Short of Guts

Chapter 22

"ARGHH!" Holly screamed into her pillow as she fell face down on the couch. She wished Andrea or even Renee was there. "Hey, you alright?" Cassie asked as she came out from her position near the window that gave her a clear view of what happened.

"Not now Cassie, I'm not in the mood for your bitching."

"Two guys and they're hotties too, tsk! tsk! tsk! " Cassie continued. "What do they see in you, I wonder? But if it was me, I'd pick Shaun coz you won't have to bend down to get a smooch...although, Jake's bod is .." said Cassie waving her hand for emphasis.

"CASSIE?! I'm not in the mood now!"

"Seriously, if I were you I'd be making plans for later but not you...you have to stick your head in a pillow and cry." Cassie rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders.

"We'll, that's coz you don't know the half of it". Holly mumbled from beneath her pillow.

"Then tell me! "

"I like both of them but I think Jake's playing me coz he's secretly seeing Sam's girl..."

"Why that sneaky turd! Looking at that innocent face, no one would have thought he is capable of such malice! I get it, he wants you now coz the girl Renee is not around. Yeah, I've met players like him before." Cassie's response brought Holly's head out from under the pillow. Her swollen eyes and puffy face looked at Cassie miserably. Cassie smiled as she finally got Holly out from under the pillow.

"It's all getting so complicated...and confusing with Shaun as well. We used to climb trees, hit each other with water guns for heavens sakes..." Holly's wail was interrupted by a hiccup which made both of them laugh.

"I'm not Oprah or anything but have you seen yourself lately, girl? You are no longer a pony-tailed freckle faced Holly ten years ago, so don't blame them, blame it on HORMONES". Cassie wriggled her fingers and grinned at a white-faced Holly.

"I just want us all to be friends..is that so hard?"

"You know the answer to that but I'm predicting that all will not be hunky dory between all of you. Does Sam know that Jake's been poaching on his turf?"

"Of course not, are you crazy? And you are not to tell, get that?"

"Sooner or later...and the way Shaun was looking at Jake, I can't wait for the fireworks to start!" Cassie clasped her hands together with a blissful look that seemed to imply"at last things are getting interesting in this boring place!" before she remembered something that made her dash off toward the toilet without a backward glance at Holly who appeared to have gotten over the incident with the help of Cassie. Holly laughed hysterically at the irony.

The next thing Holly knew a voice shouted,

"WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD!"

Holly's eyes shot open and came face to face with Cassie's light blue eyes.

"OH MY THOR!" Holly jumped up.

"Hahaha you should have seen your face!"

"CASSIE!"

"We need to get to breakfast now! Jake, Shaun and Melanie have all gone down. Sam is leaving soon. So get off your butt and get changed. I'm not going to miss this show."

Rolling her eyes, Holly got up from the couch and walked into the girls room. She rummaged through her luggage and took out a light-washed high waisted shorts and a pink crop top with an infinity sign. Her ankle still hurt a little when she put pressure on it but the swell had receded.

After a long hot shower, she wore her pink vans and walked out the room to find a bored Cassie playing temple run on her pink glittery iPhone.

"You waited for me? " Surprise written on her face at Cassie's unusual courtesy and behaviour.

"FINALLY! Sam just left, so lets go!" Cassie stood up and headed out the door.

"Oh wait! My phone!" Holly took it from the coffee table, not bothering to check her messages, and slipped it into her back pocket.

Holly and Cassie walked in on the breakfast crowd to see all the adults and Melanie seated at a long table while Shaun and Jake were seated at a round table. The air was so tense around the smaller table that you could cut the air with a knife. Both Jake and Shaun were eating their cereal woodenly without the usual fun fare that came with breakfast for the last couple of days. Holly stared at them dismally.

"Hi Sam."

"Hi twin. Honey stars?"

"Yeah." Holly said in a monotone.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Sam decided not to push it.

"Hey, guys I'm so excited, this is a real adventure where I am taking part in and not reading about-" Sitting in between Shaun and Jake, Sam turned to look at Jake expecting a response but meeting a cold-eyed Jake ignoring him while he put spoon after spoon of cereal into his mouth. Holly who took a seat next to Cassie opposite Jake kept her eyes glued to her honey stars as well. The uncomfortable silence continued until Sam frustrated by the non-reaction addressed it.

"Hey dudes. What's up?"

As usual there was no answer as Jake and Shaun continued scowling into their food.

Sam eyed Holly suspiciously and said, "Holly, lemme guess, you have something to do with this right?" He raised one of his eyebrows.

"Shut up Sam and eat your cereal." Holly huffed and decided she was already full.

Before she could head out the door, her dad got up and made the announcements on the preparations to retrieve great grandpa David.

"Alright, now that everyone's around, we need to organize the manpower for the retrieval of great grandpa David and his boat. Ranger Ron will have his team help retrieve great grandpa while we retrieve his boat on the other side of the lake. Jake, you are indispensable here as you and Holly are the only ones who can identify the exact location."

"Yes, sir. I'd be glad to show you." Jake replied.

"Holly honey, I don't think you need to come along. You should get some rest and let that ankle heal up." said Mr. Schuster.

"But Dad, I would like to come along too. I was a part of the whole experience. I would like to see an end to it as well. Please Dad?" She pleaded when she sensed his reluctance. "My ankle is much better already. See?" Holly did a small pirouette to prove her point. But Holly's mum and the grands clearly disapproved.

Suddenly Shaun spoke up.

"I'll watch out for her Mr. Schuster. She can just sit in the jeep while you guys haul up the wreck."

Holly didn't know where to look. She was glad for the help but she certainly didn't ask for it.

Jakes's face could only be described as thunderous which made Cassie giggle. Despite Cassie nudging her, Holly refused to look at either Shaun or Jake while she waited for her Dad's decision. He finally relented and Holly let out the breath she had been holding.

"This way you'd have a lot of time to give me." said Shaun who had come up behind her. She was speechless. Just then Jake passed by with a scowl and told her it was not a good idea and that she should rest instead. That made her angry and more determined to go. Holly ignored both of them and went to collect the gear she would need.

Seating at the lounge area waiting for the rest of the gang, Holly decided to text Andrea and Renee. Her phone registered an SMS. It was from "Sucker".

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Picture to the right is Holly's FULL outfit! (I love designing her clothes! Wheee) see ya soon!:)