Much as Stephanie wanted to spend as little time as possible around Johnny she made a point of going to the Bowlarama for their regular bowling night. She wasn't going to let him push her any further out of her friendship group. The winter formal had demonstrated how isolated she was when the girls were with their T bird boyfriends.
"Did I tell you I thought I saw Balmudo yesterday at Frosty's Palace?" Paulette asked, her eyes brimming with excitement. "At least, I think I did."
"Why would he go there?" Steph asked, not convinced by Paulette's tale. "It's not his scene."
Paulette glanced over at the t birds who were playing on the pinball machines and lowered her voice. "Johnny reckons he's staking him out."
Sharon and Rhonda exchanged anxious looks but Stephanie laughed.
"Yeah in Johnny's head, or maybe his nightmares."
"That's not true," Paulette said pouting.
"Look I've seen it with my own eyes loads of times." She'd been with Johnny for years and knew all about his game playing and posturing. Paulette opened her mouth to object but Dolores came running in, dashing over to the T birds.
"Balmudo's out front and he's all alone," she said breathlessly.
Johnny froze and his game ended.
"Tilt, my turn," Goose said getting into position.
"Your turn after we tilt that crater face Balmudo," Johnny said deadpan. He turned to leave, Goose and Louis fell into line with him.
"Louis, be careful," Sharon called out running after them. Steph paused for a moment but curiosity got the better of her and she followed the crowd. She pushed her way to the front of the small crowd that had gathered behind the glass doors at the front of the Bowlarama. She could see Johnny, Louis and Goose were facing not only Balmudo but all his gang.
Shit, they've been set up.
"They're gonna get creamed," Rhonda whispered while Sharon nervously chewed on her cigarette holder. Steph strained to hear what was being said outside but moments later Johnny pulled the door open and the T birds dived inside locking it behind them. Johnny pushed past the crowd around him ignoring the murmurs that he'd punked out.
"What's everyone looking at?" he shouted to no one in particular and Steph rolled her eyes thinking same old Johnny.
"Hey, where's Davey?" Goose asked looking around.
"He went out front," someone shouted. They all looked at each other in dismay, before turning their eyes to Johnny. He shrugged helplessly, running his hand through his hair.
"We can't just leave him," Goose started to say as the roar of engines caught their attention. Steph guessed Balmudo was loudly letting them know he was leaving but they made their way to the doors to see exactly what the commotion was anyway. Outside Davey lying on the floor while Balmudo was screaming at the gang around him, gesticulating wildly.
"Get him!" Balmudo yelled pointing at some guy on a motorcycle who appeared to have come between him and Davey. Stephanie stepped out of the Bowlarama to get a better look at what was going on, it looked like some sort of bike chase. She watched awestruck as the gang tried to catch the biker but he outran them at every turn. She'd never seen anything like it and listening to the hushed voices around her she wasn't the only one. She quickly glanced at the T birds and saw a mixture of admiration and jealousy on their faces, Johnny especially was positively green. Moments later sirens sounded and all the bikers fled.
"Wow," Paulette gasped speaking for all of the pink ladies who exchanged impressed glances.
"Everyone inside, we bowl," Johnny snapped straightening his jacket collar.
Stephanie hung back staring into the distance as she tried to collect her thoughts. That guy was something else, seriously awesome.
"I'll catch up with you in a few minutes okay," she said as the others headed towards the door. Johnny gave her an impatient look before storming off, and the pink ladies paused in the doorway. She frowned at them, and Sharon spoke up.
"You know Steph there's been talk."
"We haven't been talking," Rhonda added in a bored voice. "But there has been talk, questioning your loyalty to the T Birds."
Here we go...
"You don't have to go steady with Johnny," Paulette said quickly. "I think it's better for both of you that it's over."
"But the code says that we're T bird chicks," Sharon pointed out. "At least till grad."
"Well maybe I'm tired of being someone's chick," Steph snapped, and Rhonda looked incredulous.
"Tired of being someone's chick, are you feeling okay?" Stephanie shrugged and turned away. Sharon shook her head before running back to Louis making it clear where her loyalties lay, Rhonda quickly following.
