Sharon
Oh my god, I am so nervous about the talent show it's not funny! I just know Steph's going mess it up for us. Rhonda was going to drive us all there, but no, Steph has to go alone. She's actually gone and arranged a date before the show starts. How dumb is that?
'He said he'd meet her out front,' Paulette says sticking her head into the front of Rhonda's car and I feel my anxiety levels rising. I light another cigarette to try and calm my nerves but it's having zero effect.
'Well personally I think she's being very inconsiderate to the rest of us,' I say in my best snooty voice. 'We've put a lot of work into this and she's bound to put on a totally shambolic performance and let us down.'
'Don't be so harsh Sharon,' Rhonda chides but Paulette agrees.
'She's let all of us down lately, no wonder Johnny had to take her jacket.'
I smile slightly, Paulette can hardly contain her glee about how that's worked out!
Rhonda slows down as we pass the front of the hall where we're going to perform, keeping her eyes peeled for an empty parking space. I spot Steph and she comes running towards us forcing Rhonda to brake.
Very brave of her considering Rhonda's driving skills!
'Sharon, open the door,' she screams, shoving me over as she gets in the car.
'For god's sake,' I grumble getting squashed. 'What on earth's the matter?'
'Rhonda drive!' Steph yells ignoring me. 'The t birds are gonna kill him!'
She points to the road ahead and I can just make out the t bird bikes. Rhonda accelerates trying to catch up to them and I ask Steph again what's happening.
'Johnny turned up at the same time as my date so he took off,' Steph wails. 'Now all the t birds are chasing him. I know Johnny's gonna kill him.'
I almost tell her not to be so utterly ridiculous; Rhonda's driving is appalling, if anyone's gonna die here it'll be us.
'Stephanie, calm down,' Paulette says irritably. 'Why would Johnny kill him? Of course, he won't.'
'He will! He's so jealous of him I know he's gonna hurt him.'
I shake my head. 'Steph I really don't think Louis and Goose would let that happen.'
Steph glares at me. 'Shut up, they're nothing more than sheep. They'll do what Johnny tells them.'
I give her my best scowly face. She might be upset but there's no need to be so rude.
'Sharon's right,' Rhonda adds as she gains pace on the t birds. 'None of the guys are gonna to get themselves into trouble over Johnny's little grudge.'
'And anyway Steph, Johnny's with me now, he's not jealous of your guy,' Paulette pipes up.
I'm not so sure about that but I'm certain Louis won't be fighting with someone he doesn't even know in order to keep Johnny happy. I won't let him anyway.
Rhonda slows down as the road ends and we pull onto a building site that has little more than a dirt track. The t birds have got off their bikes, and Steph jumps out of the car before Rhonda's come to a complete stop. I get out after her looking into the darkness, I can see the t birds stood up ahead but there's no sign of Steph's guy or his bike.
****
Davey
We're in deep shit now, I just know it. The biker we were chasing pulled onto this old dirt track but the road leads to nowhere. There are warning signs all the way along before you get to a big drop.
'I figured he'd slow up,' I say to no one in particular.
'Yeah it ain't our fault he didn't slow up,' Dimucci says peering down into the darkness. 'Right Johnny?'
Johnny's mumbling to himself as he looks down, and then he looks left, right, trying to see some other escape route. The other side of the road looks a long way away, and there's a big drop between them.
'Yeah, yeah what can I say,' Johnny says trying to sound cocky.
'If he didn't make it he ain't gonna look too pretty,' Goose adds as Steph comes running over screaming.
'Where is he? Where is?'
Dimucci steps back from the edge where he's been looking down since we got here. 'He ain't down there,' he says sounding relieved.
I'm not sure if he's saying that cos Steph's getting hysterical or if he can see there's no one down there.
'Where'd he go, biker heaven?' Goose asks nervously and we all look at each other shrugging.
'Oh I know he's dead,' Steph cries and I wish she'd shut up, she's not helping.
