It was Sunday morning in Kenickie and I's RV. Kenickie was sleeping but I was wide awake. I looked at the beauty before me with happy eyes. I started humming a random tune that I thought fitted our slumber.
"The mornin' sun," I sang softly to a sleeping Kenickie. I traced his arms and his lean biceps. He doesn't have bulging muscles, but he does have something there that I absolutely love. "Shines on your skin."
"'Cause your white curtains, they are, paper thin," I breathed. It was true, the RV curtains couldn't even hold a butterfly. I watched his chest rise and fall with each breath he took.
"Windows open, I can feel the breeze," I hummed as I trailed my palm across his cheek. The breeze felt nice during the summer. It felt nostalgic. "But we're safe here, under the sheets."
"I don't ever wanna leave, I'll watch you sleep," I turned to look a the ceiling, a wave of happiness overcoming me and I just wanted to lay there, looking at him.
"And listen to you breathe." I hummed a little. "I don't ever wanna leave, I'll watch you sleep, I'll watch you sleep..."
"I never get bored of lookin' at you," I said, noticing a tiny scar under his left cheek and I smiled. "'Cause every time, I see somethin' new."
"Like the scar on your spine," I reminisced as he told me the story of his childhood with Danny. They had fun times in this RV, but those fun times are now shared with me, which I am honored. "You fell off our roof when you were nine."
"You lived a life before me..." I sang sadly. It made me sad to know that I wasn't here for Kenickie the past years I lived in Brooklyn.
"I don't ever wanna leave, I'll watch you sleep. And listen to you breathe," I said, turning back to him, closing my eyes too.
"I don't ever wanna leave..." I hummed.
"I'll watch you sleep... I'll watch you sleep..." I barely sang as I drifted off to sleep again.
"We have pictures of you so called 'Mooners'. And just because the pictures aren't of your face, doesn't mean we can't identify you," Mrs. McGee said, kicking off the Monday morning. Saturday and Sunday, Kenickie and I just stayed in his RV keeping busy, if you know what I mean.
Frenchy snorted at McGee's statement. She turned to me from her seat in chemistry. "How's ol' Kenick?"
"Frenchy!" I laughed.
"What? You've waited the whole year for this!" Frenchy smiled.
"Well," I blushed. "He's good."
"He's good?" Frenchy wiggled her brows.
"He's real good," I grinned, pushing her off of the desk she and I were sitting on. I laughed as she glared at me.
"Listen, French, Kenickie said that there's gonna be a movie tonight?" I asked her as he got up and brushed herself off.
"Oh yeah, we're seeing The Blob," she smiled. "Of course you and Kenickie won't be doing a lot of seeing now will you?"
"Frenchy! You're making us sound like that's all we do!" I laughed.
"Well, then, what's that on your neck?" Frenchy asked, pointing to it. I felt the spot she was pointing at and pulled out my compact.
"Shit!" I exclaimed, examining a hickey that was on my neck. I touched it, earning a slight pain from the spot, meaning Kenickie bit a little too hard.
"I do not want his little hickey catchphrase," I mumbled as I pulled some powdered foundation out and patted it on. It didn't cover the bruise, but it did tone down the redness. I sighed as I put my mirror away.
French was looking at me with a permanent grin. "Wha-?" I asked.
"It's just that you're perfect for Kenick," she smiled.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, wanting to see what she was talking about. Surely Rizzo was great with him, right?
"You know him so well!"
"I have lived with him for most of the year, so..." I trailed.
"Still, it's true love!" Frenchy sighed.
"Yeah, but, I don't want another heartbreak from him." I said.
"Why?" Frenchie asked, confusing me. "You got psoriasis?"
"Frenchy," I laughed. "You gotta stop quoting commercials, no one will get them!"
"I know, it's a habit," Frenchy laughed along. "Still, he won't. Break your heart I mean. I can see that he loves you."
"Still didn't stop him from doing it again at the dance," I sighed.
"He was broken, Charlie," Frenchy said. "You gotta give him a break."
"I guess you're right," I said as the bell rang. "Still doesn't give him the right."
"Yeah, yeah," Frenchy laughed. "I'll see ya."
"See ya!"
I walked down the hall and to my locker. I twisted the knob to put in the code and it opened as I lifted the metal out of its socket. I threw my chemistry books into the locker and grabbed my school clutch, which was just plain black.
