All Chapters of Not All That Glitters: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

| Hollis |She'd never really been a big cryer, but it felt good to get everything out in the grand scheme of things. Everyone needed an occasional outlet, after all. Hollis had no idea what time it was when the gut wrenching sobs finally subsided, but her face was almost as swollen as her knuckles and she could barely keep her eyes open. At some point, Kendra had helped her upstairs and into Whitney's room. All the furniture had been replaced, but didn't look like anything her girlfriend would've brought along from California. The chestnut drawer matched the color of Whitney's bed frame, and a small little black night stand stood out in an attractive way. Not surprisingly, a baby pink comforter was draped over the queen sized bed neatly. Having never been in Whitney's room before, Hollis started to feel a little more at ease. She could smell her lover's favorite perfume, and spotted it on the nightstand. "Happy" by Clinique. Thin white lace drapes softly blew against the win

| 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

| 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

| 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

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