“Keri was asking about you,” Sherri smirked as she scooped some salsa onto her Spanish rice. Their first stop in her small Texas hometown was the local Mexican eatery. She and Max swore by the enchiladas, and Hollis was always a big fan of the chicken tacos. “So that means Tom was too,” she couldn’t keep her laughter in.

Hollis turned bright red. “Oh god,” she grimaced. She and Sherri were friends of Keri DeLonge, Tom DeLonge’s sister, and when they were younger, they actually thought they’d had a shot with Tom.

“What were we? Like twelve?” Sherri cracked up. Tom DeLonge, singer and guitarist of blink 182, was a good decade older than them. He’d married quite a while ago too, and he and his wife had three kids. “But of course that didn’t stop us with Jesse-”

“Don’t even-” Hollis’s face flushed with embarrassment and delight. “That was so illegal,” she broke into a wide grin. She’d started dating Jesse when she was sixteen and he was twenty-three. Even worse, they’d already had sex by her seventeenth birthday. “Thank God my Dad never found out!” she busted up.

Sherri lost it. “Or Justin,” she banged on the table as she referred to Hollis’s brother. Luckily he’d been away at Berkeley during the whole Jesse thing. “Remember everyone thought you were acting out because of your mom?” the situation only grew funnier. Sadly, Hollis’s mother’s death on September 11th, 2001, was the most reasonable excuse for her inappropriate behavior. No one considered that she might have just been a bored and horny teenager.

Hollis nodded. “And you had that dyke hair that Jesse pretended to like?”

Sherri almost snorted. She’d missed this. 

“What the fuck happened to everyone anyway?” Hollis asked, only half-serious. She’d disconnected herself from the scene, but it was weird to think that so many years had passed in a flash. 

Sherri, airport-grungy but cute as a button, tugged at the strings of her hoodie. Hollis had become a wife, mother, and widow in an expedited time frame, and she’d rallied back from a divorcée to a wife again. Their lives had been moderately traumatic. But so had everyone else’s. Someone’s mom or dad was always diagnosed with cancer, someone’s friend inevitably became the victim of an accident, and someone was always falling in and out of love.

“The same things that happened to us,” Sherri pushed away the rest of her meal.

**********

“Hollis Quadrelli?!” Sonny Moore, most commonly known as Skrillex these days, did a double take. He’d met Hollis way back on Warped Tour after he’d cheated on his girlfriend Emily. Hollis had been a fan of his former band From First to Last, and she’d worked a couple years at Warped. He’d been invited to this random party by a buddy, and since he had an earlier set in another Texan town, he’d stopped by to DJ.

“Sonny Moore,” Hollis smiled prettily. She didn’t correct him on the technicality of her last name, but it made her wonder if people knew she’d even been married in the first place. After she met Julian the summer before college, she’d lost touch with bands and friends. And of course when she was in school for four years, she’d fallen completely off the grid.

Sonny now had hair as long as hers, and he was recording electronic music. It was categorized as dubstep, but people were calling it brostep too.

“...Always veracious,” his dark eyes caught Hollis’s resistance. She’d never been a party animal, and as a definite introvert, she’d never cared. Back when they were teenagers and he was a moody jerkface, she was the one who always checked up on him. She never made him feel crappy about himself even when he knew for a fact that he was a loser. As he got older and saw how disappointing some of his friends turned out, he realized how much respect she deserved for staying true. And that she was even more marvelous than before, if that was possible.

“I just got back from Thailand,” she divulged before Sherri pulled her away. “I moved to Malibu and I’m not kidding when I say I hate it. But-” she remembered that she was talking to Sonny and that he was an expanse of her teenage years before Julian. “It’s ok.”

A skinny twerp named Ryan Ross was introduced to Hollis, and her and Sherri’s advantages and disadvantages came into play. Hollis was at an advantage because no one knew her business. Both she and Sherri were at a disadvantage because even though they didn’t want to, they knew virtually everything about everyone in the music industry. For example, neither had been a Panic! at the Disco fan, but they automatically knew Ryan had been the former guitarist, dated a Rockette and cheated on her, quit Panic!, then developed a nasty crack problem. There were more precise details too. 

Sherri’s disadvantage was that everyone knew about her and Chad, and even though she was happily remarried, people still talked. Hollis’s primary disadvantage was that her husband had died, and if she disclosed it to others, it ruined their fucking day. No one wanted to think about death or dying young, and she didn’t want them to have to. 

“Didn’t you hear D.R.U.G.S. were dropped by Decaydance?” Hollis overheard a platinum blonde as she caught up with one of Sherri’s sisters. “Yeah, Craig was pretty tight with Pete, so it was really fucked up,” she continued, obviously referring to Craig Owens. He and Ashlee Simpson took part in a minor fling while Pete and Ashlee were working through their divorce. 

“Yeah,” the other participant shook her head. “Pete’s dating some twenty-one year old model. But you know what the worst part is, right?” she shook her head. “Bronx isn’t his son and he doesn’t even know.”

You could tell when someone was gossiping and when someone was just stating the facts. This was the latter. Both girls were former friends of Ashlee’s, which made sense since Ashlee was from Dallas, and they were just there to shoot the shit and get drunk. They had no qualms against Ashlee, so it was just them uninhibited. 

Hollis felt a familiar pang in her chest. It was tug-of-war. 

“I have to go home,” she insisted, despite having a decent time with Sherri. “I miss my kids,” she confronted the aching that came along with being a mother. But there was also the part that she wasn’t revealing--a missed call from Josh Farro. 

*********

Hope you like this. xoxo, jac

“He just left,” Sherri whispered as Hollis entered the memorial park. Then, on second notice, she added a quiet, “I’m sorry.”

Hollis brushed her nose with a knuckle and uncrossed her arms.

She’d chosen to have Julian buried in Brea, California, which was sort of a spontaneous decision since it was located in the middle of nowhere. But the view of the railroad tracks and trains was panoramic, and the grounds were maintained nicely. Besides, no one bothered her there. 

“It’s ok,” Hollis crouched in front of Julian’s grave. She and Sherri weren’t buddy-buddy again, but Sherri had done the proper thing by letting her know and putting the offer on the table. “I’m not wimping out,” she briefly flashed over Sherri’s telescopic blue eyes. “I don’t want to meet him,” her jaw was square. “I don’t have to.”

Sherri nodded like thunder. “I know.”

“Thank you,” Hollis nudged in the direction of the vibrant bouquet Sherri had brought. 

The flowers were positioned neatly in one of the holders. 

“Anytime,” Sherri nodded with the thickest batch of tears in her eyes. She fucking hated that Hollis was so distant toward her, but what she hated even more was that she’d stabbed herself in the back. It was her fault that she would never get to be a part of Hollis’s life again. 

