⋆⭒˚.⋆ 𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐍 ᵃ ˢᵗʳᵃⁿᵍᵉʳ ᵗʰⁱⁿᵍˢ ᵃᶠ

𝟎𝟎𝟓

FIVE

-- A PARTY TO REMEMBER --

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

"HEY, MOM?" holly is lying in bed just before eight-fifteen the very same morning. mike's group had taken so long holly had worried she might not have time to get back up to her room, and then sev had done...that, but eventually they calmed him down and holly promised him they wouldn't tell anyone.

matty and zach were expecting her at school today, but holly knew there was no way she was going. so she'd told sev to hide in the fort for just a little while and then she'd snuck back upstairs to her room.

this was the easy part.

"yeah, holly?" holly waits as she hears footsteps coming down the hall and then karen is opening her bedroom door.

"i don't feel great," she says, hoping the face she's making will make her look sick and not constipated.

"what's wrong?" karen steps further into the room and reaches out to press a hand against holly's forehead. "you don't feel like you have a fever."

"headache," holly murmurs, burrowing deeper under her covers as her mom frowns at her. this has to work. "and my throat hurts a little bit."

"hm," karen's eyebrows furrow. "well, you can stay home, of course. sleep it off, hm?"

"yeah," holly says, "thanks, mom."

"feel better, sweetie. i can bring up some toast, if you want?"

holly smiles. "yes, please."

karen makes her way to the door again, but she stops as she's opening it. "oh...holly?" holly looks back over to her.

"yeah?"

"i invited ella graham over for dinner tonight." holly blinks. "you know, that girl who used to babysit you? she's graduating this year, and i think she's staying here for college, but i thought it would be nice to reconnect with her before she starts a whole new part of her life."

holly's eyebrows lift. she hasn't seen ella in at least four years, and honestly, she's kind of missed the girl. they were like sisters, and although holly already had a sister and a brother, having ella around had been nice as a kid. "that's nice of you, mom. i'll probably feel better by then— hopefully, at least."

karen smiles at her youngest daughter. "alright. i can always reschedule, too. i'll be back in a bit."

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

"ella!" tatum lexington's voice carries down the hallway as ella graham twists the code into her locker and pulls it open. she turns toward her best friend's voice and sees the girl jogging down the hallway toward her.

"tate!" ella grins, "how was your history test?" tate leans against the lockers and scowls.

"as awful as you'd expect. mr. wheeler kept us after to go over extra credit and he answered a few questions and i got all of the ones he went over wrong!"