All of Hollie's thoughts about what was wrong with Nikki flew out of the window in light of Kevin's collapse. She felt numb and couldn't think straight as the paramedics seemingly appeared from nowhere and loaded her boyfriend onto a stretcher. She argued and pleaded and threatened when they told her that she wasn't allowed to go to the hospital with him, only backing down when Maggie assured her that she would let her know what was happening and Nikki promised to take her over to the hospital as soon as possible.
"This is all my fault…" Hollie muttered, shaking her head and twisting her hands in her lap.
Scout frowned at her. "What? How?"
"I upset him… I practically forced him to choose between his dream and me. We had that argument and then he collapsed… that can't be a coincidence! It's all my fault."
"Don't be stupid!"
"I'm not! It's my fault… if he… if he… if anything… I'll never forgive myself."
Scout wrapped an arm around Hollie's shoulders tightly. "Come on, babe. It's not your fault. There could be millions of reasons why Kevin collapsed and none of them will have anything to do with you."
Zoe nodded in agreement, squeezing her knee. "Scout's right." She glanced at the clock. "Come on… let's go and check out Vix's jewellery thing… your mum can't take you to the hospital until after school, so you might as well try and take your mind off it."
"Take my mind off it?" Hollie demanded furiously. "You think some fucking earrings will make me forget that my boyfriend could be dying and it's my fault?"
"He's not dying!" Her friends chorused immediately.
"What? Got medical degrees now, have you?"
Sighing, Zoe squeezed her friend's knee again. "He's not dying, Hollie. They'll figure out what's wrong and they'll treat him. Or, you know Kevin, he'll figure it out before they do and tell them where they're going wrong."
"It's not fucking funny."
"Of course it's not." The taller girl agreed. "But you can't blame yourself because it is not your fault."
They stopped talking as the click of heels alerted them to someone else's presence in the lobby. All three looked up, almost guiltily. They saw Vix and Nikki looking at them, both regarding the teary teenager with looks of immense sympathy. It was almost more than Hollie could bear.
"Are you still coming to the workshop, girls?" Vix asked softly.
Scout and Zoe nodded decisively, before Hollie could refuse. "Yeah, yeah we are."
"Good."
"It might help…" Nikki told her daughter gently. "It might take your mind off things for a while."
"But I–"
"I know, love. But panicking and constantly thinking about what might happen isn't going to help anything, is it?"
"No. But I need–"
"Maggie said she'd let us know when you can go in and see him." Nikki reminded her. "You can't visit until they've done their assessments."
Nodding unhappily, Hollie allowed herself to be propelled through the corridors to the textiles classroom in the art block where Vix had set up her workshop. She gave them a brief introduction to herself and her business, before demonstrating a couple of the styles she regularly created and letting them loose to create their own.
Hollie had been staring at the same glass bead for about ten minutes, when Gabriella's smug voice cut through her thoughts.
"How long have you and Miss Boston been partners?"
Immediately the brunette teenager was on edge, sliding forwards on her chair and focusing all of her attention on the blonde. Her fists clenched and her eyes narrowed as she wondered what Gabriella was planning.
"Not long." Vix told her, sending a sweet smile over her shoulder at Nikki.
"D'you trust her?"
"Eh?" Nikki stood up and moved towards Gabriella angrily. "Keep your mind on your work and your nose out of other people's business."
Even though Hollie had been about to tell the blonde to shut her mouth before her mother reacted, she was shocked at the fury that seemed to be radiating from the English teacher. Nikki was standing over Gabriella, almost threateningly. Vix looked surprised as well, glancing at Hollie to gage her reaction.
"Sorry…" The troublemaker said with a smirk, not sounding the least bit apologetic.
Hollie scowled at her and Gabriella smiled back smugly. The brunette almost launched herself over the tables to smack the smirk off her face, but a warning look from her mother and a sharp shake of Nikki's head was enough to stop her. Clenching her jaw, Hollie looked back down at the bead in her hand and tried to concentrate on not thinking about anything for a while longer.
"Mr Reid? What d'you want?" Nikki asked suddenly, causing everyone to look over.
"Nothing, just being nosy, you know me."
"You're more than welcome to have a go." Vix offered with a grin.
"You can come and sit here, if you like, Mr Reid." Gabriella told him, shuffling over slightly.
Hollie snorted. "Yeah, like he wants to sit next to you. You are so desperate… it's pathetic."
"Enough, Hollie." Nikki warned her.
"It's OK, thanks, Gabby. I'm not very creative I'm afraid."
