UR SO PRETTY - gil rizzo

02. better than old friends

"THANK YOU," Angelina smiles, looking at Gil, "for driving me home, I mean. Since my brother left without me and all that. You really didn't have to take me home."

"Yeah, it's no big deal," he looks at her, thinking, "Want me to pick you up in the morning? I can take you to school."

"Yes!" Angelina answers, a little too quickly and excited, "I mean, yeah, sure, that sounds cool."

Laughing, Gil walks her to her front door, "Okay, see you tomorrow then."

"Bye."

Gil walks away just as Nathaniel opens the door, Patty behind him, standing at the Phone, "The phone has been ringing for you since he parked that car. Patty answered, it's Susan."

"Oh," she breathes out, not excited for having to talk to the annoying girl, "Patty hand me the phone and get to bed, please." Patty nods her head, smiling while she hands the phone to her older sister.

"Hi, Susan!" Angie greets, "How are you?"

"Angie, it's you! I'm doing horrible!" Susan exclaims, "Didn't you hear? Buddy is going steady with Brainey Janey!"

"I did not hear that, I'm very sorry."

"AND!" Susan shouts, "Dottie says that they went all the way!"

"Oh!" Angelina's eyes widen, "Well, how true can that be? I mean does she really seem to be the backseat of a car kind of girl?"

"I don't know?! But I believe it. I'll see you tomorrow," Susan cries, hanging up.

"That was weird," Angelina mumbles, walking to her room, still thinking about all the time she spent with her longtime crush, Gil, tonight.

~•~

ANGELINA WOKE UP extra early the next morning, it's the first day of junior year, after all. She wanted to look extra nice for it. w w.   

A knock on her door breaks her out of her mind as Patty lets herself into her room.

"Can I please, please, please borrow some makeup?" Patty begs, rollers still in her hair.

"Patty, you're in Eighth Grade, I didn't start wearing makeup until my freshman year!" She smiles at her sister.

"I promise I no ever snitch on you again if you let me borrow a teensy tiny bit of blush," Patty pleads.

"Fine," Angie rolls her eyes, "A very small amount and I apply it!"

"Thank you!" Patty squeals as her older sister applies a minuscule amount of blush onto her cheeks, "Wow!" She exclaims when Angie finishes, "I look pretty!"

"You are pretty, dumby," Angelina rolls her eyes again, "Now go, I need to finish getting ready, my ride will be here any minute," she ushers her sister out of room to do her finishing touches.

The girl, clad in a cute pink dress, gazes into the mirror, nodding at the sight in front of her as butterflies fill her tummy at the idea of Gil picking her up for school. She walks down the stairs, grabs a quick breakfast, an apple, and waits until she hears a knock on the door.

"Hi," she smiles as she opens the door, seeing Gil dressed in his signature T-Birds jacket waiting for her, her brother standing behind her, "I'm gonna go, bye Nathaniel."

"Yeah, bye. See you at school."

"You look really pretty," Gil compliments his crush, a million thoughts racing through his brain, "I'm guessing you like pink."

"It's my favorite color," she smiles when Gil opens the door for her, "What's yours?"

"Blue," he smiles at her, gazing into her blue eyes.

~•~

WALKING WITH THE T-Birds, the boys inform Olivia and Angie of every piece of gossip having to do with Jane Facciano.

"That goody-two-shoes Frigidaire?" Olivia asks, walking in tandem with Angie, "Dream on, boys."

"It's true," Gil tells them, "I heard she made it with half the Brooklyn Dodgers before she left New York," he matches the girls' pace, coming in next to Angie.

"They had an awful season that year," Potato points out, making Angelina roll her eyes. Cynthia pops out from no where, pushing Gil from his place next to Angie.

"Oh, look! It's the belle of the ball!" Richie exclaims.

"Change your face, Richie, or I'll rearrange it," Cynthia says as Angie falls back, walking next to Gil.

"Ah, let her do it, chato!" Olivia exclaims, looking at her brother, "Can't get uglier than what you've got now." The two continue their conversation as Gil stumbles into the tree and then pushes some kids books out his hands.

Edward and Gil stretch out a slinky Edward had on him as Potato and Cynthia limbo beneath, Angie going to help the guy with his books. She returns to them quickly when the guy rudely declines her help.

Olivia walks away into the school, boys drooling after the beautiful girl, Richie stops his friends from looking by turning around, shouting a reprimanding, "Hey!" at the group, watching them turn the other way.

"You guys are way better than my old friends," Angelina laughs making the T-Birds laugh too, "No, I really mean it! I should've just listen to Nathaniel when I became friends with them, the soc's. I mean, he told me to not be friends with them and just stick with Olivia, 'cause 'one good friend is better than one hundred flakey ones," she deepens her voice to imitate her brother, "but I think let it get to my head."

Her rambling is drowned out by everyone, except Gil who smiles at her, "Popularity is like a curse," he tells her, smiling when she nods in agreement.

The group enter the school boldly, a few exclamations form the group are tuned out as Angelina watches Jane on a seemingly not-sturdy ladder.

Potato walks up by Jane, saying something to her Angie doesn't really hear, too focused on Gil trying to look up Jane's skirt.

"I beg your pardon?" Jane exclaims as Angie slaps her new friend — and crush of three years — in the back of the head, hard.

"I'm sorry, honey," he brushes Angie off, throwing an arm around Richie and Potato, "It's just, my friends here have never been to New York. And we heard under your skirt is New York City's most visited attraction."

"Come on, morons," Richie slaps them away as they laugh and walk away.

"That wasn't very funny, Gil," Angie tells him, "I mean, how'd you feel if that happened to the girl you liked?" When Gil doesn't respond she rolls her eyes and looks past him to see Jane stop Richie.

"Please?" Jane pleads, compelling Richie to answer whatever she was asking.

"Look, they're saying you had to flee the New York mafia to seek treatment for your nymphomania," Richie tells the poor girl, "But it didn't work. Now, you've given Buddy Aldridge venereal disease."

"What?" Jane exclaims, catching people's attention.

"You're knocked up too," Gil adds, Angie rolling her eyes once more, shoving his arm and successfully knocking him off his balance.

"Twins!" Potato chimes in. "Different fathers," Shy Guy adds. "Congratulations!" Cynthia exclaims.

"Richie!" Susan waves as the rest of the T-Birds leave, Gil throwing an arm around Angie, leading her away.

"I meant it, guys," she tells her new friends, "It's not funny. Jane doesn't deserve all that."

"Oh, we don't actually believe it!" Gil tells her.

"Yeah!" Potato agrees, "We're just having a little fun!"

"Whatever," she shrugs off Gil's arm, "I'll see you guys at lunch. Cynthia, we have homeroom together, right?" Cynthia nods, "Wanna walk with me?"

"Sure! Bye, guys!"