CHARLIE ZUKO

2 | Zuko 2

We're all at the pep rally and Sandy is cheerleading. Rizzo is looking generally unimpressed but French, Jan and Marty are excitable and child-like. I crush a cigarette under my red flats and light up another off Riz's. She points out Sandy who just fell over. Now the dance has finished, Sandy is making eyes at some jock. Not my type and probably not hers either.

Finally the whole thing is over and we wander over to the car park where I see Danny and his mates hanging around an old car.
"Riz." I hiss, and nod towards Danny. She smiles and we start to gently steer the group towards the boys. I light another cigarette and say hi to Danny.
"Zuko." Some of the boys nod at me.
"Zuko." Rizzo says to Danny.
"Huh?" Danny and I both reply.
"Zuko 1, me and Zuko 2 have a surprise for you."
"Hey how come I'm number 2?" I say.
Rizzo rolls her eyes and reaches behind her to grab Sandy's arm.
"Sandy?" Danny shrieks, looking shocked. His voice is really high pitched and quite painful. I raise an eyebrow.
"Danny!"
"I thought you were going back to Australia?"
"We had a change of plan, oh Danny!"
"I can't believe-" The boys are all staring at Danny. "I mean, hey baby, that's cool. You know how it is, rocking and rolling."
"Danny? What's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me baby? What's wrong with you? Huh," he laughs.
"What happened to the Danny Zuko I met at the beach?"
"I dunno, maybe there's two of us. Why don't ya take out a missing persons ad or check the yellow pages?"
Rizzo smirks and I roll my eyes at her.
"You're a fake and a phoney and I wish I'd never laid eyes on you!" Sandy runs off, crying. Frenchy runs after her. Jan and Marty follow her. Rizzo does a little side smile to Danny and turns to walk off.
"Are you happy, Riz?" He calls after her.
"Very," she laughs and walks off. I hang back a minute.
"Dan, I'm going to Frenchy's tonight."
"Okay."
"I'll see you tomorrow, then?"
"Go."
"Am I cramping your style?" I laugh.
"It's just-"
"Sandy, I get it." I reach into my pocket for another cigarette. I seem to have ran out already. I guess it's the stress. "You have any cigs?"
Danny chucks me a couple. "That get you through the night?"
I pat his cheek and leave to find the girls waiting in the car. I light up one of the cigarettes Danny gave me and lean out the window. We arrive and all pile out and into Frenchy's room.

A while later, after watching television for a bit, I ask Rizzo for a cigarette. I've already got through the couple Danny gave me. She gives me one and then offers Sandy one.
"No thanks, I don't smoke."
"Well trying one ain't gonna kill ya."
So Sandy takes one and inhales. She starts to cough.
"Oh, sorry," Rizzo says sarcastically, "I forgot to tell you, don't inhale if you're not used to it!"
"Hey, let me show you how to French inhale. It's super cool." Frenchy demonstrates.
"That's disgusting."
"Nah, the boys really go for it. That's I how I got my nickname."
"Sure it is." Rizzo and I smirk.
Jan gets out some twinkies and Rizzo reaches down to a bag and pulls out a bottle of wine.
"I nearly forgot! A little kick to get the party started."
We all take a swig then Marty points out "Hey, Sandy didn't get any wine."
"Bet you've never drank either."
"No, I, er... had some champagne at my cousin's wedding once."
"Ring-a-ding-ding."
"Hey Sandy, do you want me to pierce your ears?" Frenchy interrupts.
"No thanks. Besides, isn't it kind of dangerous?"
"She's going to be a beautician." Marty says, rummaging in her bag. "Here, you can use my virgin pin."
"Glad to know it's useful for something."
Frenchy takes Sandy into the bathroom and we hear several screams.
"You guys... Sandy isn't well. She saw the blood and *bleurgh*."
Frenchy takes Sandy's toothbrush into the bathroom and as she comes out, "That goody two shoes makes me wanna barf." Rizzo puts a blonde wig on. "Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee!"
"Riz, don't."
"Since when were you such a goody two shoes, Zuko 2?"
I stick my finger up at her and turn to open the window to have another cigarette.
"Hey, Charlie, what's up with you?"
"Huh? Nothing."
"You don't usually smoke so many due backs a day."
"I'm fine, Rizzo. Leave it, would ya?"
"Okay." She shrugs and chats with the other girls about Sandy.

I've hitched myself onto the windowsill, smoking cigarettes and drinking when the boys pulled up on the drive. They're murmuring in distinctively and one of them shouts up:
"Sandy! Where for art thou Sandy?" Danny hits him as Kenickie honks the horn and I wave. A couple of the guys beckon me and I could hear Frenchy fretting behind me.
"Marty, chuck me those shorts, would ya?"
"Sure." She throws them over. I pull the black short shorts on and pick up my shoes.
"You coming, Riz?"
"Give me a second."
I swing my leg onto the half roof and Riz follows me, her high heels in her hand.
"What're they gonna do?" Frenchy says behind me, "Shimmy down the drainpipe?"
"That's exactly what they're gonna do!" Jan says admiringly.
We climb down together.
"Swell bunch you are, rushing to help a lady," I say as we walk over.
"Lady? I don't see no lady." Doody grins at me.
"Shut up. Shut up." Kenickie and Rodriguez say together.
"What's up, Kenick?" Riz says to Kenickie, who is looking at her.
"One guess," he lights up a cigarette.
"You got a lot to offer a girl."
"Yeah, you know it," he smiles.
Rizzo turns, "What say you, Zuk?"
Danny looks at her, "You're looking good, Riz."
Riz rolls her eyes, "Eat your heart out."
One of the guys passes me a drink and I take a swig.
"Well, sloppy seconds ain't my style."
Danny gets out as Rizzo's eyes narrow. He begins to walk off.
"Where are you going? To flog your log?"
"Well it's better than hanging round with you dorks."
He begins to walk off down the street, swaggering.
"Zuko, we left your girlfriend in there." Rizzo shouts after him. "She's sick."
"Who?" He says, turning around.
"Sandy."
He shrugs and carries on walking. I guess he's still a bit sore. Rizzo smiles and Kenickie opens the car door for her.
"Your chariot awaits, my lady."
She gets in, smiling and he puts his arm round her.
"Hey Riz."
I climb into the back next to the other boys. I have no idea where this is going.
Kenickie drives off but then abruptly stops and we all fall down.
"D'you think this is a gang bang?" Rizzo says, turning round with a bottle in her hand.
The boys laugh and I roll my eyes. I see one of them abruptly stop laughing when he sees I'm not amused. Rodriguez.
"You wish, Rizzo." One of the boys, Sonny says.
"Hit the pavement!" Kenickie laughs.
Rizzo chucks me the keys for the pink ladies car and we all hop out.
"Bye, kids. Have fun! Only take one of the guys, Charlie," Rizzo laughs at me.
I stick my finger up at her.

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