Falling For You
So in celebration of me finishing the bulk of my exams and a snazzy week long break before the next, I've decided to update a day early!
This chapter has been requested by Brooke Tate and the prompt wasDespite Jason being instantly infatuated with Holly when he first arrived in the village, it's safe to say she didn't feel the same. But what changed between then and now?
The first time Jason saw Holly, he knew that the blonde in front of him was special. He knew that she was someone precious, someone to be loved and someone he wanted to love. He wanted to speak to her, to hear her voice and learn about what made her tick. He wanted to make her laugh, to comfort her when she cried and just generally be there for her whenever she needed him.
In just seconds Jason had found himself completely infatuated with the younger teen, vowing to himself that he would do anything and everything that he could to properly woo her and give her the love that she so deserved.
Holly however, well she had different ideas. The stuttering teen in front of her seemed nothing special, too tongue tied to even get out a proper sentence, and his constant backtracking and ramblings made her wonder if he was mentally impaired.
Despite Jason's best attempts to grab Holly's attention, the blonde was left distracted, too deep in thought about her latest relationship setback with Callum, though she couldn't help but be glad when Jason finally trailed off, when he realised that the girl he was so desperately trying to impress was paying him no mind.
In fact, all he doing, was successfully making a massive idiot out of himself in front of both Ziggy and Cindy, as well as one of the prettiest girl's he had ever seen, though she was too busy staring wistfully at her phone to even look at him.
In fact the only thing to grab her attention from the very short, very blunt text Callum had sent her just a few moments ago, telling her that they were over in no uncertain terms, was the fact that Cindy and Ziggy had amped up their flirting to another notch, making it completely unbearable to be in the same room as the two shameless adults, nevermind standing in between the pair as Holly was currently doing.
It took all of her restraint to not start gagging as her mum leant forward, cleavage heavily on display, though as she grimaced, she caught Jason making a similar expression, the two teens pulling identical faces of disgust at their older relatives.
"I'll you leave you to it Zig," Jason grinned, taking a step back, not that his brother seemed to pay him any attention, too deep in conversation with Cindy by this point. Turning to Holly, Jason held his hand up in a half hearted wave, not seeming as laid back as he wanted to, ears turning a startling red as he turned to leave."See you around?"
"You might?" Holly smirked lazily, a laugh spilling from her lips a minute later when Ziggy realised Jason had long since gone, with the money for the food at that. Maybe he wasn't as sad and such a loser as she had first thought.
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"Do I really have to be here to watch you drool over the new boy?" Holly groaned as Cindy pressed the doorbell to the Roscoe household, just an hour later.
"Yes, we're here to welcome the neighbours, if a little more happens to occur between me and Ziggy... well it's just meant to be," Cindy replied, painting on her best smile as Jason opened the door, shooting a confused look at the two newcomers. "Feel free to distract the mum and that Jason boy so I can get to know our new mechanic a little better."
Holly didn't bother to reply as Cindy muttered into her ear, eyes widening as she caught sight of the family photo that hung proudly on the wall. "I don't think even I have the assets to distract a small army."
Because it was true, the Roscoe's were a huge family, and it took all of their effort to get some extra room to squeeze Cindy and Holly around the kitchen table for dinner, though both women wished they hadn't bothered when they had a small sample of Sandy's food, trying not to gag at the putrid taste.
The only thing worse than the food in Holly's opinion was Jason's attempt at making conversation. His lack of ability at talking without stuttering and stumbling was still present even a few hours on, though it didn't seem to be helped by his brothers teasing him constantly.
Holly couldn't help but think it was slightly cute though, Callum had always been so moody and distant towards her, so to see someone with actual emotions was a nice change. She could see exactly what Jason was thinking, and she knew it wouldn't take long for her to figure out what made him tick.
It would be a nice distraction for curing her heartbreak and Holly was rearing to go, though any plans of playing with Jason's mind were instantly thrown out the window when the police arrived, promptly arresting Holly's new play thing. Maybe Jason Roscoe did have a few more hidden layers than she had previously thought.
