Title: Experimental Grace
Authors: Debba and Sue
Category: Other – Grace/Ryder
Rating: R
E-mail: debba78@hotmail.com and ruststar@aol.com
Disclaimer: We own nothing
Summary: Grace and Ryder may be falling in love
Authors note: Thanks to Alicia for all the help getting through the dry spells – you have
been an angel!
Ryder ran a hand through his hair nervously, then checked his appearance in the glass
window of the gas station. After nearly an hour debating what to wear for a party that was
"dressy, but not formal, but not *too* dressy" he had finally settled on black cashmere
sweater over a white t-shirt, and black pants. With his leather jacket over it he thought he
could pull off dressed up, but not feel over-dressed if he misinterpreted what these kids
meant by dressing up. He frowned at how long his hair was getting and the silly way it
curled around his ears. He'd have to get that cut soon.
"Quit stalling," he thought, and knocked on Grace's front door, hoping that her sister Bella
wouldn't be the one to answer. The door opened and it was all he could do not to groan in
dismay. He didn't get a chance to say anything before Bella started in on him, her
disapproval apparent even before she said a word.
"What the hell are you doing here, Ryder?" she asked coldly, not letting him in the
house.
He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help himself – he bit back. "Not to see you, luv,
you're not my type."
"What are you doing with my sister? I know what you really think of her – I heard you
call her a townie slut. I know you only plan to use her."
"If you're so sure what my intentions are, why did you ask?" he asked calmly, but inside
he was cringing. Did Grace know he'd called her that ages ago – long before he ever
*knew* her?
"My sister is not going anywhere with you – not if I have anything to say about it!"
"She can make her own decisions you know – she's a smart girl," he said, glaring at
Bella. "It seems she wants my company, so I don't think its up to you." At least, he hoped
it wouldn't be up to Bella.
Grace's voice interrupted her sister's retort – "Bella, is that Ryder? Would you just let
him in already?"
Bella glared at him one last time then turned and walked away without opening the door
for him.
Grace appeared then, and he was stunned by the contrast between the two sisters. Bella
was a pretty girl and all, despite the foul disposition she always showed around him, but
she was nothing compared to her younger sister, in his opinion. Maybe it was the warmth
in her smile when she saw him – such a contrast to the contempt in her sister's
expression. On top of that, she was beautiful. The dress had looked great in the store, but
that hadn't prepared him to see the whole package once she put on all the finishing
touches. The final result was brilliant.
Grace felt her irritation with her sister fade away when she noticed the way Ryder was
looking at her. She smiled. Never in a million years would she have thought she'd see
Ryder speechless at the sight of her, and she felt as though she were watching a rare
event. This was even better than seeing Ryder blush.
"Are you ready?" he finally said, smiling at her.
"Yeah – lets get out of here before Will shows up too. Get them both together and I'll
never hear the end of it!"
*******
They pulled up outside a large, brightly lit house on the eastside of town within 15
minutes – New Rawley wasn't very big, and it didn't take long to get from one end of
town to the other.
Grace laughed at the look of surprise he wore – "What, you didn't think there could be
rich townies?"
"Is it that obvious?" he asked, concerned that he might have insulted her. After the brief
confrontation with Bella the word "townie" put him on edge. Turning to look at her he
saw she was smiling and he relaxed a little.
"You've never been to this side of town?"
He shook his head. "Never been – I was busy seeking out the seamier side of life," he
said, and winked at her. "So, whose party is this?"
"Chris Barretson's. He's a senior, kind of a jerk, but he throws a good party, so most
people tolerate him. Are you ready?"
"In a minute..." he said as he reached into his coat pocket for a small black box. "I've got
something for you." He handed it to her in a casual manner, as though it was no big deal,
and hoped she hadn't noticed the way his hand shook. Although he tried to appear
unconcerned, his heart beat wildly as she opened the gift.
She gasped when she saw the earrings she'd admired in the mall jewelry store nestled in
the velvet – beautiful silver studs with sapphire drops. Expensive, tasteful, and a
complete shock. A thousand warring emotions flooded through her as she stared at the
most expensive gift she'd ever received. What was she supposed to think? What was she
supposed to say? She was thrilled that he'd been so thoughtful – but she could hear
Bella's voice in the back of her mind warning her to watch out. Bella would say that a
gift like this was only a ploy to get her in bed. But she knew that Ryder didn't need to
buy his way in – he never seemed to have any trouble getting girls to do what ever he
wanted. So why would he do this for her?