I stepped back to close it, but someone closed it already. I gasped and jumped in the air, turning to whoever slammed it shut.
"Kenickie, you dickwad," I breathed out. He smirked as he took in my outfit. I had on a tight black pencil skirt and a tight red blouse that showed a little more cleavage than the rules intended me to. I had on black booties, a bold lip and my Pink Ladies leather jacket draped over my shoulders.
"What?" I asked him.
"Just lookin' at you," he said.
"You saw me this morning," I smiled.
"Doesn't mean I can't stare at you again." I laughed at this.
"Yeah, you almost had us killed this morning," I laughed. "Remember when I said to keep your eyes on the road?"
Kenickie threw his head back, groaning.
"Kenickie! It goes for you in a relationship too!" I laughed as he completely ignored me. He wrapped and arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. I rested my hands on his shoulders and he dipped his head down, connecting our lips. It was sweet at first, but then he added some tongue.
"Mm... Kenickie!" I mumbled as I pulled apart. He just gave me a lust-filled smirk. I rolled my eyes as I fixed my shirt.
"I bet no one's ever treated you like that before," Kenickie said.
"Eh," I teased. "I've had better."
"Like who?" Kenickie asked, thinking I was serious. I busted out laughing.
"No one! Nickie, you're it for me," I said. Kenickie smiled at this, pulling me close to him again, kissing me sweetly.
"God I love you," he mumbled into the kiss. I stopped returning his kiss. I was frozen in shock. I know he's told me he loved me before, but that was in the heat of the moment. This was real. It's was Kenickie telling me that he loves me. This was it. Since the beginning of the year, this is was a reward looks like. The boy I loved in front of me, loving me.
"I love you too," I said to him. "So much."
I pulled his head down again to kiss him once more before we pulled apart to go to class. I waved goodbye to him as I walked to the ladies' room to touch up on my makeup.
As I was walking in, someone was running out. I bumped into them with a, "Oh! I'm so sorry!"
I looked at the person and saw that it was Rizzo. "Riz?"
I saw the tear marks on her cheeks and the redness in her eyes and gasped. She tried to go past me, but I caught her and pulled her back into the bathroom.
"Hey, hey, hey," I said quickly, trying to calm her. "What's happened?"
"Charlie, I know your time is valuable and so is mine. Let me go," she said shakily.
"No." I said firmly. "Not until you tell me what happened."
"It's nothing," she said, not looking at me.
"It is something," I said. A realization came to me. "Is it Kenickie? Is it because we're together?"
"What?" Rizzo looked at me. "No, it's not that."
"Well, does it have to do with him?" I asked. She didn't answer me, she only looked to the ground. I sighed. Of course it's Kenickie.
"Could you tell me?" I asked. She didn't say anything.
"Is he in danger?" I asked.
"No!" Rizzo shouted, she tried to push past me, but I caught her on her stomach, bringing her back around to face me. She pushed my hand forcefully off of her stomach. Usually, I wouldn't think anything of it, except she was holding it protectively.
"Rizzo," I said slowly. "Tell me. Please."
She took a shaky breath. "I don't have to tell you anything. You already know." With that, she pushed past me. I let her go, too shocked to even move. Rizzo's pregnant. With Kenickie's baby.
I have to tell Kenickie.
I ran out of the bathroom, toward the direction Kenickie went. I saw his figure in his math classroom. I ran up to him. I can't not keep it from him, right?
"Kenickie-!" I yelled after him. Before he could turn around, I felt somebody wrap their arms around me and tackle me to the ground. We landed on the other side of the hallway, out of Kenickie's sight.
"What the hell?" I asked the person who tackled me. I turned to see that it was Rizzo.
"Don't... tell... Kenick..." she breathed.
"But Rizzo-" I started.
"I said don't tell him!" She yelled. That shut me up. She got up and left, leaving me confused on the ground.
***
Later that night, we all went to the drive in. I went Kenickie and the girls went together.
"What about the rest of the gang?" I asked him as we rode in the darkness, the windows down. We were in a different car, mid 40s and maroon. I guess they were doing the tires on Greased Lightnin' now.
"We're picking them up," he said. He looked at me and smirked.
"What're gonna do?" I asked him, not liking the little mischievous glint in his eyes.
"I'm gonna put them in the trunk," he laughed. I just smiled sadly, not really in the mood to joke around.
"What's up?" Kenickie asked me.
