"Tell me again, why do I have to do this?" Davey grumbled to Louis from the back of the stage where the pink ladies were getting ready to rehearse their act for the talent show.
"Sharon said she'd make it worth my while," Louis said glancing over at her as she was giving Rhonda a last-minute pep talk. Boy was she taking this seriously, if only she'd give him that kind of attention.
"She said she'd make it worth your while," Davey continued. "What do I get out of it."
"How about the chance to hang out with a load of girls." Louis indicated his head towards Ruth. "Why don't you go and talk to her, she's not bad looking."
"I guess," Davey said looking mildly interested.
"Louis, can you move to the left," Sharon yelled. "You need to make room for Rhonda. She's gonna enter the stage between you and Davey, with Maggie and Jane two steps behind her."
Louis shuffled to one side while Rhonda got into position, and Sharon joined Michael by the piano, her face tense. Michael began to play and Sharon visibly relaxed as the girls around her sang their lines, however when Rhonda's performance started it all went wrong.
"If you fall in the fall you'll see," she sang waving a couple of branches that were supposed to be part of her 'October' costume. "September can be heavenly."
"Ow," Davey said holding a hand to his head where he'd been struck by the branch. "Watch it."
Rhonda stumbled but continuing to sing, now out of time with the music. "If you fall, may you fall-"
"That will be all today," Miss Mason shouted. "Thank you."
Rhonda paused, looking dismayed and Sharon ran onto the stage. "Wait," she snapped. "We still have three more seasons yet and we haven't even got halfway through one." She shot Rhonda an angry look.
"I'm sorry," Miss Mason said faux apologetic. "But I need the stage for my drama class."
Sharon threw her papers up in the air and flounced off the stage, leaving Rhonda to pick them up.
"I'm tired of being a tree," she muttered under her breath while Louis ran after Sharon.
"Hey Sharon, so what about tonight?" he called catching her up.
She spun around, her face furious. "Well, that was a complete and utter total waste of time! I might have known menopausal Barbie wouldn't give us a chance."
"Menopausal Barbie?"
"Miss Mason," Sharon snapped. "She wants the twins to win so we can't afford to make silly mistakes like taking Davey's eye out!"
"Right," Louis said trying not to laugh, she was taking it far too seriously. "So what about tonight?"
"I've got a load of homework to do. I've been so busy trying to get this act together it's really piled up." She let out an exaggerated sigh. "God, why did I bother?"
"I can help you with your math," Louis said knowing it was the one subject she struggled with that he found relatively easy.
"What about your homework? Haven't you got to redo your history essay?"
"That's in hand."
She frowned slightly. "Okay, if you're sure you have the time?"
"Yeah, no problem. We'll go for something to eat, and then work on your math." He grinned thinking he was a pretty good boyfriend and hopefully she'd show her appreciation before much longer.
~~~
"Steph, can I have a word?" Michael asked closing the piano while the girls around him said their goodbyes.
She held back a groan, he'd been trying to talk to her all through rehearsals, no doubt wanting to know why she'd kissed him the other night. "Sorry, I've gotta get to class."
"No, you don't," Rhonda said appearing at her shoulder. "We've got a free period."
"Yeah, and I'm gonna study in the library." Now there was a sentence she never thought would pass her lips, her parents would be proud.
"I'll come with you," Paulette said lowering her voice. "We need to talk."
Stephanie raised her eyebrows. "We do?"
"Yeah, Johnny asked me on a date..."
"And of course, she said yes," Rhonda interjected.
Stephanie grimaced in no mood for another 'let's clear the air about Johnny' conversation. "I'll catch up with you guys, I need to talk to Michael," she said giving them the brush off.
"He is quite cute," Rhonda said as they walked away.
"I think he's in love," Paulette added loud enough for Stephanie and Michael to hear.
"You two should shut your traps," Steph yelled at their retreating forms.
"So you do want to talk to me," Michael said a smile playing on his lips.
Nope, not really. "I guess I should explain a few things," she said remembering she had promised Sharon she'd be nice to him. "About the other night, the kiss was just a joke, forget it."