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Holly's belief that maybe Jason did have that bad boy streak like the rest of his brothers was quickly knocked down when she heard, not even twelve hours after his arrest, that he had been released after a case of mistaken identity.
Turned out he was as innocent as anything, leaving her interest to go flash down the plan, though maybe it wouldn't be the complete end of her entertainment, as Holly took note of the friend request sent by the teenager in question.
After all, what harm would there be in accepting it? Callum was still ignoring her messages and Holly needed the little confidence boost that came from being pursued, and in less than two minutes, she had gotten exactly what she wanted.
Jason Roscoe – Hey :) Sorry about dinner the other night, it was a huge misunderstanding!
Holly Cunningham – Yeah I heard, Robbie was telling me all about it earlier.
Jason Roscoe – Oh he didn't say you met up. Bet you liked the chance to leave without having to finish mum's food, her beef bouginon is not a strong point!
Reading the latest message, Holly couldn't help but roll her eyes. It was obvious Jason was using every trick in the book to carry the conversation on, though it was apparent he was like a fish out of water, even when behind a screen he was awkward, though at the same time, the young blonde couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.
The frostiness that he displayed when she mentioned Robbie showed Holly it was a bit of a sore spot, and she had to wonder how many time Jason had been pushed out of the picture in favour of Robbie or any of his other brothers for that matter, she imagined it to be a lot.
The next message took a little longer to form, though Holly could easily picture Jason sitting on the other end, nervously watching the typing sign with bated breath.
Holly Cunningham – We ran into each other at the coffee shop and he mentioned it, seemed really worried about you 2. Haha a little, no offence to her or anything.
Jason Roscoe – Don't let Rob hear you say that, he hates people thinking he has real human emotions! Don't worry about it, mum's cooking... 'skills' are a well known fact by now :P
Holly couldn't help but let out a little giggle at that, able to see that Jason was growing a little bit more comfortable, or at least he seemed to be. The buzzing of her phone as she received an incoming text caught her attention, and Holly grabbed it, opening up the message from Layla, her closest friend in the village.
Just seen Callum chatting up this girl in CC! Get here now! Xx
Conversation with Jason long forgotten, Holly shut her laptop and raced to get her coat, applying a generous amount of pink lipstick before she left, she was going to get her man back, even if it killed her.
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So the Callum thing was still going nowhere, but Holly was determined to not let his frostiness get the better of her. After all, summer was just starting and she was determined to make it the best she possibly could. Jason was still wandering after her like a lost little puppy, much to her friends amusement.
"I don't understand why you don't tell him to get lost," Ellie had drawled as she, Holly and Layla made their way through town. "You can get a lot better than him babes, I mean, look at him and then Callum, not exactly in the same league are they?"
"I know I can, and I'm not interested in him either," Holly said, rolling her eyes as the two girls on either side of her just giggled. "But well, it's always nice to have that little reminder that I am desirable, keeps my self esteem up, and it's not like he's hurting anyone. Hell he normally grabs me a free coffee from the deli if I pass by at the right time, and I'm not going to say no to that extra bit of caffeine."
"You've trained that boy like I would a dog," Layla snorted, though the look she shot Holly told her that the other girl completely approved.
"Needs less treats too, practically creamed himself when I agreed to go to that housewarming party of his last week."
Holly only smirked as the two girls fell into hysterics as they strutted up the Dog steps, the German music from the pub's latest events filling the air.
"Speaking of lover boy," Ellie smirked, motioning to where Jason was sat with Ruby, the older girl in a very tarty German maid costume, though his attention was instantly and very obviously drawn to Holly the moment he spotted her. "And it looks like he's clocked you. Come on Hol, lets go and say hi, I need the entertainment and his drooling will most definitely do that."
And entertain did Jason most definitely do, from spilling a drink all over Ruby, to stumbling over every single word, well it was painful to watch at the very least, though Layla and Ellie both seemed to have a great time.
