Hollywood Books Novels & Stories

I heard Elisa's yelled so I ran into her. “I told you to make it fast and yet you took a 10 minutes just to buy a piece of ice cream?” I mentioned. She hugged me. “Lets just go, okay?” Whatever. But how about this pencil? “I'll just put it in my pocket. I might need it next time.” I whispered. And unbothered put the thing inside my pocket. _@cheedy.

Before anyone can say anything else, there's a noise beyond the bookcase — a deliberate clearing of a throat. We all freeze. Slowly, a figure comes out from among the stacks. Blond hair. Perfect makeup, all pink designer clothes. Kill me right now. It's Holly. My stomach drops to my shoes. "I can help," she says.

Bryce took a seat on the couch and turned on the television. He didn't want to watch it. However, it was too quiet and empty. He needed some noise to make it feel less empty. As he placed the remote aside, he saw a book on the couch. He grabbed it to have a look. It was titled "The World of Artifacts". Bryce flipped open the book and saw scribbling all over the pages. It was full of notes inside. The small and beautiful writing was graceful like Holly. She truly was a smart woman who looked ordinary and didn't crave fame or profit. Holly wasn't fit for a complicated life full of trickery.

Was she here the whole time? She wasn’t done with her dramatics. She pulled back, still clutching Kael’s arm. “I’ve been thinking,” she announced with the same confidence she used when entering a room, “maybe I should join this book club too. I’d love to read something scandalous and fun.” Maya smiled politely. “We’re always open to new members.” “Perfect!” Hazel beamed, then turned toward me with a sharp glint in her eyes. “But… if I’m going to join, don’t you think the president should set the right example?”

Al Capone is behind the bar, polishing a glass that doesn’t exist. Holly is on stage mid-song, copper dress glowing, but she stops the second she sees me. She’s off the stage and in front of me before the piano note finishes dying. Holly (quiet): “You met her.” I nod. Holly hugs me so hard my ribs creak. Holly: “Then we’re closing the mirrors.” She turns to the room. Holly (voice carrying like she owns the afterlife): “Listen up, boys. Every reflective surface in Hot Springs just became enemy territory.

"I won't let you down." Only then did Holly finally relax. From that point on, I showed up at the library every day and stayed up late "studying" in bed at night. Meanwhile, Holly went back to her carefree life, and her followers bragged about her natural talent—how she didn't need to study like some small-town grind just to get good results. What she didn't know was that I spent my time in the library watching movies and scrolling through short videos. As night fell, I spent my hours reading novels. As for all the materials she bought for me? Hah! I sold every single one of them.

I was venom, and they were too close to the fang. But beneath the rage, something else stirred. Something I hated admitting even to myself. Worry. Someone was out to get me. Not Luca. Not his men. Holly. And she wasn’t playing by my rules. I had always thrived on spectacle. Fire, destruction, chaos. I wanted the world to see me, to fear me. But Holly was different. She struck in silence. She eroded me piece by piece, like water carving stone. It was infuriating. It was humiliating. And it was working.

Kim's only reply was a slight nod as she left the kitchen with Holly. Holly's office was in a state of half organized clutter, mahogany desk with three drawers on the right hand side, swivel chair, mac book pro, several stacks of paperwork, pens in a tin, floor to ceiling bookshelf, books, recipes books and cookbooks alike leaning against one another in different directions, filling cabinet with paper work stacked on top, water dispenser with no cups and a few framed photos of Holly's family. Kim collapsed on Holly's swivel chair and took a spin in it.