Free Scars and Songs by Christine Zolendz, Frankie Sutton, Okaycreations

feet. Maybe Conner would get to see a cat fight after all .
    The blonde must have gotten scared because she backed up into me.
    Lea continued to yell at her, “Donʼt even try, you might find me smacking the slut out of you in a minute!”
    I heard all of it, but all I saw was Grace.  She effortlessly jumped in front of Lea, blocking her from fighting. “Let ʼs dance, who cares what sheʼs doing.”  She gave me a strange sad expression and pushed Lea towards the dance floor as Lea yelled, “Well, I care. My boyfriend is watching it!”
    Tucker and Conner followed them into the crowd laughing.
    The two blondes tried to sit back on my lap, but I got up. “No thanks, ladies.  Youʼre both very beautiful, but youʼre both a little too drunk for my taste.”
    The lap dancer giggled, “I was just pretending. I don ʼt get drunk, I just get more awesomer, so itʼs all good!”
    More Awesomer?
    I stared at her in disbelief, “That just makes it worse.”  I walked away from her and grabbed my coat and my guitar. I passed Grace dancing with Lea and I sat down at the bar and watched her. Tucker and Conner danced around them, Grace and Lea laughing carefree in the middle. I could have watched her body move all night. I did . I watched the way her hips moved to the rhythm; the way she lifted her hands and ran them through her hair and the way she sang the songs to her best friend.  I watched her until she left with Lea and Conner. Tucker followed them out.
    If I believed my prayers would have been heard, I would have prayed that Tucker didn ʼt touch her.  I knew I had no right to want that, but I did.
    I went home alone.  I paced my room; I paced the apartment.  Then I decided I was going to go over there and kill Tucker. Okay, I probably wouldn ʼt really kill him, but I was insane with jealousy and I needed to see what was happening.  How in the world did humans deal with this asinine emotion every day?  This jealously crap was going to kill me. I didn’t even know this girl; she just resembled someone.  I’m insane, that’s it .  I didn’t care.  I had absolutely no logical thoughts in my brain.  I changed into a pair of black running pants and a dark sweatshirt.  I couldnʼt even think straight as I ran through the lobby of my building; all I saw was red.
    As I reached the front doors, Tucker walked through them. He was alone.  “Hey, Tuck. Thought you ʼd still be at Lea and Graceʼs. What are you doing home so early?”
    He gave me a dejected face and laughed. “I guess she must be one of those nice girls I keep hearing my mother talk about.”
    Relief blanketed my body as I chuckled. “Wow, I thought those girls were just a myth.”
    Tucker looked around me and shrugged. “What the fuck are you doing home already?”
    I shrugged back. “Too much peroxide with that group.”
    Tucker laughed. “Are they all still at the bar? Maybe I could jump in your grave.  You mind?  You didnʼt do those two chicks yet, did you?”
    “Uh, no. I didn ʼt do anybody.”
    “Hell, even after that lap dance? Shit, that got me so horny!” He ran out the door and I watched him walk briskly down the street back towards the bar.  I hope Grace doesnʼt fall for him, heʼll just hurt her and then Iʼd really have to kill him.
    Still antsy and full of energy, I left. I walked along the city streets walking in and out of the stores that stayed open all night for the tourists. I sat in a small diner, drank coffee, and chatted with the waiters. When the sun rose, I found myself sitting on Grace ʼs stoop wondering if it was too early to ring the bell and ask her to go running with me. Then I decided I was a complete ass and needed to walk away before anyone saw me.  Wasn’t I supposed to be trying to get her out of my mind?
    Just as I was about to leave, she came running out and stumbled right over me.  “What the hell are you doing here?” she asked giggling.  She didn ʼt look angry; she actually looked happy to