kendallhollister - Tumblr blog

[kendallhollister]

splinters of wood trailed a permanent stain on the gravel road, as evidence of where kendall had trekked that night. his heart felt heavy and dull as he swallowed his organs down his throat. peeking through the mark etched into his cheek was adorned with a bright, crimson stain, currently assorted with a slick stream of cool tears that melted off his jaw. all the boy wanted was answers. questions were a flurries web of discombobulation as his high topped feet drug themselves to the an unfamiliar front door. his total consciousness had besot him, leaving whatever spirit from within to exhaust the only option that fit. revenge. the secondary, cheap, nasty behaviour he exhibited was a telltale sign to what the baseball player could only describe as anger. petrified, adulterated, blinded anger. audrey wasn’t an excuse to the crimes committed, however, she was simply his motivation in exacting and completing the obligation that if he so was granted, the professor would perpetrate another innocent student in the realms of the university of alabama. he was overcome with a wave of destruction, pulsating so violently that all other senses he possessed were absent from him. the coolness of the wind that blew with the nightfall brought little relief to the heat and tender indentions given to him as a comeback for the initiation. it was second nature, as the plank of wood now severed, was his line of offense. it was a sullen trek to a location he was positive would be spelled out in disaster. but if he didn’t find himself clicking the button to assess the doorbell to ring, where exactly would he be standing? heaving breaths cycled through the opening of his mouth, his nose swimming with a churn of pain and swollen pathways, tired palms clutching onto what was remaining of his weapon of choice. there was rage. and possibly more to come his way. right now? his body was nearly slipping away into a bundle of bones onto the floor, broken or otherwise. what had he just done?

[kendallhollister]

audreycartwrights​:

how far along was she? that was the question, that was the question. after trying so hard to repress for so long, she now had to rack her brain for a number. an estimated guess, if anything. “i wanna say… twelve weeks, maybe.” audrey replied softly, knowing she should probably go to a doctor at this point. a doctor would know exactly what to do, how to help her. and yet, that felt like something that felt nearly impossible to do. this whole situation felt impossible. how she had gotten herself in such a mess was beyond her. never in a million years did she think she’d be having this certain conversation with her best friend so young. college was shaping up to be something else, clearly. the mention of the dad made her skin crawl. she liked professor cole from the moment she met him. he was charming and audrey felt like he really understood her. she trusted him. she trusted him and now she just felt like the stupidest girl on campus. “no. no, i haven’t,” the blonde shook her head in response. “and i don’t think i want to at this point, honestly.” there was a lot of things audrey cartwright wouldn’t do and telling her professor that he was the father of her unborn child was at the very top of the list.

there had been a plethora of detrimental conversations between the pair within the timespan of knowing one another. but never something this life-altering. to his entire core, he throbbed with an ache that was so numbing, there was a brief elapsed second where he questioned if he was actually present in this specific moment. the boy brushed a ring-cladded thumb over his bottom lip. piecing each nugget of information together into the jagged puzzle that this was. was he the first person she was confiding in? of course they were attached at the hip, telling each other anything and everything under the sun before others, but with this? a hinged jaw locked up at the mention of her having not told the dad. a hinted clue that he was confirmed to have the right man in mind. the man whom they were a mere ten yards in distance from by the crimson dugouts. there was little to do that would keep the fiery reaction contained within him, yet he did so. giving audrey a blank yet empathetic expression was his first priority. if she was comfortable, that was all he wanted. it always was. “whatever you decide..you know i’m here for you, right? in the capacity that you need. if theres anything…anything i can do to help you, i’m gonna do it. no ifs, ands, or buts about it,” he affirmed confidently, hesitant to place a buff hand into the open space between them on the bed.

[kendallhollister]

audreycartwrights​:

