The Loner and Her

Chapter Six : Secrets

Gia's face screamed determination as she marched through the halls of Oakwood High. Never once glancing at the person she pushes herself past. She walks with ease, but at a speed that's much faster than the average person who would normally stroll down the long hallways.

Her eyes widen at the sight of the person she needs to speak to. Her expression remains blank, but if you look close enough, you can see the hostility deep within her eyes.

"Lexie!" She exclaims, when she sees the dark haired girl about to walk away from her locker.

Lexie immediately turns around. Her eyes catching Gia's as she gives her a big cheery grin that seems fake, "Oh, Gia! What a...pleasant...surprise."

Gia cuts to the chase, not wanting to talk long with the girl in front of her, "Hey, uh, can I talk to you about something you told me on my first day here?"

Lexie just gives her a blank stare, "We talked about along of things, Gia. What could you possibly mean?"

Shrugging, Gia explains, "Um, about Griffin Kane."

Lexie's eyes widen and an eyebrow raises to her hairline. She laughs it off lightly, "What would you like to ask me? There's nothing to talk about, really. Griffin Kane is just- "

"You said his mother passed away," Gia interrupts her.

Lexie blinks.

"Well, yes, because she did," she shrugs it off.

"How did you know that?" Gia asks her, ignoring the urge to smack her for her careless way of saying it.

Lexie's eyes begin to narrow, and her cheerful expression is now long gone, "What's with the third degree, Gia? She passed away when we were fifteen!"

Gia looks up at the popular girl in confusion, "Why are you getting so defensive? It's a simple question."

Lexie scoffs, "Look, Gia, it's none of your business, so you might as well butt out."

"Then how is this your business?" Gia can't help but ask.

Lexie's face turns red and if it could, steam would be coming out of her ears. "Stop with the questions! Mind your own business."

Gia rolls her eyes, "I don't understand- "

Lexie cannot stress enough, "This has nothing to do with you! Now be gone before I start shouting that you're harassing me!"

Gia scoffs at the bluff, "Like anyone would believe you."

Lexie crosses her arms and smirks sardonically, "I'm Lexie Prescott. Try me."

Giving the taller girl a nasty glare, Gia turns on her heel, and walks away. She knew there was something off about that girl.

•••

When the bell rang at the end of Gia's last class of the day, a sense of joy overwhelmed her.  She quickly stuffed her sketch book into her book bag and exited the Art room.

Her mom had promised her that tonight the two of them would go and visit her Uncle Carmine. She hasn't gone to visit in a while- even before they moved to Oakwood- so this will be a nice way for her to keep her mind off all things involving Griffin Kane.

As she walks out the doubled doors, her eyes meet a pair of familiar blue ones.

He stands there, simply staring at her, and not saying a word. People pass the two of them by, not giving them a glance.

So much for not involving him.

Gia walks down the steps, standing right in front of him.

"Uh, hi, Griffin," she says, awkwardly.

He simply nods in her direction, not saying a word.

"What are you doing here?" She asks him, quietly. He hasn't been to school the following week after she consoled him at the hospital.

After the pair had broke upset from their embrace, Griffin had wiped away his tears in embarrassment- although he need not to be. He thanked her, then had vanished quicker than she can speak a word of response.

He shrugs, then tilts his head to the student parking lot. She nods in understanding and quickly follows him through the front of the school to the parking lot.

When he reaches a black Chevy, her eyes go wide at the sight of it. Is he really picking her up from school?

"Is this your car?" She asks. He nods. "My mom is supposed to be picking me up..."

He shakes his head, and she got the point.

He unlocks the car, and opens up the passenger side door for her. She blushes, and thanks him, before entering the truck. Then be quickly follows suit.

"Seatbelt...please," is the first thing Griffin says when he closes his car door. Gia nods her head, and does as he says, then he does the same.

After starting the car, and pulling out of the parking lot, Gia speaks up again, "I like your truck," she says, genuinely.

He smirks ever so slightly, "Thanks."

"Um, so, why did you decide to pick me up from school?" 

Clearing his throat before replying, Griffin says, "Your mom ran into me at the grocery store this morning. Told me you and her were doing something important after school, but she couldn't pick you up."

Well, that makes sense, she thinks to herself.

"Oh, thanks. You didn't have to- "

"It's the least I can do," he mumbles, staring solely on the road, never glancing her way.

"You don't owe me," she says, in a soft voice.

He shakes his head, "You didn't have to comfort me....I was a mess, and you didn't judge me."

Why would she judge him? He lost his mother...any normal person with a soul with comfort someone in grief.

After a short while of driving, Gia realizes how much she really wants to talk to Griffin. If he'll converse with her, of course.

