The next day Hollyn went through her usual morning routine, getting dressed, doing her hair, putting on makeup, and eating breakfast. It was the weekend, so she wasn't going to school. Instead, she was currently working on the chores. She usually did her chores in the morning so she had the rest of the afternoon free. Hollyn had been in the stables, finishing with brushing the horses. She was working on Apollo and he was the last one to brush. She glances over her shoulder when she heard footsteps walk into the barn and smiles at seeing Jackie standing there. "Jackie! Hey, what's up?" She asked curiously, continuing to brush Apollo's fur.

"Hey, I'm not bothering you am I?" Jackie inquires, looking and sounding nervous. "'Cause I can always come back later." She added. She didn't want to intrude.

"Nope. Not at all. I just gotta finish brushing Apollo and then I'll be done with chores for the day. Is something wrong?" She questioned, sounding concerned. She wondered why Jackie was here. She wasn't used to her coming by. But she didn't mind Jackie's company.

"I was wondering if you would want to hang out? I could use some girl time." Jackie admitted. She enjoyed being with the Walter's, and she liked hanging out with Grace, but it would be nice to hang out with another girl her age. And Hollyn lived nearby, so it wouldn't be a problem.

"Oh. Sure. I would love to." Hollyn replies, her eyes lighting up as she smiles. "Give me a minute to finish this, then we can hang out." She added.

"Take your time. No rush." Jackie tells her, giving her a smile. She looks around the stables curiously, noticing all the different horses. They had a lot of horses and they were all beautiful. "So, which one's your horse?"

"This is Apollo." Hollyn introduces, smiling at her. "He's my horse."

"He's a beauty." Jackie says with a smile, walking over to stand next to Hollyn. "How long have you had him?"

"Well, I actually found him when he was a colt. He was a feral horse, he was so skittish. He was afraid of everyone. I was the only one he let near him. My parents allowed me to have him thankfully and I raised him myself." Hollyn explained, a fond smile forming on her face as she talked about Apollo. She rubbed Apollo's neck affectionately and Apollo neighed, seeming to enjoy the attention. He nudged her gently, his way of showing her affection.

"He's so sweet." Jackie commented with a soft smile.

"You can pet him if you want to. He is shy with new people, but he loves attention and affection. So, as long as you are gentle, you'll be fine. Right, Apollo?" Hollyn cooed, turning to her horse and kissing his nose. Apollo snorted, bumping his head against hers. She chuckled and rubbed his head.

"If you're sure it's okay..." Jackie hesitated, looking at her. She didn't want to upset the horse or Hollyn. She was afraid the horse would get angry.

"It's fine. I promise. It's okay." Hollyn assures her, giving her a smile. Jackie nods and slowly reaches out, placing her hand on his side. Apollo stiffens, his ears flicking back and his eyes narrowing slightly. He huffs, stepping away from her, closer to Hollyn. "It's okay, Apollo." Hollyn murmured soothingly, stroking his neck. Apollo relaxed and looked at Jackie, who was keeping her hand where it was and looked worried.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare him." Jackie apologized, looking guilty.

"It's okay. It just takes time for him to warm up to strangers. It even took him awhile to warm up to my parents and they've known him since he was a colt. But he will get used to you. Give him time." Hollyn reassures her, gently stroking Apollo's fur. "Just be gentle and patient and you'll be okay." She added.

"Okay." Jackie nods and slowly pulls her hand away, resting it by her side. Apollo huffs and moves forward, bumping his head against hers and sniffing her hair. Jackie couldn't stop the small laugh that left her mouth. She was a little nervous, but Hollyn was right there and she trusted Hollyn. "Awe, hi. You're so sweet. I won't hurt you, I promise." Jackie cooed, reaching her hand up again. This time, Apollo didn't move away and he allowed her to pet him. A relieved smile formed on her face and she rubbed his head, a soft chuckle escaping her.

"See? I told you. He just has to warm up to you." Hollyn smiles, continuing to finish with brushing Apollo. She had to admit she was a bit surprised Apollo warmed up to Jackie rather quickly, but she was happy too. Apollo was usually shy and skittish around strangers. But, he had warmed up to Jackie pretty quick. Maybe it was because Apollo felt safe around her? Whatever the reason, she was glad he was okay around her. "He's also pretty curious," She adds. "Probably why he sniffed your hair." She giggled a bit, finishing with brushing Apollo.