She glanced back up at Ryder in the hope he'd give some clue to his intentions. He
looked away from her when she caught his eye, and her heart melted. He looked scared.
Scared of her…and embarrassed about it. At that moment all her doubts faded away.
Bella's voice went unheeded as she took his hand in hers. "They're beautiful, Ryder,
thank you."
"You're welcome," he said and turned to look at her, relief pouring out of him. "I figured
that I missed Christmas and your birthday, so…maybe I should make up for it."
"You didn't have to…but I'm glad you did," she said honestly. He looked surprised by
her candor, and she smiled and leaned in closer to him. "You've done so many things
lately that seem completely out of character – writing me letters, showing up at my Dad's
garage, picking out exactly the right gift when you didn't have to – that it's a little scary.
I'm not completely sure any of its real. But I want to believe it. I want to believe in you."
With that she pressed her lips to his cheek briefly and backed away, noting the look of
shock on his face.
She flipped down the visor and used the mirror to help her put the earrings in while she
composed herself. She hadn't meant to tell him all that – it just seemed to come out. It
was all true though – she wanted more than anything to believe that what she was seeing
of Ryder was real. Telling him that was a risk, her rational side knew that, but her rational
side rarely won out over emotion.
"How do they look?" she asked, flipping up the visor.
It took him a moment to respond, and when he did his voice seemed hoarse and cracked.
"They're beautiful. Like you." His eyes were dark and dangerously open – as though for
the first time ever his guard was down and she could see the real person behind the mask
he always wore.
"Shall we go in?" he asked, before she could respond, and the moment passed. Whatever
he had been feeling at that moment, he quickly hid it again. She could only nod her head
vigorously, and he flashed one of his trademark grins before he turned to get out of the
car. He circled to the other side, and opened her door for her. "Let's go, Gracie," he said,
smiling at her. He took her hand and they walked inside.
********
The party was not what he expected at all. Although less formal, the party reminded him
of the Rawley cotillions – teenagers uncomfortable in their dress clothes and too many
adults around. The Barretson's apparently had decided to "chaperone" their son's party
by inviting all their friends over, which forced most of the younger crowd into the
basement. Their son, Chris, hardly smiled at Grace's greeting and Ryder actually felt
sympathy for him. He was carrying around a tray of hors d'oerves and obviously was not
happy about it. Ryder remembered having to serve at some of his mother's parties and
knew the boy had to be feeling ridiculous.
He'd hated his mother's parties – she was always putting on a show, trotting him about
like he was a prize pony, and then ignoring him once she got the attention she wanted.
The only good side to the parties was that his stepfather hated them too and could be
counted on to stay far away when she had them – which was often. Any night Richard
was gone was a good night.
They followed the disgruntled boy down to the basement, where he mumbled grumpily
that his parents and their friends would be leaving soon, and then turned to head back
upstairs and continue his duty. "Poor sod," he said to Grace under his breath.
She whispered back, "Yeah – he's gonna hear about this for the rest of the year if this
place doesn't liven up. The only reason most of these people are here is because he's got
a great house for parties." She gestured to the thirty or so other kids hanging around the
basement.
He observed the others for a moment, taking in the rather somber group. A few were
playing pool at the regulation size billiard table on the left of the rather massive
basement, while others were gathered around on the leather couches and chairs
surrounding a big screen TV or leaning against the walls. The low murmur of
conversation carried a hint of discontent. Everyone had apparently been hoping for a
different sort of New Years Eve party – not chaperones and soda like a child's party.
He spotted an empty table in a far corner and steered her towards it. She didn't seem to
know many of the kids here and he sensed she felt out of place and awkward. He noticed
a polished mahogany board on the table and smiled. He knew just how to distract her.
"Up for a game?" he asked, pulling a deck of cards out of his coat pocket (he was rarely
without them).
"Depends on the game, " she said coyly, but smiled gratefully. She was glad he was
being a good sport about the rather disappointing gathering. She'd been hanging out with
Rawley guys long enough to know that most would sneer at a party like this, yet, so far,
he hadn't.
"Cribbage," he said, placing the board between them. "Do you know how to play?"
"Do *I* know how to play? Prepare to be skunked! My dad taught me to play years ago..."
"Hmmm…normally I would say ladies deal first, but…since you're a master…" he
trailed off, a sly glint in his eye.
"It's still polite," she reminded him pointedly. When it came to cards she knew how
competitive he was, and she wanted any advantage she could get.
