The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you."
― Frederick Buechner

Blayze.

  I'd gone home and taken a small nap.

  When I woke up, that argument I had with Zanna was replaying again and again in my head.

  Zanna didn't know me, she didn't know a damn thing about me. I hadn't gotten in an argument like that with someone since... Hailey.

  That was the weird thing about it.

  I now knew Zanna could make me mad. She could get under my skin, and I hated that.

  After getting up from bed, I took a piss, and hopped into the shower.

  Once I got out, I went ahead and put on some clothes for the party tonight.

  That weed I'd smoke from earlier, had made me hungry. So, after getting dressed I treaded downstairs, drying my hair with a towel along the way.

  Mom usually made little gourmet snacks for the family, and she'd store the snacks in the fridge to keep fresh. I liked the bacon ranch dip she made, as well as the cheese crackers with the roasted ham. I got out both things, sat down at the island counter, and delved first into the dip.

  Therefore I was almost done with my snack when my cell rang.

I got my phone off the counter.

  The caller ID on my phone read: Will

  I wanted to groan in annoyance. Sure I'd been ignoring my friends more than a little lately, but I didn't feel like dealing with whatever bullshit they wanted me to do. It was already enough that I was going to this party tonight—which was something I really didn't wanna do.

  There'd be the usual people there.

  Casey Earls (the biggest douche in baseball), Wyatt Smith (me and him have battled it out a lot in the past), and... Hailey (my ex-girlfriend).

  She'd be on that asshole's lap again. Except this time, we wouldn't be together and that would add another large bruise on my ego. The break up had affected me more than I would've expected it to. I'd been in love with her. Her dirty blond hair, blue eyes, and cheek bones, were enough to make me go insane. But that ship had already sailed, and I didn't find myself in love with her like I'd been.

  I ignored the phone call. Yeah, Will would be pissed at me but I didn't care. Huh, I might not even stay at the party long.

  Ryan Farrow's parties were known to get out of hand. And what usually happened to a party that got out of hand? He lived way out in the country, and us high schoolers usually took advantage of being away from the city.

  Done with my snack, I took a glance at the time: 5:45. The party started at 7. That meant, I still had some time on my hands. Perhaps I could try to get my English assignment going.

  I had been at school that that day when Mr Morgan had handed out the assignment, but I'd been in the office during my English hour. Why I'd been in the office? I forgot. I think I was almost failing a class, and Coach Donahue (everyone called him Huey) had assigned me a tutor, or something like that. I hadn't understood why, since the football season was almost over. And now that I thought about it, the tutoring session had been scheduled today after school.

  I kind of paled. What would Coach Huey say to me, if he knew I'd ditched tutoring? I kind of smirked, but the smirk soon fell from my face. He would know that I'd ditched tutoring today, someone would tell him that Blayze Terran didn't show up at tutoring today. Or maybe the nerd he'd assigned me to, would go-on and tattle like a freaking 5 year old

  That had me thinking:

  I was starting to hate football.

  I was beginning to hate the long hours of practice, Huey's yelling, and the huge expectations I had to meet, just to make everyone happy. I wasn't the quarterback, but I was the linebacker. That job in the game was just as important as any "important" job in a game. I liked baseball more. I loved throwing the curveballs, running to the different plates, hitting the balls with the bat. Baseball I founded myself holding more passion for, compared to football. I loved playing the game better and I was a better player when I was into a game, rather than being in it, just because this person told me I should join this sport.

"Blayze?"

  I jumped. I guess I was so deep in my thoughts, I hadn't heard my mom come in. Mom didn't hide the disappointment that was evident on her face. The school called her, I just knew it. Fuck.

  I gave Mom the best grin I could muster. Maybe she'd pity me, her only child. Maybe I could tell her I really hadn't been feeling good today. But I wouldn't be convincing enough with the dark blue Armani shirt I was wearing along with the dark jeans and black vans.

  I thought neither her or dad would be home when it'd be time to leave for the party.

  "The school called me today," she said walking towards the fridge. "Blayze, you can't just leave school like you did. You didn't even tell me or your father that you were failing English." She took out a package of beef and laid it in the sink. Then she turned around and waited for my... Explanation.

  I didn't say anything.

  So, I was failing English... I'd thought I was at least managing a D in there.

  Now I knew that was not the case.

  Wait, that'd reminded me about what Mr Morgan had said to me today... Zanna had been bugging me, to tell her what words were exchanged between me and Mr Morgan. He'd stopped me after class, acknowledging my crummy grade.

  "Blayze you're failing my class," he stated clearly. He was sitting behind the podium stemming from the fact that all Mr Morgan did in class today, was lecture and monitor each groups' progress on their assignments. Apparently I didn't have a partner and my assignment wasn't done.

  I didn't make it known to Mr Morgan that I didn't have a partner. Instead, I joined Mark and Matt's group.

  "Uh yeah," I said warily. I didn't feel like getting reprimanded by Mr Morgan. He was a pretty laid back guy, but when it came to failing and slacking-off, he'd go ape on you. How I knew? One time Matt Herchock had called an assignment bullshit. He'd said it so loud, I hadn't been surprised that Mr Morgan heard him. Mr Morgan then asked why. Matt said he didn't like writing and he founded it boring, Mr Morgan ended up yelling in his face.