“no, yeah. i’m okay,” audrey nodded, trying to reassure him as best as she could. was she? not completely. she tried so hard to repress the entire situation. if she didn’t think about it, it didn’t happen. but as much as she wanted to move on and forget about it, it did happen. in fact, she was carrying proof of it. the connection of their hands immediately helped calm a racing heart. as if some of the weight on her heart was lifted. he always had that effect on her. no matter the situation, it was a comfort that even after all these years, audrey still had him. “we can go to mine, my roommate’s gone for a few days,” the girl nodded as they set off in the direction of her dorm. her heart starting to feel heavy again. she wanted to tell him, but at the same time, she was dreading saying the actual word out loud. once it was out in the open, it was out. audrey couldn’t take it back. unlocking her door, the blonde reluctantly let go of his hand as she sat on her bed. “so… i’ve been feeling kind of sick on and off for awhile and at first i didn’t think much of it,” she started, trying to look anywhere but her best friend. “but i guess curiosity took over so i bought these… tests and before i went to the game, i took them.” a burning in her throat started to rise as she desperately tried to keep her voice from breaking to no avail. “and uh… i’m pregnant,”

following in behind audrey to her room, it would have been an understatement to acknowledge that the string of silence from the ball field to the dormitory had rocked him. his mind was growing tired of the possible ideas that trickled into full blown concern. although inside was a tangled ball of tumultuous struggle, on the outside he was oddly stoic. even killed. even yet, unresponsive. carefully unloading his duffel bag onto the floor in an aimless spot of the room, kendall gingerly folded his slender limbs rigidly, though his posture curved inward slightly to give audrey his undivided attention. sapphires locked themselves on every feature he had already memorized before. eighteen years worth. but consequently, this time, the air seemed to emit a certain tension that could be sliced through with a freshly sharpened butcher knife. a pin could drop. irises became instantly solemn at the news that was just revealed. it was as if a mallet had been lunged into his throat, leaving the boy at a loss for words. finally, a brief nod passed him, both borders trembling. “how far along, do you think?” his words fell like delicate feathers floating onto the floor. there was no fluctuation of his tone, in the moment he was simply monotoned. “have you...told the dad?” it was an inquiry he was surely positive of the answer, but felt the need to question it simply for his own understanding.

[kendallhollister]

audreycartwrights​:

this couldn’t actually be her real life. no, this was the plot of some ridiculous lifetime movie that her mother watched for the drama. oh, if she could only see her daughter now.  a wave of nervousness suddenly washed over her as she felt the curly haired boy’s lips on her cheek.  their whole lives affection was second nature. it was as natural as breathing. that was just her best friend since as long as she could remember. it never was weird, it was just who they were. they loved each other  and never let the other go long without expressing exactly that. so why did she feel her cheeks turn the crimson red of their school? the heat, definitely, the weather. there was no way it was anything else. had her best friend’s eyes always been so… blue? they could probably freeze a girl’s heart if given the opportunity. what was going on? now she was just getting caught up in a fake moment that had one purpose and one purpose only. maybe kendall hollister was a better actor than she thought. okay, that was… weird. no real reason to be concerned. “okay, maybe you don’t make such a bad fake boyfriend, after all,” the blonde teased. she wanted to tell him about earlier. probably the only person she actually wanted to tell. audrey always felt so safe and secure around him. if anyone was going to find out, she wanted it to be him. “uh, somewhere private? i kind of have something important to tell you and i really don’t want anyone else to know about it.” great, the last time she said those exact words to him…

a half-crooked grin curled at the curve of one corner of kendall’s lips. if the plan had actually done any disservice in making the man irritable, it was a rousing success. to bystanders that seemingly faded into the background, it would be difficult to guess what the pair was to one another. ever since he could recall doing so, the physical affection was a string that was attached to them. a finely-printed subtext in the metaphorical contractual agreement as best friends. the line that balanced against the two was duly proportioned. there was best friends who gagged at the idea of a simple wrap-around hug, and then: there was audrey and kendall. it was a certain amount of comfortability in their own relationship that had always remained this way. there was no denying the closed proximity of them whatsoever, leaving many often wondering eyes questioning the validity of the phrase just friends. it was a harrowing phenomenon of how entirely snug his hand laid into the small of her back as it snakes its way from the ridge of her shoulders. maybe possibly too right. a thready giggle escaped tight lips, shaking his head full of curls in fabricated dismay. “how dare you downplay my skills. you know better than anybody else, auj,” kendall quipped quietly. his countenance radiated from light, to a near standstill frozen expression. pink lips formed into a taut line, a line of worry and concern briefly etching themselves into his every fine line. “okay,” he responded calmly, despite his heartbeat skipping several beats within the span of ten seconds. orbs of an ocean blue wave darted back into her bronze ones. “are you okay?” it was his first instinct to ask such a thing, considering how widely left the conversation was swayed. “do you want to go to your dorm? or mine? wherever you feel safest,” involuntarily, fingers laced around much more delicate ones as kendall sightlessly grasped for one of audrey’s hands to take hold of. he was unsure of how to collect any other cohesive thoughts when the only thing on his mind was the worst scenario he could comprehend.

