(Based on the song "Bigger Person" by Lauren Spencer Smith. Totally not me projecting all my problems onto Grian, noooo, noooooo. 👀)
Start of Senior year was tomorrow and Grian really didn't want to go, ever since 7th grade he got bullied so horribly and he didn't think it was going to be any different this year.
His mother had told him to just be hopeful, "I'm putting it out into the universe that those boys have matured and will leave you alone," She had said in the car that morning, while they were on their way to get school clothes.
"And if they don't?" He had asked her.
"Then I will march in there and your principle will get another earful from me," She said, Grian rolled his eyes, "I know you think its embarrassing-"
"Because it is," Grian said, his mother laughed.
"Yes yes, but if she continues to ignore you for the 6th year in a row...she'll be hearing it from me and your father," She said.
"If he can even speak," Grian responded.
"Honey-" She tried, she always did, but she hated him, that much was clear.
"Its a 60% chance he dies, mom. He keeps saying not to be worried but how can I not be worried?" He said, his voice was soft and tears began to prick at his eyes, "Dad says he's strong and I know he is but I just can't help feeling that tomorrow he'll die,"
She sighed and surprisingly, she didn't insult Grian's dad again, "Your father has had 7 heart attacks in the past 2 weeks and survived them all,"
"And has 6 stints in his heart," Grian added, looking out the window at the trees and mountains rolling by.
"Exactly, he'll be fine," She smiled at her son.
Grian changed the subject, "The mountains are pretty,"
Later on that day, after his mother went to work in the home office, Grian texted Bdubs and Ren. Every year on the first day of school the three brought their teacher from 6th grade a present (crunchy cheetos, she loved them) so he asked if they wanted to come with him to buy them.
He got a response from Ren first, "My cousin is over but when she leaves later I would love too!"
Then Bdubs, "I wish I could! I'm on the way to a lake rn! Can I come with you to give them to her tomorrow?"
Grian responded to Bdubs, "Of course!" Then Ren, "See you soon then!"
In hind sight maybe he should have asked what time Ren would be over, because at 5'o clock Ren got to his house. Grian told his mother he was leaving then went into the living room to let his step-dad know.
"Jeff! I'm leaving with Ren to get someone a present, I already told mom, bye!" Grian turned to leave only to be stopped by his step-dad.
"Wait. Why are you going at 5?" He asked.
"That's when Ren got here," Grian said.
His step-dad rolled his eyes, "So long as you don't come home looking like a whore like him," Grian's face scrunched up in disgust and he didn't respond, just left.
"Did he call me a whore again or is he not a pedophile?" Ren asked upon seeing Grian walk outside.
"What do you think?" Grian asked.
Ren only nodded, "This is why I hate your house," He said.
"So do I..." The conversation ended there, as it usually did.
Grian's step father had been saying Ren was a whore since the wolf-hybrid was 11, hence the pedo comment. Grian couldn't stand the man, he was drunk most nights and was just an overall asshole. Ren and Grian hung out till he had to go home at 9, they said their good-byes and Grian went straight to his room like he did most days. His mother popped in to say goodnight and that she was proud of him and whatever. He didn't really listen, just said he loved her and goodnight.
The next morning he woke up at 6 to get to school by 7:30, it was the first day and Grian really didn't want to go. The moment he walked into the building his anxiety spiked, though, seeing Mumbo run over to him helped keep him calm.
"Hey! How was your summer?" He asked.
"Boring, per-usual. How was California?" Mumbo's dad lived in Los Angeles and that's where he would go every summer.
"Super cool! I drew a picture of Burny Falls, I'll show you later?" Mumbo seemed excited.
"Of course!" Grian nodded and Mumbo ran off in a different direction, most likely seeing a different friend.
Grian smiled then the smile was quickly dropped when he realized he had history with one of his least favorite teachers. The day went by pretty smoothly, surprisingly neither him nor Ren cried upon seeing the new chorus teacher (Their old one was fired for no reason). But he couldn't really focus on much, knowing his father was in the hospital getting surgery and he could be there to see him.
When Grian got home, his sister Pearl was on the floor of the living room crying her eyes out to their mother. Pearl was 23 and lived with her boyfriend and their baby, her boyfriend was abusive but that didn't seem to matter to Pearl, ever.