"Do you have other family?" She asks.

He hesitates, "Yeah. Sort of."

"What does that mean?"

He shrugs, "It means it's complicated."

She decides to change the subject, detecting how uncomfortable he is, "So....you and my mom seem to be pretty close," she says.

Griffin scoffs, but smiles never the less, "Your mom is really nice. Reminds me a lot of my mom..." He glances at Gia from the corner of his eye, "She didn't judge me, when I was so quiet with her....it was nice, you know. Not to be judged."

Smirking, Gia replies, "Yeah...and I think that's the most I ever heard you speak."

Griffin's smile gets just a bit bigger.

"You're easy to talk to. You don't expect me to talk. You're fine with the silence."

"Silence is nice. It doesn't need to be filled with meaningless things like people think."

Griffin nods, "Sometimes constant chatter can get a person in trouble. You know, saying the first thing that pops into your head- half the time you don't even mind what you said. It's just... It's not worth it."

Gia smiles. "Quiet is good when you're with another person....but when you're by yourself, it's like the silence just eats you. It pluckers into your mind just how lonely you really are. Silence shouldn't feel like that. It should be welcomed."

Griffin hums in agreement, "Your mom said to drop you off at the hospital...do you need me to stay with you while you wait? I don't want you to be alone...." Griffin scratches at the back of his neck in total awkwardness as he pulls into the carport of the hospital.

Gia sends him a smile, "Yeah...that would be nice."

The two now sit in the waiting room where they had their first conversation. Gia notices how Griffin keeps clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" She exclaims, "I forgot about the hospital, with your mother. I- "

"Shh," he interrupts her. "It's okay. I can't be afraid of hospitals."

"You don't have to wait with me," she starts to say, but he finishes.

"I want to wait with you."

They look at each other, as if having a silent conversation with their own eyes. Gia loves his eyes, they're so blue, reminding her of the ocean.

"Will there be a funeral for your mom?" She asks Griffin in wonder.

In an instant, his eyes harden and he scowls at the floor, "No, she's just being cremated."

Gia frowns, "Is it too expensive- " then she stops herself, "Sorry, it's none of my business."

He shakes his head, "It's okay. You're only curious....and no it's not about the money. It's just...let's just say it would have been a one person funeral."

"I thought you had other family?" She asks awkwardly.

He shrugs, "I told you. It's complicated."

Griffin changes the subject, "So where are you and your mom heading?"

Gia clears his throat, then stuffs her hands into her oversized sweatshirt, "We're going to visit my Uncle Carmine."

"Where does he live?" He asks her.

Gia eyes widen a fraction, before going back to her normal size, "Um, Brooklyn."

Griffin's eyes widen, "You're driving all the way to Brooklyn, tonight?"

Gia shrugs, "We'll probably stay the night at my grandparent's house."

"They live in Brooklyn?" He asks her.

She shakes her head, "No, they live in Manhattan."

Griffin's jaw slacks a bit, "Wow. Fancy."

Gia sighs, "Yeah."

"Why does your uncle live in Brooklyn, while your grandparents live in Manhattan?"

"It's-It's a long story," Gia stutters. Finding her voice again, Gia asks Griffin something that's been on her mind since this morning. "Do you know a girl named Lexie Prescott- "

Their conversation gets cut short, because Rosa makes her way into the waiting room, looking tired from her long day at work.

"Hi, Gigi, you ready?" She asks, then finally noticing Griffin sitting next to her daughter. "Oh, hi, Griffin. I didn't see you there. Thank you again for picking up Gia."

He nods his head once, not looking up at her, "No problem, Miss Moretti."

Rosa sighs, "I've told you to call me Rosa."

He shrugs, "Sorry."

Rosa sighs, "It's okay, dear." She then turns her attention back to Gia, "You all pack to stay the night at Grandma and Grandpa's?"

Gia nods, "Yeah, I did it last night, just incase you decided to."

"Good," Rosa sighs. "Come along. We've got a long ride a head of us."

The mother and daughter say their goodbyes to the teenage boy, walking off to the parking lot where her mother's car is parked.

•••

Walking down the large area of grass, Rosa holds Gia's hand, while holding a bouquet of flowers in the other.

Tears stream down Gia's face as she holds onto the sweatshirt she is wearing tightly.

When they reach their destination, Rosa bends down to place the bouquet in the slot. Before them is a headstone, reading: Carmine Moretti. Beloved Husband, Son, Brother, Uncle, and Father.

When Rosa stands back up straight, Gia leans her head down onto her mother's shoulder.

"I miss him, Mom."

"Me too, Gigi."