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Chapter Twenty-Three:
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2024-10-29 19:42:56| Whitney |
As she walked into Ringo’s for her shift the following day, Whitney could feel everyone’s eyes on her. The air was stale with uncomfortable silence, making her glance around uneasily. Auburn was a small town, they all had to see the news. There wasn’t any other explanation. By now, everyone knew she was dating Hollis Bogard— therefore, felt like they had the right to gawk and whisper among themselves. She almost laughed at Evan’s comment of everyone being like family around here.
Like family my ass. Hollis sounded like she was the backbone of this establishment, but nobody had a kind word to pass along? Whitney wondered if her girlfriend knew the types of people she really worked with but remained tight lipped as she knocked on the office door. Too new to expect anyone but Evan, she was taken by surprise to be greeted with an older woman in her mid fifties wearing a pinstriped pantsuit. She had
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Not All That Glitters Chapter Twenty-Four:
| Whitney |Three O’clock couldn’t come fast enough. Whitney was wiped out from handling a room full of customers and worrying endlessly about Hollis. Every chance she got she’d check her phone for updates from Kendra, but got nothing. Things eased up a little once Annie showed up, and the magic number that signified the end of Whitney’s shift eventually arrived.“You’re doing really awesome, by the way.” Annie said encouragingly as both she and Whitney headed into the kitchen for an order they were running together. She was around her age with a pleasant girl-next-door look. Sandy brown hair, crystal blue eyes and a shy smile made Annie easy to look at, and her sweet demeanor was just the cherry on top.“I’m trying.” Whitney soaked up the praise, glancing at the clock after they’d taken care of her last table. “I appreciate your help- will you be alright if I take off?” Normally she&r
Not All That Glitters Chapter Twenty-Five:
| Hollis |With nowhere else to go, Hollis eventually found herself parked in her driveway at almost one in the morning. The rain hadn't let up, and she was starting to wish she'd grabbed her jacket from Whitney's room before taking off. Shivering with cold, Hollis rubbed her goose bump covered arms for a second and cranked the heater on. As the small space slowly began warming up, guilt started eating away at the blonde and she propped an elbow against the window to rub her forehead in mental exhaustion.Fuck, you don't even know me! Hollis winced, thinking about how hard she'd made Whitney cry. It may have only been about two months since they met, but that girl knew Hollis better than almost anyone. She managed to get past each barrier effortlessly and wrapped herself around every soft spot Hollis had. Whitney knew her real, true feelings. What troubled her. Her fears and insecurities.
Not All That Glitters Chapter Twenty-Six:
| Hollis |It’d been nearly five days and she still felt like shit. Shakes, fever, the whole package was waiting for her like a brightly wrapped Christmas package the second Hollis started coming down. To avoid feeling sick, she’d cheat the system by popping a few pills to slowly go back to her version of normal after a relapse, but she didn’t have any thanks to whoever got rid of her stash. Submitting to heroin felt a lot like taking out a loan. Borrowing good feelings, only to pay off the debt with a wicked flu straight from hell.So she was forced to detox cold turkey, and it was murder.The only saving Grace Hollis had was in Nina, Kendra, and Whitney- who’d take shifts watching over her while she puked her guts out and cried from the unrelenting stomach pains. While the blonde dry heaved in her guest bathroom at around four in the evening, she faintly heard Nina charge upstairs.“Dalto
Not All That Glitters Chapter Twenty-Seven:
| Whitney |“My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room." John Mayer crooned from Whitney's "Heartbreak" Spotify playlist, and she nodded her head quietly to the melancholy beat. Closing her eyes and mouthing the chorus. She'd just pulled up beside Hollis' house a few minutes ago, but really wanted to finish listening to this song before heading inside. Because right now, she felt those words right to the core.Whitney's favorite genre of music was the kind her heart could relate to. She listened to everything from Ani Difranco to Slipknot depending on her mood, and had collected thousands of songs to stash away in various playlists over the years. As the depressing track faded out, Whitney leaned against the headrest and stared over her shoulder at the pristine white home she'd come to dread entering. It was a little after five, meaning Kendra would be taking off soon. Mustering up whatever courage she had left, Whitney reached for
Not All That Glitters Chapter Twenty-Eight:
| Hollis | “So, does this mean we’re back together?” Whitney’s amused quizzical voice asked in Hollis’ ear several hours later. The two girls were entangled in each other’s limbs, sharing kisses and apologies like it’d be the last time they’d see each other. After a quick break consisting of devouring Whitney’s homemade chicken soup, they headed back upstairs and stayed put in bed ever since. Hollis shifted to lay on her side as she let a single finger trace her lover’s full pink lips with a gentle scoff.“You never left, remember? Ugh. I’ve officially become my parents. It’s your fault- you’re just so adorable.” She stared at the beautiful woman snuggled up next to her and sighed in defeat. Whitney had the ability to pull her emotions in any direction she wanted, but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Hollis didn’t have any expe