"Pearl?" Grian asked, Pearl's head shot up and she wiped her tears.
"Grian!" She smiled, "How was the first day? Did anyone bother you? I'll kill them you know," Grian definitely didn't doubt Pearl would kill somebody who messed with him.
"Good, nothing to report, are you ok? He asked.
"Fine!" She nodded.
"Ok?" His attention snapped to his mother, "Shouldn't you be at work?"
"Shouldn't you be starting homework? Don't be so nosy and get your ass upstairs!" His mother snapped at him.
Grian opened his mouth to fight back, Pearl nodded at him to do it but he was too scared and just turned to leave.
"Don't talk to him that way!" Pearl said, Grian froze.
"He's my son not yours, Pearl!" Their mother fought back.
"So why did I raise him for 11 fucking years, Jessica?!" She countered, Grian's sister was known to get quite irritable and just 4 days ago she was talking about how he can't let their mother walk all over him. She said she would do something about it because she was sick of seeing it happen.
"Because your father-" Pearl cut her off.
"Bullshit! You do not get to blame everything on dad! At least he cares about his children!"
"I care about you! Your father is homeless, Pearl!"
"That's your fault, you cunt!" Pearl yelled.
Grian didn't know what to do he just stood there and watched. Tears streaming down his face, he hated when they argued, especially about dad.
"I will not have this kind of abuse in my household! Get out!" Their mom yelled.
"You're the abusive one!" Their mother glared at her, fire in her eyes.
"That is quite enough young lady-"
"I'm not young! And I'm not gonna let you push me around! You can't! I slapped you when I was 13, I'll do it again!" Pearl threatened.
"Then I'll call the police, again!" Their mother responded.
"Go ahead! Do it Jessica! Call the police on your own fucking child again! Do it!"
Grian had enough tears were streaming down his face as he yelled, "SHUT UP!" The two woman looked at him. "GOD, JUST- SHUT UP! I AM SO SICK OF YOUR FIGHTING! JUST FUCKING STOP!"
"Gri I-" Pearl tried.
"NO! I'M DONE!" Grian ran up the stairs and slammed the door behind himself, breaking down into tears and curling up on his bed.
His whole body was shaking, sobs wracking through his body as tears streamed down his face. He considered the knives in his nightstand but decided against it. Someone came in the room but Grian didn't care.
"I'm headed home, thought you should know," Pearl said
"Cool." Grian responded.
"I love you," She tried.
"Love that for you," He said, she left after that and Grian just cried harder.
He pulled out his phone and pulled up and contact, clicking the call button, its rung only twice.
"Hello, G!" Grian didn't respond he just sobbed into the phone, the person on the other end panicked. "Where are you right now?!"
"Home.." Grian croaked out, "Can you pick me up please?"
"Yes, of course," They said, voice soft.
"Thanks, love you, bye," Grian ended the call before they could respond.
He stood and grabbed his backpack, emptying it of all its contents. He filled it with a couple changes of clothes, his charger, snacks, and his wallet. He also snuck into his mother's office and took all of the cash out of her purse. 5 minutes later he got a text saying they were at his house. He walked out the front door, his mother didn't even notice. Grian ran up to the car and jumped into the passenger side only to be instantly pulled into a kiss. Grian kissed back, it was a soft and relatively short kiss, he pulled back and his boyfriend smiled at him.
"So...change your mind about running away?" Scar asked.
"Yes," Grian admitted.
"Great! I'll be your knight in shining armor, my love!" He smiled brightly at the blonde, who just laughed.
"So I'm a damsel in destress?" He questioned.
"Why of course! I have to save you from your evil mother and step father!" Grian laughed again and Scar took his hand. "I love you too, by the way." Scar said, kissing his hand. "Off we go!" Scar put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway.
Grian ended up falling asleep after a while of driving and when he woke up it was the next day. Scar was still driving.
"Where exactly are we going, Scar?" Grian asked, this startled Scar, he didn't notice the avian wake up.
"AH!" He screamed before settling down as Grian laughed, "It's not funny, also, to answer your question, wherever the road takes us!" He smiled.
"Sooooo in other words..... You don't know?" Grian asked.
"Essentially," Scar nodded.
Grian rolled his eyes, he supposed he'd go anywhere as long as he was away from his family, and with Scar.