Sharon's eyes widened as she watched Rhonda's retreating form. "Well, that's great, so how do we get home now?" she asked taking a step back from Louis and holding her hands to her burning cheeks.

Stephanie gave her an incredulous look before turning to Louis. "Aren't you going to go after her? She is your girlfriend."

He shrugged, briefly catching Sharon's eye. "Nah, if she wants to go, let her."

"But Rhonda's our ride home," Paulette said glaring at him. "And now she's gone and it's your fault."

"My fault?" Louis said disingenuously. "I don't know what you mean."

Paulette gaped at him. "The way you were kissing Sharon, how did you think she was gonna react?"

"It was just a game."

Sharon's eyes flew to him. Just a game? I mean it was but I thought...oh hell, I don't know what I thought but I know they're all going to blame me.

Beside her, Steph scoffed. "I don't think you could have got your tongue much further down her throat."

Louis smirked, and Sharon felt her cheeks heat up again. "Look, I said the bottle was closer to Rhonda, it was Johnny who said-"

Stephanie waved a hand in her face, cutting her off. "I saw the way you acted, you weren't exactly pushing him off you." Sharon opened her mouth to protest but Steph had already turned away, Johnny in her sights. "And you! You engineered the whole thing! Why did you do that? You've ruined the night for everybody now."

Johnny pulled a face before taking another swig of beer. "It ain't my fault you chicks take things so seriously. Maybe you should have a word with Rhonda, she needs to lighten up. The pink ladies are supposed to be cool."

Sharon looked from Stephanie to Johnny wondering if she was gonna take him speaking to her like that.

"Maybe you should learn some respect," Steph said chewing her gum loudly. She glanced at Louis and Sharon. "And you two definitely should."

Sharon glowered at her. "You know, I'm gonna head home, it'll take ages to walk." She sighed dramatically.

"It'll take you about twenty minutes," Steph said rolling her eyes and Louis got to his feet.

"Hey, I'll give you a ride, it's on my way."

Sharon paused and Stephanie opened her mouth to object but Johnny spoke before she could.

"Goose why don't you drop Paulette off and then no one's walking."

Goose looked at Johnny, his face dismayed. "Sure, I'll take Paulette," he said sighing. "I guess this means the games are over."

