Davey watched Sharon talking intently to Louis on the other side of the stage during rehearsals. She had her arms crossed, while Louis looked at the floor, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
Dolores sidled over to him. "What's that all about?" She nodded her head in Sharon's direction. "She looks furious."
"I dunno," Davey snickered, imagining the tongue lashing Louis was probably getting.
"Yeah you do, so spill it."
Davey shrugged, trying not to laugh. "He made some crack in biology that was sorta about her. I guess she's pissed off."
"What did he say?" Dolores looked at him eagerly. "You can tell me, we're fellow stage-hands remember?"
"I can't repeat it," he said wishing he hadn't opened his mouth. "You're too young."
"Too young to hear a joke!" She looked at him incredulously. "Well, it must have been a shit joke if she's pissed off."
"Yeah it was a shit joke, he was being a jerk," Davey said, thinking that actually, Louis was. His ego was getting the better of him and he was going to blow it with Sharon, in much the same way Johnny had blown it with Stephanie.
~~~
"Aw, it was just a joke, Sharon," Louis said trying to put his arm around her. "Don't be like this."
She pushed him away, her eyes blazing. "Do I look like I'm laughing? I might not have said anything in class but that's only cos I didn't want to be embarrassed anymore than I already was."
Jeez, she's not gonna let me off the hook this time.
"Sharon," he said reaching out again. "I wasn't trying to embarrass you."
She glared at him through narrowed eyes. "If it's a problem that you're not getting very far with me then go find someone else!"
"Stop overreacting. It was a joke, okay it was a bad joke but still..." He hadn't directed his comments at her, it was just a flippant remark he'd made to Johnny but maybe he was a bit too loud.
"Look, I'm under a lot of pressure here," she said turning her attention back to the performance and Louis could tell the heat was going out of her argument. "I'm not in the mood to be the butt of anyone's jokes."
"Sorry babe," he said thinking it was probably best to admit fault. Not that he thought he'd done anything wrong, it wasn't like he spoke about her the way Johnny spoke about Paulette. Then she'd have cause to complain. "But you should be flattered I'm so into you."
"We've got no chance against the twins," she said ignoring his apology. "Miss Mason always puts us on last and we never get a full rehearsal."
"Yeah but the twins suck." Their high pitched, whiny singing grated on everyone's nerves. "Who's gonna vote for that lame shit."
Sharon finally raised a smile. "I hope for once in your life you're right Dimucci."
"I am, and you know it."
~~~
Sharon and Rhonda sat by the side of the stage watching the T birds performance; it was bad, very bad.
Rhonda giggled. "Are you going to tell them or shall I?" she whispered.
Sharon smiled back, she was just relieved they had passed auditions. She didn't think Miss Mason had actively tried to scupper their chances but she championed the twins at every opportunity. She looked over at Mrs McGee and could tell she was appalled by the T birds performance. Johnny was upfront as lead singer and the other T birds were hanging back, almost trying to dissociate themselves from the act. Johnny however was strutting his stuff, enjoying being the centre of attention.
"How was the movie you guys went to see?" she asked Rhonda wanting to find out if Johnny was annoyed her and Louis had skipped it.
"I've seen better," Rhonda said lowering her voice. "Paulette was pleased that Steph didn't go."
"I do feel sorry for Paulette but she's setting herself up to get hurt. If Stephanie changes her mind about Johnny..." She didn't continue, they both knew what would happen in that scenario.
"I don't think that'll happen," Rhonda whispered. "Haven't you noticed Steph has no time for any of us lately?"
"Yeah, she never wants to hang out." If it wasn't for the talent show throwing them together, Sharon wondered how much time Steph would have for them. "To be fair though, now she's not with Johnny it must make it awkward for her to hang out with the gang. It's a bit of a package deal, what with the whole pink lady code."
"It'd be a bummer if she met someone and they wouldn't let him be a T bird," Rhonda said frowning.
"Which is exactly what would happen." Sharon knew Johnny would never let a rival into the T birds. "It's a good job she's not interested in anyone, but she really shouldn't make her contempt for the T birds so obvious."
"She's out of line," Rhonda said chewing her gum. "I mean she doesn't have to go steady with Johnny but she should show some loyalty."
"I don't think she cares."
Rhonda nodded. "So what did you do on Saturday?" she asked changing the subject.
"We went for a meal at the new Italian."
"Classy," Rhonda said blowing a bubble. "Dimucci's obviously trying to impress you."
Sharon let out a deep sigh. "He keeps getting all serious on me. I think he wants to get more serious if you know what I mean." There was no think about it. "You heard what he said in class? About not getting very far?"
"That was shitty of him," Rhonda said. "It's nothing to do with anyone else."
"Yeah, I know but he's making me feel like I'm being uptight or something."
"So what if you are?" Rhonda said as Goose fluffed his lines bringing the T Birds rehearsal to a halt. "You shouldn't let him pressurise you, it's not like you've been together that long."
"I just don't see what the hurry is," Sharon said as the T birds started their act again. "If we're going to work out in the long term then why rush in, and if we're not..."
"Then you don't want to destroy your reputation."
"Or wind up with a baby in nine months," she said with a weak smile.
"Exactly. I mean imagine the worst happened, would you want to marry Louis?"
"I haven't even thought that far ahead," she said chewing her cigarette holder. "I mean if I did it, I would be careful."
Rhonda gave her a doubtful look. "It's different for girls though. Guys can do what they want but we get talked about."
"It's so unfair."
"Yeah, you've gotta be careful Sharon," Rhonda said glancing at Johnny. "I mean look at Paulette."
Sharon frowned, not sure what she was implying. "What do you mean?"
"Well, she has a reputation, a bad reputation," Rhonda said her face darkening. "I'm not saying she's a slut but the guys think she's put it about and they talk shit about her."
"I think Paulette's mouth has run away with her." She well remembered how back in eleventh grade Paulette would act like she was far more sophisticated and experienced than the rest of them, but Sharon hadn't been convinced. "I'd put money on it that she's exaggerated."
'It doesn't matter if it's talk or not," Rhonda said, impatient to get to the point. "She has a reputation and Goose told me it's one of the reasons Johnny's holding back with her. It's not only cos of Steph. It's also cos he doesn't want to be with a girl who he thinks half the school's been with."
Sharon gasped open-mouthed. "For real?"
"Yeah, but don't say anything. It's what guys are like, or what the T birds are like at any rate. None of them wants a girl who's damaged goods."
"It's total double standards," Sharon said her voice rising. "Do you really think they're all so virtuous? I doubt there's a virgin amongst them."
"I dunno, Davey might be," Rhonda said laughing under her breath. "But the point is if you do it, Louis will think less of you afterwards, even though he that wants you to. And he'll talk about you to the guys."
Sharon pulled a face. "Yeah, I know. But if I don't, he might get fed up and dump me."
"If he does then he's not worth it in the first place," Rhonda said.
Sharon nodded and turned her attention back to Johnny's caterwauling. Whatever she did, she was in a no-win situation.
~~~