Hollywood and Vines (A One Direction Fanfic)

Chapter 21 - December

"Zayn!  Glad you're here, Mate!"  Harry exclaimed as he approached his band member for a hug.

"Thanks.  Niall texted me and told me you guys were hanging out so we thought we'd drop by."

"Hey, Cutie!"  Eliza piped.  She shimmied herself into Harry's arms.

"Hey -- Eliza."  Harry tossed Allie a horrified glance.

While everyone exchanged hugs, I gaped at Eliza.  All this time I thought she was bluffing; I never expected her to come to New York.  I didn't think she was being honest when she claimed she'd come in December.  I shouldn't have been so astonished but my body stiffened.

Eliza drew me into a hug.  "So glad I could come.  Me and Holly are gonna have a great time watching you guys at Madison Square Garden."  I couldn't bare the way her eyes bored into mine.  Her eyes were so much darker than Niall's . . ..

"Is that why ya'r here?"  Niall steadied himself on the counter.

Eliza nodded.  "Yeah!"

"Sweet."

Based on the way Niall flinched and fled to Zayn, I could see that Niall wanted to escape the risk of being hugged by Eliza.  I smirked then, thinking about the things he had told me about Eliza when we were in the taxi together the day of the wedding all those months ago.

Allie was holding Harry's hand.  As I watched this happen, Harry peered to Allie curiously but didn't speak a word about it.  The girl he absolutely loved was holding his hand, so I suppose there was really no legitimate reason to complain.  I wish he'd asked her, however, why she'd chosen to hold his hand.  I'd like to know why myself.  Originally, I thought it was because she feared that Eliza would snatch Harry from her, but by the way she frowned and distanced herself from Eliza by stepping behind Harry, I thought it might be something else.

"--cooking lessons," I heard Niall say.  I must have been too absorbed in my thoughts to hear the conversation currently being spoken.  "We just started, so it's not really ready yet."

"Oh," Zayn nodded.

"I have an idea," I exclaimed.  "We'll put off the cooking lessons for now so me and Eliza can go buy drinks."

Harry rose his hand in the air.  "Oh!  Get Shirley temples!"

I grinned, hoping it would mask any agitation I was feeling due to Eliza's presence.  "Sounds good, Styles."

When Eliza and I were in the hallway taking our coats from the coat hanger near the door, Zayn and Niall joined us.  Zayn grabbed Eliza's wrist tenderly.  "You want me to come with you, babe?"

"Me too?"  Niall asked.  He directed his gaze at me.

I answered for Eliza, "That's alright.  Harry and Allie might need some help making lunch."

Zayn nodded and pecked Eliza on the cheek.  "See you later, love."

"Bye, babe,"  Eliza replied quickly.  I opened the door for her and we started into the bright but cold air of December.

I hugged my scarf closer to my nose as we journeyed down the street.  A light drizzle of snow drifted from the clouds above.  Icy tears condensed on my eyes.

"What, are you suprised that I'm here?"  She asked.  When I didn't reply, so continued.  "I told you I was coming back in December."

"I know, I just --" I wiped my nose with my sleeve, desperately trying my best to appear strong, indifferent.  This proved to be very difficult because I knew that the one who wanted to destroy all my relationships was walking beside me now in the place I thought was most safe from her strangling grasp.

"Wimping out?  Yeah, that's why I came.  I've been easy on you.  I could have exposed you months ago but I chose not to because I wanted to be here when it happened because I knew you'd probably screw it up."

"You're plan will never work," was all I could think to say.  "Harry likes Allie way too much.  And she--"

"II think it will.  And even if it doesn't, I won't let it go.  We'll try something else."

I released an exasperated breath.  "Will you ever give up?"

Eliza snorted a high-pitched squeal of laughter.  This laugh tainted with evil caused me to shiver more than the cold weather did.  "Allie's softened you up, definitely."

"I never wanted to do this in the first place--"

"Hah!  That's like saying you never wanted to sleep with Tim.  It was your decision, so don't even deny that Allie's morphed you into a little pixie princess."

"Shut up--"

Eliza patted my stomach and I squirmed.  "You gaining weight?"

I pressed my hands to my stomach.

"And those roots growing in?  Looks like I'm not the only one you've been neglecting."

I shook my head.  "No--"

"And what's going in with you and Niall?  You guys a thing now or what?"

"What?"  I felt a temporary clogging in my veins when Eliza made this accusation.  I must have stopped walking as well, because Eliza was a few steps ahead of me and had to turn her head in order to meet my gaze.

"Yep.  Zayn told me Harry and Allie were trying to hook you guys up."

"I knew it--"  I took a breath and caught up with Eliza's pace.

"Either way, it doesn't help you.  The slut you are, I know you can easily get Niall to like you, but you're not gonna want to unless you want you're naked body all over the internet."

I hugged my coat closer to my chest.  "Keep your voice down."

"Remember what I told you on the beach that one day?"

"Yeah . . .."

"Then you already know that I want you to tell the press that Allie cheated on Harry with Niall, only it's perfect now because you and Allie are, like, best friends now, so the press will believe you.  But it has to be believable.  It's not gonna work if it looks like Niall and you like each other."

I shoke my head back and forth, my brows knitting together thoughtfully.

"Say something," she snapped.

"You are so evil and incredibly selfish."

"Come on," she laughed as she pushed me in the shoulder.  "It's not that selfish if it means that Zayn's gonna be single by the end of all this.  Unless you like Niall, but still.  If you wait until this all blows over, it should be okay."

Eliza and I finally arrived at the small, grocery store that sold Shirley temples and headed for the back of the store where I knew they were.

"Make a decision now," Eliza demanded.  "so I know whether of not I need to break up with Zayn."

I grabbed a Shirley Temple off the shelf and watched the pink liquid swish back and forth in the neck of the bottles.  "I'll send Sugarscape and email tonight."

"Thank you," Eliza pulled me into a tight hug but I shoved her off me.  "You're a slut, but I love you."

"You're a witch and I hate you."

I scurried back to the apartment as hastily as I could.  My waterfall of tears never once became dry, not even when we'd reached the apartment.  I slipped through the door as softly as I could, and placed the Shirley temples on the counter as Harry, Niall, and Zayn were taking turns balancing themselves on Aunt Christina's yoga ball in the living room.  I think I'd even gone unnoticed by Allie who was sitting with Harry on the couch.  Their conversation appeared intimate.

I closed my bedroom door, curled myself in bed, and pulled my laptop near.  Dear Sugarscape, I began, but it was difficult to continue because of the tears that blurred my eyes.

A/N:  loved hearing all your thoughts about Holly.  feel free to tell me anything else interesting youve noticed in this story, because that's what I absolutely love (:

thhaannks :D  you guys are DA BEST