#ft;holden

[pennyhart]

📱Call || Penny Hart → ReCreate

Looking down at her cellphone and the number that she knew off by heart by now, her finger hovered over the call button, knowing that today was the day. She knew she shouldn't be calling, but Holden was still her friend and she did know from experience how much calls meant, how much they helped give strength in a place like that. Especially after he'd been in there so long himself. So with a long pull off a cigarette, she finally hit call and listened to the familiar sound of the canned ringing until an equally as familiar voice answered with the expected 'ReCreate, How may I direct your call?'

[📱Penny → ReCreate]: Hello this is- [📱ReCreate → Penny]: Please hold. *Ringing and then hold music* [📱Penny → ReCreate]: *Speaking as she hears the click of the line connecting, this is the first time she'd gotten past the front desk.* Hello...?

@thexcarrollxtimes ft;Holden

[autumnonheels]

Auttie → Holdy

Auttie: Turn on the news. Auttie: RIGHT NOW! @thexcarrollxtimes ft;Holden

[aspenreynolds]

@thexcarrollxtimes ft; Holden Reynolds' tree house - Evening

It'd been a long time since Aspen had had to go and find her brother because he'd missed dinner, the entire moment feeling a lot like back in high school after Autumn had left and he was self destruction. It was maybe one of the few things that could pull an sympathetic response from her, because Holden was one of her favourite people on the planet and it sucked to see him sad, sucked to see her parents so angry and worried. Sure it kept the heat off of her, but it still sucked then just as much as it did now.

Knowing exactly where to find him when he was like this, Aspen carried the plastic wrapped plate of left overs with her as she trekked across the lawn, scattering fire flies as her slippers pushed through the cold blades of grass that tickled her ankles under the cuffs of the sweat pants she'd pair with the oversized t-shirt she'd stolen from him decades ago.

"Hold?" Calling up to him as he set the plate into the basket attached to a pully to the platform that was nearly all of what was left of their old treehouse, she started up the ladder, popping out of the trap door. Spotting him instantly, she didn't say anything right away, the smell of alcohol strong enough around him it was a wonder she didn't catch a buzz, instead she pullied up his dinner and set it besides him.

She already knew he wasn't gunna eat it.

"You missed dinner." Crawling across the platform because the height made her a little dizzy, Aspen curled up against her brothers side and hugged herself to his chest in the only way she really knew how to console him.

[judgercnolds]

Who: @thexcarrollxtimes ft;Holden Where: Farm House, Reynold's Ranch

Grace was pacing a thing she did often, but not to this degree, and it was a wonder that she hadn't worn down a pattern in the kitchen tile. She knew that if she called Ney and begged her, she'd go looking for him, but Jesse was a grown adult. And grown adults were allowed to disappear. It didn't mean that she didn't want to find him.

"What happened?!" The didn't even let Holden get fully through the door before she was heading for him, face set in a mask of anger and concern. "What happened with Jesse, don't think I didn't hear about it." Of course she did. Everyone did. They all listened to the radio, they all heard the whispers.

"When did you turn into a teenager again? I don't understand. Please tell me this isn't all about that vapid blond girl?" Shaking her head as she caught sight of the bruise on his cheek, Grace had to let the tension in her chest out with a deep sigh, a hand lifting to cover her mouth as she composed herself. "I thought we were past all of this bullshit, Hold." He'd been doing so much better. "Were you drunk?"

[birchrcse]

Who: @thexcarrollxtimes ft; Holden Where: Reynolds Ranch

"Wilbur, don't you go too far, y'oinker!" Gleefully leash free, the piglet had taken off across the familiar ranch straight for the barn and the horses and staff he loved there. Besides the field trips her students had had there for trail rides, the petting zoo, and to learn about planting, Birch had been bringing Wilbur at least every other Saturday. She'd wanted to make sure that he'd stay in touch with his farm roots.

Today, though, she was working at hauling some boxes from the back of her car, unaware that the much mentioned Holden had returned from some movie set in LA, nor that it was he approaching and not the usual stablehand that met her there. "I just wanted'ta thank y'all for y'alls kindness, I know havin' all them kiddos 'round so much can't be...-Oh!"

Having finally turned around her arms laden with large tupperware containers, she realized she was looking at a stranger. "Well, goodness leeches on lynx, you ain't George."

[pennyhart]

Who: @thexcarrollxtimes ft;Holden Where: Reynolds ranch

She hadn't hesitated to leave the restaurant, apologizing to her friends there that she had to leave basically as soon as she'd arrived, but she'd seen the gossip and known that he was going to need her. He was just as fragile as she was, and this was a hammer's blow to his family. It sure looked like his Dad in that picture. Oof.

Parking the Frankenwagon in the driveway, Penny started across to the barn that housed Holden's apartment as she texted him she was there, planning to meet him at the bottom of the stairs up to it with a hug.

[pennyhart]

who: @thexcarrollxtimes ft;Holden where: cabin July 4th

"I'm so happy you invited me." Penny had stolen his attention away from unloading their bags from the truck with a happy, bouncing kiss, Ellie already carted off in her grandfather's arms giving her a moment alone with her boyfriend. "It means so much to me to be here like I'm part of the family, you know? It's nice to see you smile so much lately."

[pennyhart]

@thexcarrollxtimes ft;Holden

"Smile, HoHo... you look great." Penny pushed up the corners of his cheeks into a smile with her fingers before leaning in to give him a little kiss, careful not to mess up his suit or his hair, and having already ensured his mother wasn't within eye shot. "Don't worry, I'll make sure I win, okay? Just make your mom happy." So she'd stop looking so appraisingly at her.