Stephanie watched as Louis led Sharon out of the room. She was unsteady on her feet, almost like she was drunk.

"Sharon looks wasted," she whispered in Johnny's ear. "She shouldn't be going off with Dimucci in that state."

Johnny groaned. "Leave them alone. Why are you interfering?"

"I'm not! Sharon can do what she likes." She sipped her drink, trying to suppress the nagging feeling that something wasn't right.

"So do you wanna go upstairs?" Johnny said leaning closer to her. "I'm sure there's a guest room we can use."

She almost choked. "For god's sake! You think I'm gonna go do anything like that, in Sharon's mom's house, with everyone down here." She couldn't believe what he was suggesting, and yet she could. We are on completely different wavelengths.

"No one's watching us," Johnny said, putting his arm around her.

"I have my self-respect," she said shrugging him off. "Don't you dare treat me like a slut."

"I didn't mean anything like that. I just wanna spend some time with you."

"You are spending time with me," she said, ignoring his sulky look. She turned away and called Paulette over. "What's Sharon been drinking?"

Paulette paused as if it was a trick question. "Just the punch I made."

"She hasn't had any alcohol?"

Paulette glanced at Johnny who shook his head slightly.

"No, just the punch as far as I know." Stephanie caught her eye and Paulette looked away. "Okay I did put a tiny bit of alcohol in but that's all. It was just a little bit."

Stephanie rolled her eyes but she'd drank the punch herself, and she felt fine. "How much has Sharon drank?"

Paulette shrugged. "I dunno, Rhonda's been serving the drinks."

With a sinking feeling Stephanie called Rhonda over, and Goose followed. "How many glasses has Sharon had?"

"Maybe three or four," Rhonda said.

"I don't think that would make her drunk, I've had the same myself." She caught Rhonda looking at Goose, their faces shifty. "What's going on?"

Goose coughed. "I might have added an extra something to her drinks."

"Are you completely stupid?"

"Oh come on," Rhonda said quickly. "She'll realise she's drunk if she is."

"Even if she does, that doesn't mean she won't do something she'll regret."

"So what?" Goose said, and Steph shot him a furious look. You absolute idiot, I don't know what Rhonda sees in you.

~~~

"Sharon are you okay?" Louis asked knocking on the bathroom door. It sounded like she was being sick but she'd been locked in there for ages. "Right, on the count of three I'm coming in." He counted down, and then tentatively opened the door, finding her with her head over the toilet.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," she said tearfully. He sat down beside her, and she began to retch, sobbing as she did so. He scooped her hair back around her neck, having no clue what else to do.

"You must have eaten something that didn't agree with you," he said rubbing her back. "Do you want me to get someone?"

"No," she said sitting back and resting her head against the bath. They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Sharon are you alright?" Steph called.

Feeling relieved Louis told her to come in. "She keeps being sick."

"And you're surprised?" Steph gave him a withering look. "Did you know she's been drinking?"

"She only had the punch, I've been with her the whole time."

"Yeah and it has alcohol in it," Steph said looking at him through narrowed eyes. "And Goose has been adding more to Sharon's drinks?"

"What! Why would he do that? I swear I didn't know." Steph looked sceptical and he turned away. He had kinda suspected Sharon was tipsy but nothing like this. Tipsy and drunk were not the same thing.

"I'm gonna be sick again," Sharon wailed throwing her head back in the toilet and dry retching. He rubbed her back, trying to console her, while Stephanie watched him dispassionately.

"Get her to drink some water," she said before leaving the bathroom. "You're her boyfriend so you can look after her."

Louis pulled a face. What do you think I'm doing, you stupid bitch.

~~~

"What's going on up there?" Rhonda asked sounding nervous when Stephanie rejoined them.

"Why don't you go see if you're so concerned," she snapped. She saw Goose shifting uncomfortably. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"

"Look we were just getting her to lighten up, you know how she is," he said with a hapless shrug.

"Getting her to lighten up by spiking her drinks?"

"I didn't know there was already alcohol in the punch, I didn't think I'd made her drinks that strong." He shot Johnny a pleading look which pissed her off even more.

"You shouldn't have done that," Johnny said slowly. "But no real harm's been done, right Steph?"

She gaped at them astounded. You're all assholes.

"Sharon is sick," she said slowly, quietly furious. "I don't know how you guys can think it's fine and dandy to spike someone's drinks?" Rhonda looked sheepishly at the floor, Johnny and Goose merely shrugged, but Paulette opened her mouth to defend herself.

"I swear I had no part in this," she said her voice shaking. "I wasn't targeting Sharon, that was them two." She glared at Rhonda and Goose who began to mutter excuses.

