Free Saving Grace by Christine Zolendz Page B

it off me enraged. Vomit burned the back of my throat.
    "Oh, wow. Hmm .. . um ...I rather stick burning hot pokers in my eyes and eat crap, but thank you so much for the offer Tucker. It was so kind of you, seriously," I said through clenched teeth.
    Shane , the jackhat , still sat there , eyes all wide staring at me and brilliantly blue. So damn beautifully blue.
    Lea sat next to me with her freaking head in her lap laughing her ass off. She tried to hide it, but I knew by the way her entire body shook
that
she was hysterical.
    Ethan gave me an encouraging smile, "Well, I think it's pretty damn amazing."
    Alex grabbed onto one of Ethan's shoulders, "Amazing? Dude, that's the hottest thing ever. Oh my God, do you remember when she wore those little pink teddy bear pajamas?" He licked his lips looking at me, "Grace, my love, we need to create the most epic experience for you..." We?
O
h,

my God, I don't even w ant to know what he's thinking right now .
    I stood up. I wobbled a bit, so what . I rested my hands down on the table so I wouldn't fall over. "Well, thank you everyone. Why the fuck don't ya'll (all of a sudden I was southern) just...just continue the discussion of my virginity (I had a bit of a problem pronouncing it correctly), because in no way would that be, let's say, uncomfortable or embarrassing in any way to me. E... specially in front of Hot Pink Lips there," I said pointing to Marie.
    I pushed my chair in and moved backwards. "You guys can all take a vote on who I should hand my V-card to, there's no problem with that, right Shane?" I shoved the table at him a bit, it didn't move much , but I was too drunk to care. "Since I'm not in the fucking band anymore, right? I can fuck any one of these guys. Right? That's not a problem for you, right?"
    He looked up at me with glassy eyes. He just stared at me with blank eyes and down turned lips. The expression was heart wrenching.
    " Fuckasstard !" I called him.
    Marie giggled drunkenly. "What's a fuckasstard , Virgin ?"
    I leveled my eyes to hers. Holy Mind Erasers, I was so much
drunker
than five minutes ago when I was sitting down! Did I say fuckasstard ? What is a fuckasstard ? "It's a fucking asshole retard or a fucking ass in a leotard. Shane's both and your lipstick is fucking awesome!" I shoved the table at him one more time for good measure. It didn't move, but I still didn't care.
    I walked (stumbled) to the bar and sat myself on a stool (slipping off only twice). "Ry .. . an ," I sang. Seriously, I sang his name. Sang it .
    Behind me, I could hear Lea giving Marie a complete verbal smack down. I smiled knowing Marie would never recover from what Lea would embarrass her with.
    "Ry .. . an ," I sang again. Damn I could sing that boy ' s name .
    Laughing, Ryan came over. "Yes, gorgeous, what would you like?" I leaned over the bar (tipping the stool backwards, yet not falling. Now that's talent). Wow, Ryan has nice lips. "Ry. Ry , I need a Shane Eraser. Right. Now. Kay?"
    Ryan leaned his elbow on the bar in front of mine and lowered his face so his lips were all I could see. "Grace, do you mean a Mind Eraser?"
    I smiled at him. "Yeah, I'm going to need one of those t o o. Damn Ry. You have really kissable lips. I want to just suck on that lip ring." I slapped my hand over my mouth. "Wow, did I say that out loud? Psf."
    Ryan smiled
thanks
, backed away and started making my drink. Then my ass started ringing and vibrating. It took me a minute to figure out what the hell was going on. Cell phone, back pocket. Oh right . I took it out and swiped the screen. It took me a minute.
    Text Message 9:13 pm Shane: I am so fucking sorry
    "Ha! Sure!" I yelled.
    Ryan placed the drink in front of me and I drank it so fast I didn't even taste it. I slid the empty glass towards him and tried to smile, but I couldn't feel my face. And honestly, I didn't even freaking know if it was attached to the rest of my body; I was so numb.
    Lea was beside me the next minute and