He demurred with a smile and handed the cards to her. He'd only been teasing her
anyway – he was thrilled she knew how to play. It had been years since he played
Cribbage – it was a game he used to play with his father. One more thing he and Grace
had in common.
********
"And that's 15 for 2, which put me at 121 points – skunked you again!" Grace cried with
delight.
"You didn't skunk me – I have 96 points. To skunk me I have to have less than 90. Don't
go getting cocky now." He grinned despite the fact that she'd effectively kicked his ass
three times in a row. Losing at cards wasn't something he took well, normally, but
playing with her had been too much fun. She was good – never missed an opportunity to
score points, and even caught points off of him when he missed something. He chalked
that one up to the simple distraction of looking at her.
"Another game?" she asked.
"I think not – you've already completely demoralized me. Can't have that get around."
He winked at her to show he was only kidding. "Besides, I think things are about to liven
up around here."
********
An hour later, Grace stood next to Ryder, sipping a tequila sour and listening to some
vapid cheerleader flirt with her date. She glanced around the room, watching the dancing
couples as they swayed to the music. Ryder had been right – the party had livened up.
The adults, wanting a slightly more sophisticated atmosphere in which to ring in the New
Year, had taken off for a shindig at the New Rawley Country Club, leaving the house to
the to the teenagers, along with a well-stocked liquor cabinet and plenty of beer.
"So, you're from *England*? That's so cool!" squealed Ryder's latest groupie. Grace rolled
her eyes surreptitiously. Much as she was enjoying Ryder's company, his unexpected
popularity with the girls at the party was starting to grate on her. She was glad he fit in so
well, especially since it made it easier for her, but having girls constantly simper at Ryder
was getting irritating. At least she'd been able to chat with *their* dates while the girls tried
to steal hers.
"Must be payback for all the times I tried it," she muttered to herself as she finished off
her drink. The girl giggled again, and that was enough for Grace.
"Ryder?" she asked sweetly, sliding an arm around his waist.
"Yeah, Gracie?"
"You wanna dance?"
He looked down at her and grinned. He'd been waiting for a chance to get her out on the
floor, but he wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to. Once everybody had loosened up,
she'd started chatting with people she knew from school and he'd thought she'd been
having fun. He, frankly, had been trying to figure out a way to extricate himself from the
ditzy girls who seemed to think he was fair game.
He leaned in and kissed her gently. "I thought you'd never ask," he said as he took her
hand and led her to the floor.
Just like the last time, dancing with Ryder felt completely natural, as though she'd been
doing it all her life. There wasn't the same intensity, maybe because there weren't as
many hidden emotions coming into play, but they still moved together in perfect synch.
Grace grinned as he twirled her around while the song came to an end. It had been about
30 minutes, and she needed a break, if only for a little while.
"Time for a break?" she asked him, grinning happily.
"Yeah, sounds good," he replied. "You want anything to drink?"
She was warm from being out on the crowded dance floor, from the exertion, and just
from being his arms. She nodded. "Yeah, a beer would be great. Thanks," she added, as
he led her off the floor before heading off in search of their drinks.
She watched him go, admiring his backside as he disappeared in the crowd. She sighed
happily and turned to watch the dance floor again, taking note of who was dancing with
whom, and therefore, calculating how many breakups there would be before the week
was over.
"Grace." An angry voice snapped her out of her reverie and she whirled around to see
who had spoken to her.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Grace?"
She sighed. "Having a perfectly wonderful New Year's Eve, Bella, what about you?" she
asked. She didn't want to fight with her sister, not here and not now.
Bella, however, didn't seem to agree with her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ryder, meanwhile, was having problems of his own. He had managed to fight his way
over to the bar, despite the attempts of that dippy girl to get him on the dance floor. He
grabbed two beers quickly, wanting to get out of the crowd surrounding the alcohol. He
had just reached the edge of the dance floor when someone grabbed his arm and dragged
him over to the edge of the room.
"What do you think you're doing, Ryder?"
Ryder sighed to himself, fighting the urge to say something snarky that would only drag
him into a fight, before looking directly at Will Krudski and replying, "What does it look
like? I'm not throwing a parade." 'Well, hell,' he thought to himself, 'here we go.'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Well, Bella, since you ask, I was having a perfectly wonderful time with my date over
there." Grace gestured towards the bar, where she could see Ryder holding two bottles of
beer and pushing his way through the people.
"He's an ass, Grace, and I don't like it that you're seeing him," her sister replied, glaring
at her.