Rizzo being pregnant really put a damper on my mood. I don't know how Kenickie's going to react if Rizzo tell him. If she doesn't? I can't live with the fact that Kenickie has a child in the world without even knowing. Or if she does tell him, maybe he'd leave me. Oh god, he told me he'd never leave me, and now he is.
"Nothing," I said quietly, wiping away a tear.
"Okay," Kenickie said. He wasn't one to press with feelings. Either I want to tell him or I find strength to. That's his mindset, and it was perfect for me.
We picked up the boys, crammed them into the back and took off to the drive-in. While paying, Kenickie only paid for me and him. I held my breath at one point, hearing one of the boys hit the trunk top. The cashier didn't notice.
We parked and got out. I rounded the car to find Kenickie opening the car door. Behind me, a girl slipped and fell, giggling as she got backup, staring at me. She looked a lot like Rizzo. And Kenickie. What if this was their child, grown up? Oh god, I'm going crazy.
"Hey," Kenickie said to me. I turned around and faced him, my arm quivering with anxiety. I have to tell him. But it's not my secret to tell. But he'll hate me if I don't. But Rizzo'll kill me if I do. I chewed my thumbnail in terror.
"I'm not one to press, but, you seem on edge." Kenickie grabbed my arms lightly, rubbing them soothingly. I didn't respond, a sob was built up in my throat.
"Are you scared of me?" He asked quietly.
"No," I cried. The tears flooded my eyes and I unraveled there. Tears streaming down my face gave me away and the hiccups and gasps of air. He looked at me like I shocked him with electricity. I stepped back. I blew it.
I ran away, into the girls' bathroom. I pressed my away past all the girls crammed in front of the mirror. I pushed girls out of the way, going up to the front. I wiped some tears and mascara under my eyes and reapplied some of my makeup that I had in my clutch. I looked a little bit better.
"Hey Riz..." I heard Marty say.
"Watch it," I heard a girl say rudely. I looked over to see Rizzo right next to me fixing her hair. She had her elbows out and she basically was teasing her hair with her fingers.
"What is with you tonight?" Marty asked like a disappointed parent, sitting on the sink. She saw me. "Hey Charlie."
Rizzo looked at me in shock, but masked it with anger and turned back to herself in the mirror.
"I feel like a defective typewriter," Rizzo said shakily.
"Huh?" Marty asked, not getting the play-on-words.
"I skipped a period," Rizzo said loudly and annoyed.
"You think you're PG?" Marty whispered hastily.
"I dunno, big deal," RIzzo said quickly.
"Well was it Kenickie?" She asked. She almost looked like she bit her own tongue as she caught my eye.
"Nah, you don't know the guy." Rizzo said quickly again.
"Rizzo," I said to her. I don't know why she didn't just say that it was Kenickie's. I then realized that she was never going to tell Kenickie.
She looked at me with annoyance and she started to walk out of the bathroom.
"Hey, Riz, look- look," Marty grabbed her arm as she swung her Pepsi in the air.
"It's okay. I caught Vince Fontaine trying to put Aspirin in my coke at the dance," Marty shrugged. What does Vince trying to roofie Marty have to do with anything?
Rizzo thought the same thing as her look of exasperation was apparent. Marty tried to leave after that.
"Hey," Rizzo grabbed Marty's arm to pull her back. "You ain't gonna tell anybody this, right?"
"Aw sure Riz, look," Marty crossed chest with her fingers, a sign of secrecy. "I'll take it to the grave."
"You know Marty ain't gonna keep that," I said to Rizzo. She seemed to know by her look on her face.
"Coming through, coming through, lady with a baby!" Marty yelled at all of the couples making out under the awning. Rizzo and I gave her an angered look and Rizzo stormed off. I went to follow her.
"Look, Rizzo," I caught up with her. "I know we ain't the best of buds but if you need anything, and I mean anything, just tell me, okay?"
Rizzo looked at me for a second, emotionless. "Okay," she squeaked.
"Oh Riz," I cooed as I pulled her into a tight hug. She gave in, hugging me back too. "I'll support ya. I swear I will."
"Means a lot," Rizzo said. We broke apart and started walking back to the Pink Ladies' car. "I dunno what to do."
"Tell Kenickie," I said, without hesitation.
"I don't want to," she mumbled.
"Why not?" I asked. Shock overcoming my features.
