You Have Player Written All Over You[Editing]

(22). That's Just For Living.

22. That's Just For Living.

I felt someone pulling me up. My legs were still jelly and I was tempted to just shake the person off and slop back onto the ground again.

"Come on, Libby. Help me out here!"

It was Russell.

He pulled me up again and this time I made an effort to stay in my feet. I stumbled back stage with Russell's help, my last glance back filled with sorrow when I looked at that soaked Baby Grand.

I started crying. Russell and I were back stage now, and we just stood in the center of it, me crying and Russell just waiting and murmuring comforting words.

"Bia, it's okay. No one that matters saw that. If anything, people will feel sorry for you, not make fun of you. So stop crying." Russell said, tucking my chin up.

I gazed into his tender eyes. "I-it's not t-that." I stuttered.

"Then what is it?" Russell asked, confused.

I pointed toward the curtain. "That Baby Grand.. It's ruined!" I wailed.

I saw Russell mouth words through the blur of my tears, but what he was saying was lost on me.

My ears exploded with the sound of laughter. Hooting and hollering was heard all around me.

I looked up and around and my eyes finally locked on a video camera pointed straight at me, the red blinking light flashing to show that it was recording, and Audrey, who was holding it and shaking with laughter.

Russell was looking at Audrey too. His face was furious but icy at the same time.

"You went way too far this time, Audrey Harlaman."

I shivered. I don't think I've ever seen Russell this mad before. His words struck me to the bone, even though they weren't directed at me.

The torture of formality and aloofness he gave me previously wasn't even this bad.

Audrey seemed visibly shaken too. But she tried to play it off.

She laughed humorlessly. "Russell Remurs, you've crossed the line with me ages ago. Your old man's a manslut and your going down the same path. But you know what the sad thing is?"

Russell just stood there with his jaw clenched.

Audrey said her next sentence with emphasis. "You're never going to live up to your dad's expectations because you've never even had sex."

That's when all hell broke loose.

There were taunts and boos in the crowd behind the curtain. But of course, they all heard and saw everything because of that damn video camera.

Russell was pale. It was my turn to rescue him from humiliation now.

I dragged him out the back door and strapped him up into the passenger's seat.

"I think we both deserve a drink, don't you think?" I asked as I turned the key in the ignition.

                                                                      (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

We were drunk. I knew it, Russell knew it, we both knew it.

We were in Russell's car with a pack of beer.

We laughed goofily at each other, our words slurred.

"Yah, fwuck Audray." I giggled as I gulped down my 4th bottle of beer.