"Sorry, mommy," she drawled, her tone venomous, "but I'm a big girl, and I can do what
I want - and see *who* I want."
"Those Rawley boys are only after one thing, Grace, and you know it!"
Grace merely cocked her eyebrow at Bella. "You're here with a Rawley boy," she
pointed out to Bella, smirking when her sister gave her a look of utter loathing.
"It's different with Will," Bella snapped. "Did you know that your precious Ryder called
you a townie slut? Think about that, Grace, before you do something stupid." With that,
Bella turned and headed into the crowd.
Grace paled as her past as the wild child came back to haunt her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Will glared at Ryder. "I know you're not throwing a parade, you jerk-off. What I want to
know is what the hell you're doing here with Grace?"
"Dancing? Drinking? Ringing in the New Year, New Rawley style?" Ryder tried to keep
his temper under control. Fighting with Will, one of Grace's oldest acquaintances,
wouldn't win him any points with her.
Will refused to back down. "You just want to get her into bed, don't you?"
Ryder blinked, not quite certain how to answer that. Of *course* he wanted Grace in bed,
but he couldn't exactly tell Will that. Besides, he wasn't with Grace just because he
thought she was easy. He was with her because he liked her, because they had fun
together, because she was the only person in New Rawley who had noticed that he was
human, too. But, he couldn't tell Will *that* either, or he'd never hear the end of it.
Unfortunately, Will mistook his silence for agreement.
"I knew it!" Will snapped. "You know, Ryder, no matter what I might think of Grace and
her lifestyle, she's still like a little sister to me. And I'll be damned if I let her screw up
her life with you. Just because half the guys at Edmund High have slept with her, it
doesn't mean that she can't get hurt by one of you rich snobs. I won't let her get her heart
broken by one of you jerks. Especially not *you*," Will spat.
Ryder saw red. He couldn't believe that one of Grace's oldest friends, someone who
considered her a little sister, would accuse her of being a slut, just like that. He clenched
his jaw, fighting the urge to deck Will as hard as he could.
"I'm not here because I want Grace in my bed, you idiot," he hissed, his eyes narrowed.
"What kind of friend are you, anyway? You say she's a little sister, then turn around and
call her a slut? Do you even *know* Grace? Don't answer that," he snapped, when Will
started to say something, "I'm not finished. It's obvious you don't know her *at all* or
you'd know better than to think she's slept with half the school. You and her sister over
there need to stop trying to run her life, Krudski. You don't know what's right for
Grace."
"Oh, and you do?" Will interrupted, seething.
"I know enough to look beyond the surface," Ryder shot back. "When was the last time
you tried that?" He smiled triumphantly when Will said nothing. "That's what I thought."
"You're just using her, Ryder. I don't want her getting hurt by you," Will retorted.
Ryder ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "I won't hurt her, you bloody idiot, I love
her!" He froze. He hadn't meant to say that, it had just come out. Deciding that there was
dignity in retreat, he spun on his heel and stalked off in Grace's direction, taking several
large, fortifying gulps of beer on the way.
*He loved her*. He couldn't believe he had just blurted that out – and to Will Krudski of all
people! He stopped short for a moment, a small smile creeping across his face. *He loved
her*. He didn't know how it had happened, but he couldn't deny it anymore. Now he just
had to figure out how to tell Grace…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Grace stared into the crowd as Bella disappeared, her brain whirling. 'Ryder called me a
townie slut? *When*?' God, did he still think that of her? Was that why he was here with
her tonight? She'd thought they had just been having fun, but did he really have an
ulterior motive? She'd already fallen for him – was she just headed for a broken heart?
She snapped out of her thoughts when Ryder walked up behind her and handed her a
bottle of beer. She took a long drink, watching him warily out of the corner of her eye.
He looked…a little stunned. She wondered about that while she watched him when he
suddenly turned and looked her in the eye.
"Can we get out of here?" he asked. "Will and I just…" he trailed off, not wanting her to
know what had really happened. Hell, he still hadn't processed it, exactly. He just knew
that he wanted to be alone with Grace when the clock struck midnight.
Grace swallowed nervously. God, what did he mean? Did he think…? 'Act cool, Grace,'
she told herself. 'Wait a minute, did he say Will?'
"Ryder, what happened with Will?" she asked sharply. "Was he giving you a hard time?"
Her thoughts suddenly came into focus as she realized that Bella and Will just didn't like
the idea of her and Ryder together. "I swear to God, I'm gonna murder those two…yeah,
let's go." She didn't want to risk a confrontation between all four of them – it would just
get ugly.
