Grease

Chapter 3

Well so far high school has been a breeze. I could tell Kenickie was pissed off I was in his homeroom but his mates were more welcoming.

Far more welcoming.

Typical boys, they see a new girl and they go gaga. I was hoping I'd meet Danny's girlfriend, I'm so curious about the girl who has tamed the legendary Danny Zuko. No luck yet but I met Kenickie's girlfriend Rizzo, and that was a shock. She doesn't seem his type at all. She's a petite brunette and he's always gone for big boobed blondes for starters. I liked her though, you can tell she doesn't take any of his shit.

"Okay if I join you girls," I say putting my tray down on Rizzo's table at lunch time and not giving her a chance to object. I can tell as far the pecking order around here goes she's top dog, so if I win her over my life will be a lot easier. She rolls her eyes, probably seeing through me, but she gives me a half smile, half sneer, and then budges up for me.

"So how'd you like school so far?" Jan, a friend of Rizzo's asks, her mouth full of food.

"It's school, it's shit," I say pulling a face.

Rizzo looks at me for a moment, weighing me up. "Ya got that right kid." She goes back to her lunch but I detect a chink in her armour.

"Your accent is kinda cute," Marty, another of Rizzo's friends, says. "There's this other new girl here, and she has an accent as well but I think yours is more refined." She slowly adjusts her glasses, almost like she's proud of her observation.

"Do you mean Danny's girlfriend?" I ask and Rizzo's head snaps up.

"You know Danny?" She slaps her forehead. "Of course you do if you know Kenickie, stupid me. Yeah his girlfriend Sandy's from Oz. Her and Zuko are loves young dream." Jan and Marty cackle, and I can tell Rizzo is being sarcastic. For some reason she doesn't like Sandy, and I sense a way into the group.

"It did surprise me to hear Danny was going steady," I say with a small frown. "I guess this Sandy is something special?" I smile at them, and I can see by the way they roll their eyes at each other that Sandy is not all that!

"Sandy's as dull as ditch water," Rizzo laughs. "Take my advice, stay away from her, oh and Patty Simcox, unless you wanna be cheerleader that is."

I burst out laughing, I never believed cheer leaders were an actual thing until we moved here. "Rizz the last thing you are ever going to catch me doing is shaking my arse for the football team."

Rizzo smiles, and then inclines her head to Jan and Marty. "I think she might be on our wave length girls." 

"Well I sure do hope I'm not on this Patty's wave length!" I say and we all laugh. I can tell these are the girls to hang out with if I want to have a good time. Kenickie isn't going to be pleased but tough shit, I've got to look out for myself.

                                                                   💕

Rizzo definitely seems to warm to me over lunch, dropping her one word answers and elaborating on her replies. I don't know if it goes in my favour or not that I'm Kenickie's cousin but I'm not going to waste the headspace. I catch sight of Sylvia across the other side of the canteen, and she's sat with a group of girls wearing pink jackets, similar to the jackets Rizzo and her friends have on.

"What's with the jackets you guys wear?" I ask. Their jackets are identical with 'pink lady' emblazoned on the back, and their names on the front.

"It's like a sort of sorority, only a real exclusive one," Marty tells me and I look at her blankly. "Like a girl gang. There's me, Rizz, Jan, and Frenchy."

I nod my head. "Like Kenickie and the T Birds?" I've noticed his mates all wear the same jacket. I think it's dumb but I keep that opinion to myself.

"Yeah that's right," Marty says. "And we all hang out together."

"Yeah we have a real blast," Rizzo says and I can tell she's being sarcastic again.

"So do you all date each other?" Jan and Marty pull faces at each other.

"Kinda," Jan says. "I'm sorta seeing Putzie, do you know him?" I vaguely remember a small, blond guy, quieter than Kenickie's other friends. Jan looks like she could eat him alive.

"Well I'm not dating any of them," Marty says fluffing her blonde hair. "I have my standards." Jan elbows her hard, and she yelps.

"So what's Frenchy like?" I ask changing the subject. "I don't think I've met her yet."

"She dropped out to go to beauty school," Rizzo says. "You'll meet her soon enough."

"I'll look forward to it."

Rizzo laughs. "Word of advice, don't let her get her hands on your hair, your make up, or your ears. Well not unless you wanna be turned into a troll."

"Rizz that's mean," Marty admonishes.

"It's the truth, Frenchy's a disaster in the beauty department."

Jan bites her lip trying not to smile. "Have you seen her hair now, it's yellow!"

Rizzo shakes her head.

"Don't you mean blonde?" Marty asks, and Jan giggles.

"Nope, it's yellow, like proper yellow. She tried tinting it and it went pink, so she tried to go blonde and now it's yellow. She daren't dye it again in case it falls out." I laugh, I guess I'll recognise Frenchy easily enough.

"Well she's sure gonna stand out at National Bandstand," Marty says. "If she dares show her face."

"What's National Bandstand?" I ask. All morning I've heard people whispering about it but I couldn't work out what they meant.

"It's a dance off, on live TV," Marty explains. "It's gonna be filmed from Rydell in a few weeks, and Vince Fontaine is hosting." Her voice rises an octave and I can tell she's excited although I don't know the significance.

"Well at least this Frenchy will be in black and white on TV," I joke, and Rizzo laughs. "So who gets to go to the dance off?"

"Juniors and seniors," Marty says. "Which reminds me, I still don't have a date." She pouts in the most exaggerated fashion but I am surprised, she's gorgeous.

"Well go with Sonny," Jan says, and Marty grimaces.

"I was hoping for a more sophisticated dance partner than him," she sniffs, and Rizzo grins at me.

"As you can see Marty here thinks she's something special." Marty scowls at her and we laugh. I've met Sonny though and I wouldn't put him and Marty together. She looks like she'd go for some sort of clean cut guy, and he's very much rough around the edges.

"Well I'll be dateless," I say in an attempt to reassure Marty. "I don't know any guys here, or not any available guys." My thoughts flit to Danny and I push him from my mind. He can't be the only fit guy at Rydell, not by a long shot.

"Leave it to me," Rizzo says clapping her hands together. "Maybe I can sort something out for you."

I suddenly feel a bit nervous, I'm not sure I want to be set up with anyone. However I do want to keep Rizz on side so I keep my mouth shut. I'm sure Kenickie won't let her line me up with any old loser.

                                                                         💕