Holland's Peace and Gold

1

The night was winding down. The bugs had started biting if you weren't really close to the fire, (which most people weren't). Holland was bored to say at the least. There were a few girls that always pined for him sitting a couple of hay bales away from his van. They were giggling and gossiping about his hair, or his boots. Whichever they wished for more.

He knew the only reason those girls found him irresistible was because he was almost untouchable, but what can a boy do?

He had lived in the same beat up old town in Georgia since he was born, his mom and dad and their mom and dad was the exact same way. The only difference however was how badly he wanted to leave this place. It was washed out and everything was boring after a while. You knew the same people all your life. The only exciting thing about the new people that moved into this town was the fact that these girls gave him a couple day break from what would be considered harassment.

They usually only moved down here from 10 minutes away or so. They had the same geographical surroundings as he has had. Boring.

He resorted to reading. He could read about all these places, far away from Georgia. Another thing to add on the list of things that made Holland Himes attractive.

He was taking a drink out of the mason jar filled with whiskey when he met eyes with an unfamiliar girl. Her hair was messy from the breeze and her eyes were warm and inviting. She jumped out of the 4X4 and made her way over to him.

Paz didn't know the boy she found herself walking over to, but his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses even though it was 12 a.m. screamed for her undivided attention. He had a mason jar in his hand, filled with the same substance that was in her Jack Daniels bottle. She sat down beside him, and he smiled at her the smile that boys wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night do.

"Hey." She sipped her bottle and he slid his sunglasses down his nose so he could see her. His green blue eyes looked like the pond across the road. Clear and inviting.

She could hear the girls on the hay bales laughing at her. She even heard one whisper about the nerve she had, but she didn't mind at all.

"I'm Holland." He said. His voice was smooth like the butter her grandmother churned, it had a hint of the Georgia accent she had expected.

"Paz." She said gauging his reaction. His smile widened and he let out a chuckle that made her heart warm.

"Paz?" He asked teasing slightly.

"It means peace or gold. I know it's unconventional but it's mine." She responded as she tucked her hair behind her ear and looked away self consciously.

"Can I call you Pez?" He asked the question she got frequently.

She smirked at him, "I'm a girl, not a candy." His smile didn't falter.

He expected that. She wasn't like everyone else around here. She was unaffected by him.

"You aren't from around here." He stated as the rim of his mason jar met his lips.

"Thanks, I didn't realize." She joked. He nodded.

"You just move here? " He asked with a smile.

"I'm staying here for a month with my grams, mysterious boy who wears sunglasses when it's the middle of night." He laughed and she never wanted to hear him stop.

There was a silence that made her want to lay her head on his shoulder. She didn't, she met him five minutes ago.

"I think you have you're own fan club." She said after a while.

He glanced over at the girls who were possibly ruining the start of something beautiful.

"Don't worry about them." He assured.