Just One of the Boys

So, not my smartest move ever. First, accept a dare from the hottest man-whore alive, second, shop for man-whore, come back, have a nervous breakdown, decline the right to create my own date, and run off. And now I have decided to climb a tree. Yeah, for having a genius for a dad, I’m a pretty stupid kid.

“What the hell am I going to do?” I muttered, my knees drawn into my chest as I leant against the large trunk. I was in the middle of a huge mess, and there was no way I could get out of it.

My phone rang again, and I ignored it. I had no clue how long it had been since I left, but it was growing dark out. I’m guessing three hours had passed, but then again I’ve never been good with time. Wiggling the phone from my pocket, I checked who was calling this time. Zack.

I pressed ignore and continued watching the moon slowly rise above the lake. The wind picked up, sending chills down my back. It grew stronger until I let go of my legs and grasped the branches above me so as to not fall. I was actually quite high up, and if I were to fall, there was no way I’d survive the trip to the ground.

My phone rang again, and I checked the caller. This time it was my mom. “Hello?”

“Holly?” My mother had this way of making me feel calm whenever she spoke; it was a talent that many directors praised her on. It was one of her many gifts and man was it coming in handy at that moment. “Holly-Bolly, how are you?”

“I’ve been better,” I muttered, picking at a piece of bark. I started tilting side ways, and I quickly rebalanced myself. “Actually, mom, I’ve had a horrible day.”

“Oh, honey, do you want to talk about it?” Just then, I never wanted to talk more with my mother than now.

“Mom, you have no idea what--”

“EMMA! WE NEED YOU NOW!” someone shouted in the background.

“Holly, I’m going to need to call you back,” my mother quickly interrupted. “Coming!” She hung up, and I pulled my phone away, staring at the screen. Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry…

“I hate this!” I shouted, slamming my phone shut and glaring at the cover, wishing it was her I was glaring at. “I hate her, and I hate him! Goddamnit, I hate everyone! Everything!” I was screaming and cursing, and in a fit of rage, I threw my phone to the ground with all of my might. This day has gone from bad to worse.

“OW!” I glanced down and noticed someone was clutching their head. “Holly? Is that you?”

“Go away!” I mumbled, wiping away the few tears that leaked down my cheeks.

“Holly, please don’t make me climb up there,” Zack sighed.

“I am serious, Zack, leave me alone!” Zack stared up at me before rolling his eyes.

“Goddamnit, Holly, I hate heights…” He grabbed a hold of one of the branches and hoisted himself up, climbing towards me. I stood up and crawled up higher, sniffling slightly. “C’mon, Holly, just talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“Everything,” I mumbled as he managed to climb up to where I was seated. He inched closer to me, his breathing ragged and his knuckles turned white from clutching the branch. After a minutes pause, he let go of the branch and patted his shoulder before grabbing the branch again.

“You can tell me.” I rested my head against his shoulder, still sniffling.

“Oh really? And have my words plastered all over People?” I scoffed. “Yeah right.” Zack glared at me, lifting his shoulder so my head flopped off it.

“Do you think that I’m doing this so I can leak it to the press? Goddamnit, Holly!” he cursed. “You know what, screw it. I mean, seriously? I climbed a tree. A friggin’ tree, Holly!”

“Fine!” I shouted, tossing my arms in the air. “Fine! I called my mother, and just when I was pouring out my soul to her, she hung up on me! Her job is clearly one hundred times more important that her own flipping daughter! And the whole population wants me to crush Alex, and I have to go on a date with him when in reality I want to claw his eyes out! I’m fed up of this!” My words were screeched out as I struggled not to tip over off the branch.

“Okay, so I can understand the wanting to kill Alex-”

“And then, there’s Maria, who’s hitting on me!” I continued. “And the fact that I haven’t gotten a full nights sleep since before I had to be so idiotic and do this! Not to mention the fact that I’m also at risk of someone finding out and telling the paparazzi, and then I’ll be disowned! Zack, what the hell am I going to do?”

“First, calm down,” Zack advised. “Next, let’s get out of this tree before you kill yourself.” He quickly started to climb down, but I stayed where I was. “C’mon, get out of the tree!” Sighing, I followed him down, my hands grasping branch after branch. “How are you not terrified of falling? We’re what, fifty feet from the ground?”

“Thirty feet. And after my dad died, I’d just climb whatever I could because…never mind.”

“C’mon, you can tell me,” he coaxed, dropping from the tree and reaching his arms up to help me. “Jump, I’ll catch you.” I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. “Just humor me, Holly.”

“It’s Henry,” I corrected as I stepped off the branch and fell into his arms. “That was so overly gay and cliché, Mr. Merrick.”

“Thank you, Miss Williams, I try. So tell me, why did you climb everything in sight?” He was holding me in bridal position, his arms keeping me above the earth effortlessly.

“Um…I wanted to be as close to my dad as possible,” I mumbled, squirming to get out of his grasp. “Please put me down, now.” He let me drop to my feet and I stumbled slightly. Glancing up, I noticed his eyes searching my face.

“That’s so sweet,” he cooed. Yes ladies and gentlemen, Zack Merrick cooed. I made a face and punched his arm.

“Hey, we’re supposed to be manly. We’re men, remember?” Zack merely rolled his eyes in response and tugged me down to the ground.

“So, tell me why you had an emotional break down,” he probed, sitting down on the dirt and patting the spot next to him. “I promise I’ll listen.”

“I can’t handle this.” The moon was rising higher in the sky, the reflection in the water blinding me slightly. “All of this secrecy and stupidity, and Alex being such a man whore, I’m just so tired. I need a break from this!” As much as I’d like to pretend it never happened, a tear leaked from my eye, but I brushed it away before Zack would notice.

“Sh, Holly, it’s okay. Just breathe, okay?” I rested my head against his shoulder, just taking deep breaths with my eyes closed.

“I envy Claudia so much right now,” I murmured. “Seriously? She gets the caring boyfriend while there’s a man-whore out for my pants.”

“C’mon,” Zack blushed, pulling me to my feet. “Let’s go back.” Slinging an arm around my shoulders, Zack led me back to school before pausing. “FYI, next time you throw your phone from a tree, make sure I’m not under it.”

The phone was passed back to me, and I checked for any damaged, Surprisingly, it came out in one piece. “Huh, imagine that,” I wondered. “It’s alive.” Zack snorted, attempting to cover the noise with his hand. “Laugh it up, unicorn,” I teased, referring to the lump growing on his head, “but this baby has pretty much every star in Hollywood's number in it. The perks of being a movie star’s child.”

“God, envious,” he moaned, reaching for my phone. I arched an eyebrow, but didn’t retort. “Is there any way you can get me Mischa Barton’s number?” Rolling my eyes, I started jogging to as to leave him behind. “Holly? Holly, get back here! I skipped dinner for you! And I climbed a tree! Holly!”