"Oh, I think you are creative." She argued. "In fact I'd love to hear what you and Miss Boston got up to last night."
Everyone stopped and stared at the pair of teachers at the front of the classroom. Hollie went cold, reading her mother's guilty expression at once. Nikki's eyes flickered over to meet hers, before moving to look at Vix, who had stopped dead and was watching them with her mouth open.
Finally, Harley laughed and broke the shocked silence. "Oh, man… she's off the scale."
Taking that as her opportunity, Hollie stood up so abruptly that her chair tipped over and crashed to the floor, the beads in front of her scattering. "What the fuck did you just say?"
"Hollie, sit down." Nikki ordered softly, before turning to the blonde. "I think you should leave."
"It's true… they spent the night together. I saw the text she sent him."
"You shut your mouth right now or I swear I'm gonna shut it for you." Hollie threatened, pushing past Zoe and Rhiannon to get closer to Gabriella.
"You are such a freak." Lisa laughed, shaking her head and glancing at the brunette who was quickly making her way round the room towards the other girl. "Go on, Hollie, smack her!"
"She tells lies, Miss." Lula added. "Don't listen to a word she's saying."
"I'm not lying." Gabriella continued, glancing at Vix and apparently not at all concerned by Hollie advancing on her. "They arrived together this morning, late. You saw them, didn't you, Hollie? They're having an affair behind your back."
Although Hollie couldn't deny that she had, indeed, seen her mother and Mr Reid arriving late in Nikki's car that morning, there was no way that she was going to corroborate Gabriella's story. Part of her felt sick at the realisation that she was probably telling the truth and Nikki had cheated on Vix. Another part of her was determined to shut the blonde up and prevent her humiliating her mother any further.
"You're a fucking liar!" She hissed as everyone else started laughing.
Vix put out an arm, holding Hollie back. Ordinarily it wouldn't have been nearly enough to stop the teenager getting to the girl she so badly wanted to shut up, but Nikki was sending her a warning look and she hesitated.
Mr Reid joined in sarcastically. "Oh, Gabby, that is a good one. That's very funny, bravo." He reached out and held Nikki's shoulder. "Oh, no, Miss Boston! You sent me a text; we must be madly in love with each other. My bike broke down and you gave me a lift but… will you marry me?"
Everyone laughed again, shaking their heads at Gabriella, who was looking annoyed and embarrassed at the same time. Hollie was sure that she wasn't the only one who saw through Mr Reid's joking dismissal of her claim, feeling Vix tense beside her, but she was relieved that none of the other students seemed to think there was any truth in it.
"Sit down, Hollie." Nikki commanded, her voice shaking slightly.
Clenching her jaw again, her daughter nodded sharply, before moving back to her seat. She narrowed her eyes at Gabriella, sending her a look that left her in no doubt that they would be sorting this out between them as soon as the workshop finished.
As soon as the bell rang and the session ended, Nikki dismissed the rest of the students, keeping Gabriella behind. Hollie was the first one out of the classroom, raging at the other girl's attempt to show her mother up. Ignoring her mother's silent attempts to attract her attention as she left and Scout and Zoe's unsubtle meaningful looks, Hollie stormed along the corridors and dropped into one of the chairs in the lobby by the main entrance, waiting for Gabriella to appear. When she did, Hollie sprang to her feet, running after her hastily retreating form and grasping her forearm tightly so that she could yank Gabriella round to face her.
"What the hell is your problem?" Hollie spat furiously. "Just because Mr Reid isn't the tiniest bit interested in you. What? You feel the need to ruin everyone else's relationships and reputations to make you feel better?"
"You know I'm telling the truth, Hollie." Gabriella replied calmly, not reacting as the brunette shoved her up against the wall. "You saw them this morning. You know there's something going on."
"No, there isn't!"
"You're lying to yourself."
"Shut up!"
The brunette lurched forward and grabbed the other girl by the hair, yanking her head down violently. Gabriella let out an ear-splitting scream, flailing her arms as the white-hot pain rippled through her from her scalp. She latched onto Hollie's jacket, clawing at her in an attempt to free her hair from the other girl's grip.
"Let me go!" She screeched. "Let me go you mad cow!"
Not bothering to answer, Hollie shoved Gabriella hard in the chest, letting go of her hair at the same time and watching the snooty blonde fly backwards. She stumbled over onto of the chairs that littered the lobby, crumpling in a heap on the floor. Attempting to gather what was left of her dignity, Gabriella leapt to her feet, smoothing her uniform as Hollie advanced on her threateningly.