"It's no problem. He is very cute." Jackie replied with a smile, stroking his neck. Apollo huffed, nudging her a bit, silently asking for more affection. She laughed and complied, petting his neck. Apollo's tail swished back and forth and he snorted, enjoying the affection.

Hollyn smiles as she watches this interaction, setting the brush down. She then grabs a sugar cube from a bucket near her, holding it out. "Here you go, buddy. You did so good." She coos, kissing his nose. Apollo happily takes the sugar cube from her, his tail swishing again. He then walks away, going to his food bowl. Hollyn chuckles, turning to Jackie with a smile. "Ready?"

"Yup." Jackie grinned, watching as she stepped out of the stall and closed the door. She waited for Hollyn, watching her lock the stall before she walked over to her.

"So, what do you wanna do?" Hollyn asks as they make their way out of the stables and towards her house. "We can watch a movie or play games or anything really. Whatever you want." She added. She didn't mind what they did, she just wanted to get to know Jackie more and hang out with her. 

"Whatever you want to do. I'm not picky." Jackie responded, sending her a smile. Hollyn nodded in response, returning the smile as they walked inside from the back door. They were now near the living room, but it was empty. 

Jackie noticed Hollyn's house was pretty big, but not overly fancy. It had a cozy and warm feel to it. When they entered from the back door, they were in a hallway. To the left was the laundry room and to the right was the living room and kitchen. There was a set of stairs to the right of the entrance, leading upstairs. The walls were decorated with pictures of her family and some art. The living room was connected to the kitchen. There was a hallway between the kitchen and living room that led to the front door.

"Hollyn, is that you? I thought I heard someone." A woman's voice sounded, a moment before a woman with dark hair, dark brown eyes, and a kind smile emerged from the kitchen. Jackie assumed this was Hollyn's mother, she looked similar.

"Yeah, mom. I'm here with Jackie, we were gonna hang out. Is that okay? I already finished my chores." Hollyn answered, looking at her mom with a small smile.

"Of course it's fine. Jackie, it's so good to see you again. You're welcome here anytime." Carolyn responded, sending Jackie a smile.

"Thank you, ma'am. It's good to see you again, too." Jackie said with a smile, hoping she sounded polite. She wanted to make a good impression.

"You're such a polite young lady. But please, call me Carolyn." Carolyn replies, waving her hand dismissively as she smiles. "I'll be in the kitchen for the while and then in the living room if you girls need me."

"Thanks, mom." Hollyn smiles softly, walking over to her to kiss her cheek. "I love you." She then smiles at Jackie, gesturing for her to follow her to the stairs. "Come on, my room is upstairs." Jackie nodded with a smile and followed her, waving at Carolyn. Carolyn smiled and waved back, before disappearing into the kitchen. Hollyn and Jackie made their way up the stairs and Hollyn led her to her room.

(hollyn's room)

Jackie had never been in Hollyn's room before, but she thought it was cute. The walls were painted a light blue and she had a grey carpet. A queen sized bed was in the middle of the room with white bedding, a grey comforter and a bunch of pillows. She had a white dresser near the wall by her closet that had a blue record player on top of it. A crate of records was by the dresser on the floor. There was a nightstand on the right side of the bed that had an alarm clock and a picture of her and her parents. There were pictures scattered across the walls, some of polaroid's of her and her family and her and her friends. Some were even just the scenery or their animals. There were even some records put up on the wall.

She had white curtains and there was a vine with yellow flowers over the door, a short one was over the two windows and over the full length mirror. There was a full length mirror leaned against the wall, a rack of shoes in front of it. A comfy blue chair with a pink fluffy blanket was thrown on top of it was off to the side and a wooden desk was on the other side. She had a laptop on top of her desk, next to a notebook and some pencils. A lot of art supplies were on the desk as well. There was an easel set up near the desk, a painting half way done was on it. There were two shelves on the wall near the closet that had some different trinkets and more pictures on them. An acoustic guitar was against the wall near the full length mirror and a music stand was by it.

Jackie smiles a little as she looked around the room, she thought it was cute and creative. She thought it described Hollyn perfectly. "Your room is so cute." She commented.

"Thanks." Hollyn smiles. "Do you want a drink? Or something to eat?"

"I'm good, thank you." Jackie replied with a small smile.

"Okay, just make yourself at home. I'm gonna change real quick and then we can hang out." Hollyn told her, going to her closet and rummaging through her clothes.

"Sounds good." Jackie nods and takes a seat on the chair, looking around the room once again.

"I have some nail polish, we could paint our nails if you want. And some face masks, too." Hollyn offered, looking at her with a small smile. She grabbed a pair of black overall shorts and a white crop top shirt.

