The Grim Reaper Effect

-T H I R T E E N-

Chapter Thirteen: Griffin's First Day

Griffin stared out the window for a while, seemingly in deep thought. He turned back to me, staring at me without a trace of humor in his face. I sat up straighter, trying to mimic him. His hard stare didn't falter for a second. He was serious. I slumped down, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Do you always get attention from guys? In a sexual way?" He asked in all seriousness.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"The way that guy was looking at you last night. It was sexual harassment. You were too out of it to notice. I'm wondering if that's how you're treated all the time," I could tell it was bothering him.

I shrugged, "I don't know. Probably. That's just the way guys are."

He shook his head, a frown taking over his face, "Sexually harassing a female and getting the excuse of being a male is unacceptable. Males and females are both capable of controlling themselves for the respect of others."

I sighed, "You're right, it shouldn't be like that, but it is."

"And you're okay with this?" He questioned.

"Of course not! I hate it. I wasn't created to fulfill some man's desire. But what can I do about it, you know?"

"No, I don't know. I don't understand why you allow such things to take place," Anger was starting to become evident in his voice. He was reverting back to his normal way of speaking.

"What do you propose then, Griffin?" I crossed my arms.

"I want to go to your school with you. I know you hate the idea, but if this is how all guys treat you, I need to know so I can put a stop to this. You may not be willing to, but I am," He wasn't joking. Not even a bit.

I felt my anger starting to bubble up. It may not seem like a big deal, but it is. Griffin going to Applewood would send the school spiraling out of control. Taylor wouldn't leave him alone and when he leaves, she'll come flocking to me. Since he's supposed to watch over me, Micah will definitely notice and probably try to fight him.

Then there's Griffin himself. He's older, so he's more mature both physically and mentally. His age isn't the only problem. He's from a different world completely. He's not like the rest of teenagers these days. He isn't glued to any electronics and he's not up to date with anything, so pop culture references fly over his head. I didn't want him thrown into a world like Applewood.

"Griffin, you and I had a deal. One more incident. Nothing's happened so-"

"I also told you I'm here to protect you. That is my job, regardless of anything," He spoke over me.

"High school here isn't like your high school. Teenagers are assholes. Besides that, you're nineteen in a school full of people who are eighteen and younger. How would that even work? It won't," I explained. "I'm sorry, but I'm not about to willingly put you in a position where you could get hurt or transformed into something that isn't you. The answer's no."

"With all due respect, Mackenzie, I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself. The gesture is kind, but if going means I'll be able to make sure you're safe, I'm going. All that aside, I'm older than you."

-*-

I woke up Monday morning with a ball of nerves in my stomach. Today was Griffin's first day at Applewood. This could go horribly wrong or just bad. Either way, this wouldn't end well. It took me a while to get up. I hoped that keeping my eyes shut would make the day disappear. When that didn't work, I tried using my telekinetic powers to will the day away. Then I realized I didn't have powers and I just looked like an idiot.