Project Fat Suit

Forty-Seven: Baby Steps

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Previously on PFS…

Rena attempted to reach out to her fellow students only to be met with cold shoulders. Uranus cheers her up with a movie and tries to plant one on her, but Rena, thinking of Holly and Liam, pulled away. Rena finally tells Liam that she likes Uranus more in a not-so-gently way. Liam’s upset and now Holly is at Rena’s house with a stranger.

Chapter Forty-Seven: Baby Steps

Her name was Echo, or that’s what she introduced herself as. Within the first three minutes I was around her, I decided I didn’t like her. She was rude, smelled suspiciously like alcohol, and she gave off a scary aura. Basically, she was the opposite of Holly.

“So…how exactly did you two meet?” I asked the question burning within me.

Holly looked at Echo with a small smile on her face. “It’s a long story,” she told me.

“That we’d rather not tell,” Echo added on with a tinge of hostility in her voice.

Twelve. Echo had twelve face piercings. One was on her slightly flat nose, two were on her plump purple-lipstick covered lips, and the rest were scattered on her small ears.

It was safe to say Echo was pretty in a dangerous sense. Her green eyes were catlike and looked like they were calculating my every move. Her brows were sharply arched. She had amazing bone structure with her high cheekbones and her defined jawline. Echo’s hair was a flaming ball of red, but some how her frizzy red hair just added on to her exotic beauty.

I was curious about where Holly had gone and how she ran into someone like Echo, but it seemed like Holly and Echo didn’t really want to talk about it, which was fine because I was kind of dying on the inside since Liam and I’s conversation.

“What kind of grub you got here?” Echo asked, but she didn’t wait for a response before walking to the kitchen. Why did I invite her in?

“I’m glad your back, Holly,” I told the recently MIA girl and gave her a hug.

“Glad to be back,” Holly said chirpily.

I pulled away from the hug when a huge crash came from the kitchen. “Your bowls are cheap! Broke with just one touch!” Echo shouted.

“Holly, I don’t mean to offend you or Echo, but is Echo…safe to be around?” I asked, choosing my words carefully.

Holly looked amused by my question. “She’s a tough chick, but she won’t hurt you.” Another loud crash came from the kitchen. “Just your bowls apparently,” she joked nervously. “We-we can leave if you’re not comfortable with her around,” Holly suggested while fiddling with her shirt.

My eyes flickered to the two suitcases Holy and Echo had placed next to the couches. I had a feeling that Holly was here for more than just a visit. “Why do I feel like the word ‘leave’ has heavier meaning than what you’re letting on?”

Holly broke eye contact with me, letting her gaze fall on something to the right of me. “My parents kicked me out,” she said sadly. “They told me they shouldn’t be responsible for such an ‘unappreciative’ child,” she added, quoting her parents. “And we need a place to stay.”

“It’s ultimately up to my dad, but I don’t think he’d mind,” I said automatically, feeling awful for what Holly’s own parents had done to her.

“Thanks, Rena. I promise Echo will behave and we won’t get you and your family’s way and we’ll pull our own weight in the house. Thanks for this, Rena,” Holly gave me a speedy thank you, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug.