Touched by the Fear

[1]

A faint beep brought her attention to her phone, which sat face down on her desk. She flipped the phone over and her dark, manicured nails touched the screen. A text message lit up the screen and, her eyes quickly read 'Meet me before first period? – Carter'. With a sigh, she turned the screen off but another message appeared 'Call me when you get to school.' Again, it was from Carter. Shaking her head, she put her phone in her jacket without replying. Over the last couple days, possibly weeks, Hollis had ignored most of his texts and calls. It was obvious to both of them that she was pushing him away, though she didn't know the reasoning behind it. Pushing the guilt down, she instead tried to focus on the day ahead.

With a deep breath, she stepped into the hallway. The aroma of coffee hit her right away, a smile softly grazing her face. Making her way down the wooden stairs, she entered the open kitchen where a fresh pot of coffee awaited her. Reaching for her favorite mug, she poured herself a steaming cup of coffee. Hollis raised the mug to her lips. A sip of the scalding liquid immediately brought relief to her. The taste of caffeine was prominent and strong, just like she liked it.

Her eyes went to the muted TV. The morning news was on with the feature story about a body that had been found in the woods the previous night. She watched with interest when the video showed the Beacon Hills Preserve; blue and red lights danced in the background while the two joggers who had found the body were talking to the cops.

Immersed in the story, Hollis didn't notice her dad walk in.

"Good morning."

Jumping slightly, she turned to face him. She watched as he poured himself a cup of coffee, the steam rising up into the air. He leaned against the white marble counter and looked over at her before drinking his coffee black.

"Morning." She returned a small smile before focusing her attention on the TV.

"What happened?" Grant asked. He glanced at the TV and turned the volume up a little. The newscaster's voice seeped out through the speakers, reporting on the body.

"Some joggers found a body last night," she replied.

They watched the rest of the three-minute report in silence before the commercial came on.

Hitting the mute button, Grant turned to her. He studied her silently, a worried look appearing on his face. "You know, you can stay home if you're not ready. School can wait another day."

Shaking her head, she forced a smile. "I'm fine. I'll be... fine," she told him, with a hint of doubt in her voice. Hollis took a sip of coffee and cleared her throat. "Besides, it's the first day of school. I really shouldn't miss it. And I told Lydia I'd be in."

"Alright, if you're sure," he said. "Do you want me to drop you off? We could get coffee on the way." Grant quickly looked at the cups of coffee they both held. Clearing his throat, he added, "Or we could grab something to eat and talk. Whatever you want."

"Thanks, but I'll be fine," Hollis said reassuringly, with more confidence than she felt. How many times had she said 'fine' that morning? It was a word that weaved its way into her vocabulary. Somewhere along the line, the word had lost its meaning.

Grant nodded in response. "At least eat something," he told her. "Can't live off of coffee, you know."

"I'll grab something at school." Hollis finished the drink and placed the empty cup on the counter. "Anyway, I don't want to be late." Taking hold of her bag, she picked up her keys and made her way towards the door. "I'll be home after school."

She had made it to the front door before her dad's voice stopped her. "Hollis."

She turned to face him. Hollis held her breath, hoping to avoid anything deep whether it was something complicated like a start to a conversation or something as simple as a hug.

"Have a good first day," he eventually said with a warm smile.

AN: I hoped you guys enjoyed the first chapter! Any kind of feedback would be greatly appreciated. For example: what you thought of the OC (Hollis), thoughts for the next few chapters, etc. Even a simple I like this... or This was interesting because... would be great.