Hollis sat Indian-style on the rooted grass. “Hey baby,” she placed a hand on Julian’s headstone. 

Sherri felt like she should leave, but she didn’t want to. And as she listened to Hollis tell Julian about how much she wanted to move back to Santa Barbara, and how witty Josie was becoming, she was ripped to shreds.

Hollis had saved the best of everything--the best songs, the best crépes, even the best of her--for everyone else. She’d done all these things not because she had to, but because she wanted to. And she’d met her match in Julian, who was perfect for her. 

But they only had a brief snapshot of time together. One year into their marriage, a Korean college student with a US visa had struck him. The teenager had been going ninety five miles per hour in his American buddy’s car, and he’d lost control and gone over the curb on a right turn. He smashed into the engineering firm where Julian worked. It was seven in the morning. 

Hollis, only twenty-two at the time, didn’t press charges or sue. She didn’t want anything to do with the boy’s punishment or sentence, but she was floored when he could only receive up to three years in prison since he was a foreign student and a minor. 

“I wish I could’ve told you about my first date with Max,” Sherri swallowed hard. “Or when he asked me to marry him,” she cradled her tiny body. The only time she’d cried like this was during her divorce with Chad. “And Julian, oh God,” she buried her beautiful face with both hands. “Oh God,” she repeated like she was dying. “I should’ve been there.”

Hollis’s eyes glazed over. Sherri hadn’t made her typical “my band was taking off, and it was like when you went off to college and made all those new friends” excuse, but she still wasn’t in the clear. 

“I wanted you to fight for Chad,” Hollis resisted the urge to break down. “If he was yours, I wanted you to give it your all no matter what,” her desperation gave in. She avoided mentioning Josh and Hayley out loud, but the same applied for them. Josh should’ve never let Hayley go. Hayley should’ve spoken up at that wedding. 

“You didn’t like Chad though,” Sherri sniffled, not at all defensive. No one liked Chad.

Hollis shrugged wordlessly. “But you did,” she pointed out. “You loved him, so that meant I did too.”

Sherri smiled wide-eyed. For a moment, she saw them at sixteen shoving their way through the pit. That was the essence of their friendship--music. Sherri was the musician, and Hollis was the critic. Hollis was the smart one, and she and Julian were both so on it that they started a life together right after Hollis graduated from college.

“Can we just make up already?” Sherri edged. 

Hollis looked down at Julian’s grave. “What you’ve done; your behavior these past few years,” she wasn’t about to let Sherri off the hook. “It wasn’t good enough. Jesse thought I was cool, so you had to be cooler. Julian bought me a house so you had Chad build you one,” she referred to the expensive project Chad had undertaken in Sherri’s hometown of Tyler, Texas. “And when Chad broke your heart, you tried to ruin his life.”

Sherri bit her lip, ashamed. It was all true. 

“I cared too much about what others thought of me,” she stepped up, a complete shock. Then, before Hollis could correct her, she added, “I still do.” 

“But you’re learning,” Hollis offered. 

Sherri nodded with doll-like eyelashes. She really was beautiful and mega talented, and Hollis still loathed Chad for giving that up. Hayley was a masterpiece, but there was just no way to right the wrong she and Chad had committed together. It sounded worse than it was, but it still shouldn’t have happened.

“Come home with me,” Sherri didn’t hesitate. “I mean, would you like to come home with me to Texas?” she restated. “Just for the weekend?”

Hollis didn’t want to make this decision on the spot. Sherri was trying, but who knew if she was going to turn it into another round of superficial games. 

“I have other friends now-” she started, to which Sherri nodded understandably. 

“Let me be your best friend again,” Sherri begged with a hopeful but not pressing smile. “If not forever, then just for two nights. I just want two nights with you. Leave the kids with your brother and his hot wife.”

Like Hollis, she knew everything she wasn’t supposed to. But this time it wasn’t her fault.

*********

Sorry this took so long. Sherri's not going to revert to her old ways, so don't worry about that. Worry about what's going to happen in Texas cause it won't be pretty. Worry about josh and hayley. xo, jac

“Oh look, you’ve already made the tabloids,” Chloë smirked satisfyingly as she flipped  through The Enquirer. “Emo Boy’s New Juliet...” she partially rattled off the title of the piece. She, too, had been in several of these publications before with Pete. In fact, it was how her triplets had discovered her.

Hollis displayed neither surprise nor irritation. Unbeknownst to Chloë, she’d had a lot worse exposure. 

“You’re totally fucking Wentz,” Chloë leaned back in the booth where they were enjoying their paninis and salads. Since Hollis had an accounting partnership, she chose her own lunch break hours. And although Chloë was now applying her college degree and working at the Museum of Tolerance in downtown LA, she’d taken a couple of sick days after her short hospital stay.

“I’m not-” Hollis gazed around to make sure no one was within earshot. “Fucking anyone,” she finished the second part of her statement. 

Pete was chaotic and an overfunctioner, but she appreciated that he didn’t actually direct her around or step in whenever he felt like it. He was a concrete friend, and she understood why he had such dedicated fans. And although she preferred to distance herself from the music scene, he wasn’t going to let her elude him. Like Chloë said, once you went Wentz, nothing ever made sense. 

Chloë smiled mischievously. She knew that Hollis had her own life and her own friends, but like Pete, she and Blanche wouldn’t stop pursuing her. They’d had crappy childhoods and weren’t used to stability or authenticity, so they valued her goodwill and kindheartedness. 

“Didn’t you date that guy from Brand New?” Chloë recalled something she’d overheard Gabe and Pete talking about. Those two gossipers acted like women more often than not.

“Yeah,” Hollis stirred a sugar packet into her iced tea. “Jesse Lacey,” she took a sip to make sure it was sweet enough. “He’s the vocalist. It’s actually kind of disturbing because we met on the internet,” she laughed. “I used to like his band a lot, but I wasn’t a groupie or fangirl,” she accented. “Anyway, it was fun while it lasted. And the sex was good-”

Chloë’s Dr. Pepper went up her nose and burned like a motherfucker.

“Oh, it gets better,” Hollis continued her anecdote. “He broke up with me because I didn’t want to have anal-”

Chloë was so in love with Hollis. There was nothing like a pretty girl with a dirty mouth. And Hollis gave her hope that she could be a mother someday, and Gabe’s wife, without losing her wild streak.

“Here’s the best part,” Hollis wrapped it up. “Sherri was my best friend, and she admitted that she had a thing for Jesse. She basically asked for my permission to be with him. I thought it was weird but I didn’t care or anything. And then before he could dump her for not sleeping with him, she cheated on him anyway with Chad Gilbert from New Found Glory,” she shrugged.