Not All That Glitters Chapter Twenty-Nine:
| Hollis |She gawked at Dalton in disbelief, then smiled at everyone like she wanted to blow the entire room up. Jake stared back sympathetically. Evan cleared his throat and looked up toward the ceiling. Kendra seemed like she was ready to jump up any second and Nina cried softly. Hollis eyed Whitney briefly. Her girlfriend was leaning against the door, staring at the ground guiltily. It sunk in. Everything suddenly made sense.This was a God damn intervention.“No, we can’t “talk” about anything. Are you all serious right now? What the FUCK.” She felt her cheeks burn, seeing Jake and Evan sitting there. Really? Her fucking BOSS!? “Please sit down, Holl. We need to have this conversation.” Kendra stood up from her chair, laying her letter down to try and lead Hollis over to the group but was pushed away immediately. Whitney side swept out of the way to avoid being caught in the line o
Not All That Glitters Chapter Thirty:
Two months later | Whitney |“Does she know yet?” Kendra touched her newly buzzed head absently, watching Whitney lug two baby pink Ted Baker luggage pieces out to her Prius and carefully arranging them in the hatchback before closing it and turning to face her roommate with flushed cheeks and a nervous grin. Despite their individual smart choice in dress, The chilly late November air still made both girl’s teeth chatter as they exchanged an excited look.“Yep! I promised Holly last month if she completed treatment, I’d take her wherever she wanted to go for a week. I got the time off approved from work, and they aren’t expecting Hollis back until the second week of December. Everything’s covered.” Whitney gave Kendra a quick hug, slightly surprised not to feel the other girl’s rough blonde dreads brushing against her cheek. The hipster had landed a part time internship at a medical
Not All That Glitters Chapter Thirty-One:
| Whitney |“Do you need some help?” Whitney asked in that chirpy way she always did when she was overly excited. Hollis’ last meeting at Lakeside ended ten minutes ago, and after she got through the crowd of women wanting to exchange their own personal versions of goodbye, the two girls were finally heading to the room Hollis shared with Clarissa to gather up her packed suitcase and army green Jansport backpack.“It’s two bags, babe. I think I got it.” Hollis looked over her shoulder briefly, breaking out into a toothy grin before using the plain black hairband she wore around her wrist to tie up the swishing blonde hair bouncing along her shoulders. Whitney playfully poked the other girl’s back, right in between the shoulder blades as they approached the fifth room on the left.“I want to slug you so bad right now, but I’ve missed my sarcastic Holly so she gets a pass this time.” She
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Not All That Glitters A Word From The Author:
Thank you SO MUCH for reading "Not All That Glitters." I began writing this novel July of 2019, and made it my official NaNo project. The last chapter was posted at the end of November 2019. I've completely fallen in love with my characters, and spent tons of time developing them! I hope you've enjoyed reading about Whitney and Hollis. <3 I'd really love to hear from you if you enjoyed my novel! Knowing how many people love and enjoy this book really makes a difference to me, every last reader is appreciated. I write not only for myself, but for you too! To continue Hollis and Whitney's adventure through life, be sure to check out "Not All Who Wander Are Lost", the sequel to "Not All That Glitters."
Not All That Glitters Epilogue:
A month later, (Christmas Day)Hollis and Dalton's home was much more full this Christmas than it had ever been in the past. In addition to Nina's parents, her older brother Fabian was visiting from Madrid, Spain for the holidays. Kendra came over with her infamous sweet potato bake, and even Jake made an appearance on the way to his dad's."Are you sure you don't want to come in? We've got so much food." Hollis hitched a thumb toward the direction of her kitchen, where Nina and Whitney were busy prepping the various sides to go along with Dalton's honey baked ham. The Bogards didn't care for turkey, which was fine with everyone else. Family meals usually revolved around their somewhat picky eating habits, so they were used to it by now."Naw man, my pops is waiting for me and I promised I'd help him cook. I think he invited his old lady too, so that'll be cool. I just wanted to drop these off." Jake handed Hollis thre
Not All That Glitters Chapter Forty:
| Whitney |So she actually came, but what was there left to say? Almost a year ago now, Criszette committed the ultimate offense- sleeping with Theresa. As a result, she effectively ended their year and a half long relationship and became the perfect reason to get the hell out of California. She’d dodged every text, phone call, and email for months leading up to her big move. It only took Whitney a minute to think about what her sister was proposing. Wiping the tears away, she met Theresa’s bluish green eyes with conviction.“It’s partially Zette’s fault I left in the first place. What makes you think I want to see her? She killed us the moment she touched you. We’d still be together if it weren’t for that! I wouldn’t even be here. Why is that so hard for you to grasp? You ruined my life, Theresa. From day one. Bringing Zette is just rubbing salt in my wounds at this point.”
