"You're going out again?" Sharon's mom Rebecca huffed as she got ready. "Haven't you got homework to do? I don't want you falling behind in school."

Sharon looked at herself in the mirror, satisfied she looked her best without looking like she was trying too hard. "I've already done it," she said, smiling tightly, however her mom didn't give up that easily.

"If you put more effort in you'd get really good grades," Rebecca said with an exaggerated sigh. "I don't want to stop you from having fun but you've got to remember what is really important. And long term, your grades matter most of all."

"My grades are fine mom," Sharon said as she yanked the brush through her hair. She nearly pointed out that she was doing a damned sight better than all her friends but that would likely cause another argument.

"But you get good grades with no effort at all," her mom said not letting up. "Imagine how well you'd do if you applied yourself."

Sharon held back a sigh. This is me applying myself, how can she not see that? Am I supposed to study twenty-four seven?

"So where are you going?" Rebecca asked when Sharon remained silent.

"I'm not sure, we're just hanging out," she said twisting her hair into an up-do. "Someone will be picking me up soon."

"Rhonda?"

"I think she's babysitting her little brother. Stephanie said Dimucci or Goose would come and get me." She kept her tone light, not wanting her mother to realise she was going on a date.

"So one of the motorcycle gang is your escort for the evening," Rebecca said sniffing, her disapproval clear. "Lord, I know Steven wasn't the most scintillating of company, but sometimes boring isn't a bad thing."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sharon asked playing dumb.

"You can't fool me, young lady." Rebecca's eyes ran over her, quickly weighing the situation up. "Please be careful, it doesn't take much for a girl to get a reputation."

"Good god, mother!" She spun around, her eyes flashing. "I'm going out with a friend."

Rebecca raised her eyebrows. "A male friend?"

"Urgh, you're impossible," Sharon said feigning indignation. "You should get your head out of the gutter, not all guys have one-track minds." She looked away, waiting for her mother to slap her down.

"I hate to tell you this," Rebecca said, in a superior voice. "But all boys are like that. They always were and they always will be."

~~~

Paulette propped herself up with a pillow, getting comfortable on her bed, while Rhonda sat cross-legged at the bottom and Stephanie stretched out in the vanity chair. Much to her chagrin, her little sister Dolores was sat on the floor, determined to join them.

"Wow, how much stuff have you brought?" she asked as Rhonda began to unload her bag which included chocolates, chips, candy, and a sneaky bottle of wine.

"I'm comfort eating," Rhonda said opening the bag of chips. Stephanie leaned over and reached for the wine.

"Great minds think alike," she said holding up a bottle of her own.

"Dolores, I think you should leave now," Paulette said giving her sister a hard stare.

"Do you want mom and dad to know you're drinking? If you don't, I'll be staying here," she retorted with a smug grin, and Paulette groaned.

"Fine, but you're not having so much as a sip of our drinks."

"Did I say I want to?" Dolores looked around the room. "So where's Sharon? You're not exactly the awesome foursome without her."

Paulette cleared her throat, grateful Dolores had given her the perfect opportunity to say what was on her mind. "Actually, I think Sharon feels a bit uncomfortable after everything that's happened lately." Dolores looked at her wide-eyed, and Rhonda shoved a handful of chips into her mouth. "I mean she feels really awkward because she's been dragged into something that had nothing to do with her after that game at Davey's house." Rhonda continued eating and she looked towards Stephanie to back her up.

"It was a stupid game," Steph said opening her bottle of wine and pouring it into the plastic beakers she'd brought along. "I wouldn't read too much into it."

"But Louis was interested in Sharon all along so she is involved," Rhonda insisted. "The game just made it obvious to everyone else that he likes her."

"It's not fair to take it out on Sharon though," Paulette said her thoughts turning to Johnny. "She didn't ask him to like her and it's hard to hide your feelings."

"But I think she likes him as well," Rhonda said, her mouth turning down. "She's stolen my boyfriend."

"The little bitch!" Dolores giggled and Paulette silenced her with a hard look.

"Shut up if you don't have anything helpful to say," she said wishing she would leave them alone.

"Oh come on," Dolores spluttered. "He's not even that good looking."

"She's got a point," Steph said a smile playing on her lips.

"Exactly," Dolores insisted. "What's the big deal, Rhonda? Don't tell me you and Sharon are gonna fight over some second rate T bird?'

"I'm not, but it's horrible knowing he prefers Sharon to me," Rhonda admitted tucking into more chips.

"Obviously, it's not nice," Paulette said, still thinking of Johnny. "But things change, boyfriends don't go the distance at our age."

"My mom and dad met when they were thirteen," Rhonda pointed out.

Stephanie laughed. "Don't tell me you're thinking of marriage already? I'm mean my folks got together in high school but I doubt they knew that it would be for keeps at the time."

"But that's the point, for them it was," Rhonda said, a frown marring her face. "There's a good chance our future husbands are right here at Rydell."

Stephanie scoffed and Paulette was heartened. Steph wasn't giving the impression she saw her and Johnny going the distance, and that was something to quietly celebrate.

