Just One of the Boys

They guys went off to the cafeteria for lunch while I headed to the parking lot where my motorcycle was parked. I clipped on my helmet, swung a leg over the seat, gunned the engine, and rode off down the road towards town.

The second I reached my designation, I parked my bike, taking off my helmet. Ah, the back woods. Such a great place, no? Dark, leafy, filled with trees and random bushes. Not to mention all of the birds and squirrels up in the trees. After a quick glance around to make sure that there was no one around, I started to undress.

After five minutes, Holly Williams stood in the middle of the forest, my hair down and blowing in the breeze. And trust me, I cannot tell you how amazing woman’s underwear felt after wearing boxers all week. How do guys stand it?

Anyways, back to the matter on hand, I walked back to my bike, driving into town. The sun beat down on my arms, as the wind blew the hem of my jean skirt back a bit further. My multicolored tank top rippled, tickling my back. Ah, I love being a girl…

I drove the short distance into town, glad that Hamilton was only about two miles from the school. Grinning, I parked my bike outside an outdoor Starbucks, fluffing up my hair a bit. It was so weird having it brush my shoulders again, so foreign!

“Oh my god, Holly?” someone gasped from the café. I turned, startled.

“Claudia?” I laughed, holding my arms out for a hug. Squealing, Claudia ran over to me, leaving her table. She threw her arms around my neck, laughing.

“Wow! Who’d’ve thought Holly Williams would show up in Hamilton?” she teased once we had pulled back. “Come on and join me!” Claudia led me to a table where her large St. Bernice Mountain dog, Coby, was panting slightly next to the chair, and the book Twilight by Stephanie Meyer resting next to her drink. “What are you doing here?”

“Uh…” I paused, nervous of telling her. “What are you doing here?”

“Okay…” Confused, she let the topic drop for the moment. “I’m visiting my grandmother Mimi for the summer.”

“That’s so cool! How’s it been going so far?” I asked, genuinely interested. Claudia was my best friend back at Emily Fairgrove, so keeping secrets from her was extrusiatingly hard.

“It’s really fun! But you know how hard it is, being a red head in the summer,” she laughed, running a hand through her bright red hair.

“Yeah, I know—YOU CUT YOUR HAIR!” I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands. Her once chest length hair was suddenly cut into a longish bob, ending at her earlobes.

“I was wondering when you’d catch on,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “Gosh, Holly!”

“Hey I have a lot of stuff on my mind,” I defended, raising my arms in a shrug. “Plus, I never said I was the brightest!”

“That’s okay, I still like you,” Claudia giggled, patting my hand. “So, are you here with your mom?”

“No,” I scoffed. “Like the ever famous Emma Williams would actually come out here.”

“Sorry,” she muttered, looking at her hands.

“It’s not your fault,” I sighed, resting my cheek on my hand. “She’s just…busy. Every single day of my life.”

“Well, she’s Emma Williams. She’s a world famous actress, it’s kind of expected,” Claudia reminded me, sipping her frozen coffee.

“I know. But Brad Pitt spends more time with his kids than she does with me! That’s why I-” I broke off my sentence, eyes wide.

“Why what?” she asked suspiciously. “Holly, what aren’t you telling me?”

“Claudia, I-”

“Check out those girls over there!” Oh shit, it was Alex.