"I figured it was, I mean why would a girl like you kiss a guy like me?"
She shook her head. "Don't put yourself down."
"So how about we go for something to eat after school?"
"No," she said more brusquely than she intended. "I'm busy."
"So what about tomorrow then?"
"No, not today, not tomorrow, not ever!"
His eyes widened. "Okay, that's me told."
"Look, it's nothing personal," she said brushing her hair out of her eyes. "I've just come out of a relationship and I'm not interested in getting involved with anyone again. At least not yet."
"So if I were to ask you again in a few weeks?"
"No!" She looked him over, admittedly he was good looking and smart too. Why was he wasting time on her when the girls were lining up desperate to catch his attention? "Can I give you some advice? Go ask out some other girl, you're only gonna get yourself in a whole heap of trouble if you keep asking out me."
"And why's that?" Michael asked frowning.
"You've seen my ex? Johnny Nogerelli?"
"That yob," Michael said dismissively. "I can handle him."
"It won't just be him that you're handling," she said. "Look there's this pink lady code and one of the rules is that pink ladies can only go out with T birds. You so much as look at a pink lady and you'll have all of the T birds to deal with."
Michael laughed. "You're kidding me."
"I know it's stupid but that's how it works." She took a deep breath thinking she ought to be straight with him. "And even if there wasn't a code, I'm not interested in you."
"Ouch."
"I'm sure you're a great guy," she said quickly. "But you're not my type. I don't want to go out with another all American guy."
Michael laughed. "That's one thing I'm definitely not."
"No, but you are very much a 'boy next door' just like Johnny."
Michael looked bemused. "I wouldn't call Johnny that."
"He puts on a leather jacket, rides a motorbike, and thinks he's tough cos he bullies kids who are too weak to stand up for themselves. But underneath the hard guy exterior is a kid who lets his mom drag him to church on Sundays." She shrugged, thinking Johnny was no Danny Zuko. "Anyway, I want a guy who's a real biker, the real deal. I don't want some jerk who uses his cycle as a prop to pick up girls. But it's more than that, it's about attitude, living on the edge..."
"Right," Michael said looking at her strangely.
"Forget it, I'm talking shit." She turned away, abruptly ending their conversation. "I'll see you around."
~~~
Michael watched as Stephanie walked away, hips slightly swinging, and it took him a moment to realise Louis was stood beside him.
"Hey English," Louis said, his tone jovial as if they were friends. Michael held in a smile, no doubt Louis was under strict instructions from Sharon to play nice with him. Earlier he'd overheard her reprimanding him and Davey for teasing Eugene - Eugene being another unlikely part of the pink lady act - and surprisingly both T Birds had meekly listened.
"So what do you want Dimucci?" Michael asked raising his eyebrows.
"I've got something scholastic to discuss with you," Louis said, putting an arm around his shoulder. "You're like Mr History, and I've got this essay on the fall of Rome. I didn't even know they were in trouble."
He laughed and Michael looked at him blankly. A T Bird wouldn't be making small talk with him, even if he was doing his girlfriend a favour. Or maybe Sharon was doing him the favour since he got to spend time with Stephanie and hopefully show her he was more than just a swot from England. He cringed remembering Mrs McGee introducing him...A straight-A student all the way from England...
"So what does the fall of Rome have to do with me?" he asked turning his attention back to Louis.
"Papers for paper, essays for cash," Louis said smirking.
He wants to pay me to write his essay, Michael thought, and it was on the tip of his tongue to tell Louis to take a running jump. However, he hesitated, mulling the offer over. It was a tempting prospect, and probably an easy way to make money since Dimucci would be unlikely to demand academic excellence. Stephanie wanted a guy who was a biker and to get a motorcycle he'd need more cash than he could readily lay his hands on.
"Okay," he said not entirely convinced it was a good idea. "You've got a deal."
"Just one thing," Louis added, his eyes darting from side to side. "When we make the drop, not our here in the open. I've gotta rep to protect."
Michael nearly rolled his eyes. Did Dimucci actually think no one knew how dumb the T Birds were? The fact that they spent half the time glorifying in their stupidity was a pretty big giveaway.
~~~
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