Holly would have found it hilarious too if she hadn't caught the devastated and embarrassed look on Jason's face as she left, the older teen trying to help clean up the mess he had inadvertently made when trying to impress her.
It made her feel sick to the pit of her stomach as she realised just how humiliated Jason was appearing to be, and suddenly, the blonde teen didn't really feel like joining in with any more conversations about how much of a loser Jason Roscoe was.
Holly Cunningham – Sorry for being such a monumental cow earlier, Ruby just brings out the worst in me I guess!
Holly Cunningham – I didn't get you into too much trouble with her did I? She over-reacts so much.
Holly Cunningham – Jason? Look I'm sorry for laughing okay, but it was pretty funny
Holly Cunningham – No, I didn't mean funny like that. Look, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you okay? Just say you forgive me.
Jason Roscoe is now offline.
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Holly and Jason didn't exchange a single word for the next week or so, and she hated to admit it, but well, she was kind of missing the other boy. And it wasn't just the sudden lack of free coffees that was making her say it.
No, she was missing the little exchanges they made over the deli counter whenever she popped in for some lunch. How he sometimes would amaze her by overcoming his nerves and making a cheeky quip, all tongue in cheek and completely unlike him. She was even missing their conversations over Facebook.
It was weird, because they weren't that close, didn't even speak that much in the first place but Holly knew she wanted to regain the lost contact. She didn't have a lot of friends you see, being pretty and popular did have its downsides, one of them being, you get on the wrong side of just one person, and your social career pretty much goes down the pan.
And when Holly had gotten with Ellie's ex at a party the other week, she had done one of the worst things possible. Now hardly anyone was speaking to her, and the summer that the blonde had promised to be the best one yet, had quickly soured into one of the worst and boring holidays she had ever experienced.
But Holly was determined to claw back some social contact, starting with probably the easiest person yet. Jason wouldn't take too long to win back over, and as she entered the deli where he was currently working, hoisting her skirt up and painting on her sultry smile, Holly knew she had this in the bag.
Holly Cunningham – Glad we sorted out everything today :)
Jason Roscoe – Yeah me too, hated us not talking
Holly Cunningham – Totally expecting my coffee to be made up for me when I get to the Deli this morning. Waiting for it has totally sucked.
Jason Roscoe – Oh I see why you wanted to start talking again. Is caffeine all you care about ;)
Holly Cunningham – Lol it may be
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Callum Kane – Hey Hol, can we talk?
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Holly Cunningham and Callum Kane are in a relationship
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Holly knew Callum would come round in the end, after all, she was pretty irresistible. Finally the summer she was so desperately yearning for was slotting into place. She knew her and Callum wouldn't be anymore than a summer fling, she wasn't stupid, but who was to say that wasn't what she wanted?
She was young and determined to have a bit of fun, after all, feelings just got in the way of it all. She was happy with what she had, and Holly was going to run with it for as long as possible.
The only problem was that her mum was convinced she was still some innocent little flower, and was unaware of the fact that Holly knew her relationship had a pretty short shelf life.
But that was where Jason had come in. The little sweetie had completely helped Holly with her latest dilemma like a true friend, acting as her fake boyfriend in front of Cindy, completely fooling her mum into thinking it was all over with Callum.
"You do know he's still into you right?" Callum asked as the young couple made their way to his flat, whilst Jason went off to do God knows what with his time. "Jason I mean, it's written all over his face."
"I'm not blind babe, but who else could I get to do this for us? And he still has bragging rights."
"Yeah, to your mum," Callum deadpanned, arching a brow as he spoke.
"That's really not the point," Holly smirked, pulling her boyfriend into a kiss. Sometimes having control was really the best thing.
Holly Cunningham – Going to Ellie's party with Callum tonight but need you to pick me up from mine. Mum will go spare if you don't and won't let me go
Jason Roscoe – Don't think I can.
Holly Cunningham – Please! Callum's going away to uni soon and I won't get to see him properly for ages!
Jason Roscoe – Mum said something about going out tonight so might not be able to.