“So that’s why you guys aren’t friends anymore?” Chloë arched an eyebrow. She’d received quality information that Gabe and Pete would never get their hands on. 

Hollis shook her head every which way. “Oh God no. It was, well, a lot of other things,” she revealed more than Chloë expected. “I’m pretty good friends with Hayley Williams and Josh Farro, and when Chad and Sherri divorced and Josh and Hayley broke up, it was shattering.”

Chloë nodded. She remembered back in 2007 and 2008 when there was a lot of speculation about Hayley Williams being a homewrecker.

“You had to choose, didn’t you?” Chloë asked intuitively. “Between Sherri and Hayley.”

Hollis surprised her with a no. “I didn’t choose. Sherri made the decision for everyone,” she finished up her caesar salad. “It’s a lot more complicated than this, but Sherri power played what happened and took advantage of the situation.  She had more leverage than she needed.”  

Chloë nervously twisted her engagement ring. If Hollis could lose nearly everything--her mother, her husband, her best friend--and still be okay, so could she.

“Is there even sex after marriage?” Chloë uttered her worst fear. She and Gabe had upgraded their best friend relationship to the highest tier possible, but she’d heard all the horror stories. The fifty percent divorce rate didn’t lie. “And what the hell am I going to do with a kid? If I have a son, he’ll be a rapist like his father, and if I have a daughter, she’ll get raped because she’ll be too hot-”

It was Hollis’s turn to laugh. Chloë had brought her up to speed with how Gabe’s proposal had landed her in the hospital. The ring had been placed in a custom ordered cake, and when it was served to them at Disneyland, Chloë swallowed it. It became lodged in her windpipe, and Gabe panicked like a little bitch because he thought she was going to die or say no.

“Your wedding day is the second most important day of your life,” Hollis signed the bill with a flourish. “But the day you’ll remember forever is when your kids are born. Sorry,” she pulled out her vibrating phone. She’d been trying to ignore it, but someone really wanted to talk to her.

She easily recognized the caller id as Sherri. Sherri had called sixteen times and left two voicemails. She’d also sent texts, and the latest one caught Hollis’s attention.

“What’s wrong?” Chloë watched Hollis turn gray. 

Hollis felt like she couldn’t move, but she managed with Chloë’s help. 

“Sherri was at the cemetery visiting Julian,” she jammed her car key in the door. Suddenly something so simple was now difficult. “The kid-” she shuddered in the seventy four degree weather. “He’s twenty-two now and out of jail. He was there at Julian’s grave. And he wants to meet me.”

***********

I have strep throat but I partied like a motherfucker last night at the blink show. The last HCT I went to was in 07 with FOB. It made me a little nostalgic. Nevertheless, I have plans for this, but only if you're coming with me. Otherwise it's useless. xo, jac

“Thank you,” Hollis smiled at the Starbucks barista as she gathered a tray of her four drinks. You knew it was bad when your kids were under five and already requesting beverages they couldn’t even pronounce. “All right, let’s go,” she maneuvered her three young children toward the exit. 

“Mommy, will you braid my hair tomorrow?” Josie clung to her mother; Chase and Hunter in tow. The twins had just turned five, and they were still bummed out that their aunt and uncle had missed their laser tag party. Gabe had proposed to Chloë in a strange way, and she’d ended up choking on the ring and being sent to emergency. Naturally, Blanche and Justin had been worried sick.

Hollis laughed at her little blonde daughter. “Honey, you have preschool for three hours at most. Then nap time for twice as long. Who are you trying to impress?”

Josie giggled. She was too young to understand sarcasm, but she knew her mom was being funny. 

“...I’ll be sure to remember that next time!” a short male slammed the door to his taxi, clearly agitated. A slim brunette stepped out momentarily to try to talk to him, but he motioned for her to get lost. 

This man was, of course, Pete Wentz.

“Is everything ok?” Hollis asked worriedly as the taxi sped off with the brunette inside. They were in the part of Malibu closer to Santa Monica, so she wasn’t surprised to run in to Pete. 

“Hey!” Pete quickly recovered, hands in his hoodie pockets. “Yeah, sorry about that,” he cleared his throat. Leave it to him to cause a public spectacle in front of a pretty girl he barely knew. It was bad enough he’d preconceived her as a gold digger and trophy wife, but now he’d really embarrassed himself.

Hollis clicked her car remote to unlock the Mercedes, and her kids raced each other there. 

“Are you sure?” she repeated, noting how tense he was. “I have back-to-school night for the boys, but I was thinking of playing hooky,” she laughed. Chase and Hunter had just started kindergarten, and even though she’d enrolled them in a public elementary school, the atmosphere wasn’t all that pleasant. The affluent parents would certainly do their best to make her feel unwelcome. 

Pete’s pissy girl problems melted away.

“Can I come with you?” he asked on a whim. “Or if you’re gonna ditch, can I do that with you?”

Hollis, normally immune to potentially misleading endeavors, agreed.

“Have one of these,” she handed him one of the two Caramel Macchiatos. Josie had no business ordering one, but Hollis had humored her anyway. “You’ll need it.”

“Extra caramel,” they both uttered at the same time.

**********

“So if Chase and Hunter are five, you must be fairly young yet,” one of the condescending mothers in the classroom batted her fake eyelashes at Hollis. “And your daughter is blonde,” she felt the need to point out. “But your husband has dark hair...” she turned to Pete.

Hollis gritted her teeth and forced a smile. It was these types of things that really bothered her.

“My father is blonde,” she answered curtly before Pete tried anything slick.

“Well, Robby mentioned that Chase and Hunter’s father is longer around,” the desperate housewife continued to prod, incriminating her five year old son in the process. “So would this be your second husband?” she turned once more to Pete. 

Hollis scanned the room. The damn teacher hadn’t even shown up yet.

“Excuse us,” she edged her and Pete to the front desks. Another attempt to humiliate her had gone underway, but her ego was unharmed. They could say whatever they wanted about her and her kids, but she was a far better parent than any of them. And that was the only thing that mattered. 

This was the type of parent Pete hoped to be.

He was honestly astounded by Hollis’s permissiveness. He didn’t consider himself aggressive or confrontational, but he’d flipped a bitch more times than he was proud of. When the paparazzi used to hound him and Ashlee, he went off on them and they weren’t even directly attacking him. It was just their job. Meanwhile, with Hollis, all the other parents treated her like a second class citizen. They knew nothing about her, but because she wasn’t pompous or nearing menopause, they assumed she was a rich heiress or an aimless college dropout who’d had kids out of wedlock.

“It could’ve been worse,” Hollis sighed as she and Pete headed out. The teacher was a sweet middle-aged woman, and her presentation had made up for her tardiness.