"That sounds fun, yeah." Jackie agrees, smiling a little. "My hands could use some work, to be honest." She chuckled a bit.

"Mine, too." Hollyn laughs a little. "I shouldn't take that long, just make yourself comfortable." She told her as she walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

"Okay." Jackie nodded, glancing around the room once more. It was pretty, she liked it. It seemed very Hollyn. She noticed there were a lot of pictures of her and Cole. Some pictures were even of them when they were younger and she thought that was sweet. But she couldn't help but be curious whether they were dating or not. She hadn't asked, it wasn't her business. But she couldn't deny the curiosity.

"Okay, I'm ready." Hollyn said as she walked out of the bathroom, a smile on her face. She had changed out of her jeans and plaid shirt and had put on her overall shorts and crop top. Her hair was still in a messy bun.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you and Cole dating?" Jackie questioned, turning her attention to her and looked at her curiously.

"Uh, no. We're just best friends." Hollyn answers, her cheeks turning pink as she walks over to her. She held a box of nail polish in her hands and sat on her bed. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason. You two just seem close and I was curious. Sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Jackie rambled, realizing she made her uncomfortable. She hadn't meant to. She felt bad now.

"It's okay. People have been thinking we're dating for awhile, we're used to it. But no, we're not dating." Hollyn reassures her with a small smile, opening the box. "You're allowed to ask questions. It's fine. So, what color do you want?" She decided to leave out the fact she wished she and Cole were dating and that she was falling in love with him and tried changing the subject.

"Surprise me." Jackie said with a small smile, scooting closer to her.

Hollyn grins and takes her hands, getting to work on painting her nails. "So, what's it like being an only child?" Jackie questions, trying to start a conversation. "I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want to...I just want to get to know you better. And I had an older sister so..." Her voice trailed off as she watched Hollyn paint her nails a light purple.

"It's fine, I get it." Hollyn smiles a bit, looking up at her. "It's kinda lonely sometimes, but it's nice to have all the attention and space." She explained, continuing to paint Jackie's nails.

"That makes sense." Jackie nodded in understanding, her lips curling up a bit.

"And being friends with the Walters helps." Hollyn said, chuckling lightly. "I mean, their house is almost always so lively. I've always wanted a sibling, though."

"It was nice sometimes, having an older sister." Jackie comments, a small smile on her face. "But it also sucked, because she was always better than me at everything. But I miss her and my parents more than anything now."

Hollyn grimaces, looking up at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Jackie." She didn't mean to bring that up.

"Don't be." Jackie reassures her, smiling a little. "It's been awhile since they passed...I mean, it still hurts, but it's getting easier." She adds. "So, um, anyway, there's actually something else I wanted to talk about." She admits, changing the subject. "Does Alex have a girlfriend?"

Hollyn's lips curl up into a grin, a knowing look in her eyes. "Oh, I see." She chuckled, finishing painting Jackie's hand. 

"What?" Jackie's face turns bright red and she shook her head. "No, no, it's not like that. Well...Maybe. I don't know. I'm just asking 'cause I think I might be liking him. I mean, we kinda had a moment earlier..." She confesses, watching Hollyn painting her other hand, resting her painted hand on the towel to dry. "He showed me the loft in the barn and he showed me how they all wrote down how tall they were so he suggested we put my height there since I was part of the family now." She smiles softly, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red. "It was really sweet."

"Wow. That's adorable. And no, he doesn't have a girlfriend." Hollyn shakes her head, glancing at her. "He's a single pringle." She grins at Jackie. "And perfect for you."

"Yeah? You think so?" Jackie questioned, her lips curling up into a small smile.

"Totally. Alex is a great guy." Hollyn assures her. "I've known him for a long time, he's very sweet and caring and loyal. He's a little shy when it comes to girls, though. But I'm sure he likes you too."

"Thanks, Hollyn." Jackie smiled shyly, her heart fluttering at the thought. 

"Of course." Hollyn grins, finishing her nails. "All done."

"Thanks, Hollyn. I like it." Jackie smiles at seeing her painted nails. "Want me to paint yours?" She asked, glancing at her.

"Sure, thanks." Hollyn agreed, smiling a bit as she holds out her hands to her. Jackie nodded and got to work on painting her nails, the two girls chatting as she worked. They both enjoyed this time, getting to know each other and bonding.

They talked about their lives, their hobbies and interests, their families and friends. They were becoming fast friends and it was nice. It was like they had known each other for years and were just catching up. After their nails were done, they put on face masks and watched a movie.

