Grease

Chapter 17

"Mum, can I go to a party next Saturday night?" Sylvie asks whilst we're eating breakfast. Mum looks up, the slightest of frowns on her face. 

"Who's having a party?" she asks as if that makes a difference. I know she's stalling, trying to think of a reasonable objection.

"Just some guy from school. All my friends are going." She looks at mum her eyes pleading.

"I'm not sure I like the sound of it," mum says hesitating. "It doesn't sound like you even know whose party it is."

"Of course I do, or I wouldn't have been invited. It's not even going to be a big deal, more like a group hanging out." Mum purses her lips and I can tell she's not keen.

"Oh come on mum," I say coming to Sylvia's defence. "She's seventeen, you can't keep her home every night." Mum's eyes narrow, she doesn't appreciate me sticking my nose in.

"I suppose," she says looking at Sylvie. "But it had better not be a late night and I want this boy's address and phone number." She gets up to leave the table and Sylvie rolls her eyes behind her back.

"God she'd keep me under lock and key if she had her way," she grumbles.

"You are her little baby," I tease although actually mum gives into her way more than she did with me. I broke mum in, Sylvia has it easy. "So this party, does that mean things are okay with you and Stephanie now?" Sylvie starts to giggle.

"Yeah, they are cos Steph somehow found out that it's Paulette that Johnny's been messing around with."

"So Imitation Marilyn's finally got her claws into him." Sylvie shrugs.

"It looks that way, I'm not sure though cos Johnny and Steph are still together." She pulls a face.

"And you wish they weren't?"

"I don't care, well not if Johnny's just going to move onto Paulette," she says dipping her head so her hair falls into her face.

"Sounds like you like him more than you're letting on." She shakes her head but she doesn't look up, keeping her face hidden. I don't have a chance to say any more as there's a loud knock at the door and I remember Rizzo said she'd stop by. I can hear mum taking her through to the living room.

"Look we'll continue this later," I say not letting her off the hook.

"So is Rizzo really pregnant?" Sylvie asks looking up.

"I have no idea, and even if I did I wouldn't tell you. Your friends are the worst gossips, I've seen them-"

"That's not fair," Sylvie says pouting. "Everyone's talking." Everyone is but I've caught Paulette especially giving Rizz pointed looks, and it's all too clear what it's about.

"Just keep out of the way for now," I say and she nods going back to her breakfast and leaving me free to attend to Rizzo.

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"Your mom won't mind if I smoke will she?" Rizzo asks her eyes on dad's ashtray. 

"Go ahead, mum smokes anyway." Rizzo gives me a tight smile as she rummages in her purse for her cigarettes. I can tell she's not herself, her hair's flat on her head and her clothes seem sort of thrown together like she's put on the first thing she grabbed from her wardrobe. She finally locates her cigarettes and breathes a sigh of relief as she lights up.

"So spill, what's going on?" I ask as she slowly inhales.

"You have to ask?" She raises an eyebrow nonchalantly but I don't buy it, she's gotta be scared.