"Hi," Louis said taking his seat behind Sharon in homeroom. She glanced at him, then turned away facing forward.

"What's that about?" Davey asked inclining his head in Sharon's direction.

"Damned if I know," Louis said keeping his face expressionless.

Sharon spun around, fixing him with a hard stare, and he leaned over, whispering in her ear.

"Look, I'm sorry okay?"

"You used me," she hissed keeping her voice low.

He frowned, genuinely perplexed. "What are you talking about?"

She glanced over a Davey, lowering her voice to a whisper. "You took me out and let me think that you liked me."

"I do like you," he insisted as Davey tried to listen in.

"No, you just thought you'd get one thing."

He groaned and shoved Davey back, he could do without the peanut gallery. "That's not true."

She tutted, crossing her arms. "Yes, it is. You couldn't have made it more clear. I'm surprised you didn't offer to pay!"

He gawped at her. "You seriously think that?" She nodded. "Fine, if that's how you feel then forget it. Maybe I don't want another girlfriend, I can do without the aggravation."

Her eyes widened, a mixture of fire and ice. "Well that's good, cos I'm certainly not going to be your next girlfriend!"

"I never asked you to be."

She looked momentarily affronted and turned away, facing forward, ending the conversation. He sat back chewing his gum wondering how the hell he'd blown it already.

~~~

Sharon joined the girls at lunchtime, keeping her head high. Any thoughts of Louis had been banished to the recesses of her mind.

"I thought you'd wanna sit with them," Rhonda said snidely looking over at the T birds.

Sharon grimaced before forcing her face into a smile. "Why would I want to sit with those jerks? No offence Steph."

"None was taken," Steph said sourly. "Johnny is a jerk."

"Has something happened?" Paulette asked a little too eagerly, and Sharon exchanged a look with Rhonda. A rare moment of common ground.

Steph let out a deep breath. "He's gonna be working at my dad's service station this summer, with me. I could do without it, I like my own space."

"But he worked there last summer," Rhonda pointed out.

"Yeah, he did and I loved it back then." She paused, brushing her hair out of her face. "I guess I was still in the first flush of love."

Paulette leaned forward. "And you don't feel like that now?"

"We've been going together for ages," Steph said sounding irritated. "It'll be okay, it's just absence makes the heart grow fonder." She finished on a sing-song note, and then took a deep breath, ready to change the topic. "So Sharon, what's happening with Dimucci? It's about time you came clean."

Sharon cringed as they all turned their eyes on her. "He's just a friend," she said dismissively. "And barely that." She swallowed down her indignation, he'd treated her terribly but he was acting like she was being difficult. Like she was in the wrong.

Rhonda raised her eyebrows. "Really? You're only friends?"

"We're friends in the vaguest sense of the word," Sharon said breezily. To think she'd let herself start to fall for him, talk about a lucky escape. Louis is obviously not relationship material, it's better that I find out now before I get sucked in any further.

~~~

"For fucks sake, what is it with everyone tonight?" Johnny asked Stephanie under his breath. They were at the Bowlarama but no one was much talking, never mind playing. Even he couldn't miss the foul looks Sharon and Rhonda kept shooting in Dimucci's direction. Way to go, getting two girls pissed off at you. For his part, Louis was clearly keeping out of both of their ways.

"Maybe you should have a word with Dimucci," Steph suggested. "It seems like he's the cause of all of this." Johnny frowned, no he wouldn't be doing that, whatever the problem was, it was down to her chicks.

"Hey guys, are we gonna bowl tonight," he shouted trying to generate some enthusiasm. Goose and Davey jumped to attention, and Paulette came running over. "Sharon, Rhonda." He clicked his fingers in their direction, and Stephanie rolled her eyes.

"They're not dogs Johnny."

He smirked, however, as both girls came over, responding to his command.

"Actually, there's someone I have to go and see," Sharon said glancing at a group of Rydell High football players, sat drinking by the pool table. "Start without me." She grabbed her drink and left before he had a chance to object.

"I'll keep score," Paulette piped up and he nodded curtly. He then gave Louis a shove towards the bowling lanes seeing he was stood back watching Sharon. He wasn't impressed himself that she'd bailed on them - and for some dumb jocks no less - but he'd have words with her later. Alone.

"So what's that about?" he asked Steph cocking his head in Sharon's direction.

"She's just talking to her ex, who cares?" Steph said, spotting that Steven was part of the group.

"She's supposed to be a pink lady. If she wants to hang with the jocks she can go join the cheerleading squad."

Steph laughed. "I guess she could, her mom would be proud."

Louis joined them. "She's making a fool of herself," he said his eyes narrowing as Sharon threw her head back and laughed like her ex-boyfriend was the most entertaining person ever.

"Not jealous are you?" Steph asked slyly.

"Nah, I'm gonna get a drink."

Louis got up ignoring Johnny's gesticulations. "Right, well let's sit this out then," he said, his voice rising an octave. Stephanie shot him a look, and he knew he was in danger of losing his cool. Deep breaths, Johnny, deep breaths. He gave himself an internal shake. It's just a game, no big deal, no big deal at all.

~~~

Louis paid for his drink while surreptitiously watching Sharon. He just knew she was trying to wind him up, flicking her hair and looking up at her ex adoringly. His smiled sardonically as he contemplated his next move. Stephanie and Johnny were eyeballing him, but instead of joining them, he made his way over to Sharon.

"Hey," he said getting her attention, although he was pretty sure she'd been watching him as well. That performance was put on for my benefit, right?

She turned around, smiling innocently. "Is something wrong?"

He grabbed her arm, more forcefully than he'd intended. "Can I have a word?" he asked, quickly loosening his hold on her.

"I guess," she said drawing out the words, and he led her to the next table, ignoring the sneers the jocks were directing at him.

"Well?" She folded her arms across her chest and gave him a haughty look.

He rocked backwards and forwards on his heels. "About the other night. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you already said."

"And I'll keep on saying it until you believe me."

"You've said a lot of other things as well," she said the frown on her face deepening. "Like how you don't even want a girlfriend."

"I never said that."

"You did, in homeroom!"

He was speechless for a moment and then he remembered. "Well, when you're carrying on like..."

"I'm not carrying on like anything," she snapped, her high pitched voice carrying across the room. "You led me on, you made out like you were interested in me."

"I am!"

"In one thing only. You're treating me like a slut." He opened his mouth to object and felt Johnny's hand on his shoulder.

"Cool it okay, you're making a scene," Johnny said indicating to the jocks who were listening in. He shrugged Johnny's hand off, turning his attention back to Sharon.

"Seriously, what do you expect me to think?" he said, his voice an angry whisper. "I mean here you are throwing yourself at those dumb jerks like you're desperate. Right now you're acting like a slut so if I got it wrong then you can't blame me for-'

He gasped as Sharon hurled the contents of her drink in his direction, leaving both him and Johnny drenched.

"What the hell!" Johnny yelled shaking the soda from his hair.

Sharon froze as if she couldn't quite believe what she'd done, while the people around them started laughing. She turned and ran, leaving Johnny spluttering obscenities at no one in particular.

"Hey, sorry," Louis muttered as he wiped the coke from his face. "I didn't mean for you to get caught in the crossfire."

He raced away not giving Johnny a chance to answer. I've gotta sort this out with Sharon now or I never will. If she sees I'm putting her before Johnny, before the T birds, that's gotta count for something. Hopefully.

~~~