Challenge :A.C.M:

54.

a/n: So we're going to have a few more time skips over the next few chapters simply because it'll cut down on the length of the story and such.

:griffin:

"Merry Christmas!" Tiana yells through the phone and I groan at her volume "Did I wake you?" She laughs.

"Yeah, you did" I huff "I was having a very nice dream about Cole Sprouse and you ruined it"

"Meh, you'll get over it" She says and I roll my eyes "Anyways, I'm stopping by later to give you you a couple things"

"Okay" I nod "Can I go back to bed now?" I ask, and she giggles.

"Sure" She says "Bye Griffin"

"Bye Tiana" I hang up the phone, burying my face in my pillow and falling back asleep. After about another hour or so, I walk downstairs my mom in the kitchen as well as her family.

"Griffin!" My grandmother yells, a bright smile on her face. I smile awkwardly, not exactly enjoying the company of my mothers family.

"Hi Griffin" My aunt smiles.

"Hi" I wave.

"Griffin, honey, you can take your presents upstairs and open them later, I didn't expect you to sleep in this long"

"Yeah, me neither" I shake my head, walking into the living room, and making a couple trips to get all of my presents upstairs. When I get them all there, my phone rings. My palms begin to sweat at Austin's name on the screen and I actually contemplate not answering it.

We haven't talked since the day of his game, and honestly, I've been okay with that.

I answer the phone anyways, taking a few moments to find my voice before speaking "Hello?"

"Merry Christmas!" He cheerfully states, and I smile.

"Merry Christmas"

"How are you?" He asks, and I shrug, finding the words to say.

"As good as one can be while hanging out with family" I huff and he chuckles.

"Oh, how I've missed that"

"Missed what?" I ask, and he chuckles again.

"Just you I guess" He says "Like your answers to questions are just you, and I haven't heard them in a while"

"Well, I'm glad to be of service to you" I laugh, before I hear my mom call my name "So, I'm guessing my mom wants me to socialize so she's calling me, but uh, it was nice talking to you"

"You too, I'll talk to you soon"

"Bye Austin" I hang up the phone, dropping it onto my bed and walking down the steps and towards my mom.

"Yes Mom?"

"Come talk with us, get out of your room"

"But, that doesn't seem like fun" I shrug, and she glares at me "I would say I'm joking but I'm not"

"I know you aren't" She rolls her eyes "Go talk to your family" She points to the living room. I groan dramatically and walk to the living room, sitting on the couch furthest away from them, crossing my legs.

"So, how's school going? You got one more year, then college!" My grandmother claps, and I fight the urge to roll my eyes.

"I'm in college"

"Oh my, you've grown up so much"

"Not really" I shake my head.

"Any boyfriends?" She asks, and I look down at my lap, shaking my head "Oh, what a shame" She tsks.

"She had one" My mom butts in "But he goes to college in Pennsylvania" She says, and I roll my eyes "He was a nice boy"

"Aw, that's sweet"

"Mom, need any help?" I stand up, pushing her into the kitchen. She gives me an innocent smile "Love you, Sweetie"

"Mom" I groan.

"You looked sad when you said no" She frowns.

"So, bringing up the reason I said no is going to make me less sad?" I scoff "Mom! That's dumb"

"I know, it is, but-" I cut myself off when I hear the door open "Who's that?" I ask my mom, and she smiles dramatically. I walk out of the kitchen and towards the front door, all the wind seeming to be knocked out of me when I see my dad's mother and brother standing at my front door.

"Oh, Griffin" His mother smiles, and his brother looks up. I don't respond, just run up the steps, locking myself in my room. I change and grab my phone, pulling up my hood and climbing out of my window.

I look down at the ground, seeing the height difference. I look over at Austin's house, knowing his mom isn't there, but he always had his window unlocked. So, against my better judgement I make the jump onto his roof, and climb into his room.

"God, this is so fucking weird" I smack a hand against my forehead.

All of this to avoid his family.

I walk down the steps and out of the front door, shutting it behind me and grabbing his spare key before running around the side of the house before my mom looks outside.

I walk through the backyard to Tiana's house, knocking lightly on her door.

"Hey! It's Griffin" Her dad yells, and I smile as he lets me in "How are you?"

"I'm good, how are you?" I ask, and before he answers Tiana comes from upstairs.

"What are you doing here?" She asks "I can give you your presents" She says, motioning for me to follow her up the steps. When we get to her room, she turns to look at me "So, what's up?"

"I hate my family" I shrug, and she laughs.

"Which family?"

"My dad's family" I say and her eyes widen.

"They're at your house?"

"Yeah, so I left" I shrug "I've also got the key to Austin's house because I'm such a weird ex-girlfriend"

"Why do you say that?"

"I went through his window because I didn't want to go down my steps" I laugh.

"Well, that's nice" She laughs "But, speaking of him, this is from him" She hands me a small box "He told me to give this to you because he didn't know you were leaving the same day of the game"

"Oh, I feel bad now" I sigh.

"Why?"

"Because I didn't think he'd want his since we broke up so I returned it" I frown.

"What was it?"

"I bought him a Rolex"

"Holy shit" She says and I nod before opening the box.

"Damn" I laugh when I see a Rolex in the box "Great minds think alike don't they?" I snort and she looks inside the box.

"Wow, you two were literally perfect for each other" She sits down on her bed.

"I wish he would've thought that" I roll my eyes.

"He does" She says "You don't even understand how often he calls me to make sure you're alright, he's still crazy over you"

"I don't know T" I sigh, closing the box and sitting down on the floor.

"I do know" She nods "I've known him for the longest time and trust me, he's so in love with you" She tells me "And I know it didn't seem like it, but I'm telling you, he did it because he couldn't stand the fact that he couldn't be around you"

"Then why'd he get another girlfriend?" I ask.

"In this entire situation, that's the only thing I don't know" She sighs, shaking her head "But don't give up on him yet"