Think Pink (Grease 2) ✔

Chapter 29

'Johnny you're going to have to decide what you want to do, and face up to Paulette,' Louis said parroting the words Sharon had given to him.

'What I want to do is get as far away from Paulette as I can,' Johnny snarled, and Davey gave him a disapproving look.

'I'm not saying I will,' he quickly added turning to Louis. 'It's okay for you, you've got the girl you want, no one's making you do anything.'

Goose frowned. 'When are you even gonna marry Sharon?' he asked, his face twisting in confusion.

Louis shrugged. 'In a year or two, Sharon and her mom will sort it out. I've just gotta turn up.' Mrs Cooper had reacted with horror to the engagement but when she was reassured that Sharon wasn't pregnant, she'd grudgingly accepted it. Louis could tell she wasn't thrilled and figured it was best to go along with her wishes so she wouldn't cause trouble.

'And you don't get a say in the matter?' Davey asked.

'I'm not bothered about the wedding day,' Louis admitted. He'd do whatever made Sharon happy, girls cared more about that sorta stuff.

'The wedding's the easy bit,' Johnny said scowling. 'It's the rest of my life I'm more worried about.'

'You have to let Paulette know where she stands,' Louis said.

'I know, I won't run away from this but....' He let out a deep breath, his shoulders slumping. 'How can we get married? We have nowhere to live.'

'You'll work it out,' Davey assured him, and Johnny nodded seemingly resigned to his fate.

                                                                   ~~~~

'Hello Jonathan,' Mrs Cooper said giving him a hard look as she let him in.

'Hi Johnny,' Paulette said with her usual excited anticipation.

'Hey,' he said without enthusiasm.

'I'll leave you two to it,' Mrs Cooper said. 'I take it you have come round to resolve this Jonathan.' Johnny could see where Sharon got the attitude from.

'I guess it's about time we talked,' he said to Paulette sitting down.

She smiled tightly. 'Yes there's not much time, I went to see a doctor and I'm due around February.'

Johnny swallowed hard. 'That's barely six months away, so what do you want to do?' 

'Well, I want us to get married. I want to keep our baby, I don't want it to be adopted.'

He sighed as she confirmed what he'd expected. 'And if I don't want that?' He saw her face fall.

'You'd rather your child was raised by strangers?' she asked in a small voice.

He ran his hand through his hair, rubbing his temple. 'No not really but marriage...we're too young, I don't think we're ready for it.'

'Louis and Sharon are,' she pointed out, and he couldn't miss the resentment in her voice.

'Yeah they're ready to get married in a year or two, and they've been together much longer.' The two situations did not compare, no one was forcing them into it.

'I know it's not ideal but it's where we are,' she said quietly.

'So how'd we go about arranging a marriage?' he asked with a deep sigh. 'I'm telling you now I want no fuss. No engagement party, no big family wedding.' Paulette nodded, if she was hurt by his demands she didn't let on.

'We'll have to do it quickly anyway,' she said touching her stomach. 'I'm starting to show so I guess we get a few witnesses and go to city hall. I'll ask Sharon's mom, she seems to know about this stuff.'