Pete agreed wholeheartedly. He didn’t even want to think about how he and Ashlee were going to coordinate Bronx’s primary education a few years down the road. And if people could be this hurtful toward Hollis, he and his ex-wife were going to be slaughtered.

As Hollis drove back to her glass house, Pete settled on KROQ. Of course Misery Business was playing, and Hollis jolted him by immediately changing the station.

“It’s a good song,” Pete joked, but she didn’t find it funny at all. 

“You can crash here if you’d like,” she offered. It wasn’t like she didn’t have the space. “Or if you need to get to the airport, I can take you. I paid the babysitter for the whole night, and it’s not even eight yet,” she really made an effort to accommodate him. 

Pete wasn’t used to being treated with such consideration.

“LAX bound,” he was disappointed that he literally couldn’t stay. “Only because I have to be in New York tomorrow,” he clarified. “But is it ok if I call you?”

“See, moving’s not always a bad thing,” Hayley Williams dashed around Hollis’s Malibu driveway as if she were doing a victory lap. “It even has a three-car garage!” she squealed, laughing infectiously as she surveyed the property. 

“I guess,” Hollis laughed, propping the front screen door open for her last minute guest. Hayley, always so animated and fun, had called her requesting a proper hangout. They hadn’t seen each other since New Year’s 2011, and as much as Hollis tried to pull away from the scene, Hayley wouldn’t let her.

Like Julian used to say, Hollis was too good to be true. She was the background friend who got you through all your ups and downs but never received or took credit for it. Her tolerance and patience served everyone well, and as Hayley always stressed, Hollis’s passiveness was a behavioral trait, not a personality trait. Just because she didn’t choose to speak up all the time didn’t mean she was reclusive or meek.

“I won’t even ask how Thailand was,” Hayley cackled, already knowing it had gone down in flames. “But I will ask about Justin’s wedding,” she raised an eyebrow, testing out Hollis’s new recliner. She almost fell off. “He always was a winner.”

“You should’ve snagged him when you had the chance, Hayles,” Hollis joked, serving a perfectly arranged fruit and cheese platter. Hayley loved cheese and didn’t care that it wasn’t good for her throat. “It was your one opportunity to score a ‘Q’ last name,” she pointed out. “And you could’ve had leverage on me for the rest of my life.”

Hayley scrunched her face up as she laughed. This was exactly why Hollis remained a crucial part of her life.

“Blanche is super hot,” Hollis highlighted, careful not to mention Sherri at all. “She and her sister are the daughters of Douglas Ferenczi, the fraud who ran Enron and Worldcom into the ground. Remember that whole thing?” she recalled the media frenzy. It had gotten more attention than the goddamn tsunami in Japan. “It was weird because they’re good friends with Pete Wentz and his Decaydance buddies, so they were all there,” she shrugged, amazed by how connected everyone was.

“Ooh,” Hayley lit up, stabbing a grape with a toothpick. Her band had preferred not to become enmeshed with Fueled by Ramen, but she had nothing bad to say about Pete or the rest of the label. 

Hollis nodded, tying back the front curtains. “And I’m pretty sure Victoria Asher’s parents live somewhere down the block,” she humored Hayley with yet another link. 

Although Hollis could more than afford it, the posh Malibu neighborhood was too flashy and for her. But it was safe, and within driving distance to Justin and Blanche’s beach house. Since her father remained a couple of hours away in Summerland, it was imperative that Justin was nearby to help with the kids. 

“Oh my God,” Hayley swelled with happiness as she popped her head into the bedrooms. Everything was in its place, courtesy of Hollis’s neat freak complex, and Josie’s room had been painted a darling shade of lavender. “And you’re wearing the ring!” she squeezed Hollis’s hand. “It’s so pretty!”

This was the difference between Hayley and Sherri. While Sherri had once been Hollis’s best friend, her reaction to Hollis’s desire to wear the ring was one of jealousy and disdain. Hayley’s was one of delight.

“Thank you,” Hollis held on to Hayley’s hand and continued a tour of the glass house. While they didn’t agree on everything--politics and religion for starters--Hayley was a cornerstone. Most people, Sherri included, had disapproved of Hollis marrying early and outside of her race. Race, just like gender and sexuality, was arbitrary, but some people failed to see that. 

And the very day Hollis and Hayley met each other, Julian was there too. Hayley was so awestruck by their romance, and she envied that Hollis would get to tell her kids all about it someday. It would be passed down like the greatest of family heirlooms.

“Are you going to any of the Saves the Day tour dates?” Hayley danced around the hallway. She was sure the nosy neighbors could see through the glass, but they could only be interested in Hollis. People were always shocked that Hollis wasn’t a needy widow who sat around with her kids all day. She had her work of course at her accounting partnership, but she also volunteered a lot, and she still loved punk. It was her type of music, and Saves the Day was one of her favorite bands. They were finishing up their latest album, Daybreak. 

“I preordered tickets for the LA show,” Hollis grabbed her car keys. She and Hayley were headed to a barbecue restaurant followed by a spa mani/pedi. “But we’ll see. Hey, do you have any New Found Glory previews for me?” she recalled sharply. They, too, had a new album coming out. She wasn’t that much of New Found Glory fan, but it was important to Hayley, so it was important to her. 

Hayley fist-pumped, loving Hollis for remembering. She never forgot these things.

“Chad has only sent me bits and pieces, but I burned them for you,” she grinned, watching the neighbors watch Hollis’s every move. 

It was an understatement to say that everything had changed since 2007. Julian’s passing in 2006 was bad enough, but 2007 was when everything went to hell. Hayley was still surprised that Hollis hadn’t shunned her. To be honest, Hollis had been more loyal to her than to both Josh and Sherri, and she didn’t deserve it. 

“Here, put these on,” Hollis grabbed a spare pair of Chanel sunglasses in the dash. She was already sick of the meddling neighbors, and she knew it pissed them off that she was half their age but twice as rich. “And wave at those motherfuckers,” she cracked Hayley up, revving her Mercedes. 

As expected, Hollis had been uncomfortable being tied to Paramore and Eisley and the scene in general, and it was one of the reasons why she tried to distance herself. She didn’t like the association because it carried a negative connotation. Everyone was ‘a friend of a friend’ or knew someone in a band, and it just wasn’t special. It was tainted. 

“I mentally thank Jesse Lacey every day,” Hayley turned down the radio as they drove along the Malibu shoreline, almost reading Hollis’s mind. 

It was true that everything was coincidence and nothing was fate, but Jesse had been the accelerator of the entire process. He was the starting block and the finish line.