Authors: Debba and Sue
Category: Other – Grace/Ryder
Rating: R
E-mail: debba78@hotmail.com and ruststar@aol.com
Disclaimer: We own nothing
Summary: Grace and Ryder may be falling in love
Authors note: Thanks to Alicia for all the help getting through the dry spells – you have
been an angel!
Ryder ran a hand through his hair nervously, then checked his appearance in the glass
window of the gas station. After nearly an hour debating what to wear for a party that was
"dressy, but not formal, but not *too* dressy" he had finally settled on black cashmere
sweater over a white t-shirt, and black pants. With his leather jacket over it he thought he
could pull off dressed up, but not feel over-dressed if he misinterpreted what these kids
meant by dressing up. He frowned at how long his hair was getting and the silly way it
curled around his ears. He'd have to get that cut soon.
"Quit stalling," he thought, and knocked on Grace's front door, hoping that her sister Bella
wouldn't be the one to answer. The door opened and it was all he could do not to groan in
dismay. He didn't get a chance to say anything before Bella started in on him, her
disapproval apparent even before she said a word.
"What the hell are you doing here, Ryder?" she asked coldly, not letting him in the
house.
He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help himself – he bit back. "Not to see you, luv,
you're not my type."
"What are you doing with my sister? I know what you really think of her – I heard you
call her a townie slut. I know you only plan to use her."
"If you're so sure what my intentions are, why did you ask?" he asked calmly, but inside
he was cringing. Did Grace know he'd called her that ages ago – long before he ever
*knew* her?
"My sister is not going anywhere with you – not if I have anything to say about it!"
"She can make her own decisions you know – she's a smart girl," he said, glaring at
Bella. "It seems she wants my company, so I don't think its up to you." At least, he hoped
it wouldn't be up to Bella.
Grace's voice interrupted her sister's retort – "Bella, is that Ryder? Would you just let
him in already?"
Bella glared at him one last time then turned and walked away without opening the door
for him.
Grace appeared then, and he was stunned by the contrast between the two sisters. Bella
was a pretty girl and all, despite the foul disposition she always showed around him, but
she was nothing compared to her younger sister, in his opinion. Maybe it was the warmth
in her smile when she saw him – such a contrast to the contempt in her sister's
expression. On top of that, she was beautiful. The dress had looked great in the store, but
that hadn't prepared him to see the whole package once she put on all the finishing
touches. The final result was brilliant.
Grace felt her irritation with her sister fade away when she noticed the way Ryder was
looking at her. She smiled. Never in a million years would she have thought she'd see
Ryder speechless at the sight of her, and she felt as though she were watching a rare
event. This was even better than seeing Ryder blush.
"Are you ready?" he finally said, smiling at her.
"Yeah – lets get out of here before Will shows up too. Get them both together and I'll
never hear the end of it!"
*******
They pulled up outside a large, brightly lit house on the eastside of town within 15
minutes – New Rawley wasn't very big, and it didn't take long to get from one end of
town to the other.
Grace laughed at the look of surprise he wore – "What, you didn't think there could be
rich townies?"
"Is it that obvious?" he asked, concerned that he might have insulted her. After the brief
confrontation with Bella the word "townie" put him on edge. Turning to look at her he
saw she was smiling and he relaxed a little.
"You've never been to this side of town?"
He shook his head. "Never been – I was busy seeking out the seamier side of life," he
said, and winked at her. "So, whose party is this?"
"Chris Barretson's. He's a senior, kind of a jerk, but he throws a good party, so most
people tolerate him. Are you ready?"
"In a minute..." he said as he reached into his coat pocket for a small black box. "I've got
something for you." He handed it to her in a casual manner, as though it was no big deal,
and hoped she hadn't noticed the way his hand shook. Although he tried to appear
unconcerned, his heart beat wildly as she opened the gift.
She gasped when she saw the earrings she'd admired in the mall jewelry store nestled in
the velvet – beautiful silver studs with sapphire drops. Expensive, tasteful, and a
complete shock. A thousand warring emotions flooded through her as she stared at the
most expensive gift she'd ever received. What was she supposed to think? What was she
supposed to say? She was thrilled that he'd been so thoughtful – but she could hear
Bella's voice in the back of her mind warning her to watch out. Bella would say that a
gift like this was only a ploy to get her in bed. But she knew that Ryder didn't need to
buy his way in – he never seemed to have any trouble getting girls to do what ever he
wanted. So why would he do this for her?