'Look it's obvious he made the jump,' Johnny says looking down, and then at the road on the other side. 'I could make that jump.'
'Yeah you could do that Johnny,' Goose says sounding more relaxed now.
If Johnny says the guys not dead, he's not dead.
'Let's go,' Johnny says and we don't need telling twice, all of us want to leave. Johnny looks impatiently at Steph who's stood sobbing.
'Come on Steph,' Sharon implores her. 'There's nothing even down there.'
Looks like she has the same x-ray vision Dimucci has!
'It's like Johnny said, he made the jump,' Paulette insists and she grabs Steph's arm pulling her away.
'Yeah no one drives like him,' Rhonda says grabbing Steph's other arm as they run to the car.
'Come on or we'll be late,' I hear Sharon call and she's the first to jump in the car. No way will she want to miss the talent show, she's single-minded if nothing else.
I begin to relax as we put some distance between us and the building site, getting back onto regular roads. As we pull up in the parking lot I try to kid myself that we were never even there. Nobody saw us and nothing happened....
****
Louis
We're backstage and I think we're all trying to think about anything other than what happened to that biker. He definitely wasn't down there but he could have been. He must have made the jump but if he hadn't we'd be in deep shit. This time Johnny went too far, and we were the dumb asses who followed.
'Louis come on,' Sharon hisses at me. Her act's up next and I'm not in position.
I've gotta focus, if I screw it up for her she'll never forgive me.
'Relax babe, it'll soon be over,' I say, and she glares at me.
'Relax! That's easy for you to say. You've already performed, and since your main rivals didn't show up you've probably won!'
I try not to smirk, she's furious but if she's having a go at me, she's not getting stage fright.
'You guys ready,' Michael calls from behind the piano, and they all get into position.
Sharon takes her place on the stage and the music starts up and she performs flawlessly. Next up's Paulette who also plays her part despite a last-minute row with Johnny over her skimpy costume. Even Rhonda manages to get through her part without hitting anyone, which is always a strong possibility with her. However, as soon as Stephanie gets on the stage I can tell something's wrong. She looks vacant and she's barely singing. The two girls with her have to raise their voices to compensate and as the song ends Steph stands there looking dazed.
'Louis, pull the curtain,' Sharon whispers so it looks like that's how the act was supposed to finish. Sharon will probably have Steph's head for this.
'What's wrong Steph?' Rhonda demands grabbing her arm.
'I-' she starts to speak but the curtains are opening again and Mrs McGee steps onto the stage to announce the winners of the talent show.
'Mr Nogerelli and the t birds, and Miss Zinone and the Calendar girls,' she says handing them each a ticket and the audience applauds.
I think it stinks that Steph is getting the credit for Sharon's work but cos Steph's supposed to be the leader of the Pink Ladies she got top billing. I'm surprised Sharon stood for that but right now she seems happy just to have won.
'I can't believe it,' Goose says the smile leaving his face. 'We only won half the records.'
I look at the ticket Johnny's holding and he's right. The prize has been split between the two winners, and once we divide by four, well it's not much of a prize.
'And we've got the classicals,' I say looking more closely. We've been well and truly had.
'No Roy Orbison's?' Goose asks dismayed.
I leave him to it and go back to Sharon.
'I can't believe we won,' she says excitedly, seemingly unconcerned about Steph.
'It was never in doubt,' I say and I kiss her briefly. The twins glare at us and I can't help laughing. As Miss Mason's pets, they assumed they couldn't lose. Looking at them sitting there with matching scowls they don't seem to be taking their defeat so well. Paulette and Johnny join us, having made up again.
'Nothing like a sore loser is there,' Paulette says smirking.
Johnny laughs, and he starts to say something. However, his eyes land on Stephanie who is standing at the edge of the stage looking inconsolable. The smile leaves his face and it doesn't take a mindreader to know what he's thinking...
****