"I don't want him in my baby's life!" Rizzo said, flailing her arms everywhere. She held them close to her body after, chewing her thumbnail like I did.
"Why not?" I asked.
"I don't want him runnin'," she whispered to me.
"I don't either," I said quietly, though we both said that for different reasons.
I saw Kenickie lighting his cigarette with his huge and unnecessary lighter. He leaned into a car, the driver saying something to him. He shut his lighter closed. He's mad.
He looked over at Rizzo and I, our hands conjoined as I let her be vulnerable with me. He looked at me with an unreadable emotion, then turned to Rizzo.
"Rizzo," Kenickie said softly. She jumped out of my arms and looked at him. "I hear you're knocked up."
At that moment, Marty came walking by. Rizzo and I glared at her. "You do, huh?"
"Yeah," Kenickie said.
"Boy, good news really does travel fast," Rizzo said as Marty looked at all of the people who were staring at us. They obviously knew.
"Why don't you tell me about it?" Kenickie said in a sing-song voice.
"What's it to ya?" Rizzo faked a smile.
"Thought I might be able to do somethin'..." Kenickie said whilst looking at me, taking a drag of his cigarette.
"You did enough," Rizzo said.
"Riz, lighten up," I said quietly to her. Kenickie looked at me, sadness in his eyes as he blinked away unwanted tears.
"I've run away from my mistakes," he said, his free hand in his pocket. The corner of my mouth twitched up. So he finally learned from me?
"Hey, don't worry about it Kenickie, it was somebody else's mistake," Rizzo said harshly. Kenickie looked down, obviously hurt. He pulled himself together and plastered a sad grin on his face.
"Thanks a lot, kid," he sighed. He began to walk away.
"Anytime!" Rizzo yelled after him, sadness building up in her eyes. I just stood there, unsure of I should go chase down my boyfriend or console a reconciled friend.
"Rizzo..." I said to her, not knowing what I was really going to say.
"Go," she said. I looked at her, not knowing if she meant to leave her alone or to never see her again. It was neither as she gave me a small smile and nodded off in Kenickie's direction. She just gave me an olive branch and I was sure to take it.
"Thank you," I breathed as I hugged her tight. I released and started to run after Kenickie.
"Come anytime to the RV!" I yelled after her as I ran. "Three long, three short, three long!"
"Got it!" She yelled back. If I hear the morse code for SOS on the door at night, I'll be sure to answer for her.
I found Kenickie behind the snack shack, where no one ever goes. His back was to me so I couldn't see was he was doing.
"Kenickie?" I asked him. He didn't answer.
"Kenick? Look, Rizzo, she-" I said, but Kenickie turned around quickly and wrapped me in a tight hug.
"Charlotte," he breathed as he squeezed my body. I squeezed him back. "Rizzo, she-she- I know she's lyin'."
"I know," I whispered.
"I wanna be there for her, for the kid," he whispered. He sounded choked up, like we was on the verge of tears.
"I know," I whispered again.
"She doesn't want me to be in its life," he said as he pulled away. Tears were in his eyes. "I want to be there. I need to be there."
"Kenickie," I said, stepping towards him. "I know this ain't the best time, but what does this mean for us?"
"Whaddya mean?" He asked me.
"Whaddya mean 'Whaddya mean?'" I asked backed. "I mean that, we live in a society where that kid has to grow up with two parents. It can't be born out of wedlock."
"So?" Kenickie asked. "I don't fucking care about society. I care about you and this kid."
He was getting more and more emotional by the second. "We'll visit on the weekends! I'll take 'em to the park, buy 'em ice cream, whateva they wanna do," Kenickie said.
"But Imma make sure we do that with you," Kenickie said, his tear ducts almost overflowing. "If you want to."
"Kenickie," I said softly, going over to him and wrapping my arms around his neck. His hands instantly went to my waist. "Of course. I want to support you and Rizzo."
"I just need her to let me be a part of the kid's life," he said quietly.
"I'll talk to her," I said.
"What, are you two buddy-buddy now?" He smirked.
"Kenickie! I'm trying my best," I whined.
"I know you are," Kenickie said, leaning down to kiss me. I kissed him back and his hand snaked around my whole body. He added tongue and I felt him hand go under my blouse.
"Are we really gonna do this behind a snack shack?" I whispered to him.
"Are ya really gonna interrupt this?" He asked as he sucked on my neck.
"Nah..." I trailed as he shut me up.
[EDITED]