Holly Cunningham – Can you get out of it? I even managed to score you an invite and Ellie's partys are legendary. They'll be loads of girls there too :D
Jason Roscoe – I'll see what I can do
Holly Cunningham – Thank you! See you at 7 :)
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She woke up every night screaming. The glint of the samurai sword at the edge of her vision. Callum's pale and bloodied form sprawled out on the floor as Jade turned to her next, eyes gleaming wickedly as Wes' hands wrapped around her body, pulling up her dress even as she struggled.
Esther's 18th was meant to be the best weekend of Holly's life, it was meant to be two days of booze, laughter and more importantly, a whole weekend spent with Callum, the boy who she had slowly fallen in love with.
She had wanted that weekend to be special, had vowed to proclaim her love to Callum and then, in the huge but brilliant house, make love for the first time. It was going to be a truly unforgettable weekend and it was, just for all the wrong reasons.
Callum and Jade were dead.
And she, Tilly and Esther were left completely traumatised by what they'd experienced, having to live with what they had seen and done over that time. She had drawn away from everyone after the trip, they didn't get it, didn't understand what she had experienced.
All they cared about was shoes and boys, but Holly was finding it almost impossible to focus on that, after all, she had almost been raped and then her boyfriend... her Callum had been killed in cold blood.
How was she meant to carry on like normal?
After a few weeks people began to leave her to it, and the blonde found herself eating lunch alone more often than not, though one day that changed when Jason sat on the bench opposite her, a determined look on his face.
"What do you want?" Holly asked, playing with the meat pie that had been slapped onto her polystyrene tray, with no intention of eating it. She hadn't really been that hungry recently.
"To see if you're okay Hol, after all, your friends are doing a pretty lousy job."
"If you know they're doing a lousy job, then you must also know that I'm not doing okay, so you could you piss off?" Holly snapped, in no mood for playground games.
"Not when you're like this," Jason said, his tone almost as fierce as Holly's which shocked the younger teen. "You're in no state to be left on your own and I can't remember the last time I saw you eat. Throw all the abuse at me that you want Hol, but I'm not going anywhere till you eat a bit of your lunch."
Although she wanted to complain, Holly choked down half the meal in front of her, unable to squash down the first feeling of happiness that emerged when Jason grinned broadly. "That's more like it. I ain't going to ask if you're okay or say that it'll get better eventually like the rest of this lot in here, but I'm going to try and make you feel that bit better, even if it's just making sure you don't starve to death."
"Thanks J," Holly said with a watery smile, the tears that she'd tried so hard to get rid of creeping up to the surface once again.
"You're my mate and I'm just doing what friends do for each other."
Holly Cunningham – Thanks for earlier, it was really lovely
Jason Roscoe – No problem about it. I'm serious though, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here
Holly Cunningham – Thank you :)
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She had only kissed Jason because she had been drunk. That was it, there was no other reason. She had been drunk and upset about Callum, it was only natural. But that didn't stop Holly touching her lips with her fingertips, tracing along them as she remembered the feeling of fireworks going off.
It didn't stop Holly from questioning just why had she left the note by Jason's hospital bed after his collapse in the folley, after all, she could easily message him on Facebook the next day when he was back home.
It also didn't explain why she was on her way to the Roscoe's at that very moment either, but Holly shook it off, telling herself she was just being a good friend and so she could talk to Ruby too. She wasn't falling for Jason Roscoe, she just couldn't be. She was too screwed up in the head for a nice guy like him.
Despite all that, the butterflies in her stomach went absolutely mental when Jason asked her to be his date for Lindsey and Joe's wedding later that week, and it took all of Holly's self restraint to not start dancing with joy right then and there.
What had come over her? Even with Callum she had never been this... nervous, and the last person she had ever had expected those sort of feelings for had been Jason. But he had showed her over recent weeks that he really was a good person and a fantastic friend. Holly just hoped she hadn't left it too late, that Jason hadn't moved onto someone better and less screwed up.
