Meet You There | Calum Hood

16

Trigger Warning// mentions ED/Death. This will serve as the warning for the rest of the book. -Sav

"Holland focus!" Coach Waller yelled across the gym as Holland stumbled on her landing from her full twisting back layout, a skill she usually nailed.

"What's up with you today?" Lexi asked her, wandering over from where she'd been running through her beam routine.

"I got annoyed with Calum yesterday. I need to vent about it after practice if that's okay." She sighed.

"I thought things were going really well? You stayed over there Friday night."

"Yeah, but he was kind of judgy when he thought I was a virgin and I don't know, it just rubbed me the wrong way."

"Holls." She said, placing a hand on each of Holland's shoulders. "You are the most sensitive fucking person I have ever met in my life. Lighten. The hell. Up."

Holland let out an aggravated groan.

"Knowing you, you were probably hangry, too. What did you eat yesterday?" She was trying to joke but Holland knew she was about to get a lecture.

Holland was quiet until Lexi reappeared in front of her.

"List it." She said seriously, her voice quiet.

"I had some fruit when we woke up."

"Uh-huh, and what else."

Holland pursed her lips.

"Fuck Holls."

"I'm fine." She defended.

"What did you have the day before?" Lexi pressed and Holland sighed, feeling the storm brewing from her best friend.

"I had granola for breakfast and a lettuce wrap and sweet potato."

"What have you had today?"

"I had a smoothie this morning. I've been busy all day."

"Lets go ladies!" Coach yelled over to them and they nodded, Holland running her pass again, this time landing it.

She jogged back ready to start again but Lexi wasn't letting her off that easy.

"You can't deplete your body like this, Holls. It's not going to make you shorter. You know what it is going to do? It's going to make you weak until you starve yourself out of a chance at the fucking Olympics. It's also gonna make you continue to snap at the first guy I've ever seen you get excited over. I'm not letting you go back down this road, Holland. I will be up your ass force feeding you until you can be trusted to do it yourself again."

"Bu-"

"Do you really want to try me? Imagine if coach found out."

Holland's face paled.

"You wouldn't." She said narrowing her eyes.

"Oh baby, try me." Lexi said. "I'd much rather have you pissed at me, benched, and alive, than have to attend another furneral."

Lexi took that opportunity to turn on her heel and return to her own practice. Holland couldn't say anything back because anything she said would only be diminished by the heavy weight of Lexi's words. The two girls had been friends a long time and Holland knew that Lexi was only looking out for her in the best way she knew how.

She was sure she'd get another earful from her friend when they got home later but she tried to concentrate on making the most of her practice, Coach Waller's heavy gaze burned into her back as she executed her Arabian mount onto the beam. She stumbled to gain her balance but recovered quickly and continued with her routine.