INDIE

Waving, Indie watched their stepsister get carted away by Barbie's pink van as the sun was setting and the sky was exploding in burning orange. Still for the first time tonight, Indie was still living in the fantasy of Lena jumping off Chad's roof into the pool. Jason was going to be so pissed he missed that. Dammit. Hopefully, someone caught it on video.

A few moments later, a stampede of sweaty jocks came running to the edge of the sidewalk. Looks like Ned made a run for it just in time. One with a bad complexion, but great taste in ugly sweaters asked Indie, "Where did they go?"

Indie shrugged, innocently. "Off to better things, I assume."

"Alright everybody." Chad clapped his hands and that somehow inspired a team huddle. For fun, Indie snuggled up between two of the jocks and listened with mock enthusiasm.

Chad talked the game plan like the team was heading into a dire battle. "I say we pile up into two separate cars and go after them. They couldn't have gotten very far."

Shaking their head, Indie pointed out, "But we've been drinking. That's not safe, legal, or smart."

"Indie's right," Chad said and the guys all nodded and murmured in agreement. "First we sober up. Then, we go track down that nerd."

He put his hand forward. All the guys immediately threw their hands in the center and despite being on the other team, Indie loved a good team huddle, got swept up, and threw their hand in the pile too. Indie announced, "Go, Bulldogs!"

"Go, Bulldogs!" They echoed and threw their hands up, breaking it up with a few "woofs" and "alright's". It was weirdly adorable and made Indie smile to themselves. They watched the jocks go as Chad spouted out orders of eating bread, making coffee, and chugging some water, Indie checked their phone. It sounded like Chad even sent out a hunt for any designated drivers brave enough to join their mission.

Chuckling softly, Indie noticed they still had time to get their night started. Before Ned got stood up, Indie had a list of things to do, but New Flowers had the power to overtake the direction of any ship. It was the passion, the way his puppy dog eyes struck right through the heart.

Indie never said no to a little fun.

"What the fuck?"

Glancing from their phone, Indie spotted Griffin Thomas in his terrible glory approach the end of the driveway. Up closer, Indie could appreciate Griffin was a good-looking guy. Good looking like he might get a second look at the grocery store. The wire glasses were a surprise. He read like a contacts kind of guy to Indie.

With a huff, Griffin walked into the road with his arms out like he was missing something. "Where did she go?" Turning, he narrowed in on the only person left around. "Hey, you."

Indie glanced up, tilting their head. "Who me?"

"Yeah, you, did you see which way that pink van went? My phone's in there."

A lightbulb flashed over Indie's head.

Indie never said no to a little fun.

Grinning, Indie said, "Not only do I know where that pink van went. I have the number of the owner of the van."

"You do?" Griffin's brows flew up before his whole body nearly crumbled from the relief. Upon further examination, Indie took note that out of everyone who left the Chorus's Christmas Charity function, Griffin was the only one still put together. There was something tense about him. Like a taut wire threatening to snap at any moment.

"But I'm not going to tell you," Indie said as chipper as possible.

What looked like a loading screen appeared behind Griffin's eyes as he tried piecing together Indie's puzzle. Uninterrupted and appreciative of it, Indie explained further, "I don't think you've done anything tonight to warrant my help."

Griffin rolled his eyes. "Oh, right. You're one of Ned's friends, aren't you?"

Indie brightened. "You remember? I'm actually surprised. There might be hope for you yet." Rolling back their shoulders, Indie pointed at Griffin and declared, "Griffin Your Middle Name Thomas—"

"Leon."

"Griffin Leon Thomas, you have committed multiple Christmas crimes tonight and for that, you must be punished. In exchange for going through a hero's adventure with me tonight, I will return you to your phone."

"You're fucking with me." Griffin grimaced and pushed up his glasses. "What does that even mean?"

"You've come across to me as the guy that does whatever he wants, gets whatever he wants, and doesn't care about who he has to step on to get it."

"Hey, you don't even know me—"

Indie shook their head. "No. No. No. This is not a Q&A. This is a I talk and you listen."

Somehow, Griffin grimaced deeper, regressing like a turtle into their shell.

"You're going to have to do things for other people tonight and then, I'll give you back your phone."

Rolling his eyes, Griffin's lips pinched into a smirk. "Whatever. I'll just go back inside and ask around..." As he was talking, Indie pulled out their phone and sent out a few messages. Indie's tapping itched griffin's curiosity. Griffin skulked around Indie as he went on, trying to catch a peek at Indie's screen. "S-Somebody in there has to know who drives a pink van. I don't need you."

"I just sent a text to the owner to hold your phone hostage."

"You didn't—" Griffin sputtered, making light of it with another eyeroll, but Indie patiently smiled and waited for Griffin to realize their situation. "You wouldn't. That's weird and- and-" He was getting worked up. "And that's extortion!"

"And you're an asshole, so who's gonna care?"

Griffin scowled at him and crossed his arms. "What do you want?"

"I told you. You're going to go through a hero's journey, and I'll be your mentor." Indie raised two fingers. "I have two rules. Rule number one, you have to do whatever I say with minimal arguing."

"So I can argue a little bit?" Griffin asked for clarification, pinching his fingers close together.

"A little bit." Indie mirrored the gesture. "Rule number two, you have to use my pronouns, which is they/them."

"An easy one."

"Rule number three—"

Griffin's brow furrowed. "I thought you said there were two rules."

"Rule number one."

"Fine. Go on." Griffin rolled his eyes like it was his favorite hobby and slouched deeper. He really did look like an annoyed turtle.