********

Hey guys! Sorry this took a while--I'm particular and it's more of a challenge to master Hayley's character and all these others I don't usually talk about. Jesse Lacey is the frontman of Brand New, and as you can see, he was important. Josh, Sherri, and Chad's parts in the controversy will be revealed too. I normally stress that it's not about what DID happen versus what COULD'VE happened, but in this case, it's swapped. This is about what happened. xoxo, jac

“Chloë is sublime,” Hollis confided as she, Gabe, and Pete returned outside. She’d been a hot mess after Sherri’s bitchfest, but Chloë had cleaned her up and forced her to dance. And she’d actually had fun. 

Gabe muttered a string of profanities under his breath. Brendon had beat him to the punch, proposing to Dresden three days ago. The little bitch boy hadn’t even bothered to let any of them know. Spencer accidentally slipped the engagement news out during the cake cutting, and Brendon and Dresden made up some weak excuse about “keeping it low key.” The fucking fangirls didn’t even know who Dresden was, so it wasn’t like they could send death threats her way. 

And now everyone was getting married, which completely stole Gabe’s thunder. For the love of God, Joe Trohman was even tying the knot at the end of October. 

“Sorry,” Gabe cleared his throat. His superficial problems were vastly unimportant. And no one could compete with Brendon Urie anyway. “Yeah, I’m gonna spend the rest of my life with Chloë,” he heavily bit his lower lip, unable to contain his happiness.

“Good. She’s monumental,” Hollis further complimented, and Gabe was struck by her sincerity. Her choice of words was impeccable, and she didn’t say things just because she felt like she had to.

Pete, always the most observant and sensitive, took note of her youthfulness. Hollis--named after the city of Hollister, California--was nearing twenty-six, but she could pass for twenty-one. She had a boyish figure, uncharacteristic of someone who had borne three children, and her quiet features gave her a Jennifer Garner ambiance. If he didn’t know her profession, he would peg her for an elementary school teacher.

“You must think we’re assholes,” Gabe smirked, gesturing to him and Pete. “And we are,” he had no problem admitting. “But we’re also capable of demonstrating exemplary behavior once in a while.”

Hollis smiled, poking at her untouched slice of wedding cake. It was marbled chocolate, and God, it was beautiful, down to the whipped frosting.

“After Julian died, people stopped asking me about him,” she broke their hearts again. “They thought it would be improper just to bring up his name,” her tears unconsciously resurfaced. “The hardest part wasn’t losing him. It was the pity others felt for me. Even our friends and family started to compartmentalize everything by ‘before Julian’ and ‘after Julian.’ ”

Pete nodded. Even though he was only divorced, he was still a single parent. Society tended to look down on that no matter what the circumstances.

“Anyway, I’m sure you’ve heard from Blanche or Chloë or whoever that Julian and I were very happy,” Hollis switched gears. “He obviously wasn’t supposed to die a year after we got married-” her teeth chattered by habit. “But with us, the probability became a possibility,” she alluded to his death.   

Gabe felt like a fucking pussy, but you had to be numb if you didn’t cry after hearing that.

“Your ring is really something,” Pete finally brought up, knowing that Hollis and Julian’s romance was much more complex and rewarding but that she was done talking about it for now.

“Thanks,” Hollis laughed, and the seven carats sparkled. “Julian spent two hundred eighty eight thousand on a ring he thought I would love,” she rattled off the steep price tag. “And the only reason I know how much it cost is because his parents wanted it back after he died,” she looked away, ashamed. “They asked for the three carat engagement ring too.”

Pete was taken aback. He’d thought Joe Simpson was bad, but Hollis had married into an even worse family.

“Basically, they hated me because I wasn’t Thai,” she voluntarily revealed. Even though she’d rather not discuss her in-laws since it put her in a bad mood, it was rare for anyone to care to infer about Julian. “His parents were from Thailand, and it’s a strict class society there, so Julian was expected to marry into a wealthy Thai-American family,” she provided some background. “But Julian went to MIT and became an electrical engineer, and I’m a CPA, so every dollar we had was a dollar we earned,” she pointed out what frustrated her the most. 

Julian had worked and saved to pay for those goddamn ten carats. 

“I’m surprised they didn’t take your kids away,” Gabe rolled his eyes. He’d seen some trippy shit before on Judge Judy.

Hollis scoffed, dangling her perfectly pedicured feet over the fountain ledge. “They tried.  It was like a custody battle when Julian died,” she frontloaded. “First of all, they blamed me endlessly for his death, which was humiliating,” she sugarcoated it. It was far worse than that. “Then they wanted him buried in Thailand even though he was born in North Carolina. And after the funeral, they moved back to Thailand and asked me to revert to my maiden name. I was still pregnant with Josie, and they emailed me with explicit directions that if I had a girl, I had to give her my last name, not theirs.”

“What?” Pete literally couldn’t believe his ears. That was so fucked up.

“Why are you touching on all the shitty parts?” Gabe asked, wondering why she wasn’t talking about how she met Julian or any of that lovey dovey stuff. “And what the hell happened with Sherri earlier? Did Hayley actually cheat with Chad?” 

Hollis finally took a bite of the cake. “Because when you’re in love with someone, you’ll be driven to do anything for them. You’ll do anything for love. That’s essentially what happened with Sherri and Chad, and Hayley and Josh, and me and Julian.”

“But we want to know-” Pete was persistent. 

“No, you actually don’t,” Hollis countered as she saw Chloë bringing over her sleepy sons. “It wasn’t just about Sherri and Chad, or Hayley and Josh. It was about a lot of people, including some of your musical influences, idols, and friends. I was the Warped Tour accountant in 2006 and that was when-” she started, but changed her mind. “Like I said, there were too many conflicts of interest.”

And after a year in Thailand with her rigid in-laws, she was in the process of settling back into the states. It was supposed to be equivalent to starting over, but it was hardly that when Hayley Williams jumped the gun. 

*********

Sorry this took so long! I wanted to have it up Sunday! As you can see, Brendon and Dresden are engaged. You know I like to keep things consistent with real life, but Brendon and Sarah's engagement forced me to alter my storyline. Congrats to them, and I must reiterate Hollis's character. You have to be able to see that she's reserved and passive. It's her nature. She's not mysterious and she values honesty. I'll go more into Sherri and Julian as we move along. Stay tragic! xo, jac

“No,” Hollis’s throat tightened. She avoided confrontation at all costs because it wasn’t worth it to her, but Sherri had flipped on a switch. “This is not about any of them,” she squeaked, nearly knocking over the dessert table. “This isn’t even about me,” she snorted incredulously. “It’s about you.”

Sherri swallowed. Hollis had struck a chord. More impressively, she’d actually fought back.

“You made everything into a competition,” Hollis told it how it was. “When Julian died, you went on an Australian tour with Taking Back Sunday,” she put out there. “You had to prove that while I was a widow at twenty-two, you were doing ‘big things’,” she quoted. “You didn’t come to the funeral. Don’t even get me started with Josie,” her mouth twisted. 

