CHARLIE ZUKO

1 | Hey bean

"Hey, Charlie!" Rizzo spotted me from the other side of the corridor, wearing an almost identical all black outfit to mine.
"Riz! It's been so long, I've missed you."
"I've missed you too, jelly bean. Hey, where've you and Danny been all summer?"
"I only got over last month and I've been looking for you guys everywhere. Danny was at the beach all summer, I guess he met a girl or something."
"Huh, a girl fell for Danny?"
"I know." I rolled my eyes. "Must be crazy. No more crazy than you though, hey Riz?"
Riz hits me, "Are you over here for good now?"
"Yeah, finally."

I struggled through the morning, not because the work was difficult (it was easier than at home), but because loads of people laughed at my accent. Apparently I'm 'posh'. Although when I got my old Pink Ladies jacket out it soon stopped, and finally it was lunch and I met the girls outside. It was considerably warmer here than in England.

"Hey, who's that?" I say to Riz as Frenchy and a blonde girl walk towards us.
"Some new kid, French's friend."
"Huh, I thought I kinda recognised her."
"Girls! This is Sandy. She's new here, from Australia."
"How's things down under, Sandy?"
"Oh, good thanks."
There was an awkward silence until I spoke.
"How was your summer, Sandy?" I smiled at her.
"You're English?" She asked me, looking excited.
"Yep."
"So what did you do this summer, Sandy?" Rizzo asked her.
"Oh, it was great, thank you. I was at the beach."
"What for?" I was shocked - the beach is really quite far away.
"I met a guy."
"You hauled your cookies all the way to the beach for some guy?"
"Well he was sorta special."
"There ain't no such thing."
Sandy started telling the other girls about this guy as Rizzo and I sat next to each other at the end of the table, smoking and rolling our eyes.
"You don't think that the guy is... Danny?"
"Nah. I mean, she doesn't look like his usual type."
"You'd know, wouldn't ya Riz?"
"That's all over now."
"Who d'you go with now?"
"Whoever I like the look of."
"Riz!"
"What? Everyone thinks I'm trashy so I might as well act like it."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Well, you're no different. And besides, me and Kenick have kind of had an on-and-off thing for a while now. Casual, ya know?"
"Sure." I shrugged. Rizzo rolled her eyes and stood up to put her apple core in the bin. Before she could sit back down Patty had sat down. I shifted along and Rizzo lay down next to me. I lit another cigarette off the end of the other and inhaled.
"Hey, d'you wanna come over to French's tonight? We're having a sleepover."
"Sure, okay."
The other girls were still talking about the guy that Sandy met at the beach. I could tell Rizzo was getting annoyed and I was right of course, as a minute later she kicked Patty and Sandy off the bench. Then the bell went and we all stood up, and I stubbed out my cigarette leaving a slight burn mark on the table. As we walked slowly to class, Rizzo asked Sandy who the guy was.
"Oh, he was called Danny. Danny Zuko." The pinks and I burst out laughing. I tried to hold it in and managed more successfully than the others, who Rizzo hit with her folder.
"Well maybe if you really believe in miracles, Prince Charming will show up again soon." Rizzo smirked.
"Somewhere... unexpected." I added. Rizzo grabbed my arm and we turned and left.
I heard Sandy ask Frenchy "Do you really think so, Frenchy?"
"Yes, of course."
Rizzo rolled her eyes. "We've got to get them together."
"Yes! Yes, we do. Hey, what lesson do you have?"
"Maths."
"Me too."
"You're really good at maths, aren't you?"
"Yes, you can copy me." I roll my eyes.

Me and Riz sit by the window near the back in maths; the teacher can't really see us and Riz spends most of the lesson smoking out of the window. Apparently he's a new teacher and he does seem quite nervous. The work is what I already covered at home last year, so I help out some people.
"Charlie?" Somebody else shouts over.
"Yeah?"
"Can you arrange a date with Danny for me?" It's a girl, who's leaning over the back of her chair, her friends behind her egging her on.
"For gods' sake! No, I can't."
"Okay, okay!" She sits back in her chair, "Don't rattle your cage." She smirks and then turns back to her giggling friends.
I turn to Rizzo, "Danny is all anyone cares about."
She shrugs, "Yeah. He's a bit of a flutter bum."

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