Short of Guts

Chapter 1

"Five, Six, Seven, Eight, lets go Cleveland High ! "

"Great job girls lets take five!"

Holly and her best friend Renee walked to where their belongings were to take a sip of water.

"Holly, can you help me with my back flip? I keep trying but I can't get it right."

"Sure Renee, you just have to put your weight forward..." But before Holly could say any more, Renee was hefted up by huge biceps and soundly kissed.

"WOOHOO! That practice was epic man!", Sam exclaimed into Renee's ear after disengaging his lips from hers. Sam the flank man of Cleveland High's TiTans was Renee's current boyfriend to Holly's annoyance.

He continued the embrace and looked into her eyes and said "Hey baby I missed you". Holly tried to mask her disgust at the soppy display but couldn't quite help the grunt that came out. That got a sleety eyed look from Sam. Holly was not sure if Sam openly displayed his passion for Renee just to annoy her but she had her suspicions. Sam wouldn't be the Sam she has known all her sixteen years if there wasn't some way he could take a shot at her just for being nearby. "That's what twin brothers are for, squirt!" he would say.

"Cut it out, Sam. Renee and I were just going to practice on our backflips".

"O yeah?, it looked to me like you were gagging green with it, sis". He followed it with a sneer that thinned his lips to a grin that showed his perfect white teeth. Glaring back at her brother, Holly looked to Renee for support. "Stop it you guys". She unhooked Sam's arms from around her neck with a sigh and backed up Holly. "Why don't you go take a shower and let my Captain here finish teaching me how to improve my backflips?" She soften the request with a small peck on his lips and a smile designed to melt any full blooded male. Sam was no different.

While Holly busied herself sending Sam her own version of a good bye complete with a tongue sticking out of her scrunched up pixie face, Renee wore a worried frown on her face as she saw who was calling her on her cell. After deliberating for two minutes she answered the call reluctantly but careful to have her back to Holly.

"Look, leave me out of this, will ya? I don't have to do this you know!' Renee continued with the whisper decibles growing louder as her annoyance level turned up. Though she was turned away, Holly knew she was speaking to the mysterious caller who had already called her twice in the last week. Renee would behave funny after that. Whoever it was she wasn't telling. She would brush it off as some guy she doesn't even know but Holly knew better. Renee wore a worried look on her pretty face. She'd better remember to tell Sam about it because Renee might be in trouble.

" Hey, you free this afternoon after practice?" Renee asked after getting off the phone. She looked uncomfortable to Holly. "Yeah...why?" replied Holly.

'Nothing...just thought you might like to hang out with us...I mean Sam and me at the Butcher's Racks....you know the regular place."

"Hang out with you guys.....eew. You think I'm crazy.. besides I have gym practice today."

"Mr. Lowman's not going to complain if you missed just 1 day of practise.....and..and its not just us.. there are others"

"Yeah....Jake the shorty...Luke...with the B.O probelm and..."

Before Holly could finish, Renee interupted her snide remarks,

"Ok, I get it...but you really should go out more Holly...you know...its good for you socially.. You are already 16..in another year you'd be graduating..." Holly stared suspiciously back at Renee who appeared to be blushing from the roots of her fine blond hair tied up in a pony tail.

"Andrea and I are going for the bond movie this Saturday...what's wrong Renee, you've been acting strange since you've been getting phone calls from someone...I can't believe you are now concerned about my social life...something is definitely wrong here...do you want to talk about it? Are you in trouble or something?"

Nothing could have been more awkward and embarrassing for Renee. She couldn't tell and nothing could be further from the truth that Holly, the ever focused and serious Holly suggested.

Renee didn't know whether to laugh or cry in frustration which left her gaping like a fish out of water. After she recovered she quickly changed the subject. "You know you look like Anne Hathaway in "Princess Diaries" only with purple eyes and an ugly frown between your eyes at the moment?"

"Ok...so you are not ready to talk about it...fine.. Maybe Sam will be more persuasive."

This brought a panic look to Renee's clear blue eyes. "No, no no... Please don't tell Sam about this, Holly...please you are my best friend ...."

Holly hated butting into other people's relationship even though it is idiot Sam's. But she was worried for Renee who was one of her best friends even before Sam. "Look...if you are in trouble you know you can count on me, it's not a cliché...I just don't want anything bad to happen to you".

"Oh Holly, it's not like that at all...I swear to you if I'm in trouble...you'd be the first to know." She needed to get away quick before she was too tempted to tell. "I need to take a shower before heading off..see ya!"

Holly didn't know what to think. She just watched Renee swing her bag over her shoulders and beat a hasty retreat to the locker rooms.

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Hi guys, this is my first foray into fiction. Would love to hear from you all!