"Hey, are you hungry?" Hollyn asks her, looking at her as the movie credits started rolling. "Because I could totally go for a snack."

"I could eat." Jackie responded, nodding her head.

"Cool, let's raid the kitchen. My mom always makes these really good homemade cookies." Hollyn grinned, standing up from her bed. Jackie smiled and followed her downstairs and into the kitchen.

Carolyn was sitting at the table, reading a book and sipping a cup of tea. She smiles at them, setting her book down and looking at them. "Hello, girls. Are you hungry? I finished making some cookies if you want some." She told them, pointing to the plate of cookies.

"Yes, please." Hollyn grins, walking over to her. She hugged her mother from behind, kissing her cheek. "You're the best."

"Awe, thank you, honey." Carolyn smiles, returning the hug and kissing her cheek. "Have as many as you want. I made plenty." She added.

"Thank you, Mrs-I mean, Carolyn." Jackie corrected herself with a sheepish smile, grabbing a cookie.

"You're welcome." Carolyn smiles at her, waving her hand dismissively. "So I see you two had painted your nails." She comments after noticing their different nail color. "You girls having fun?"

"Yeah, a lot." Hollyn smiles, pulling away from her mom to grab a cookie. "Jackie is really cool." She added, glancing at Jackie.

"Thanks, so are you." Jackie smiled, taking a bite out of her cookie. It was delicious, just as Hollyn had said.

"Well, I'm glad you're both enjoying yourselves." Carolyn smiles at them. "And like I said earlier, you're welcome here anytime, Jackie. I hope you know that."

"Thank you." Jackie replied, nodding her head. She appreciated it. She then heard a faint meow and realized there was a calico cat on the window sill, looking at her expectantly as if demanding attention. She smiled a little and walked over to the window, petting her. The cat purred and nudged her hand.

"That's Kiwi." Hollyn tells her, coming over to her and petting her as well. "I'm surprised she warmed up to you quick. She can be a bit difficult to handle and a grump but she loves attention and affection. And treats."

"She's cute." Jackie smiled as she scratched behind her ears. Kiwi meowed happily and nuzzled against her hand.

"Jackie, you're more than welcome to stay for dinner." Carolyn calls out. "It's getting late."

"Yeah, you can stay for dinner. My dad's a great cook, trust me." Hollyn grinned at Jackie, who chuckled and nodded.

"I guess I can stay." Jackie smiles a bit, glancing at her. "I'd hate to impose though."

"Nonsense. We're glad to have you." Carolyn waved her hand dismissively, sending her a reassuring smile. 

"Thanks, Carolyn. I appreciate it." Jackie admitted, returning her smile. She was grateful for how welcoming the family was.

"Of course. You're a sweet girl, Jackie." Carolyn smiled, picking her book up again and taking a sip of her tea.

Hollyn grabbed a couple more cookies, offering some to Jackie. Jackie grinned back at her when she saw Hollyn grinning at her. She then gestured for Jackie to follow her and they head back up to her room. They spend the next few hours hanging out and talking, listening to music and eating cookies. They were having fun and bonding, getting to know each other. Jackie couldn't remember the last time she had felt this happy.

When dinner came around, the two girls went back downstairs. Jackie saw Hollyn's parents setting the table and getting ready for dinner when she and Hollyn walked down. The aroma of the home-cooked meal filled the air, making Jackie's stomach growl with anticipation. She couldn't help but smile as she watched the two interact with each other. seemed to be witnessing a warm and loving family dynamic. It made her miss her own family a bit, but she was grateful for the kindness she was receiving.

Dinner was filled with laughter, stories, and delicious food. Hollyn's father, as promised, was indeed a great cook. The atmosphere was cozy, and Jackie felt like she was a part of something special. She hadn't felt like this in a long time, and she was thankful to be here.

As they sat around the table, Hollyn's parents asked Jackie about herself, genuinely interested in getting to know her. Jackie shared stories about her life, her hobbies, and her adventures. The conversation flowed easily, and she felt a sense of warmth and acceptance from the Bellwoods. It was a nice feeling, and she was grateful for their hospitality. After dinner, Jackie went next door since it was getting late, but she was glad she spent the day with Hollyn and her parents. She had a great time and learned a lot about them. They were good people and she was happy she met them and becoming close friends with Hollyn.

A/N I wanted to write some more scenes with jackie & hollyn for them to bond & become closer friends & I love how it turned out!