Sharon quickly pulled her jacket on and left with Louis before Stephanie could say anything. Well, she wasn't going to walk home if she didn't have to, and Rhonda was already pissed off so the damage was done.

~~~

Louis parked up at Sharon's house, and she quickly let go of him getting off his bike.

"I'll walk you to the door," he said before she had a chance to leave.

"You don't have to." She glanced towards her house which was in darkness apart from a dim light coming from a downstairs window. "Thanks for giving me a ride home."

"No problem," he said following her to the front door. "I wouldn't have left you stranded."

She gave him a hint of a smile. "To be fair, I could easily have walked. I was just being a drama queen."

He laughed. "I don't think any of us were expecting the night to end like that."

She paused on the doorstep. "No that was kinda embarrassing, the way Rhonda flounced out. On the one hand, I feel bad for her but on the other..."

He nodded, reaching into his jacket for his cigarettes and held the packet out to her. After a moment's hesitation, she took one and sat down on the doorstep. He sat next to her, pleased she hadn't rushed inside.

"I have been trying to finish with Rhonda," he admitted as he rumbled around for his lighter. "I thought she wasn't taking the hint but after tonight I guess I was wrong."

Sharon frowned as he lit their cigarettes. "I did tell you not to drag it out," she reminded him.

"I know, I thought it would be easier this way...nicer." He cursed himself for getting sucked into some sort of relationship that he hadn't much wanted in the first place.

"Well, after tonight I think you can see it's not nicer. Rhonda's probably spent the past few days or weeks wondering what's going on and now she'll make me the scapegoat."

"No she won't," he said watching Sharon closely. "It was only a game."

Her eyes met his. "Was it?"

He inched closer to her. "No, as far as I'm concerned, kissing you wasn't a game," he said his mouth almost touching hers. He jumped back as the front door opened.

"Sam," Sharon exclaimed as her brother stepped through the door. "You remember Louis, don't you? He's in my class."

Louis gulped; he remembered her older brother and more to the point, he knew not to cross him. "Hey," he said trying not to sound nervous.

"Hi," Sam said reaching out to shake his hand just a little too tightly. Louis did not miss the implied threat.

"Louis gave me a ride home cos Rhonda only went and got her panties in a twist about something and nothing," Sharon said speaking rapidly. "She's so highly strung."

"Right," Sam said his eyes falling on her cigarette. "Don't let mom catch you smoking."

Sharon looked guiltily at the cigarette in her hands. "I won't, I'll come in in a moment." Sam gave Louis a hard look and then closed the door again.

Louis waited a moment, to be sure they were alone. "Is he always so overprotective?" he asked flexing his hand where Sam had gripped it.

Sharon smiled softly. "Oh, you know how older brothers are. And I guess, he sort of sees himself as a bit of a father substitute, in a way."

"Why's that?"

A shadow fell on her face. "Because my father is dead, Louis. I thought you knew, I thought everyone knew."

He could hear the hurt in his voice and mentally he kicked himself, hard. Of course, he knew that. He couldn't even remember her telling the class about it in fifth or sixth grade as part of some dumb assignment where they had to talk about their families. "I'm sorry," he said. "I wasn't thinking, you can call me a jerk."

"You are a jerk," she said but at least she laughed.

"At least I admit it." He cleared his throat. Try to be sensitive, girls like sensitive guys, not jackasses. "So your dad, do you remember him? You were only two or three when he died, weren't you?"

She nodded. "That's right, I was nearly three." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I have an image of him, it's a feeling more than anything. There are things I think I remember but I'm not sure if they're my memories, or if I've just invented them based on what I've been told."

"It might be a bit of both," he said being careful not to say the wrong thing.

She nodded again. "Yeah, that's what I think. What's your earliest memory?"

"Oh, I haven't thought about it." He shook his head. "Probably something from when we still lived in New York. I remember the snow, like lots of it, I guess I was about four."

"Hmm, that's what makes me think my memories are invented. Like I clearly remember being eighteen months and sitting on my dad's knee on Christmas day while my brother's opened their presents." She let out a wistful sigh. "Obviously, this is something I've been told."

"Does that matter?" He paused struggling for the right words. "If it happened, and you have a sense of it then isn't that as good as remembering?"

She looked at him, her brows furrowing. "You know, for a jerk, that's actually quite perceptive."

"Thanks, I think." He took a couple of drags on his cigarette. "So Sam looks out for you then?"

"Sort of," Sharon admitted.

He thought of her ex-boyfriend. "He must have been pleased when you dumped Steven?"

She shrugged. "He likes Steve, he used to help coach him for the football team."

"That must have been cosy."

"It was a bit too close for comfort," she said with a laugh.

"So you don't regret dumping him?"

She gave him an incredulous look. "Don't be absurd, I never regret anything. I'd rather be young, free and single."

"Right, so you're not interested in getting another boyfriend?"

"It not on my list of priorities," she said smiling, and he was sure she was teasing him.

"That's probably just as well," he said moving closer to her again. "Cos you'd have to get a T bird boyfriend anyway."

She laughed. "I guess I'm screwed then cos no way would I date Davey or Goose!'

"There are other T birds," he said grinning.

"But you and Johnny are taken," she said giving him a pointed look.

He put his arm around her and she shuffled closer. "I think you know that isn't true," he said, his lips meeting hers. She kissed him briefly before leaning away.

"Until you finish with Rhonda, you're off-limits," she said getting to her feet.

He stood up groaning. "Oh Sharon, come on. I like you, I really like you."

She paused, her hand on the door handle. "I like you too but I won't be used while you decide who you want. Until you finish with Rhonda, you should keep away from me.'

"Sharon-"

"I'll see you Monday," she said, and she dashed inside before he had a chance to object.

He walked back to his bike, a slow smile forming on his face. In that case, come Monday, Rhonda is history.

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