"Drop it," Steph said wearily. She raised her voice and gestured around the room. "Hey everyone, the party's over, it's time to go home. Quit it." She turned back to her so-called friends as the room began to empty. "Right we'd better get this place tidied up cos I don't think Sharon's gonna be up to it."

"I've gotta get going," Rhonda said backing away. "My curfew's twelve."

"Mine too," Paulette said disingenuously and they both backed away, Goose and Davey following.

"Thanks a lot, guys," she yelled as they skulked out with halfhearted apologies. "I don't mind cleaning your mess up!"

"So we have to tidy all this up?" Johnny said glowering at her.

"Yeah, it looks that way. This party was your idea after all."

"Okay, I'm gonna get Dimucci to come and help."

"No, you're not," she snapped. "I'm going to get him and chuck him out."

~~~

Stephanie knocked on Sharon's bedroom door and entered after only the briefest of pauses. Louis looked up a slight frown on his face.

"You can get going now," she said sternly.

"Nah I'm staying here, Sharon might need me."

You weren't here when she did need you Asshole! No scratch that, you were here and in the worst possible way. Her temper flared as she watched Louis stroke the hair out of Sharon's face, acting the part of the concerned boyfriend, while she slumped against him. As if! I don't think you give a shit about her.

"No, you're going home," she said crossing her arms. "I'll stay with Sharon in case she gets sick again."

Louis glared at her. "No way."

"I'm fine, you can both go," Sharon said, her voice shaking. "I'd rather be by myself."

"You heard her," Steph said, almost pushing Louis out of the room as he got to his feet, not giving him a chance to say goodbye.

"I bet he dumps me after this," Sharon said tearfully. "My life is over."

Stephanie gawped at her. "Are you for real?"

"He saw me being sick!" She lay down pulling a pillow over her face. "I'm absolutely mortified."

~~~

Johnny was walking around picking up random cans and glasses in an attempt to tidy up when Stephanie rejoined him. She looked at him scathingly.

"Hey this isn't my fault," he protested.

"It's down to your lame-brained friends."

"It's not all down to them, Rhonda and Paulette aren't innocent either."

"Yeah and they know they messed up but Goose doesn't even think he's done anything wrong," she said emptying an ashtray into a rubbish bag.

"Come on Steph," he said trying to smile. "It's kinda funny when you think about it."

"Are you kidding me?" she hissed dropping the sack she was holding. "I don't see how you work that out."

"Well, admit it, you were worried when Dimucci took Sharon upstairs. I think we both know what he wanted to happen." He chuckled under his breath. "He must be gutted that she ended up with her head down the toilet."

"You're sick," Steph spat. "The whole thing's disgusting. Goose spiking Sharon's drinks, Dimucci sleazing all over her, Davey...' She paused and he jumped in.

"Ha see? Davey did nothing wrong and neither did I."

"You stood by and let it happen."

"I did not!"

"You might as well have," she grumbled since he did have a point. "But you didn't say a word to Goose, you didn't call him out on it. And that's the problem with you guys, everything's a game to you. You're so irresponsible."

"Irresponsible?" Johnny spluttered. "Jeez, you sound like Mrs McGee or an old woman or something."

"Well, compared to you I probably am," she said not giving him the argument he would have expected. "I guess I've outgrown you. In fact, I know I have, tonight has just made it all the more obvious."

He looked at her blankly, and she crushed the empty can she was holding. "Please don't make this hard for me."

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice the quietest she'd ever heard it.

She looked at him and then looked away, throwing more things into the waste bag she was carrying. "Johnny I'm sorry but it's not working out. I've tried to tell you this before, but me and you, we're on different wavelengths."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" he asked his temper flaring.

"Take tonight, you think it's funny and I don't. You think I'm boring."

"You're not boring," he said. "But you do need to relax a bit."

She let out a heavy sigh. "You're not hearing me. I've outgrown you, you're too immature for me."

"Immature," he scoffed. "I don't think so. I wouldn't be the leader of the T birds if I was."

She groaned. "Johnny I don't care about the T birds, about being in some gang. It's juvenile."

"So you think you're too good for me now?"

"No, I just think we're different people. We don't fit together any more."

"Are you're saying it's over?" He looked at her in disbelief. "Do you seriously think you can dump me?"

"I'm sorry Johnny," she said looking away from him as her eyes began to well up despite preparing for this conversation many times.

"Right, I guess I'll head off," he said sounding bewildered. "If that's what you want?"

"It is."

"Steph?"

She turned away from him, tears streaming down her face. "Please go. Don't make this any harder than it already is."

~~~

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