She glanced back up at Ryder in the hope he'd give some clue to his intentions. He
looked away from her when she caught his eye, and her heart melted. He looked scared.
Scared of her…and embarrassed about it. At that moment all her doubts faded away.
Bella's voice went unheeded as she took his hand in hers. "They're beautiful, Ryder,
thank you."
"You're welcome," he said and turned to look at her, relief pouring out of him. "I figured
that I missed Christmas and your birthday, so…maybe I should make up for it."
"You didn't have to…but I'm glad you did," she said honestly. He looked surprised by
her candor, and she smiled and leaned in closer to him. "You've done so many things
lately that seem completely out of character – writing me letters, showing up at my Dad's
garage, picking out exactly the right gift when you didn't have to – that it's a little scary.
I'm not completely sure any of its real. But I want to believe it. I want to believe in you."
With that she pressed her lips to his cheek briefly and backed away, noting the look of
shock on his face.
She flipped down the visor and used the mirror to help her put the earrings in while she
composed herself. She hadn't meant to tell him all that – it just seemed to come out. It
was all true though – she wanted more than anything to believe that what she was seeing
of Ryder was real. Telling him that was a risk, her rational side knew that, but her rational
side rarely won out over emotion.
"How do they look?" she asked, flipping up the visor.
It took him a moment to respond, and when he did his voice seemed hoarse and cracked.
"They're beautiful. Like you." His eyes were dark and dangerously open – as though for
the first time ever his guard was down and she could see the real person behind the mask
he always wore.
"Shall we go in?" he asked, before she could respond, and the moment passed. Whatever
he had been feeling at that moment, he quickly hid it again. She could only nod her head
vigorously, and he flashed one of his trademark grins before he turned to get out of the
car. He circled to the other side, and opened her door for her. "Let's go, Gracie," he said,
smiling at her. He took her hand and they walked inside.
********
The party was not what he expected at all. Although less formal, the party reminded him
of the Rawley cotillions – teenagers uncomfortable in their dress clothes and too many
adults around. The Barretson's apparently had decided to "chaperone" their son's party
by inviting all their friends over, which forced most of the younger crowd into the
basement. Their son, Chris, hardly smiled at Grace's greeting and Ryder actually felt
sympathy for him. He was carrying around a tray of hors d'oerves and obviously was not
happy about it. Ryder remembered having to serve at some of his mother's parties and
knew the boy had to be feeling ridiculous.
He'd hated his mother's parties – she was always putting on a show, trotting him about
like he was a prize pony, and then ignoring him once she got the attention she wanted.
The only good side to the parties was that his stepfather hated them too and could be
counted on to stay far away when she had them – which was often. Any night Richard
was gone was a good night.
They followed the disgruntled boy down to the basement, where he mumbled grumpily
that his parents and their friends would be leaving soon, and then turned to head back
upstairs and continue his duty. "Poor sod," he said to Grace under his breath.
She whispered back, "Yeah – he's gonna hear about this for the rest of the year if this
place doesn't liven up. The only reason most of these people are here is because he's got
a great house for parties." She gestured to the thirty or so other kids hanging around the
basement.
He observed the others for a moment, taking in the rather somber group. A few were
playing pool at the regulation size billiard table on the left of the rather massive
basement, while others were gathered around on the leather couches and chairs
surrounding a big screen TV or leaning against the walls. The low murmur of
conversation carried a hint of discontent. Everyone had apparently been hoping for a
different sort of New Years Eve party – not chaperones and soda like a child's party.
He spotted an empty table in a far corner and steered her towards it. She didn't seem to
know many of the kids here and he sensed she felt out of place and awkward. He noticed
a polished mahogany board on the table and smiled. He knew just how to distract her.
"Up for a game?" he asked, pulling a deck of cards out of his coat pocket (he was rarely
without them).
"Depends on the game, " she said coyly, but smiled gratefully. She was glad he was
being a good sport about the rather disappointing gathering. She'd been hanging out with
Rawley guys long enough to know that most would sneer at a party like this, yet, so far,
he hadn't.
"Cribbage," he said, placing the board between them. "Do you know how to play?"
"Do *I* know how to play? Prepare to be skunked! My dad taught me to play years ago..."
"Hmmm…normally I would say ladies deal first, but…since you're a master…" he
trailed off, a sly glint in his eye.
"It's still polite," she reminded him pointedly. When it came to cards she knew how
competitive he was, and she wanted any advantage she could get.