"So I guess that guy caught your eye," Paulette said offering her a cigarette.
She took it gratefully even though she was supposed to have quit. "He was something else, god if I could get a guy like that."
"Well maybe you will," she said smiling, no doubt happy to have it confirmed again that Steph had no interest in Johnny. "Come on, let's go inside before everyone starts talking."
Like they ever stop talking, Steph thought, but she let Paulette lead her away.
~~~~
"Where'd Dimucci go?" Johnny demanded as he tried to round everyone up for a game. He was in a foul mood after the confrontation with Balmudo, which was made only worse by the mystery biker saving their skins.
"Louis took Sharon home," Goose said when no one else answered.
"Right," Johnny relaxed his fist somewhat placated, it was Steph that was getting under his skin. "So that biker's got you all hot and bothered?" he said trying and failing to make his question sound jovial.
She looked at him dismissively, and that got him even more riled up.
"I guess we're not the class act anymore," he said, determined to get a rise out of her.
"I guess not," she said with a halfhearted shrug. "It's no big deal."
"Well that jacket you're wearing is T bird property," he said his jaw clenching.
Stephanie pulled a face at him. "So do you wanna try it on for size?"
Rhonda snickered and Goose elbowed her, Johnny however kept his attention on Steph.
"You wanna leave the party, drop your jacket at the door on the way out!" The words he'd stopped himself from uttering all these months finally spilt out. He was done with her making a fool out of him. Around them, they were nervous titters as they all waited for Stephanie's reaction to his ultimatum.
"Whatever Johnny," Steph said, chewing her gum insolently.
"I gotta rep to protect," he snapped, furious that she wasn't taking him seriously. "Let's get out of here Paulette." He grabbed Paulette's arm and she went with him, giving Stephanie an apologetic backwards glance which he pretended not to see.
~~~
Sharon led Louis into the living room warning him to be quiet since her mom had already gone to bed. They sat down and she turned the TV on adjusting the volume to its lowest setting.
"Steph was totally crushing on that guy on the bike," she whispered. "It's the first time she's noticed anyone since Johnny."
Louis shrugged. "To be honest, I really don't care about Steph or Johnny. Not right now."
"Oh?" she said teasing him, pretending she didn't know where he was leading.
"No, they're not on my radar," he said grabbing her. "You know that." His mouth met hers and she smiled thinking he was so predictable.
"If you were that interested in me you wouldn't be considering signing up," she said breaking away from him. She should be supportive but she couldn't get her head around it, something didn't feel right.
"I am interested in you," Louis said intently. "But I think I should do something with my life, do what's right for our country."
She looked into his eyes, impressed by the patriotism. "But you'll forget all about me," she said chewing her lip. "Out of sight, out of mind."
"I won't forget you, I promise," he insisted and she let him kiss her again. "If anything you'll forget about me."
"Of course I won't! How can you think that?"
"Well, you know...I obviously feel a lot more for you than you do for me."
She sighed thinking, here we go again, it always comes down to this.
"That's not fair," she said shuffling away from him. "It's different for guys."
"This is about you and me, no one else."
"It isn't though and you know it." She thought about Paulette, her brows furrowing. "I've heard the way you talk about girls."
"I wouldn't talk about you like that," he said meeting her eyes. "Don't you trust me?"
She folded her arms across her chest. "I just don't see what the big hurry is." However, she didn't entirely trust him, if she was honest. She knew how guys bragged, and he was no different. "Unless you're planning to dump me why the rush?"
"Of course, I'm not going to dump you," he said sounding indignant.
"Well, maybe you should." She gave him a hard look. "I think you'd be better off with someone like Paulette."
"What?" She could see he was appalled by the suggestion and she tried not to smile. "No way would I want to be with someone like Paulette."
"And why's that?" Although she knew why guys didn't want girls who were easy for anything but one thing.
"Because I want to be with you," he said avoiding her trap. "And if you felt the same you'd want to be with me too."
She shook her head. "You're confusing me Louis. I don't know what do think."
"Don't stress about it," he reassured her. "I just want you to think about it."
She sighed heavily, it was all well and good him saying that, he didn't have half as much at stake as she did.
~~~