Hollows In Time (✔️) | 'Hollows' Book Ⅱ

Chapter Thirty-Five

^ Cassie... just swipe ^

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H o l l o w s I n
T I M E
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Days later, I had gained nearly five pounds since my close encounter with death by weight. And I was happy. I was surviving. I was healing.

Jameson continued to keep his distance, and I continued to use the girls as my therapy. They were a part of me that I had to fix, and so they helped. Jameson was once that part too, but the girls were still my friends—I no longer love Jameson.

The weather was starting to cool considerably, and autumn was patiently waiting on our doorstep. And so was Saph's birthday. Born on the eighteenth of October, Saph is the first libra friend I have ever had. Bria follows after, with a biting birthday on the fifteenth of December, making her a Sagittarius. Cassie was next with a late winter birthday of February the eleventh, which made her and Avery was last—aside from me—with a spring birthday on March the eighth, which therefore made her a Pisces and Cassie an Aquarius.

On the subject of birthdays,

"What does Bria Winters want for her birthday?" Avery rolled over on Cassie's bed so that she was facing Bria. She played with locks of Bria's brown hair as Saph spoke up.

"I thought your last name was Lewis?" Saph asked, an eyebrow raised. Cassie laughed, twirling around with one of Kim's scarfs that she had stolen from her drawers. Kim had left her alone for five minutes and Cassie had already tried on Kim's Christmas outfit, her ball gown for God knows what, twenty million scarves, and her prom dress from when she was sixteen.

Bria rolled her eyes, "That's my dads last name, I told you all that my parents divorced." She aggressively flipped a magazine page; Avery squeezed her shoulder.

"Didn't like your dad enough to keep his last name?" Saph sneered. I shot her a glare from where I was sat on Cassie's beanbag, where I had been previously been watching Cassie perform a silent version of 'Slipping Through My Fingers' from Mamma Mia.

Saph didn't pay attention to me and I turned my attention to Bria to see her shift so that her hair fell over her face.

"My dad is a prick." She muttered, loud enough for everyone but Cassie to hear as she twirled into Kim's room. Avery threw a million swear words over Bria's head at Saph with only her eyes. Proof that she was Bria's adoptive mother. Maybe Bria's last name should be 'Holland' instead.

Saph turned away, a sour expression on her face from where she sat on the floor. I stood up abruptly and, through her hair, I saw Bria's eyes flit up to me. I tapped Saph on her shoulder, with Avery watching me closely. Saph looked up and I beckoned her over to the bathroom.

She stood up and followed me in. I tried to close the door behind us but it got jammed.

"What are you doing?" I whispered. Saph leaned against the sink countertop with her arms crossed across her chest.

"What do you mean?" She asked, obviously not getting the memo when she didn't whisper in response.

"Bria." It was we one word—one name. Saph's expression remained sober.