Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 112736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
The next thing I know, he’s tugging me out of my chair and I’m stumbling onto my feet.
He gives me a gentle nudge on my back to get me moving. “I’ll be ‘round to see ya soon. Real soon. I gotta teach you and my grandson how to say Loo-a-vul the right way!”
Oh, I can’t fucking wait.
A slender, redheaded woman separates from the crowd and steps up to me. “Allie?”
My head still spinning, I say, “Yes?”
Then Coy’s dad bellows mockingly behind me, “Ain’t no grandchild of mine gonna call it Looeyville! Shee-it!”
My eyes widen as all the old guys burst into laughter.
“And I’m a greedy man, Allison girl! Don’t you forget that! I’m expectin’ more grandbabies! Soon!”
Holy fuck. I wish a hole would open up beneath me and swallow me right fucking now.
Taking in the look on my face, the redhead giggles. “Girl, you definitely look like you just got the Hound treatment. Let’s get you a drink.”
Grabbing me by the hand, she tugs me through the crowd, and I don’t even care that I don’t know her or where we’re going.
Anywhere is better than here.
The crowd has definitely grown thicker now, and every so often I hear people cheering my name before they slam back drinks.
I try to spot Coy among the faces, but he’s nowhere to be seen.
“Girls! Look who I found!” the redhead says as she tugs me up to three other women standing at the bar.
Giggling over something on the phone they’re crowding around, their heads pop up, and then they erupt in squeals.
“Allie!”
I suffer more hugs I didn’t ask for from people I don’t know. And do my best to keep a smile on my face as they tell me how great it is to see me.
It’s the redhead that seems to finally notice my almost extreme discomfort when she asks, “You don’t remember us, do you?”
Fuck, I’m getting really sick of that question because it makes me feel uncomfortable and guilty as hell.
I shake my head and cringe. “No, sorry.”
Sympathy appears on their faces, which only makes me feel worse.
I glance back at the crowd, hoping to see Coy so I have an excuse to escape.
“Well, that’s alright! We heard the story! Right, girls?” the redhead declares cheerfully. “Just gives us an excuse to talk about the old days!”
Enthusiastically, they each begin to tell me their names and how we met.
The redhead tells me she goes by Roxy now, but back in high school, when we were on the cheer squad together, she was Cassie.
The other three girls each tell me their names, Ivy, June, and Peaches. And apparently, I’ve met them all through high school cheer squad. All of us, except Peaches, were in the same grade. Peaches was actually a couple of grades beneath us, but because she was such a talented cheerleader she ended up on the varsity squad with us.
They tell me funny stories about myself and the stuff I got up to with my parents to help me relax. Stories of me climbing half-naked out of Coy’s clubhouse room window when my parents would sic the cops on my ass. Or stealing a case of the shitty wine they planned to use for monthly communion and sharing it in the high school parking lot with them before a game.
I listen to it all with a touch of amused disbelief, wondering if I really did all of that.
“You don’t believe us, do ya?” June asks, her blue eyes narrowing at me after telling me one Halloween I somehow convinced Poster Boy to ride a cow while wearing a cow costume.
Shaking my head, I apologize. “I’m sorry, it all sounds a little ridiculous…”
The girls look at each other, smirks on their lips.
“Okay, well lucky for you, I’ve got pictures!” June snickers and lifts her phone up.
Oh shit.
We all lean in as she swipes her phone open, and I hold my breath, a little afraid to see proof of my past mischief.
When her phone unlocks, I expect to see a home screen or a picture as a wallpaper.
What I don’t expect is to get immediately blasted in the face with hardcore porn.
“Shit! Sorry! I forgot that was on there!” June squeals and starts to close it out.
But Roxy stops her by asking, “Wait. Is that the chick that came through the Mounds? That Nympho Nixx chick?”
“Yes,” June giggles.
“Holy shit! I heard about this. Rotten to the Core. It won a bunch of awards and shit!” Roxy says excitedly, and we all get sucked into what’s happening on the phone screen.
The woman, Nixx, is upside down, moaning and writhing, while a big beast of a man stands over her, pounding down into her.
“I recognize that guy… he came through with her…” Peaches says, her eyes bright like a little kid’s on Christmas morning.
“Yep, I’m pretty sure that’s FOCUS from the New York City Chapter,” June snickers.