[kendallhollister]

audreycartwrights​:

she told him. of course she told him. he was her safe place. in a school so big, it was hard to find people that you could trust with everything. she had plenty of friends, but the last thing she needed was it to spread all over campus. just the idea of it was completely mortifying. not exactly her proudest moment. it wasn’t an exaggeration that audrey trusted him with her entire life. a lot of things she wouldn’t dare tell her parents? he knew. especially this. the news would probably send them straight into cardiac arrest. no, she wasn’t going to tell them. as far as they knew she was having the time of her life at their aluma matter. what they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them, right? the blonde wondered if she should tell him about the tests. the game had kept her mind occupied for a few hours, but at the end of the day it was still all very much happening. she still found herself in a sticky situation, no matter how much she wanted to pretend it didn’t exist. it was just something that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. “oh, it’s indeed that pompous asshole,” audrey remarked with a quick roll of her eyes. it was just her luck that she saw him there. the universe was definitely laughing at her at this point. hearing her best friend’s words, a laugh couldn’t help but spill from her pink lips immediately. oh boy. “shut up, you’re telling me you’re that good of an actor, ken? i so don’t buy it,”

it was that laugh. the nose crinkle, along with the infectious noise that reverberated from the blonde that caused the beating of his heart to disrupt into palpitations. kendall was sure the idea of the relationship was already weighing on his best friend enough. with information as delicate as this that he was honoured to guard with every fiber of his being. passing any sort of judgement was outside of his duties, especially when he could only assume she was just as embarrassed. it would be easy to ignore it, however, if anyone was going to be shaded with discomfort, it was going to be the teacher. the elder who could suffice enough knowledge to know better. it was categorically a predictable situation. if anything else, just to allow the man to sweat even the most trivial amount. her confirmation was more than enough permission for him to continue with his unconventional, vaguely flawed impulse. hunching himself to audrey’s eye level, soft lips brushed along the curtain of blonde hair that covered her ear. “i can be very believable, when it counts,” he hushed into her earshot, briefly averting his sight over to the man in question. with meeting gazes for a beat — if that — the freshman was sure they undoubtedly had his attention. borders followed the pointed apple of her cheek, imprinting a shallow peck to her porcelain skin. “i’m just trying to send him the right sign,” kendall stated in a quieted tone, his icy hues holding their gaze to his best friend, holding it as if it were second nature. “where do you wanna go? i’ll walk with you,” an offer, at the very least an agreed point that the impression was enough as a start to relaying the message that was needed.

[kendallhollister]

audreycartwrights​:

pregnant. pregnant. the words are clear as day as she looks at the two tests. her hands are shaking, her vision becoming blurred. great, great. she’s the girl who slept with her professor then got knocked up. this was just her luck. the tears falling down her cheeks are mix of sadness, but mostly anger. at him, at herself. what business did she have being with someone eleven years her senior in any way that wasn’t strictly professional? taking a deep breath, she splashed some water on her face to try to erase any evidence that she had been crying at all. appearances are everything. her former miss alabama and ex crimson tide cheerleader mother never failed to remind her. who was also under the impression that was daughter was having the time of her life at college at the moment. it was fine, it was fine, audrey was more than capable of dealing with this. she just needed some fresh air to clear her mind. which is how she ended up at the baseball field to see her favorite person. without fail, kendall hollister always made her feel better. with the basketball season wrapping up a few weeks ago, it was time to hang up the poms poms until fall and dedicate her time to going to her best friend’s games. with the pink bracelet from a cracker jack box on her wrist, one could say she spent a lot of time at baseball games over the years. always his games. “what? and miss my second favorite shortstop make the game ending play? oh no way, kid, you’re stuck with me for life,” the blonde beamed. feeling another pair of eyes on her, her own left kendall’s to see… him. ugh, really? don’t cry, don’t fucking cry. “you wanna get out of here?” audrey questioned as she turned her attention back to her best friend, refusing to let it shake her. nope, she wasn’t doing this. not now. not ever again.