“But Chauntelle-” Sherri tried to justify herself. Chauntelle, her sister and bandmate, had dated Adam Lazzara after Eisley toured with Taking Back Sunday. Chauntelle had also been engaged to him at one point. 

“Again, not about her either,” Hollis slighted. “Your first marriage failed, unfortunately, but you’re happily remarried now,” she stated the facts. “So I don’t see why you can’t move on.”

Sherri started to shake. The destruction of her ten month marriage to Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory had been so fucking painful. Even now that she was with Max, Chad still found ways to intentionally hurt her.

“My marriage didn’t ‘fail’,” Sherri retorted bitterly. “My ex-husband cheated on me. With a fucking teenage girl,” she told her side of the controversial story, referring to Hayley Williams. “And you didn’t care!” she shrieked, tears crystallizing in her blue eyes. “Instead, you supported Hayley and my goddamn ex-husband! What kind of best friend turns her back like that? You even fucked Josh over by doing that!” she cursed.

“Chad never cheated on you,” Hollis sighed. She’d been over this a million times with Sherri, but Sherri insisted to discredit her and create endless drama. “And I didn’t support him and Hayley. I would never pick Hayley over you, and I would never pick Chad over Josh-”

“Bullshit!” Sherri interrupted, because she had to be right. She was so delicate in her lace dress that it was almost horrifying to see her so violent. “But then again, if my husband got hit on his way to work one day and left me with two babies and one in the oven, I guess it would mess with my head a little too-”

“Okay ladies, maybe we should take this outside,” Gabe and Pete tried to dissolve the heated argument. They were enjoying every second of it, but that wasn’t the point. It had gone too far with Sherri’s last statement.

“No,” Hollis didn’t even blink. “We’re done here.”

***********

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” Max Bemis apologized as Hollis dry heaved. His wife had made several uncalled for comments, particularly an unspeakable joke regarding Hollis’s late husband. 

Hollis was convulsing so tremulously that she was just waiting to vomit. Gabe had tears in his eyes.

“I think that’s good, bro,” Pete spoke up, hinting for Max to leave them alone. He and Max were cool, and he didn’t want that to change now. 

Max had been on the dance floor with the newlyweds, and he’d wondered where Sherri had gone off to. When he’d heard about the commotion she’d caused, his initial reaction was to right the wrong. He fought too many battles for his wife; often getting himself involved when he shouldn’t. This was a classic example.

“Sherri didn’t mean anything she said,” he delivered falsely. 

Ironically, Hollis and Max had never met before since Hollis and Sherri hadn’t spoken since the end of 2007. It followed that Hollis had boycotted Sherri’s second wedding as well. But Hollis knew that Max was a nice guy, and Max knew about Hollis’s history.

“Yo, Bemis, we’re good,” Gabe reiterated Pete’s previous statement, and Max finally got the message.

“I’m really sorry about that,” Pete apologized even though he knew it wouldn’t console Hollis. He’d heard a lot of shit about Sherri, and sadly, it all appeared to be true.

“Don’t be,” Hollis managed, collapsed against the outdoor decorative water fountain. “I’m the one who’s sorry,” her face puckered. “I used to be able to let it go,” she shuddered. “And this was my brother’s wedding. The happiest night of his life.”

Pete shook his head. Hollis had barely called Sherri out, but Sherri had been fucking cold. Blanche and Justin wouldn’t care about the minor disturbance in their wedding reception. They’d be more concerned with Hollis’s well-being.

“Did she really go on a fucking tour with Taking Back Sunday when J-” Gabe stopped short, unaware if he had permission to use Julian’s name. 

Hollis nodded, trying to hold back a sharp gasp.

Gabe still had fat tears in his eyes, and he couldn’t see through them.

“All she did was make fun of him and me after he died,” Hollis disclosed sensitive information. “I thought I was going to lose the baby,” she covered her mouth to stifle a cry. “I spent twenty-two hours alone in labor with Josie,” she relived one of the worst experiences of her life. Her daughter had been born several months after Julian’s passing, and she would never know her father.

“What does this have to do with Sherri then?” Pete asked angrily, finding the whole thing ridiculous. “And Chad and Paramore?”

Hollis shook her head. “Too many conflicts of interest.”

Gabe had heard bits and pieces from Chloë, and since he was going to ask her to marry him, he needed to be sure of a couple of things.

“I have to know what happened,” he referred to the whole tangled web. “And I have to know about you and Julian. Your entire love story.”

“You did a wonderful job,” Hollis caught Chloë off guard as they exited the banquet hall. The rehearsal dinner had gone smoothly, and the wedding was taking place the following afternoon. 

Chloë smiled appreciatively. “Hey, you funded the whole thing,” she laughed.

Hollis’s generous contribution had covered the bachelorette party, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, and the lodging and traveling arrangements for those attending the wedding from out of town.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to do more,” Hollis apologized, waiting by the car with Chloë. They, along with the rest of the bridal party, were headed to their five star Hollywood hotel. “The kids and I spent the past year living in Thailand with my husband’s parents, and let’s just say we didn’t adjust well,” she offered the only explanation she had.

Chloë winced. It completely broke her heart when she found out that Hollis was a twenty-five year old widow with three young kids. She still didn’t know how Hollis’s husband had died, and part of her didn’t want to because it would just be too much.

“Hey, hey!” Blanche chirped, gracefully dashing over the asphalt in heels bigger than Gabe Saporta’s dick. The two other bridesmaids trailed behind her. “Sherri’s here! Justin said her flight was delayed two hours, but that she and Max are here now! I told them to come with us to the hotel!”

All of the color ran out of Hollis’s face.

“I don’t think so,” she tried not to ruin the bride-to-be’s sunny disposition. She loved Blanche, but she was currently contemplating throwing her in a well. For crying out loud, Blanche didn’t even know Sherri. And Justin had no right to invite Sherri and Max to his wedding without consulting her first. 

“Hol,” Sherri DuPree-Bemis tentatively stepped forward. She was stunning without even trying, but that didn’t matter because her ex-best friend still wouldn’t speak to her.

Hollis couldn’t even look at Sherri. 

“Tell you what,” she snapped her fingers like she’d just remembered something important. “The kids were going to stay with my dad until tomorrow, but I’m going to go get them. Don’t forget your deep tissue massages are included with the suite package, and I’ll see you all at brunch at ten,” she rolled out fluidly before taking off. 

“I’m sorry,” Sherri apologized to the bridal party, embarrassed. She knew Hollis wouldn’t welcome her with open arms, but she thought she’d be a little more understanding after almost four years. 

