VANILLA, BABY • KENICKIE

NINE

CHAPTER NINE - double date and all that

The glass windows glowed under the neon sign of The Frosty Palace, the jukebox music was on, mixing with the chatter of Rydell students crowded into booths for the weekend. The smell of burgers, fries, and milkshakes hung heavy in the air.

Ducky slid into a booth beside Jack, Sandy and Tom sitting across from them. Marty had squealed when she saw them come in together, waving wildly before being dragged back into her own group's conversation. To say the girls were shocked to see Ducky on a double date was an understatement, she had told them yesterday at school but they thought she would cancel last minute.

Jack slipped an arm across the back of the booth, keeping it casual but respectful. "What we ordering?"

"I'll just have a milkshake, varsity boy. I want to keep my figure for the Christmas dance."

From across the diner, the familiar voices carried and she could already tell the T-Birds were here. If Kenickie wanted to see how well she was doing, she would show him.

"Somebody snakin' you, Danny?"

"Bite the weenie, Rizz."

"With relish."

The T-Birds laughed, wolf-whistling at passing girls. Rizzo rolled her eyes, licking her ice cream.

Sandy pushed a stray curl back from her face and stood. "I'll pick us some music," she said sweetly, heading toward the jukebox.

"Pick something catchy, Sandy." Ducky called to her. As soon as she left, Ducky leaned in to Jack, slightly. Val came up to grab everyone's order, "Ducky, you aren't with your usual crowd?"

"Nah, I'm broadening my horizons, Val."

"I'll have a cheeseburger and one for the prettiest girl too." Jack ordered for both him and Ducky. He didn't like how she wasn't going to eat, to hell with her figure, he didn't want her to starve.

"I'll have a pizza and Sandy will have a cheese burger with bacon on it." Tom announced.

"You ordered food for me?" Ducky raised her brow.

Jack chuckled, "I've gotta make sure you've ate."

Tom grinned, oblivious. "You'll see, Jack's got stamina. Guy runs laps around everyone."

Ducky raised a brow, looking at Tom. "Mm, stamina's good. Real good."

The boys laughed, but Ducky's eyes wandered toward the jukebox and froze.

Danny had peeled away from his booth and was moving toward Sandy, raking a hand through his hair like he owned the room. Ducky knew that strut, knew that look in his eye. And she knew Sandy, how her cheeks flushed pink whenever his name came up, how her voice softened whenever she talked about the summer.

Right now, Sandy stood stiff in front of the jukebox, her polite smile not fooling anyone. She looked uninterested, but Ducky could tell otherwise.

Ducky's stomach twisted, bitterness creeping up her throat. Christ, Sandy. Don't fall for it. You don't know what it's like having a T-Bird in your life. She loved Danny like a brother but he really hurt Sandy the night of the pep rally with his words.

Jack was talking again, Tom was bragging, but her focus stayed locked on Sandy and Danny. She didn't need to hear his lines to know how it would go, the apologies, the promises, the charm.

It was the same playbook Kenickie had run once upon a time. And it never ended well. Still, Sandy's gaze flickered, softening just slightly as Danny leaned closer.

Ducky exhaled sharply, turning back to Jack with a smirk plastered on her lips. If Sandy was gonna walk into the fire, Ducky wasn't about to stop her. She'd just make damn sure she didn't burn as badly as she had.

When the night finally wound down, the diner buzzing quieter as kids drifted out in groups, Jack insisted on walking Ducky to her car. Outside, the neon glow painted the parking lot pink and blue, engines rumbled as boys revved their cars and cigarette smoke lingered in the air.

Frenchy was already in the car, rifling through her purse with the radio humming low. She looked up just long enough to look knowingly at Ducky before rolling her eyes and sinking back into her seat. She had agreed to take Ducky home and Jan had tagged along, she was in the back seat of the car.

Jack shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, glancing down at Ducky as they strolled side by side, getting nearer the pink car. "So, you free after school on Tuesday?"

"Depends," Ducky teased.

"What've you got in mind?"

"Not just a double date thing," he said quickly. "Just us. Maybe the movies? Dinner at a real restaurant, not just the diner. I wanna take you out properly."

Ducky tilted her head, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone. Most guys only saw the pink jacket, the sharp tongue and the attitude and the chance to get laid. Which is what she signed up for.

"You're serious?" she asked, squinting at him.

"Dead serious," he said with a small grin. "I mean, you're funny. And different. You don't just say what everyone else does." His voice softened. "I like that."

Something warm flickered in Ducky's chest, a feeling she hadn't expected tonight. She smirked to cover it. "Alright, varsity boy. You've convinced me. You can pick me up Tuesday. My parents will be away on their annual trip."

Relief washed over Jack's face, quickly replaced by a hopeful look. "Can I... kiss you goodnight?"

Her first instinct was to laugh, to toss out some sarcastic line — but instead she nodded, her lips opening slightly to sigh a small sigh of content and then she spoke. "Yeah. Go on then."

Jack leaned down and pressed a soft, careful peck to her lips, like he was afraid she'd bolt if he pushed too far. But Ducky surprised herself, she deepened it slowly, savoring the warmth, the taste, the simple comfort of another mouth against hers. God, she'd missed this. Missed being wanted without it feeling like a transaction.

She had missed the contact.

She had missed the feeling of someone against her.

She still missed him.

They lingered there, lost in the moment, until Frenchy announced with an exaggerated sigh. "Helloooo? Some of us have places to be, you know!"

Ducky broke into a laugh, pulling back and flicking ash off her cigarette. "Alright, alright. Keep your pants on, French."

She slid into the passenger seat, still smiling as she shut the door. "Bye, Jack."

"Bye, Ducky," he said, grinning as he stepped back, watching the car pull away.

Frenchy peeked at her sister with a smirk. "Well, well. Looks like someone had a good night."

Ducky leaned back against the seat, lighting up a cigarette exhaling smoke through her grin.

There was still a deep ache in her chest and she wasn't sure it would go away but she would try her fucking hardest.