Sharon
I take the phone from Joanne, ready to speak to dad.
'Hey sweetheart,' he says like I'm ten years old. 'I was just telling your sister that I want you both to come for thanksgiving, I've already squared it with your mother.'
'Oh right.' That's not for another two weeks. He's really making the effort to keep in touch!
'Angela's looking forward to seeing you.' The step monster, even better.
'That'll be great dad, I can't wait to see her.' I'm totally lying and he can't even tell. 'Look I've gotta go dad, Louis is picking me up.'
'Wait up.' He's suddenly interested. 'Who is this Louis? Do you have a boyfriend?'
'Yes dad, we've been going out for a few months now. You know that.'
'No I don't,' he says but I'm sure I've told him. 'Does your mother know? Has she allowed this?' I almost burst out laughing.
'Yes dad, I'll have to go, bye.' I hang up before he can say anymore. He sounds rattled and I'm happy about that.
'I thought Rhonda was picking you up?' Joanne asks.
'Yeah she is, I just wanted to wind dad up a little.' Joanne laughs, I guess she's as pissed off as I am about his fleeting attention. Probably more so since she's getting married and he's supposed to be giving her away. He should think himself lucky he's even invited.
****
We're late as usual to the Bowlarama, first Paulette was dragging her heels, and then Stephanie. Now to be fair I can understand Paulette taking her time, she's desperate to make herself pretty for Johnny but Steph? Come on, all she has to do is throw on a shirt and pants. She always wears the same outfit as well, we have team tops, so it's not like she has to think about it. Johnny pounces as soon as we go inside.
'All the lanes are taken cos you're so late,' he says to Steph.
'Yeah so,' she says before walking off to get a drink.
'Don't get mad Johnny,' Paulette cooes at him. 'We can always do something else while we wait.'
'I guess,' he says calming down.
'I'll wait on a lane,' Dolores says eager to join us.
'Go find your own friends,' Paulette snarls at her. I think she's kinda mean, Dolores has her uses. I've got her to help me with the talent show.
'Personally I think you ought to be more tolerant of your own sister,' I say in a disapproving voice. Paulette scowls at me and looks to the others to back her up. Rhonda shrugs and I can see Dolores is smug about my intervention. Well that's my good deed for the day.
'I'll keep you company,' Davey says to Dolores, and she looks thrilled. I'd guess she has a crush, and I'd also guess Davey is oblivious.
Louis comes over and puts his arm around me and I turn to kiss him. I've been a bit mean to him the past week, after last Friday I've tried to keep him at arms length. I really like him but I know he thinks I'm leading him on. We leave the others and go over to the pin ball machines.
'My dad actually called tonight.'
'What did he want?'
'Just to invite us for thanksgiving, to make up for cancelling the other week.' I can't help being sarcastic. 'Oh and I think he might want to meet you.' Louis looks nervous.
'Why now?'
'Apparently he didn't know I had a boyfriend.' Louis frowns.
'You've been keeping it a secret?' He sounds a bit offended.
'No, I told him but he can't have paid attention. Now he has he's wanting to play the part of the over protective father.'
'I'll have to try not to screw up like Goose did,' he laughs.
'Don't worry, there's every chance he'll have forgotten all about it by the morning.' I act like I don't care but I am bothered because in all likelihood he will forget about it, like he does with everything.
*****
Davey
'Paulette has a point,' I say to Dolores. 'Why do you try and hang out with us all the time.'
'Kids my own age bore me, I'm more mature.'
'Seriously? I don't see how this can be fun for you. Having to be the pink ladies gofer.' She's selling herself short.
'I think of myself more as the pink ladies mascot. And when I'm in senior year I'm gonna be leader of the pink ladies.'
'But Dolores, the pink ladies are girlie girls. You're more of a tom boy.' She looks at me all offended.
'I am not, and when I'm older I'll be allowed to wear makeup.'
'It's not just the makeup though, it's the whole package. And why would you want to be like them, they're all sorta plastic.' In an instant she goes from wanting to bite my head off to laughing.
'Yeah Paulette's plastic all right, everything about her's fake, right down to her padded bras!'
'I don't think you should be telling me about her bras,' I say but she scoffs.
'Well what about you, you're a T bird and you're not exactly playing the part.' She does have a point. If I didn't go back years with the guys I wouldn't be in the gang.
'I'm not as cool as the other guys,' I admit.
'I didn't mean that but you're different, and not in a bad way. Like Goose is an idiot and Johnny's all ego, and Dimucci is somewhere between the two....'
'And you wanna be a pink lady and be the property of guys like that?'
'When I'm a pink lady the T birds will be cool again,' she finally says and I laugh.
'Keep telling yourself that!'
I see there are some free lanes and Dolores goes to claim them whilst I round the guys up.
'Remember we're having boy girl teams tonight,' Paulette reminds Johnny.
'Do we have to,' Steph says grumbling.
'Well me and Louis want to be on the same team,' Sharon says speaking for Dimucci. I look at him and he shrugs.
'Fine,' Johnny says. 'You two can be on my team along with Paulette.' Stephanie opens her mouth to object, Johnny's only gone and picked all the best players for his team.
'That's not fair Johnny. At least trade me Rhonda for Paulette.' Paulette starts pouting and Rhonda looks pissed off.
'No, I make the rules around here,' Johnny says and Paulette looks happy again.
'Not jealous are you Stephanie?' she asks. She says it nicely but no one's taken in. Stephanie looks at her like she's an idiot.
'Seriously Paulette, if you want my cast-off go for it.'
'I ain't no one's cast-off,' Johnny snaps and we all cringe as he fronts up to Steph. She looks him in the eye and chews her gum loudly.
'Let's just play the game,' she says and I breathe a sigh of relief. I thought it was gonna get heated for a moment there, chicks who'd have them.
*****
Thank you for reading, votes/comments welcome