Chloë practically had stars in her eyes. “I love your band,” she gushed, switching into fangirl mode. “I still don’t know why you didn’t come to LA on the last tour,” she slighted jokingly. Eisley was definitely in her top ten, although nowhere close to Tegan and Sara, her all time favorite band.

Sherri graciously thanked Chloë. “Again, I’m sorry,” she re-apologized. “This is my husband,” she introduced Max Bemis of Say Anything. 

At this point, Chloë might as well have been in a coma. 

“She’s a huge fan,” Blanche explained over her laughter. 

It was ridiculous, really. William Beckett’s sister Courtney was married to Dresden’s brother, Dresden was dating Brendon Urie, Chloë was dating Gabe Saporta, and now they were linked to Sherri DuPree-Bemis and Max Bemis through Hollis. What were the chances?

“I’m going to try again tomorrow,” Sherri addressed the topic of Hollis as they arrived at the hotel. Then she added, enigmatically, “I wonder when she started wearing the ring.”

< one day later >

“Is there a reason why you’re humping my leg?” Hollis cleared her throat at a hip-grinding Gabe Saporta. No wonder his band sucked so much. He couldn’t dance, and since he was using auto-tune, apparently he couldn’t sing either.

She walked away so fast that he couldn’t even sweet talk her.

The wedding had been precious, and with the formalities of the reception over, everyone was on the dance floor. Brendon had played an acoustic cover of “Wonderwall” by Oasis, to which Blanche and Justin had their first dance to, and he’d dedicated “Always” to them. Patrick had stolen the show too with a couple of oldies covers.

What was endearing was that even though Blanche and Justin had extenuating family circumstances--both had deceased mothers, Blanche’s father was an imprisoned white collar criminal, and Blanche’s incestual brother was out of the picture--they made up for it in other ways. 

Hollis’s adorable twin boys Chase and Hunter were the ring bearers, Josie was the flower girl, and Blanche walked herself down the aisle as a symbol of her self growth and improvement. Chloë made the hottest maid of honor ever, and she and Hollis had made heartwarming toasts. 

But something was going on with Justin’s sister. In between her less than friendly attitude toward him, and constantly looking over her shoulder, it was obvious she was looking out for herself.

Gabe and Pete had been trying to score hot chicks and discuss Gabe’s upcoming proposal to Chloë, and when they were spiking the punch bowl, they got their wish.

Hollis, in both of their minds a MILF, and Sherri DuPree-Bemis, were duking it out.

“Will you please hear me out?” Sherri’s lower lip quivered. “Chad just-” she shuddered tearfully. “I’m sorry, Hol. I miss Julian every day, and I miss you, but you sided with Hayley!” she rose her voice. Just saying Hayley’s name made her blood boil. “And what’s with the ring? You fucking hate that ring!”

And this was when Hollis finally confronted the conflict.

********

Here we go! You still don't know how her husband died, but you'll find out relatively soon. I need to stress that Hollis isn't stiff or unwelcoming, and she doesn't like to raise her voice or argue. You'll see more of her character/personality in the next part. You'll see what Sherri means about Chad, hayley, the ring, etc; too. If you've never listened to Eisley before, you must. Remember, this is a love story. So fall in love. xoxo, jac

“It’s seven carats,” Blanche snuck up on Chloë and Pete, satisfying their curiosity in the process. She’d obviously overheard them gossiping about her fiancé’s sister, and although their conversation hadn’t been mean spirited, it was still improper. “Play nice,” she raised a stern eyebrow.

Chloë shooed her sister away and continued to observe Hollis from the far side of the deck. 

Meanwhile, Pete did the math in his head. A seven carat diamond ring with that kind of cut and clarity was in the ballpark of three hundred grand. He only knew this because the Harry Winston he’d purchased for Ashlee had fallen in the thirty grand range. That, of course, had put a dent in his savings account for a while.

“Well, the baby isn’t hers,” Chloë continued to fuel the gossip. “If she’s been a widow for five years, she can’t have a newborn.”

Pete agreed, sipping on a fruity drink Dresden had brought over. 

“What did I say?” Blanche swung by again, catching Chloë and Pete in the same act. “In a little over a month, our family is expanding,” she directed at Chloë. “I expect you to be as accommodating as possible. Hollis is busy just like the rest of us, but she managed to come down for the occasion. I’d appreciate if you both made her feel welcome. And don’t think she doesn’t see you scoping her out,” she added for emphasis.

“Well, she is easy on the eyes...” Chloë considered. 

Blanche smirked. “You should be babymaking with Gabe before he fucking takes whoever’s baby that is,” she gestured to where Gabe was still cradling the baby girl. “And you should be mingling,” she playfully shoved Pete. “There are plenty of available women here.”

“You know my sex drive hasn’t been the same since Night Shades,” Chloë bitched it out, amusing both her sister and Pete. Cobra claimed to be experimenting with new sounds, but their latest record just wasn’t well thought out. It was kind of a failure. 

Pete then steered Chloë toward the hot tub, pretending her candid comment didn’t offend him or his label. Sadly, Cobra’s new album had received a ton of negative feedback. The kids even hated it, and normally they went for anything Gabe sang. 

“Mommy!” a little girl in French braids sprinted up the patio. She was so cute that Spencer even stopped operating the grill for a second. 

It was clearly Hollis’s daughter, and what Chloë and Pete overheard stopped their blood from flowing.

“That’s lovely, Josie,” Hollis complimented her three year old’s drawing. “Grandma Quadrelli will love it. When we go to the cemetery next week, we’ll give it to her,” she smoothed down Josie’s frilly summer dress. “You should help your brothers draw something too,” she smiled encouragingly. 

And then came the kicker. 

“After Uncle Justin and Aunt Blanche’s wedding, can we go see Daddy?” Josie asked, clinging adorably to Hollis’s leg. “We can find pretty flowers again,” she giggled.

“Absolutely,” Hollis smiled, the humility visible in her brown eyes.

< One week later >

“I know everyone says this, but I honestly can’t believe it’s been ten years,” Justin spoke as he stirred cream into his coffee. 

His father, Jeff, nodded, and Hollis quietly reflected.

She was fifteen during the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001, and her brother had been seventeen. They’d been born and raised in Summerland, California, a beach city about two hours north of Los Angeles, and when the news hit, panic spread like wildfire.

Eden, Hollis and Justin’s mother, had been in New York for an international auditing convention. She’d perished in the destruction of the Twin Towers, and the small knit community of Summerland did everything they could to help the Quadrellis. This included cooking meals for the family, making sure the teenagers’ futures were financially secure, and keeping Jeff busy.

Jeff took extended leave from his position as a middle school Earth Science teacher, but after he and Hollis moved Justin in to Berkeley the following fall, he returned to work. Teaching was his passion, and after putting in another decade, he was finally due to retire soon.