Indie grinned. "No matter what Griffin Leon Thomas, you are not allowed to fall in love with me."

#

THE GREGOR

Essentially, this story is about a lot of things.

It's about a second chance at love. It's about friendship, lawn gnomes, the holidays, family feuds, tradition, cheerleaders, and a guy who got stood up on a date he had no business accepting in the first place.

But essentially this book is also about how Indie and Griffin met.

#

GRIFFIN

The snort Griffin made could be heard for miles.

"That's the easiest rule yet."

#

MAGGIE

As a twin, Margaret Hayes was always compared to somebody.

But her twin, Sam Hayes set the standard.

She could make all A's, make all the right friends, never stay out late, date only the boys her parents approved of her seeing, and went to the Synagogue whenever her parents asked. And still, Margaret would be told, "You just need to apply yourself, Maggie."

Enough was never enough.

Meanwhile, Sam kissed the wrong boys, lied all the time, applied to colleges out of state, and snuck off in the middle of the night with the enemy of their family.

Shivering, Margaret was so mad she could spit.

"You sure you don't want to come?" Barbie had asked, offering her a ride to Chad's party. Margaret declined, despite wanting to go so badly and not sit outside her school all alone like a total loser.

But her parents were on their way, and someone had to be here to greet them.

Alone, Margaret cursed for her own benefit and tried burying herself deeper into her jacket. Eventually, her parent's sedan rolled up and her mother let the window down. "Margaret," she said her proper name. Must already be in a sour mood. "Where is your brother?"

Jumping off the bench, Margaret withheld an eyeroll to avoid getting into trouble. She threw out her hands and just hoped she was laying the sarcasm on thick enough so her parents would quickly take the hint. "That's all you have to say to me? No Maggie are you okay?"

She approached her mother's window with her arms firmly crossed. "Because, no, I'm not okay. Maggie, are you upset that you're leaving your party early? Yes, I am and I am upset about it. Thank you so much for asking. Also, I'm so cold I'm gonna die."

Margaret's mother however was allowed to roll her eyes and look up at her with this withering look she'd say looked unsightly on a young lady like Margaret. "Don't be so dramatic, Maggie. You're not going to die. I told you to stop saying that. Some people are actually dying. Just get in the car and warm up."

"Jamie," she referred to Margaret's dad. "Turn on the seat warmer."

As Margaret scooted inside, she quickly buckled and started to melt. Her farther eased on the gas, glancing at the front of the school. Her dad said, "You didn't answer our question. Where is Sam? Oh—Why did they block off that exit?"

He motioned across his steering wheel at a road blocked off by a huge caution sign. Another sign was set next to it, a wooden Bulldog sign with a Santa hat stapled onto it, telling everyone to enjoy their holiday break.

"It's cutting through the student parking lot. There's no need."

Sighing, Maggie slumped deeper. "He already left."

Her dad shook his head. "But it's easier to make a left turn there."

"Oh, you know," Margaret's mother touched his arm. "They probably don't want kids doing donuts or something. I'm sure the school is going to be shut down after this function and they want to avoid loiters."

"Maybe I can drive over the sidewalk."

"You will not."

"Maggie, where's Sam?"

Margaret threw up her hands. "He left! He already left—!"

Margaret's dad slammed on the breaks and the whole car jutted forward. "What gives? You're not supposed to shake a baby."

"Margaret, you're not a baby."

"I'm still developing."

"Hold on, hold on." Margaret's dad turned, raising his hands. "What did you say? You said Sam left? What do you mean?"

"Where did he go?" Margaret's mom asked.

"And with whom?"

"I don't understand why I'm getting the third degree. He's the one who left without telling you."

"But you knew. Why didn't you warn us?"

Her parents had their heads turned, staring at her and waiting for an explanation. Blinking at her and more so than ever before, Margaret couldn't read a single thought in her parents' heads.

The last bit of Margaret's patience snapped into two like a splintering twig. Margaret's temper started at her toes as the curled and that heat and anger rose like hot steam throughout her body until her face was pinkened and her ears burned. She said with all the salt inside of her, "Sam left with Ned Flowers and his friends. They went to Waffle House and I'm pretty sure they crashed this party super drunk."

Her parents looked at each other.

"The tires are new," her mother stated. "They can handle that sidewalk."

Her father slammed on the gas and the whole car rattled as they maneuvered over the sidewalk and through a bit of grass so her dad could hightail it out of the parking lot. A yelp flew out of Margaret's mouth as she reached for the handlebar by the window.

"I'm calling Julia Flowers to let her know what her son's been up to."

"Maybe she can tell us which dive bar that boy has lured Sam into. Sam won't survive one of those bars. He gets a stomachache eating too much dairy."

Margaret rolled her eyes from the safety of the backseat. "I already told you he went to Waffle House."

"Don't roll your eyes, Maggie," her mother said, half distracted going through her phone notes. She refused to put Ned's mother's number inside of her phone, so she kept it in her note's app, which meant she always had to hunt for it when she needed it. More trouble than it was worth, but that never mattered to her mother. "You'll get early wrinkles—hello, Julia, I was calling to ask if you knew where Ned was tonight?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE

RED ALERT FOLKS! This is a double update! So you can immediately continue the story. 

Also, this might be one of my top three fav chapters?? I adore Indie and Maggie's characters. Maggie is so angry XD I feel like all the other characters are relatively cute, but she's just so mad, I love her. 

But let me know what you think! What do you think Indie has planned for Griffin? Are you surprised he's coming back? What do you expect? And Maggie gave Sam up! Are you surprised?