Chapter Text
“Mom?” Griffin calls out after putting on his shoes.
“Yeah?” Griffin’s mom walks towards the living room where her son stands.
“I’m going out” Griffin says as he holds up his umbrella, even though both know he’s not going to be using it.
His mom sighs, “Okay, but promise me you’ll be back if it starts getting bad.”
“I promise, or I’ll use the umbrella, today doesn’t seem like it’ll get bad.”
”You said that last time and you got sick, remember?” Griffins mom gave him a look, she didn’t understand why he loved going out in the rain, while everyone else his age would probably be mad about it, since they can’t go outside, but she guesses it’s a generation thing, most kids now have phones.
”I know, I know, but please let me go out, you always say I need to go out more.”
She let out a laugh, “I say that but not for you to go out in the rain.” She walked forward and patted her kid in the head, “Just be careful.”
Griffin smiled, “Okay.” And with that he was out the door.
This time he remembered to grab a hoodie, the reason he got sick last time was because he stayed out in the rain without a hoodie and he doesn’t want his mom to stop letting him go out in the rain.
Griffin walks towards the Grab N Go, the only place in Denver that’s a bit fun in his opinion, there’s always fighting there, mostly by the one and only Vance Hopper, their towns known delinquent.
Griffin isn’t well know, he knows he’ll never be well known in his school, no one knows him, and the people that do talk to him only talk to him for the homework answers or for the class work but always forget his name. Griffin would say he doesn’t mind feeling invisible but sometimes it hurts, not having friends, being alone. He’s in his Junior year, and he still has no friends, even Finney Blake, a kid who gets bullied a lot has Robin Arellano, their schools second best fighter, who always protects Finney. He also knows that Finney talks to Bruce Yamada, their schools best baseball player, both boys are part of the baseball team and some could say their friends. Even Vance Hopper, with his violent behavior has friends. The “losers” can say they don’t care about being popular, but sometimes that’s a lie, he knows for him it is, he sometimes wished he has a friend, or that at least people would know him. Someone like that would be Billy Showalter, their towns paperboy, he deliverers papers to the people who still want it delivered and he gets payed a good amount, especially since he’s the only one still willing to do that job. He isn’t popular, but he’s well known, he doesn’t have friends, but people know him.
Griffin doesn’t know if it’s because he was blacked out thinking about his loneliness, or because he was thinking about the boy already, he ends up running into the paperboy, literally.
They both end up crashing into each other and Griffin ends up falling on top of Billy.
They both seemed to be confused for a second but once they both register what just happened, they share eye contact, for about a whole minute before Griffin finally finds courage to say something.
”I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.” He said as he got up and offered a hand for the boy on the ground to use.
”Thanks” he takes the hand and stands up. They both let go and Billy fixes his jacket that he’s always wearing, “Don’t worry about it, I wasn’t paying attention either.” He says as he scratches his neck.
Griffin wants to ask him questions, wants to know why he’s out in the rain, wants to know the reason why he wasn’t paying attention, he has some many questions, but he ends up nodding at the boy and walks the way he was heading.
As he’s about to pass the other boy he feels a hand grab he’s left arm, he turns around to face the other boy.
”Umm,” Billy looks around like he doesn’t know what to say for a little bit before he lets go and clears his throat, “I’m Billy, Billy Showalter”
Griffin was take aback, no one has ever introduced themselves to him. “Uhh, Griffin Stagg.” He says after what seems to be ages. Billy gives him a nod and a smile.
“Where are you heading Griffin?”
“Oh, I was just taking a walk.”
Billy seemed to be curious about his answer, “A walk?, out in the rain.”
Griffin shrugged, “yeah I like the rain I guess.”
Billy, nodded again, “Well I’m heading to a party, want to come with?”
Now Griffin is fully confused. Why was Billy inviting him to a party?
”A party?”
Billy nodded, “Well it’s a birthday party but uh you know Finney Blake?”
Griffin nodded, “It’s his sisters birthday today and he invited me.”
”Oh,” Griffin doesn’t know what to say, honestly he kinda wants to go, but he’s soaking. “I would but I’m not wearing appropriate clothes for a party, plus I’m really wet.”
Billy smiled, “It’s a pijama party, I have my clothes in my clear backpack so I’m gonna change when I get there, I’m sure Finney would let you borrow some clothes.”
”I don’t know, we like just met, wouldn’t it be weird to take me to a party and asking for clothes.”
Billy shrugged, “it should be fine Griffin, we can get to know each other as we walk to the house.”
Griffin wanted to do anything but go to a pijama party but he was currently feeling something that he’s never felt before, so with that he let out a sigh, “okay I’ll go.”
Billy smiled again and his eyes seemed to light up.
“Great.”
And with that both boys were walking towards Finney’s house.