Through the Eyes of a Storm

Chapter 4

A/N: Hey everyone!

I am so proud of you guys for getting those three votes in for the picture! You guys are amazing :D Love you so much!

Seriously, Hunter is fucking sexy ;) I love that picture on the side so much it's crazy. I'll start posting other pictures of Hunter too for you guys, but don't lose the votes just 'cause i ain't gonna ask for them! 

If anyone has a casting idea for Allison or any of the other characters, then I'd love to hear it :)

I'm loving this story so far! XD I hope you guys are too! 

Question of the Chapter is posted at the bottom as usual!

And if I can get another 3 votes by Saturday, I will post an animated gif of Hunter XD He's so cute when he smiles!

2 votes until next chapter! 

Vote! Comment! Fan! Enjoy!

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***Hunter's POV***

Bored and alone, I decided to try my hand at cooking. Robert phoned and told me he had to work late, Harriet texted that she was going out for coffee with some friends, Trent would be working for a few more hours and Bailey was sleeping at her friend's house, so me and Gryffin were left with the house to ourselves.

By the time eight o'clock rolled around, I was getting pretty hungry and I had to imagine that Gryffin was too since I hadn't seen him in forever. So I took some chicken that had been left out to thaw and placed it in the hot pan on the stove. It sizzled and popped loudly and smelled amazing, so I figured I was doing something right. I looked in the spice cupboard, overwhelmed by all the different flavours - and I had no idea what any of them were. They couldn't be that bad, right?

I shrugged and took the first one I saw that looked vaguely familiar and sprinkled it over the meat as it cooked. Out of nowhere I started humming a random tune that I didn't even recognize and I flipped the chicken to cook the other side. I waited a few minutes, then carefully checked the middle to make sure it was finished before scooping them onto two plates.  

I rummaged through the fridge and found some left over rice from a few nights ago and some baby carrots. I took them out to heat up in the microwave and put those on the plates too. I was pretty proud of my work as I stepped back to admire it. Maybe I could cook after all.

Satisfied, I brought the plates to the table and jogged upstairs to knock softly on Gryffin's door. "Gryffin?" I didn't get a reply, but I had a feeling he was in there. "I made dinner if you want to come downstairs. Everyone's out late so it's just us here for a few more hours." I waited a minute, half-hoping the door would open, but it didn't. I sighed, admittedly a little disappointed, and went back down to the kitchen to eat. I poured out a glass of milk and sat at my seat at the dining room table. 

I pecked at my food, suddenly not hungry. I thought about what Allison had said earlier. Before, I couldn't even bear the thought of abandoning Gryffin here so that I could live a better life. I couldn't be that person to leave him without any family. But now, sitting by myself, eating my now cold dinner, I realized that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. I didn't want to be stuck in a foster home - and what would I do when I turned eighteen? I shouldn't have to risk being homeless to help a person that refuses to even acknowledge my efforts, even if he was my twin brother. I wasn't doing any good for him anyway staying here.

I sighed and took my full plate to the kitchen and dumped it in the trash. Harriet would kill me if she found out I wasn't eating, but I was just too stressed to even think about it. I leaned against the counter and rested my face in my hands. This was possibly the hardest decision I've ever had to make; it was either my life, or his, whichever I actually had a chance of saving. And right now, the chances of saving Gryffin were next to nothing, if it wasn't already a lost cause. My hand twitched against my chest, practically begging for me to run it through my hair but I held it in place. What the hell was I going to do?

I wandered back into the dining room and sat down in my chair, too distracted to notice the occupied chair next to me. I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck in frustration. I saw a small movement out of the corner of my eye and jumped, finally noticing the dark huddled figure. Gryffin.

He was sitting cross legged on the chair, which was surprising since his legs were ridiculously long like mine. He was wearing black skinny jeans and an oversized black hoodie with the hood up. I couldn't see his face because of that damned hood as he ate the food I'd made hungrily. Yeah, I guess I was right in assuming he hadn't eaten in a while either.

I didn't say anything, not wanting to scare him off or anger him. It was hard to gauge how he would react to anything - he was just so bipolar. He finished the food quickly, and I expected him to get up and leave, but he didn't. He just...sat there. It was actually kind of creepy. I took a deep breath and made the first move.

"Gryffin?" I asked quietly. He didn't move or respond - ironically he kind of reminded me of one of the griffin statues that was perched silently on the top of tall buildings. "Can we talk? Please?" The first sign of movement came when he shook his head under the large hood. "Then listen to me," I demanded, a bit braver. I didn't get a reponse, so I decided to take that as a yes and continue.

"I know that life's been hard on you these past few years - they've been hard on me too; I'm still trying to move on from what happened. And I know everyone has their different ways of coping, but Gryffin, your ways are just....." I trailed off for a moment, unsure of the right word. I shook my head and started over. "Look, I'm your brother and I love you - you know that. But you're scaring me. You're scaring everyone. Even worse, eventually there will come a time, where your body just can't take it anymore and I don't want to lose you. You have to let me help you, Gryffin, just talk to me. Please." My eyes watered, threatening to spill over as I finished my plead. Gryffin shifted to wrap his arms around his knees and bury his face into them, but he didn't say a word in return.

Now I was angry. Here I was, frightened out of my mind for him and asking - no, begging - for him to let me help him, and he coudn't even be bothered to say a single word. Furious tears ran down my cheeks and I shot out of my chair, towering over my brother's huddled up figure.

"I've just about had it with you Gryffin. I'm done running after you, lying for you, protecting you, defending you and worrying about you when you couldn't go more out of your way to avoid me. If you won't talk to me, then I'm leaving. Do you know how many families I gave up the chance to be in, just so you wouldn't be alone?" No response. I scowled and kicked his chair, sending it and him toppling onto the floor. He landed face down and didn't bother picking himself up at first, just choosing to lay there instead. "I'm sick and tired of all these desperate acts for attention! Yeah, our family's dead. That was years ago! Just get over it already!" The room was eerily silent for a moment after I finished yelling. My chest was heaving as I breathed heavily and my throat burned with each breath from screaming so loud. I glared at him like death as he pulled himself to his feet, head bowed and face covered.

"Do what you want, go where you want," he whispered emotionlessly. "Just leave me alone." He turned to go back upstairs, but my hand shot out without thinking and grabbed his wrist. In an instant, he had me pinned to the wall with my arm behind my back, twisting it nearly to the point of breaking. I whimpered in pain and struggled to get free, but it was no use.

"I said leave me the fuck alone," he growled menacingly in my ear. He let me go and jogged upstairs to lock himself in the bathroom, leaving me gaping after him.

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A/N: 

Ohhhhh! We finally got our first contact with Gryffin! AHHHHH! :O

Question of the Chapter:

Which side are you on? Gryffin or Hunter?

2 votes until next chapter!