Think Pink (Grease 2) ✔

Chapter 9

With the number of essays, the T birds were putting his way Michael could soon afford to buy a bike. Deep down he knew Frenchy was right; it was a waste of time and money but once he'd got the idea in his head there was no getting away from it. Schoolwork was easy for him, especially English since they were studying Hamlet which he was well familiar with. However, learning to ride a bike to a level that would impress Stephanie was more quite a challenge. He'd messed around with bikes on dirt tracks back home but now he intended to master the machine. The T birds will eat my dust, Johnny Nogerelli especially.

"No one but no one knows this happened," Johnny said wagging his finger in his face as they made the trade, and Michael gave him a rueful look. The irony was not lost on him that the T birds, who wouldn't give him the time of day in public, were privately all begging for his help.

"Now Johnny, who would believe you were getting assistance with your homework?" he asked trying hard to keep a straight face.

Johhny eyed him, slightly suspicious as if he was unsure whether he was being mocked or not. "I don't need any assistance," he said belligerently. "I can do this shit in my sleep."

Michael gave him a sceptical look. "Okay, I guess my services are no longer required."

"No, wait! Lighten up. I don't need your help in the way you're thinking." He let out a deep breath and adjusted his jacket, resuming his normal pose. "But I don't have the time for all the work that's being put our way. It's not that I can't do it but I got more important stuff to do."

"I see," Michael said looking at him through narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, so if we could just keep up this arrangement?"

Michael so wanted to say no, to take him down a peg or two, but he could do with the money. "Okay, Johnny so long as you have the cash."

"Hey, I got the cash," Johnny said sounding insulted. "You just keep up the good work."

Michael nodded curtly. "No problem."

~~~

Sharon glanced at Louis's history paper as they sat outside eating lunch. She picked it up and began to flick through it frowning.

"Since when did you get so good at history?" she asked perturbed. He'd actually got a B plus, not so far from her A-minus, and she was way better at history than he was. Plus she put the work in whereas he barely raised pen to paper.

"I dunno, I guess it's a fluke," Louis said with a shrug. "And I did have to rewrite that essay, I guess it was second time lucky."

"Are you sure you haven't got your mom helping you?"

He made a sound as if he was choking. "Are you serious?"

"Your mom's a soft touch and you are her favourite child," she said indulgently thinking he got away with murder at home. 

"My mom has good taste," he said grinning. "But she doesn't do my homework."

"At this rate, you'll be going to college," she said passing his paper back to him.

He laughed as if she'd said something particularly funny. "Nah that's the last thing I'd do. I can't wait to get out of this shithole."

"Well we're halfway there," she said with a sigh. She wished she was looking forward to graduating but she wasn't since for once in her life she had no clue what she wanted to do next.

"I don't know if I can stand to stay here for much longer," Louis said slowly. "School's so boring and this town is the pits."

Her eyes widened with surprise. "What do you mean? You'd drop out?"

He paused for a moment contemplating her words. "Yeah, I might. I mean I'm just wasting time here, I want to get on with my life."

"But Louis that's just dumb!" Indignation made her voice rise to a screechy pitch. "To miss out on getting your diploma for the sake of a few months, that's stupid!"

"But it's not, I've been thinking about it for a while now," he said earnestly putting his hand over hers. "Remember Kennedy said you've gotta ask what you can do for your country?" She nodded. "And war is coming? A big war."

"There already is a war in Vietnam, Louis. And probably a load of other places as well." How could he be good at history and not know this stuff?

"Right," he said his eyes meeting hers. "There's a war, and there's gonna be a bigger war against the Russians so I was thinking I might sign up. I mean why wait to be drafted?"

Her stomach dropped and she felt the colour leave her face. "What!"

"It's like Kennedy says-"

"I know what Kennedy says," she snapped, her admiration for Kennedy taking a rapid nosedive. "But you might get hurt and we'll never see each other." He'd had some dumbass ideas before now but this was on a whole new level.

Louis gave her a puzzled look. "I thought you'd be pleased, we all have to do our bit for our country."

She bit her lip and turned away. "There are other ways, I don't want you to sign up. Not now, not until you graduate." Not ever!

"It's just something to consider," he said putting his arm around her. "And I'd be doing it for you. I don't want you to live your life under the Soviet jackboot, the thought kills me."

She shuffled closer to him. "But I really wouldn't want you to go away. Promise me you won't make any hasty decisions? I know it seems like the right thing to do, the patriotic thing but..."

He paused for a moment, and she held her breath.

"Okay, I'll think about it but I can't get Kennedy's words out of my head."

Her heart sank, much as she loved Kennedy, this had to be the worst news ever.

~~~

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