He demurred with a smile and handed the cards to her. He'd only been teasing her
anyway – he was thrilled she knew how to play. It had been years since he played
Cribbage – it was a game he used to play with his father. One more thing he and Grace
had in common.
********
"And that's 15 for 2, which put me at 121 points – skunked you again!" Grace cried with
delight.
"You didn't skunk me – I have 96 points. To skunk me I have to have less than 90. Don't
go getting cocky now." He grinned despite the fact that she'd effectively kicked his ass
three times in a row. Losing at cards wasn't something he took well, normally, but
playing with her had been too much fun. She was good – never missed an opportunity to
score points, and even caught points off of him when he missed something. He chalked
that one up to the simple distraction of looking at her.
"Another game?" she asked.
"I think not – you've already completely demoralized me. Can't have that get around."
He winked at her to show he was only kidding. "Besides, I think things are about to liven
up around here."
********
An hour later, Grace stood next to Ryder, sipping a tequila sour and listening to some
vapid cheerleader flirt with her date. She glanced around the room, watching the dancing
couples as they swayed to the music. Ryder had been right – the party had livened up.
The adults, wanting a slightly more sophisticated atmosphere in which to ring in the New
Year, had taken off for a shindig at the New Rawley Country Club, leaving the house to
the to the teenagers, along with a well-stocked liquor cabinet and plenty of beer.
"So, you're from *England*? That's so cool!" squealed Ryder's latest groupie. Grace rolled
her eyes surreptitiously. Much as she was enjoying Ryder's company, his unexpected
popularity with the girls at the party was starting to grate on her. She was glad he fit in so
well, especially since it made it easier for her, but having girls constantly simper at Ryder
was getting irritating. At least she'd been able to chat with *their* dates while the girls tried
to steal hers.
"Must be payback for all the times I tried it," she muttered to herself as she finished off
her drink. The girl giggled again, and that was enough for Grace.
"Ryder?" she asked sweetly, sliding an arm around his waist.
"Yeah, Gracie?"
"You wanna dance?"
He looked down at her and grinned. He'd been waiting for a chance to get her out on the
floor, but he wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to. Once everybody had loosened up,
she'd started chatting with people she knew from school and he'd thought she'd been
having fun. He, frankly, had been trying to figure out a way to extricate himself from the
ditzy girls who seemed to think he was fair game.
He leaned in and kissed her gently. "I thought you'd never ask," he said as he took her
hand and led her to the floor.
Just like the last time, dancing with Ryder felt completely natural, as though she'd been
doing it all her life. There wasn't the same intensity, maybe because there weren't as
many hidden emotions coming into play, but they still moved together in perfect synch.
Grace grinned as he twirled her around while the song came to an end. It had been about
30 minutes, and she needed a break, if only for a little while.
"Time for a break?" she asked him, grinning happily.
"Yeah, sounds good," he replied. "You want anything to drink?"
She was warm from being out on the crowded dance floor, from the exertion, and just
from being his arms. She nodded. "Yeah, a beer would be great. Thanks," she added, as
he led her off the floor before heading off in search of their drinks.
She watched him go, admiring his backside as he disappeared in the crowd. She sighed
happily and turned to watch the dance floor again, taking note of who was dancing with
whom, and therefore, calculating how many breakups there would be before the week
was over.
"Grace." An angry voice snapped her out of her reverie and she whirled around to see
who had spoken to her.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Grace?"
She sighed. "Having a perfectly wonderful New Year's Eve, Bella, what about you?" she
asked. She didn't want to fight with her sister, not here and not now.
Bella, however, didn't seem to agree with her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ryder, meanwhile, was having problems of his own. He had managed to fight his way
over to the bar, despite the attempts of that dippy girl to get him on the dance floor. He
grabbed two beers quickly, wanting to get out of the crowd surrounding the alcohol. He
had just reached the edge of the dance floor when someone grabbed his arm and dragged
him over to the edge of the room.
"What do you think you're doing, Ryder?"
Ryder sighed to himself, fighting the urge to say something snarky that would only drag
him into a fight, before looking directly at Will Krudski and replying, "What does it look
like? I'm not throwing a parade." 'Well, hell,' he thought to himself, 'here we go.'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Well, Bella, since you ask, I was having a perfectly wonderful time with my date over
there." Grace gestured towards the bar, where she could see Ryder holding two bottles of
beer and pushing his way through the people.
"He's an ass, Grace, and I don't like it that you're seeing him," her sister replied, glaring
at her.
"Sorry, mommy," she drawled, her tone venomous, "but I'm a big girl, and I can do what
I want - and see *who* I want."
