him in gasoline and this lady struck the match. There was no way this was actually happening. It couldn't have gone better even if Indie had planned it.

"You can have it," Griffin grounded out before offering up his loot. "I wasn't sure about it."

"Really? Oh, well thank you," she said and held the necklace to her chest. "That is very kind of you."

"Uh, yeah," Griffin's whole body was covered in the same sticky uncomfortable warmth. Her focus on him was too sincere and it gave him an icky feeling in his stomach. Griffin's own grandmother never looked at him like this. Still, he grumbled, "You're welcome."

"Merry Christmas."

Griffin nodded sheepishly and returned with only a sliver of what she gifted him. "M-merry Christmas."

Ducking his head, Griffin ran out of there and was thankful for the melanin that kept everyone from noticing his blush. Especially Indie, who was perched on a bench outside with a pretzel in hand. They offered a second one to Griffin.

"That was quick," Indie said. "Pretzel?"

"I don't want a pretzel."

"Fine, but I'll hold it for you because I'm sure you'll change your mind. Getting needlessly angry works up an appetite."

"Whatever." Griffin rolled his eyes. "I'm going to another store."

He didn't wait to see if Indie would follow. Indie struck him as a person that could find him anywhere that could teleport to the correct spot in an instant, like he existed in the present, past, future, and in pure time and space. Indie was a being outside the spectrum of reality.

Griffin waltzed into Bath & Body Works as someone at the front greeted him, but Griffin blew right past and found the last sparkly lotion on the shelf at the same time another girl was reaching for it. Awkwardly, they locked eyes in a game of chicken that Griffin wasn't even allowed to play.

"Take it," Griffin said, dropping his arms in defeat.

"Really?" She echoed the last person. "Thank you! My sister's gonna love this. Merry Christmas."

"Yeah, yeah," Griffin huffed and dragged himself out of the store. Indie was there again. Just waiting. This time on a massage chair, eyes closed, and looking annoyingly happy.

They raised Griffin's pretzel straight into the air.

"You really kept it?" Griffin asked.

"I keep my promises," Indie said and offered it again. Griffin took it, munching down on it and happy to still taste the butter and a little warmth. It tasted like hope, like Indie wasn't just messing with him and that Griffin would get his phone back.

Or maybe it was just a pretzel.

Christmas Eve was coming and Griffin was sort of hoping his parents would call.

"Now that your carbed up, get back out there!" Indie encouraged, motioning him to move on. "Unless you'd like some friendly advice."

"No." Griffin stalked off. This was an impossible scenario. It wasn't like Indie could do any better and part of Griffin felt like Indie wanted him to fail, so they could laugh and make their jokes at Griffin's expense.... The same thing kept happening the next few stores. Finally, Griffin attempted to hide his gift and dash to the front, but he smashed into someone who was also in a hurry and knocked backwards into a display of ugly fake flowers that crashed into the floor.

Griffin was so humiliated, he left on his own accord to never show his face again.

"Griffin Leon Thomas," Indie drawled out. The thing Griffin was realizing about Indie was the way they spoke like everything they said was the most interesting thing they had ever said in their whole entire life. "The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

"I shouldn't have told you my middle name. You nag like my mother."

Indie snorted and took a sip from their coffee. The coffee was new. Between being bored of waiting around for Griffin and needing something to do, Indie popped up every time with a new treat. Griffin added: bottomless stomach to the list he was compiling about Indie.

Grinning like a dimpled Cheshire Cat, Indie said, "Sounds to me you don't listen."

Avoiding cliches, Griffin held back an eye roll, deciding a pout would do instead as he dragged his feet to the next store. It was like shopping with his mother. Instead, Griffin took a deep breath and walked into a random store though he wished it was oncoming traffic.

"Hi, sir," a girl at the front chirped. "Welcome to Bits and Bobs, do you need help finding anything?"

"No-" Griffin said on impulse but changed his mind. He turned to her, half the man he used to be earlier today and said, "Actually yeah. I've been to a few stores and I'm ready to leave."

The girl laughed. "I feel that. What are you looking for?"

Griffin told her Indie's requirements and she nodded. "I think we've got something like that. Come on." She motioned Griffin and followed like he had zero sense of direction. She showed him a fanny pack that was almost clear, except it was full of blue and pink shimmering liquid with glittering stars.

"How much?"

"21.99."

"Great. I'll take it."

She laughed again. "Awesome. Okay, well let me ring you out."

And just like that, the girl took him to the cash register, wading through the floods of people. She parted the crowds, and in that moment, Griffin believed God was a woman. No one stopped her and before Griffin knew it, he was handing her Indie's twenty-dollar bill.

"Th-thank you," Griffin said and glanced at her nametag. "Emma. Thanks a lot."

"Of course, anytime." She put the stuff in a bag and smiled. "Merry Christmas."

She held out the small paper bag and Griffin didn't move at first.

"Merry Christmas," Griffin whispered as if he didn't want to be heard by the wrong person. For the first time... in a very long time, he meant it. Technically, he was carrying more. Spent almost all day on his feet with all the pizza and chips still in his stomach from Chad's party. The weight of Ned's hand on his chest when he felt that shove... but Griffin's shoulders were upright. He felt lighter.

He walked out to Indie slowly clapping all by themselves. "Well done, Griffin."

"Yeah, yeah," Griffin griped and shoved the shopping bag into Indie's chest. "Let's go get my phone."

Indie tilted their head. "What? We're not done yet."

Griffin's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me?" He threw his hands out, motioning around to the entire mall. "I did all that and you're still not going to give me my phone back?"

"I said you're going on a journey, Griffin." Indie's brow narrowed as they leaned forward. "Have you ever heard of a journey that just had one stop? Get real."

Shaking their head, Indie walked away, expecting Griffin to follow once again.

Expecting Griffin to keep going.

Now's about the time he'd give up trying to please someone. Here's where he'd pull the pin on this interaction and let it explode to smithereens, creating ruins of a happy scene. Griffin didn't do rebuilds.

"Griffin Leon Thomas," Indie called, standing in front of the glow from Macy's. They placed their hands on their hips. "If you don't come right now, I won't let you have shotgun."

A laugh sputtered out of Griffin. "I'm your only passenger."

Shaking his head, Griffin ran to catch up to Indie.   

AUTHOR'S NOTE

And this~ is where the whole "Take Me Home Tonight" meets "Love Actually" kicks in. We've got a whole chapter dedicated to Indie and Griffin. This is all about different stories converging together for the finale. I hope you enjoy the show~

Don't forget to leave a comment and tell me what you think! Is your opinion of Griffin the same? Different? How do you think Indie was able to get so much food during such as busy day? Are you worried about The Gregor? What happened to his foot???