  "Take a seat right there Blayze," he said pointing to one of the desks in the front.

  I nodded and took a seat nearest to the podium. I wanted to leave, if he was going to tell me about my grade, I already knew I was failing. I would bring the grade up somehow—someway. He didn't need to pound me for it, I was gonna get it up.

  Coach Huey got me a tutor and everything. I was covered.

  "So you see, Blay—" Mr Morgan began.

  I interrupted him. "Look Mr Morgan, I'm gonna tell you now. I know I'm failing this class, Huey's got me covered. He's got me a tutor and everything. Whatever you're going to say, I know."

  Mr Morgan smiled as if the words that just left my mouth were a joke to him. Not a joke as in, "oh Blayze you don't try enough, and you're not smart enough to pass my class. A tutor won't help you." It was more like, "Blayze that's not what I'm wanting to talk to you about. Calm down."

  I gave him a confused look.

  "See Blayze," he said, laughing a little. "I'm gonna cut you some slack... 'Kay?"

  I was quiet.

  "... I know the person who was supposed to be working with you on this assignment is in the hospi—"

  "Zanna?"

  He nodded. I was partners with her?

  Wierd.

  "When I saw you working with Mr Herchock and Mr Sailing, I didn't wanna say anything about Ms Purgeth's absence to you. I'm not sure, if most of your classmates know what's going on with Zanna."

  No, I didn't think anyone knew. She would be the talk of the school, if that were the case. Her accident would be exaggerated and warped, and instead of her getting hit by a car—which was the true story. At the end of the day, her accident would be put as: She was running away and just as she was hitchhiking, a car swerved on the road and hit her.

  Besides, Zanna wasn't a familiar face amongst the halls of Wayward High. She'd went totally unnoticed by me (until she turned into a ghost) and maybe the student-body as a whole. But I had to ask about her to some people. I was curious on how people had seen her before the accident. Maybe even now—if anyone had the sense to notice her before.

  "So Blayze," Mr Morgan let on, "I'll give you full credit for the assignment. Zanna's condition is what I'm worried most about and since your father's a doctor there, where's she checked into—St Peter's, right?"

  "Yeah, St Peter's."

  "Just give me any updates on how she's doing."

  He'd give me full credit for an exchange of updates from me, about Zanna's condition. That didn't seem too bad.

  Didn't seem bad at all.

  "So I'm letting you go easy on this... 'Kay?"

  "Yeah," I nodded.

  Not having much else to say and knowing this conversation had ended, I grabbed my sports bag and binder. I was glad I was able to leave now, what I thought would be a dreadful conversation didn't turn out to be so bad.

  After that, I ended up seeing Zanna again. Had she heard the whole conversation? I found out she hadn't.

  I didn't have an explanation for mom, in mind, other than the lame I hadn't been feeling good today, excuse. I didn't have to give mom an explanation, much less did I feel like giving her one. I glanced at the time on my phone. It read 6:25.

  I wanted to leave now. Mom was still waiting for an answer as she leant against the counter with her arms crossed. But I didn't say anything, all I did was grab my phone, jump off the stool. I began to make a detour towards the front door.

  "Blayze, you're grounded," Mom stated simply. "That means you can't leave for whatever you wanted to do tonight."

   I stopped in my steps. I turned around and gave my mom an annoyed look. I know what "grounded" means.

  "Mom I haven't went out in 2 weeks," That was true, considering all I did and could do during these last 2 weeks was spend a lot of time at football practices and the gym. She could at least give me a break, but of course, her and Dad didn't care enough about that to let me go out.

  "Blayze, you can't skip school Like you did and not expect consequences," she said to me in a stern manner. "That's not like you. I know with Zanna being in the hospital, it's tough. I'm not going to excuse this behavior. So, hand me your car keys."

I was kind of surprised mom brought up Zanna, but it pissed me off how suddenly because of Zanna being in the hospital, her goody goody son was beginning to act out.

I gave mom a look of disbelief.

  "What?"

  She held out her hand, and motioned for me to come forward. "I said for you to hand me your car keys. You're not going out."

  Okay, admittedly, that pissed me off, too. The look my mother was giving me had me feel a frustration that made me want to immediately disobey her orders. I tightened my grip on my car keys. "Mom, I won't skip again...just let me go, please?"

  She shook her head. "No. You're gonna stay here. And when your father comes home, he'll surely have some words to say about this."

  Mom stepped forward, with her hand still out. "Now Blayze, give me your keys and go to your room."

  I knew in that moment, I had a decision to make. Was it to feel the wrath of my parents once I came home from the party, or to listen to my parents like any good son would.

  I chose the former. When I opened the door, and ran quickly to my car. I heard Mom calling my name. "Blayze come back here!....Don't you dare start the car!"

  My parents were going to kill me later for disobeying them. But for some reason, other than for being in the in-crowd, I felt like I needed to go to this party for myself. To get away from my parents who had high expectations for me, and the slight depression that sometimes came over me.

  I drove away from the house, with my mother still yelling at me, telling me to stop the car. I took a couple lefts and rights.

  Ryan Farrow lived a little bit out in the country. He didn't live near a lot of houses.

  So, the drive would take about thirty minutes.

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A/N: There ya go! 

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