he carried a certain bridle of comfort seeing the girl’s face in a crowded sea of strangers. as if his eyes instinctively lit up with admiration to someone who had been through every trial and triumph that was his life, and lived to tell the tale. even keeping some secrets along the way. and vise versa. as any other cheerleading competition, or basketball game popped up, kendall wouldn’t ever want to miss audrey’s brightly illuminated face. her happiness was a virtue he kept close to his chest. it meant more to him than his own, when it came down to it. likewise, it was a rarity that she ever missed even one inning. after nineteen years full of ball games under every condition imaginable, it was bound to be a tiring feat at the end of the day. “win or lose, i know i’ve got you, right?” kendall chirped with certainty, a brisk nod to follow. feigning a gasp of hurt and disbelief, he playfully rolled his eyes at the delicately framed of the two. “i’d love to know who caught me up to number one, but i’ll let it slide because i love you, dude,” kendall expressed casually. it was always spoken with layers of undertones friendship, he said it as if it were second nature. it was as easy as it was to breathe. curling a dangly arm around the curve of her shoulders, the sapphire eyed short stop gave her a gentle nudge. though his eyes seemed to wonder the premises of the grady knoll nearby the metal bleachers. there was one person in particular who struck a nerve once his vision had settled on him. “what kind of pompous asshole wears the cleanest shoes he owns and a polo tucked into his pants? it’s a baseball game in the south in march, man. wear shorts,” kendall exasperated in the only nearest of earshot. once he heard audrey’s plea to leave, icy orbs found her gaze nearly immediately. no shit, that was the professor she had told him about. “is that the one?” he whispered, eyebrows raised in an inquiring fashion. keeping the notable closed in distance between them, he smoothed his palm over the ball of her shoulder in a reassuring gesture. “he wants a show? let’s give him one, what do you say?” sure, his tact was flawed. but if a grown man thought he had any superiority over any one of his students, kendall was surely keen to prove him otherwise.

[kendallhollister]

it was an uncomfortably warm march afternoon in tuscaloosa, alabama. winter had defrosted what was left of the icy dew that once covered the grass, leaving it supple and a forest green. thickets of arid breezes were casted through the branches of the tall bradford pears, the chirping of cicadas and hummingbirds harmonizing in near perfect pitch. the dirt was a crusted brown, with evidence of passive water that took it’s time to be evaporated up from the last thunderstorm. the sky was the palest of blues, melting into a thread of cotton clouds that hung like a picasso painting over the ripples of the universe. alabama vs troy. as any in state rival went, it was rare that the two schools didn’t share an air of decisive commonalities. there was no ill will. compared to other competing state schools, there was an unspoken agreement that the players kept the game a light hearted feat. despite the short distance between the two, it was comically enough as if they were playing for the same team. two hours and forty five minutes away. it had emerged into the top of the ninth inning. the crimson tide was ahead in a 4-3 turnaround. though it was the last out, all the pitcher needed was one last strikeout, with a leading run on second base. kendall was nearly in a split as sweat coated the bill of his ball cap, his uniform covered in chalky brown dust that turned to stains by the time it had come down to this. with both legs bent, glove opened, he was on the alert to whatever his next move was. the clattery clang of the ball to the bat whisked the laced sphere up into the air — a sizable conclusion of a pop fly. with his glove pointed toward the sky, kendall’s centre of gravity tilted as the runner on second whisked by him, pointedly scrambling to third base, then to home. thankfully, in less than dramatic fashion, kendall successfully caught the free ball, ending the game. swiping his palm over his forehead, he let out a bristled sigh of relief, while an eruption of claps and uttering of the fight song rang in his ears. a nudge of a job well done. kendall stood crouching himself under the locker room shower, cleansing his body of what he could of the dirt and muck. golden brown relaxed curls bounced back against the water, ringing his head dry as he shut the knob counterclockwise. exiting himself from the locker room, a rotund hand tunneled itself through his freshly damp curls, steel blue eyes searching for his best friend of nineteen years. the two had been bonded since diapers, when greta hollister had found a best friend, so did kendall. being the youngest with three older sisters, it was a lesson that taught him the ins and outs. the pair had no choice but to be attached at the hip, especially when picking the same college together. it was inevitable they would attend side by side, though the future was left duly uncertain. “hey, sorry you had to sit out here in the heat, you didn’t have to come,” contrary to the words that escaped his dark red lips, the player was thankful to find at least one familiar face in the crowd of onlooking fans that were mindless strangers to him.