Not All That Glitters Chapter Thirty-Nine:
| Whitney |"Do your parents know we work here?" Hollis asked Whitney in disbelief as she followed her girlfriend's family's rental toward a couple of free parking spaces, right next to Ringo's. The blonde hadn't seen anyone aside from their boss and Jake since she'd checked herself into Lakeside a couple months back, and seemed hesitant about just waltzing in as a customer. "I may have mentioned it in passing, but I don't remember." Whitney replied in amazement as they pulled up beside the Audi her father was driving. She yanked the visor in front of her down, peering into the lit up mirror so she could touch up her mascara. "Do you want to go somewhere else, Holly? I could ask." Things were already getting off to a fantastic start. Her father's invitation seemed sly, but she couldn't figure out what he was getting at yet. Whitney had to admit it seemed pretty weird that they wound up at Ringo's, of all places. "We
Not All That Glitters Chapter Thirty-Eight:
| Whitney |With December just around the corner, unforgiving Maine wind howled and whistled right outside the Munroe Inn. Hollis gruffly rose from the bed to kneel, removing her navy blue sweater and plain white tee she wore underneath as she maintained eye contact with Whitney. Their hotel room was starting to lose it’s chilly atmosphere, and the only sound that could be heard over their frantic panting was the hum of the heater. Hollis’ black bra followed and as soon as it was tossed aside, Whitney carefully cupped the blonde’s small perky tits in her trembling hands. When it came to sex, every time felt like the very first time, and it was almost always a feverish event. There was so much more to their relationship, but part of the initial connection would always stand out; Their undeniable physical attraction to one another. “God, your boobs drive me crazy...they’re so little and perfect!&
Not All That Glitters Chapter Thirty-Seven:
| Whitney |“Are you ever going to tell me what we're doing?” Whitney probed a half hour later, tugging on Hollis’ sweater anxiously. Her blonde lover’s smile was frozen in place as she kept driving, occasionally checking her side mirror the closer they got to heavier traffic. It seemed like wherever everyone else was going, they were heading the same way and it added to Whitney’s rapidly growing excitement. She loved surprises- as long as she didn’t have to wait for them. So maybe that meant she didn’t enjoy surprises after all? Did it qualify as a surprise if it was planned in advance, but revealed as soon as she caught on!?“Let’s play a game, okay?” Hollis finally spoke up, clearing her throat. Whitney’s light brown eyes glittered like spun gold as she bounced slightly in her seat.“What kinda game?”“I’ll give you th
Not All That Glitters Chapter Thirty-Six:
| Hollis |“Am I hearing this correctly? You want Zette’s number?” Whitney asked with a mild amount of fear hidden in her voice.“Are you fucking joking, babe!? Yeah, I want your disrespectful EX GIRLFRIEND’S number. This has gone on long enough and I’m about to bring it to a screeching halt. If your sister won’t listen to you, trust me, Zette will want to hear what I have to say.” Hollis snarled, hastily shimming into a pair of light wash low rise jeans. “It’s her ass that’s getting chewed out if she still decides to come with your family to Auburn.”“I’m just so tired of the drama, Holly.” Whitney sighed curtly, but surrendered to her girlfriend’s request. “I sent it. Don’t threaten her too much, please? I don’t need my over dramatic sister running to our parents and making this a bigge
Not All That Glitters Chapter Thirty-Five:
| Whitney |Getting up before noon wasn't on the top of Whitney’s favorite to do list, but after worrying about Hollis off and on all night she’d only managed to get a whopping four consecutive hours of sleep- making it six A.M by the time she finally gave up and dragged her exhausted body into a hot shower. Leaning into the steady stream, Whitney rested her forehead against the white tiled wall, listening to Hollis’ voicemail play over and over from memory.I wish you were awake right now, I just need to hear you say everything’s going to be alright. Her girlfriend sighed with dismay. The sniffling in the background made it sound like she’d been crying. Sleep well, baby. I’ll call you again as soon as I wake up. That was at one A.M. Whitney woke with a start at around two, checking her iPhone with a bad feeling and finding the voice message. Not wanting to disturb Hollis in case she’d finally pa
Not All That Glitters Chapter Thirty-Four:
| Whitney | Maine's sun had already set behind the vast trees and mountains that stretched for miles just beyond Kendra and Whitney's house before the three girls finally went inside. Hollis and Kendra were suddenly fourteen years old again, covered in snow and getting lost in shoving each other. They laughed in a way Whitney hadn't heard before. It was a pretty cool thing to be around, and she felt lucky to know and love both of them. "I need to go grocery shopping tomorrow. You wanna stay for pizza, Hollis? Or did you guys eat already?" Kendra shrugged out of her fire engine red parka and hung it up on a wooden coat hanger. Hollis did the same with her jacket, and rested one of her hands on Whitney's fragile shoulder mischievously. "Wicked. Babe, you good with cheese? I don't care for the entire garden plus a few lettuce shavings on my pizza. Unlike your roommate over there." She egged Kendra on, who threw a hideous ancient decorative pillow that'd belonged
