What Nobody Else Sees

chapter nineteen

Hollis knew how to get answers. She made people nervous without even trying, something about her stoic nature and unwavering confidence. At work, it was a blessing. In other situations, it felt like a curse. But when it came to Callie Hall, it could work as both.

She wanted Callie to come to her without pressure or fear. She wanted to be trusted. However, she knew that Callie was stubborn, so much that it caused problems. When she said something, she would stand by it. To her, it was the truth. Wholehearted truth, nothing more, nothing less. Callie could take a lie and twist it into the truth, to the point where Hollis doubted herself.

They had been in science class, Hollis in the eleventh grade, Callie in tenth. Their teacher was a loud man who took pleasure in humiliating his students, particularly the shy, quiet ones. While this didn't affect Hollis, it affected Callie.

"Ms. Evans," Mr. Bent boomed, making Callie jump. "Come up to the board and solve this problem."

Hollis watched Callie sit there, her face melting from terrified, to emotionless, to confused.

"I'm sorry, sir, did you forget about our agreement? I know we only spoke about it last Friday but-,"

"What are you talking about?" Mr. Bent cut off, his bushy eyebrows knit together.

Hollis tilted her head to the side, confused as to what Callie was getting at.

Callie just smiled innocently, nodding her head slowly. "Remember? I spoke to you after class last Friday, and we agreed that I would no longer come to the board. You even wrote me a note, would you like to see?"

Mr. Bent, who seemed to be more baffled by the second, just nodded. His eyes widened as Callie pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to him. The man read through the note, shaking his head slightly. "Did...did anyone see this meeting?" he mumbled, looking back down at Callie.

She swung her legs under the desk. "Yes sir. Hollis, you were there, right?" Callie met Hollis's eyes.

Hollis searched her face for any sort of hint. This meeting had never happened, right? She was met with a totally serene expression from the younger girl.

"Yes, I saw," she said, in no position to throw her best friend under the bus.

Callie never had to go to the board again.

Years later, Hollis never forgot that skilled deception. It was just a little lie, one she couldn't blame Callie for telling. Still, it left her questioning. Sweet, innocent teenaged Callie had manipulated a grown man so that she would get her way. She often wondered if Callie had ever done it again. Had she ever done it to Hollis?

She walked out of the bedroom, back into the living room. Most hadn't noticed her absence. Finding that Emmet was missing from the couch, she walked to the kitchen. She saw his silhouette through the door.

It was nice outside. Not too hot, but nowhere near cold. Sure, the mosquitos were biting, but she had enough bug spray to last a lifetime. Emmet and Mark both turned as she shut the door. Emmet beamed at her, his eyes lighting up. She couldn't help but smile back, walking down the steps and leaning into his side.

They had been married for a little under a year. Their wedding had been...complicated. Hollis knew that weddings were a religious event for most, which caused its own set of problems for her. Emmet was a baptist, relaxed and confident in his faith. Hollis, however, was raised in a cult. She didn't have much grip on her own religion. Hell, she had only realized in her teen years that her late father was Jewish. It was hard, complex, confusing. There was no one community for her to turn to.

But Emmet made it work. Sometimes, somewhat childishly, she though Emmet could fix everything in their awful world if he tried.

"Where were you?" he asked, holding her close.

"Talking to Callie on the phone," she sighed heavily, tilting her head into his shoulder. She glanced at Emmet, then Mark. "I just don't know what to think."

Mark pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is she doing alright?"

She nodded. "As alright as she can be."

Emmet lowered his hand to hold hers, squeezing it gently. "She's reporting him tomorrow morning, right?"

"That's what she says," she said, already starting to zone out.

Tomorrow morning. It was hard for her to keep work out of her personal life at times. She had a strict moral code that some people didn't agree with: All crimes are bad, but that doesn't make all criminals bad. She was forced to arrest people she went to school with, to open investigations on people she considered friends. They weren't all bad people, but they were wrong. Justice had to be served, even when others thought it could be avoided.

Bringing Callie and Peter Hall into the mix wasn't going to be easy.

Mark shook his head, walking off the step. He turned back to them. "Nothing we can do about it tonight," he said, huffing. He smiled up at them, though they all knew it was strained. "Happy birthday, Emmet. Hollis, I'll see you at work in the morning."

They both called out goodbyes, watching his tail-lights fade.

"Hey, just remember what we talked about," Emmet quietly said, easing her out of her thoughts. "Don't let work follow you home. Once your shift is over, there's nothing you can do."

Hollis leaned her head into her free hand. She knew he was right. That didn't mean it was easy.

"I'll try. No, no. I will. I'll leave it at work." she firmly said, nodding once.

Emmet smiled, kissing the top of her head. "I know. I love you."

She closed her eyes, mumbling, "I love you too."

Work. She was definitely not dreading that.