When she shared her worries with Ruby (the first person to spring to mind after Holly realised her true feelings for Jason, after all, Ruby and the youngest Roscoe were pretty close, if anyone knew how Jason felt, it'd be his classmate), the only response she'd been give was to stop being ridiculous.
According to Ruby, Jason was still madly in love with her, but had long since accepted that Holly would never reciprocate those feelings, so had made the decision that if he could at least be a friend, it would be more than enough.
It was enough for Holly too, enough for her to realise that she actually had a chance with Jason. A proper chance to move on with her life and find true happiness. That positive hope, the first she'd felt in weeks since that hellish weekend in the countryside, was cruelly crushed not even twenty four hours later, as the mature image of her that she had privately sent to Jason was spread around the school.
Everywhere she went people were laughing at her, staring and making inappropriate comments, it made her skin crawl and Holly had to wonder if she was ever going to be able to step foot inside of the school again.
She honestly couldn't believe that after all Jason had done for her, after all the hours he had spent talking to her and comforting her about Callum, after all the laughs and the coffees that he would turn out to be such scum. That he would turn out to be so vile, only out to embarrass and use her.
Jason Roscoe – Holly please talk to me
Jason Roscoe – Please! This isn't how it seems
Jason Roscoe – I'm so sorry Hol
Holly Cunningham is offline
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Ruby Button – How do you feel like getting even with Jason?
Holly Cunningham – I'd love it, why? What do you have in mind?
Ruby Button – Do you still have that photo Jason sent you earlier? Because I think we should make that common knowledge
Holly Cunningham – I like it, meet at mine in 5?
Ruby Button – I'll be there
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Jason Roscoe – Look I don't get what you want from me. You know I didn't send those photos and that I tried to get Robbie to take them down when I found out what he did. I haven't stopped apologising all week but you just don't seem to care, but let me tell you something.
You're acting like you're so much better than I am, like you would never do anything like what you thought I had done, but everything you've done in retaliation is probably even worse. Those pictures of me on the Price Slice window, pantsing me and Rob at school, spreading rumours.
They aren't even immature, they're malicious and I hope you're happy with yourself, causing someone so much misery. I can't believe that you would think I would even do that to you anyway, you're my friend Holly, or at least you were.
As Holly began taking out books from her locker, she read over the message for the fifth time since Jason had sent it to her last night, realising just how big of an ass she had actually been to him. She hadn't cared at the time, too caught up in getting even. All she felt was anger at Jason for potentially betraying her, marred with the fear of what Wes had done to her only a few weeks back.
She had stopped thinking rationally, was ready to do whatever she could to make herself feel better, and now she had ruined everything. It sounded like Jason wanted nothing to do with her anymore, and it took all of Holly's self-restraint to stop the tears from springing forward, because he had been there for her for so long, had shown that he was a true and loyal friend, and then she had begun developing feelings for him.
It seemed like the perfect fairytale ending was going to happen before she had put her foot in it and ruined everything. Maybe she just wasn't meant to be happy.
Holly's attention was caught when a cream coloured envelope fell from her locker and frowning, she paused and picked it up, ripping it open to see the letter inside.
Please meet me at the folley at 3. J x
Heart thundering loudly Holly turned to see if she could spot Jason anywhere in the crowds, though he was nowhere to be seen. She had been so convinced that any chance of them being together was over, that they wouldn't even be able to remain friends after recent weeks but this letter, well it gave her hope and with a smile, Holly began to make her way to the folley, genuinely excited about what was to come, praying for the best.
Jason Roscoe and Holly Cunningham are in a relationship
So a bit of a different format then anything I've previously written but I hope you all liked it all the same.
As always thank you all for the reviews. I got a couple of guest reviews that I obviously can't privately respond to, but they honestly meant a lot to me, and I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, especially enough for it to be your new favourite!
Next Chapter - Jason and Robbie do love each other, of course they do, though like most teenagers don't show that. Well, until they've got a bit of alcohol in them, then they can't stop declaring their love for one another, much to the amusement of Phoebe – anon on tumblr