Every anniversary of the attacks, the family traveled to Ground Zero to pay their respects.

“It feels weird getting married without her,” Justin mused as they strolled down the taped off construction zone. When he realized what he’d just said, he quickly took it back.

Hollis took no offense, but Justin knew as well as anyone else did that she’d had a hell of a time since their mother’s passing. Hollis was self-sufficient and independent, but after following in their mother’s footsteps and becoming a CPA, her life ran completely off course. Not only was their mother not around to see her get married, she wasn’t around for Hollis’s husband’s untimely death or the arrival of three grandchildren.

Hollis’s in-laws hadn’t liked her from day one, and it was pathetic that they’d only reached out to her after Josie was born. The conflict was so great that Justin used to joke that she should just get remarried.

But like their father, she would never do that because the love of her life was irreplaceable. 

“She’d be proud of both of you,” Jeff assured his son and daughter. Blanche, a little under three years older than Justin, was perfect for him. And Hollis had been successful in everything she’d attempted, with the exception of a frayed friendship that would come back to haunt her at the wedding rehearsal.

*********

It's not a boy. Everything will be made clear soon, and I promise you're in for a treat. xo, jac

“I still say we should’ve made this thing co-ed,” Chloë snickered as guests arrived to her sister’s bridal shower. “What if it’s not sexy enough?”

Victoria Asher laughed loudly, already on to her second cocktail. While she enjoyed these types of events, it was going to take everything in her not to punch someone. Blanche wasn’t an overzealous bride-to-be, thank God, but the single female guests were sure to chatter up an annoying storm. 

“That’s what the barbecue is for,” Victoria stabbed a cherry in her summery drink. The shower was to be followed by a co-ed Labor Day barbecue, which would be another headache in itself. Who knew what kind of shit Gabe would pull, especially armed with his best bros Brendon and Pete. “He’s hot by the way,” she gestured toward Blanche’s fiancé, the only male invited to the bridal shower. 

“Yeah, I know,” Chloë smirked shamelessly. Blanche had done her proud. Justin was almost as attractive as Gabe, her best friend turned boyfriend.

Dresden, Blanche’s former roommate and close friend of Chloë and Victoria, sauntered over after finishing with the balloons. After giving birth to a healthy baby boy as a surrogate, she was back to her taut silhouette. 

“His sister is a looker too,” she joined the gossip circle. Blanche had described her soon to be sister-in-law as having Tegan Quin status. Tegan Quin was the most beautiful person in Blanche and Chloë’s eyes, although they were undoubtedly ravishing themselves. 

Much was unknown about Justin’s younger sister. Chloë had hoped she’d help throw the bridal shower, but she’d only assisted financially. She’d sent a check large enough to cover the cost of the fucking wedding and honeymoon. 

“She’s flying in, right?” Victoria helped herself to a Mimosa this time. 

Chloë nodded, signaling the girls to get going. Guests were starting to arrive, and there were tons of scandalous games and activities lined up.

“I guess we’ll see,” Dresden smiled dangerously, a fan of the indefinite. 

************

“I didn’t know Cindy dropped out of Michigan,” Blanche mumbled as she and Chloë changed out of their color coordinated dresses. Cindy, one of Blanche’s former gal pals, had followed her thug boyfriend to the University of Michigan. Blanche hadn’t seen her in a good decade, and this was when these types of things tended to surface. 

“Yeah, well, she probably didn’t know you stopped being a bitch, so we’re even,” Chloë smirked, leading her triplet out onto the deck. 

Sure enough, Gabe was busy experimenting with firecrackers. Brendon was already drenched from the Slip n’ Slide as well, and Pete was playing with the Stomp Rocket. Three of his launches had failed though because the styrofoam rockets were stuck on the roof. 

“Hey baby,” Chloë purred, distracting Gabe from his project. Meanwhile, William Beckett blew a kiss from the pool, and Spencer Smith was making himself useful for once. He expertly flipped burgers and steaks on the grill.

“How was it?” Gabe leaned in for a kiss, realizing he had to set aside the firecrackers to latch on to her. He was wearing the bluest jeans, and it was nearly impossible to look away from his ass. It was like he was trying to be Brendon Urie. “You know you could’ve made it co-ed,” he instigated. “We could’ve snuck off to the laundry room while she opened presents-”

Blanche pretended she hadn’t heard Gabe’s suggestive dialogue. She was used to it by now anyway. 

“Pete wants our help retrieving the rockets on the roof. He can’t reach them.”

Chloë and Gabe cracked up and announced they were on it. Blanche was a little under six feet, but Chloë, Gabe, and William were six feet and up. 

“Can’t you just cannonball in the pool or something?” Gabe harassed his best friend. “Better yet, go jump around in the ‘Bounce House’. You know you can fit.”

Pete rolled his eyes. He’d been tempted to, but then the other guests might think he was a pedophile. Then that would be all over the tabloids along with his divorce proceedings. It was a hard life.

“Oh my God!” Gabe squealed a little too excitedly at the baby girl being cradled by another guest. The thing couldn’t have been more than a few weeks, but Gabe had extreme baby fever. As a father, Pete understood it, but for his sake, he hoped that Gabe’s future kids were annoying as fuck. That would teach him.

“Poor thing was napping until Gabe woke her up,” Chloë smirked, knowing Pete would appreciate her never ending humor. 

Pete smiled, reading over the directions to the Stomp Rocket. Maybe he was doing it wrong. 

“Who is that anyway?” he gestured to the young woman helping Gabe cradle the baby. She was painfully attractive, and it had come to his attention that everyone at this barbecue was a ten. It wasn’t even a brobecue either. 

Chloë took a cautious bite of the chicken sandwich Spencer had served her. “That’s Hollis,” she answered. “She’s Justin’s sister.”

“Quadrelli?” Pete used Blanche’s future surname. It was obviously Italian, and from what he’d heard, Justin was also Polynesian. 

Chloë sent Spencer a thumbs-up from across the patio. “Atitam,” she shifted her attention back to Pete. “Hollis Atitam. Quadrelli was her maiden name.” Hollis had lent a hand during the shower, but she’d mostly kept to herself. “I don’t know about you, Petey, but that rock...” she trailed off. “I’ve never seen anything so big.”

Pete nodded in agreement. He’d thought the ring he’d bought Ashlee was huge, but this one put him to shame. 

“Gold digger or trophy wife,” he jumped to the only conclusions he knew.

Chloë shook her head. “Widow. For five years.”

*************

Hey guys! I'm feeling and looking better than ever. I wanted to write a love story so badly, and this is it. Not saying whose love story it is cause that would kill the fun. If you like this, I'll write it. Otherwise I will stop. xx jac