~~~

Louis took Sharon to the neighbouring town of Matlock, by the coast. It had a burger bar much like Frosties so it was unlikely anyone in Rydell High would go there when Frosties was more accessible. She had to admit he'd chosen wisely; it was discreet, for them, but not sleazy. After they'd finished eating they went outside and walked along the beach as the sun was setting, the summer sky orange and black.

"Oh wow," Sharon said looking out to the sea. Louis took her hand and led her to the edge of the beach. They sat down, hand in hand, watching the sunset, and Louis moved closer to her.

"So have you been here with Rhonda?" she asked brushing a loose strand of hair out her face.

"No," he said watching her carefully. "Hand on heart, I wasn't serious about Rhonda, we mostly just hung out with the gang."

She nodded. "I guess you do sometimes drift along when things aren't bad but they're not that great either."

"Is that what happened with you and Steven Carswell?" he asked, his gaze intense. She looked into the sunset, composing her thoughts.

"Yeah, maybe," she said after a long pause. "I mean I did like him to start with, I won't deny that. But in the end, I was only seeing him out of habit. That's horrible isn't it?"

"I can see how that would happen." He took a deep breath. "So you're not still hung up on him?"

"God no!" she exclaimed, surprised he even had to ask. "I've told you this before."

"I'm just checking," he said with a smile, and she was almost certain he was going to kiss her. Feeling nervous, even though they'd already kissed, she looked away and continued talking.

"Yeah it was like the first few dates were okay, more than okay, and before I knew it we were in the habit of going out." She frowned thinking back. "And at least it stopped Stephanie trying to get me to give Goose a chance. I don't know what she was thinking as far as that went!"

Louis leaned back, contemplating what she'd said. "I'd forgotten about the whole, 'get Goose a girlfriend' thing. What happened there?"

"Not a lot. Steph tried to convince me to go on a date with him, and I said he had nothing to offer but stupid jokes. And once you take away the jokes there's just stupid.' She shuddered and he laughed. "But going out with Steven got me off the hook and she had to work on Paulette instead."

Louis laughed. "Poor Goose. Take away stupid and what have you got left?"

"Six foot two of nothingness," she said giggling, and he leaned forward and kissed her before she had a chance to turn away.

"I do like you, Sharon," he said looking into her eyes. "I like you a lot." She swallowed and he put his arm around her, pulling her closer and kissing her again. She reached her hand behind his neck as he kissed her more deeply.

"Oh my," she said when they eventually pulled apart, and he chuckled at her quaint expression.

"Hey, what do you expect?" He gestured towards the sunset. "If this isn't the perfect moment to make a move then I don't know what is."

She laughed lightly. "Guys aren't supposed to notice stuff like this." She waved her hand skywards, although she had to admit the setting was near perfect.

He grinned at her. "I think it's you I'm noticing more than anything else."

She couldn't help flushing, she was way out of her depth. She'd never liked a boy more, and she wasn't sure what was so special about him. They were opposites on so many levels, and yet they seemed to click. In a weird, twisted way, they were right together.

~~~

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