"Those Rawley boys are only after one thing, Grace, and you know it!"
Grace merely cocked her eyebrow at Bella. "You're here with a Rawley boy," she
pointed out to Bella, smirking when her sister gave her a look of utter loathing.
"It's different with Will," Bella snapped. "Did you know that your precious Ryder called
you a townie slut? Think about that, Grace, before you do something stupid." With that,
Bella turned and headed into the crowd.
Grace paled as her past as the wild child came back to haunt her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Will glared at Ryder. "I know you're not throwing a parade, you jerk-off. What I want to
know is what the hell you're doing here with Grace?"
"Dancing? Drinking? Ringing in the New Year, New Rawley style?" Ryder tried to keep
his temper under control. Fighting with Will, one of Grace's oldest acquaintances,
wouldn't win him any points with her.
Will refused to back down. "You just want to get her into bed, don't you?"
Ryder blinked, not quite certain how to answer that. Of *course* he wanted Grace in bed,
but he couldn't exactly tell Will that. Besides, he wasn't with Grace just because he
thought she was easy. He was with her because he liked her, because they had fun
together, because she was the only person in New Rawley who had noticed that he was
human, too. But, he couldn't tell Will *that* either, or he'd never hear the end of it.
Unfortunately, Will mistook his silence for agreement.
"I knew it!" Will snapped. "You know, Ryder, no matter what I might think of Grace and
her lifestyle, she's still like a little sister to me. And I'll be damned if I let her screw up
her life with you. Just because half the guys at Edmund High have slept with her, it
doesn't mean that she can't get hurt by one of you rich snobs. I won't let her get her heart
broken by one of you jerks. Especially not *you*," Will spat.
Ryder saw red. He couldn't believe that one of Grace's oldest friends, someone who
considered her a little sister, would accuse her of being a slut, just like that. He clenched
his jaw, fighting the urge to deck Will as hard as he could.
"I'm not here because I want Grace in my bed, you idiot," he hissed, his eyes narrowed.
"What kind of friend are you, anyway? You say she's a little sister, then turn around and
call her a slut? Do you even *know* Grace? Don't answer that," he snapped, when Will
started to say something, "I'm not finished. It's obvious you don't know her *at all* or
you'd know better than to think she's slept with half the school. You and her sister over
there need to stop trying to run her life, Krudski. You don't know what's right for
Grace."
"Oh, and you do?" Will interrupted, seething.
"I know enough to look beyond the surface," Ryder shot back. "When was the last time
you tried that?" He smiled triumphantly when Will said nothing. "That's what I thought."
"You're just using her, Ryder. I don't want her getting hurt by you," Will retorted.
Ryder ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "I won't hurt her, you bloody idiot, I love
her!" He froze. He hadn't meant to say that, it had just come out. Deciding that there was
dignity in retreat, he spun on his heel and stalked off in Grace's direction, taking several
large, fortifying gulps of beer on the way.
*He loved her*. He couldn't believe he had just blurted that out – and to Will Krudski of all
people! He stopped short for a moment, a small smile creeping across his face. *He loved
her*. He didn't know how it had happened, but he couldn't deny it anymore. Now he just
had to figure out how to tell Grace…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Grace stared into the crowd as Bella disappeared, her brain whirling. 'Ryder called me a
townie slut? *When*?' God, did he still think that of her? Was that why he was here with
her tonight? She'd thought they had just been having fun, but did he really have an
ulterior motive? She'd already fallen for him – was she just headed for a broken heart?
She snapped out of her thoughts when Ryder walked up behind her and handed her a
bottle of beer. She took a long drink, watching him warily out of the corner of her eye.
He looked…a little stunned. She wondered about that while she watched him when he
suddenly turned and looked her in the eye.
"Can we get out of here?" he asked. "Will and I just…" he trailed off, not wanting her to
know what had really happened. Hell, he still hadn't processed it, exactly. He just knew
that he wanted to be alone with Grace when the clock struck midnight.
Grace swallowed nervously. God, what did he mean? Did he think…? 'Act cool, Grace,'
she told herself. 'Wait a minute, did he say Will?'
"Ryder, what happened with Will?" she asked sharply. "Was he giving you a hard time?"
Her thoughts suddenly came into focus as she realized that Bella and Will just didn't like
the idea of her and Ryder together. "I swear to God, I'm gonna murder those two…yeah,
let's go." She didn't want to risk a confrontation between all four of them – it would just
get ugly.