Think Pink (Grease 2) ✔

Chapter 14

Michael rather sheepishly entered the chemistry lab seeking out a friendly face. He'd tried to catch Stephanie all day but she was avoiding him.

Frenchy turned away from her experiment her eyes wide. 'Hey, I heard you had some sorta bust-up with Johnny Nogerelli over the weekend?'

Michael pulled a face as he sat down next to her. 'You could call it that,' he said wearily.

'So what happened?' she asked brimming with excitement. 'I wanna hear it from the horse's mouth!' Michael quickly recounted the sorry tale for her, and she chewed her lip nervously.

'Oh gosh. You do know that the pink ladies are t bird property?'

Micheal scoffed, their codes and rules got even more ridiculous. 'Well, I don't think that matters now anyway. Steph's been avoiding me. I mean like this, I don't exactly knock her socks off.' He'd long ago ditched his ties and blazers but he still looked like the clean cut student that he was.

'But that is just so superficial,' Frenchy said pursing her lips. 'It's funny I remember when Danny was the leader of the t birds, he used to be a little embarrassed by Sandy cos she was sorta wholesome looking, I'd have thought Stephanie had a bit more about her.' They looked up as the door went and the pink ladies strode in, Steph dragging her heels.

'Having a facial?' Sharon asked Michael sarcastically.

He shrugged. 'Yeah, something like that.' Sharon raised her eyebrows but he'd already turned his attention to Steph. 'Have you ever read a superman comic?'

She glanced at him, incessantly chewing her gum. 'Not in the last few hours.' She pulled a face, and the pink ladies giggled whilst Frenchy cocked her head to the side giving Michael a sympathetic look.

'Girls, girls,' she said grabbing Rhonda. 'I've been thinking, what Rhonda needs for her nose is contouring. Let me show you.' She ushered them to the far side of the room, and Michael was grateful to talk to Steph in peace.

'Why didn't you tell me?' she hissed.

'I was going to, if Johnny hadn't shown up when he did, I was going to tell you then.'

'I meant before that, after the night at the Bowlarama. When I told you all about the mystery biker.' Her face heated up and she put her hands to her cheeks.

Michael cleared his throat. 'I didn't know how to, I felt really dumb. I mean I didn't intend to ride in there and create all that commotion, and then everyone was talking like I was something special. I felt like a fraud.' It had got worse when Stephanie had confided her crush, he'd wanted to impress her, but he'd wanted her to be impressed by him, not some sort of mystery guy. 'Why don't we meet at the diner after school?' He'd been helping her with another essay.

'Ok,' she said giving nothing away. They heard Rhonda yell and looked to see Frenchy sweep some dark blusher down the side of her face whilst the other girls giggled. Stephanie said goodbye to Michael and went to join them.

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Stephanie was sat with Michael in the diner still trying to get her head around the weekend's revelations. She threw her fork down in exasperation and Michael looked at her startled.

'You're a really smart guy, why'd you go do something like this?'

'You wouldn't give me the time of day,' he admitted. 'Like this, I'm just Shakespeare to you.'

'That's not true, I'm here with you now aren't I?' She couldn't help being defensive.

'Yeah but only cos of what happened. You've only had anything to do with me cos you've needed my help, just like everyone else around here.' He sounded glum and she wanted to deny it but it was true, she had constantly dismissed him.

'That's not personal, I'm a pink lady and the code says....'

'The code stinks,' he said flatly. 'But I asked you out and your reasons for turning me down had nothing to do with the code.'

'So you just go and reinvent yourself?' She frowned, chewing her gum to keep herself distracted.

'Not exactly, I wanted you to see there's more to me.'

'I dunno.' He was making her feel like a total flake, but she couldn't believe he'd gone to all that trouble for her. That was kinda flattering.

'Why don't we go out sometime, I could take you for a ride?'

In spite of herself she smiled, she was tempted. Before she could answer the doorbell went, and they looked up to see Johnny coming their way, Goose trailing him. She sighed heavily.

'What do you want Johnny?'

He regarded her coldly. 'I'm letting you know that I am declaring us as an item officially over.' She heard Michael quietly scoff at Johnny's arrogance.

'You're declaring,' she spluttered, and Goose and Michael looked at each other their mouth's twitching.

'That's right,' Johnny said pulling the collar on his jacket up.

'Fine you've declared it, it's over,' Steph said humouring him. 'Can we finish eating now.'

'I've one more thing to say, to you, to Shakespeare.'

'And what's that Johnny?' Michael asked nonchalantly.

'You wanna get with Steph, well there's codes and rules that have to be followed first.' Steph rolled her eyes, he could take her jacket back if he was that bothered, it had caused her nothing but grief anyway.

'Yeah Steph's t bird property,' Goose added, and Johnny glared at him for butting in.

'As I was saying, if you want to be with Steph, then you're gonna have to become a t bird.'

'Excuse me but don't I have a say in this,' Stephanie demanded outraged.

'This is t bird business,' Johnny snarled, and Steph opened her mouth to object but Michael rested his hand on her arm restraining her.

'So how do I become a t bird then?' he asked and Steph scowled, that wasn't what she wanted at all.

Johnny grinned at Michael. 'Next Saturday I'll race you down at Thunder Road.' Goose whistled impressed. 'You beat me, you're in, you lose then you keep the hell away from our chicks.'

Michael smiled at him. 'Ok, you've got a deal.' Steph could see Johnny was taken by surprise, he'd have expected a little negotiation first, and frankly so would she.

'Michael you don't have to do this. These guys don't tell me what to do, I don't give a damn about their codes and rules.' She glared at Johnny and Goose.

'It's fine Steph,' Michael said sounding cocky. 'And when I win you can tell them what to do with their codes and rules.'

Johnny smirked. 'I bet you won't be so confident when I see you down at Thunder Road.'

'Yeah,' Goose added.

'We'll see Johnny,' Michael said and turned his attention back to Steph. Johnny paused momentarily, clearly not used to being dismissed.

'I can't believe she's taking the nerd's brains over your brawn,' Goose murmured as Johnny turned to swagger away.

'Well Shakespeare's gonna be eating my dust, and when I win, she'll be history as well.' Johnny raised his voice so Steph could clearly hear his words. 'No way is Stephanie keeping the leadership of the pink ladies after this. In fact, she'll be lucky to if they let her in the cheerleading squad.' Goose laughed loudly as they left the diner and Steph took a bite of her burger pretending she didn't care.

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