Dark Corners / ✓

seven: of broken minds

sorry for taking so long to update! i've been packed with school work and I was grounded lol. Dedicated to knightsrachel because she's reading this book and I'm honored haha :-)

"If I have to have a past, then I prefer it be multiple choice." - Alan Moore, Batman: The Killing Joke

I didn't believe anyone had ever broken into Griffin's apartment.

It had been two weeks since Griffin had found his oven left on, and he was still sure that someone had broken into his apartment and turned it on while we were sleeping. Griffin had gone to our apartment manager to make sure there wasn't any duplicates of his keys, bought extra locks for house, and had been staying up later and later each night to make sure no one came in.

But I didn't think anyone ever did come in.

I didn't say anything to Griffin about it for the past few weeks, but I had come to a conclusion. I was almost positive that Griffin had done it subconsciously - I figured he was probably so tired that he cooked something and just completely forgot to shut the oven off. I was sure of it.

I knew Griffin was starting to realize that I didn't believe some broke in. During the past few days, we hadn't talked much. I saw him in the mornings, stumbling out of his apartment, bags under his eyes so dark that they looked almost purple, and smiled and said hi. I saw Griffin trudging into his apartment at night, eyes sweeping the hallway before slowly unlocking his door and smiled and said goodnight. That had been the extent of our conversations recently.

I wanted to help Griffin, but I didn't know how. I didn't know how to try and convince him that someone hadn't broken into his apartment to turn on his oven without making him snap. Griffin looked so close to snapping - to crumbling into a pit of nothing, fingers helplessly clawing to pull himself back up from the abyss he had fallen into - and I didn't know how to help.

I sighed and tugged on my shirt, brushing my fingers through my hair. My lecture today had been cancelled, which mean I didn't have to get to school until later, and then work even later. I had a free morning, and the majority of it had been spent sitting on my couch and frowning at the TV.

I walked out of my room and grabbed my jacket off the peg, barely managing to tug it on before I heard a knock on the door. Glancing in the mirror, I flattened the few stray and frizzy hairs on the top of my head and pulled opened the door, not bothering to check who it was. But I wish I would have, because I wasn't ready for the sight in front of me.

Griffin Cutkosky stood in front of me, a timid look on his face. Griffin's dark blond hair was combed back on his head, blue eyes narrowed and looking so close to dropping closed right there that it made my heart ache. He was in a sweater and a pair of jeans, and he looked like he was practically folded in on himself; his hands were curled together into fists, shoulders pulled together, head held low, the dark bags under his eyes only more prominent under the sharp light from the hallway.

"Hi," I said gently, and Griffin's thin lips twitched up into a tense smile. His whole body was tense, posture rigid as he awkwardly shoved his hands into his pockets, "What's up?"

Griffin's jaw clenched and he paused, eyes darting around the hallway for a brief moment. Sighing and un-clenching his jaw, Griffin locked eyes with me, "I'm sorry, I don't know if you had plans or something. I just need to ask for a favor, Emmy."

Even if I had plans, I still would have stayed standing there, waiting to listen for what Griffin had to say. He was impossible to ignore - to just give up on. There was something about Griffin so enticing; he seemed so lost and deep and confused and I just wanted to be there to be able to help him. I wanted to help Griffin Cutkosky.