"You stay out of my mum's business, understand?" Hollie growled, jabbing her finger hand into Gabriella's shoulder. "If I hear you've said anything else I'll make you sorry you ever opened your mouth, got it?"
"What's going on?" Mr Lowsley hurried over to the circle of teenagers enclosing the two girls. He took in the blonde's dishevelled appearance and the fury that was radiating off the brunette. "Hollie? Gabriella?"
"Nothing, sir." Hollie told him, not removing her burning gaze from the other girl.
"She attacked me, sir." Gabriella disagreed. "I didn't do anything… she just went mad and attacked me."
"You fucking liar!"
"Hollie, Cooler!" The Deputy Head ordered, putting out an arm to prevent her physically getting to Gabriella again. "Now!"
Instead of complying, the teenager whirled around and scowled at her English teacher. "You aren't serious?"
"Deadly."
"Sir, you haven't heard what crap she's been going round telling people!"
"Nothing justifies physical violence, Hollie, you know that." Mr Lowsley reminded her. "You need to remember your management techniques–"
"Fuck my management techniques! If she doesn't stop spreading lies then I'm going to–"
"You'll do nothing." The man clamped a hand around her arm and marched her away from the crowd of students firmly. He let go as she wrenched her arm out of his grasp. "Cooler."
"Miss Spark knows the truth." Gabriella called after their retreating figures.
Letting out a growl of anger, Hollie turned and attempting to rush at the other girl again. Mr Lowsley was quick enough to wrap an arm around her waist, lifting her clear off the floor and keeping her from getting anywhere near her nemesis.
"Enough!" He shouted, struggling to hold onto the squirming teenager. The animosity between the two girls wasn't new, but the extreme level of fury he was witnessing from Hollie definitely was and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. "Everyone get to your lessons. Gabriella, my office; I'm going to sort this out once and for all."
Keeping his tight hold on Hollie, Mr Lowsley walked her to the Cooler and closed the door firmly behind them. He watched as she started pacing agitatedly across the back of the room. Allowing her to process her thoughts, he didn't say anything until, without warning, she picked up one of the chairs and sent it crashing across the room.
"Stop, Hollie." He ordered. "Stop."
"She can't just go around claiming people are having affairs!"
Mr Lowsley frowned. "What?"
Hollie looked slightly abashed, as though she hadn't intended to tell him that. "She just can't do it. She can't ruin other people's lives because she didn't get what she wanted."
"Wait…" He held up his hands, looking confused. "What are you talking about?"
Dropping into a chair, Hollie folded her arms on the table top and rested her forehead on them so that her face was hidden. She resolutely refused to answer any more of his questions and, eventually, Mr Lowsley realised that there was nothing more he would be able to get out of her for the moment. With a backwards glance at the motionless figure, he left the room and decided to go in search of her mother instead.
Hearing the Cooler door closing, Hollie raised her head slightly to check whether she was alone. Seeing that the room was deserted apart from her, she exhaled deeply and leant back in her seat. Her boyfriend had collapsed and been rushed into hospital and she had no idea what was wrong or what was happening. The fact that they'd been arguing, that the last conversation they'd had had made Kevin think she didn't want to be with him, made her feel physically sick. However she was feeling about their future at the moment, this was the last thing she would ever have wanted.
Standing again, the teenager began to pace backwards and forwards, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist as she remained buried deep in her thoughts. She wanted her mum more than anything, but she knew that Nikki would be far too wrapped up in her own problems at that moment. Hollie wouldn't have put it past her mother to have completely forgotten about her existence, let alone what had happened to Kevin. That, it seemed, was one of the worst hereditary Boston traits: single-minded selfishness.
She wanted to leave. She wanted to go to the hospital. Suddenly that was the only thing that she could think about. Grabbing her blazer off the back of her chair, Hollie completely ignored her school bag and moved quickly to the classroom door. Opening it, she poked her head out into the corridor and looked for any sign that she would be discovered.
Sneaking out, Hollie made her way through the school and was out of the doors and through the gates before anyone spotted her. She jumped onto the bus that was, fortunately, just arriving at the bus stop as she reached it and bought a ticket to the hospital.
As Hollie watched the doors close behind her and the bus drive away, leaving her alone outside the huge building where her boyfriend was being treated for some unknown illness, the teenager's mobile beeped loudly, making her jump. Fumbling in her pocket, she checked it hastily, wondering whether the text was an update on Kevin's condition from Maggie.
It was actually from her mother. 'Simon just told me you were in the Cooler, but you're not. Where are you? I really need to speak to you. I love you. xxx'
Biting her lip, Hollie switched it off without replying and strode into the hospital.