CHARLIE ZUKO

3 | Rodriguez

I unlock the pink ladies car and get into the drivers seat. I've only driven this car a few times but I'm a good driver so it should be okay.
As I get in, Rodriguez follows me and the other boys slide in at the back. I turn and raise my eyebrows at them and they sigh and get out.
"Pizza?" Sonny says to them.
"Sure."
I pull out of the drive and ask Rodriguez for a cigarette. He lights one up off his and passes it to me.
"Hey, where d'you wanna go?" I ask him.
"D'you know Lover's Lane?"
"What? No."
"Pull over and let me drive, then."
"No way, Riz would kill me. Just direct me. And remind me to stay on the right side of the road."
"Okay." He shrugs. He then yawns and throws his arm around me. I internally roll my eyes. What a cliché.

We arrive and there's nothing but a few cars. It's dark, really dark. I've learnt that Rodriguez gets high grades and has been friends with Danny and Kenickie for ever and as we park up he continues to chat to me. He's not what I expected - he's really attractive and funny actually and so I think sod it and lean to kiss him. He seems surprised but moves closer to me and we kiss passionately. He begins to push me down onto the seat and we continue to kiss. We lie there for a second, listening to the sounds of other couples around us.
"Hey, is that Rizzo and Kenickie?"
We listen again.
"Yes."
Suddenly, there's a bang on the car a couple down from us, Kenickie's. We hear a heated argument and a few shouts and then silence.
"Well, that was," I say, hooking my leg over the front seat and looking out the window, "the Scorpions."
"Shit."
There's a silence as Rodriguez runs his hand along my leg.
"Well, I'm still hot to trot if you are."
"I sure am, baby."
I kiss him with both hands on his face and pull him onto the seat, kicking my leg into the roof of the car.
"Hey, baby," I say, pausing, "you got something?"
"'Course," he rummages in his pocket and tears the wrapper open, pushing me back down.

We spend most of the weekend at Frosty's and I meet Riz in homeroom a few days later. I'm sitting next to Rodriguez who has his arm round me and his jacket over my shoulder. I'm chewing bubble gum and occasionally blow a bubble when Rizzo comes in. She sees me and raises her eyebrows before walking over.
"You happier now, Charlie?"
"Yeah, Riz. You?"
"Meh." I raise my eyebrow. "I'm fine, honestly." I raise my other eyebrow. "Okay, okay I made a decision I'm regretting."
"You gonna tell me?"
"Maybe."
"Okay." I shrug.
"Hey, are you two coming to Frosty's tonight?"
"Sure." I say, turning to Rodriguez who is talking to some other guys. "Are we going to Frosty's?"
"Course, baby."

We struggle through the rest of the day but eventually it's over. We all go to Frosty's and sit by the bar with milkshakes. Rodriguez keeps kissing me and then gets me up to dance. We dance for a little while then I spot Danny and Sandy coming in. Danny runs to a table, dragging Sandy behind him.
"Hey, there's Danny and Sandy."
"Cool! Okay, let's go say hi."
We all wind over, Kenickie pulling apart the menus as me and Rodriguez sit down opposite each other, next to Danny and Sandy. Kenickie pulls tables over and him and Riz sit down.
"Hello Riz, Charlie. How are you both?"
"Peachy keen, jelly bean," Riz says sarcastically. I smile.
"Hey, uh, you got a couple of quarters?" Kenickie says, searching his pockets.
"Eskimo pie?" Rodriguez says taking a quarter out of his pocket.
"Here," I say passing one over.
Riz sighs, "My Dutch treat days are over."
"Guess you plan on staying home a lot." Kenickie smirks.
"You ain't the only barracuda in these waters." Riz snaps back.
We all chat for a while, then Sandy says to Danny, "My parents want to invite you round for tea on Saturday. Would you like to come?"
"I don't like tea." Danny says. I kick him under the table. "What, Charlie?"
I roll my eyes and me and Sandy both say, "You don't have to drink tea!"
"Oh." Danny looks stumped and I lean back in my chair, lighting up. Rodriguez grabs my hand over the table. "Well," Danny says, suddenly inspired. "I don't like parents."
Rizzo rolls her eyes, opening her compact.
"I've got so many hickies people are gonna think I'm a leper."
"Cheer up, a hickey from Kenickie is like a hallmark card. You care enough to send only the best." Kenickie bites into a burger.
"You pig."
"I love it when you talk dirty."
Riz rolls her eyes.
"What's up with you tonight?"
"Oh, I dunno, maybe I'm just growing up faster than you."
Kenickie laughs, "There's only one thing you're faster at than me, baby." He pulls her to him.
"There are times, Kenick, when speed ain't what it's all about."
Kenickie looks round the table, confused, "You know, sometimes you've got the personality of a wet mop." He says to Rizzo, who rolls her eyes again.
"Oh don't start with me." She says.
"Oh, don't start with you? Oh, oh, well, eureka, maybe I'll finish with you!" Kenickie shoots back, winding his arm round my waist and pulling me close to him.
"Yeah? Finish this!" Rizzo throws her milkshake at him, followed by his jacket. Me and Frenchy get splattered in milkshake. "To you from me, Pinky Lee." She storms off, throwing a "sorry, French," over her shoulder.
As she leaves, I think that it's strange she didn't apologise to me. Kenickie still has his arm around my waist.
"Get your hands off her." Rodriguez growls.
"I can handle myself, thank you." I tell him.
"Yeah, right."
"I can; I'm perfectly capable of telling someone to fuck off." Kenickie looks at the table.
"She's not paid again! Riz!" He stands up. "Get back here and give me some money!" He runs off, grabbing my hand and pulling me after him.
Rodriguez stands up and shouts at both of us. "Oi! Get back here, Kenickie, and bring my girlfriend!"
"I'm not your bloody girlfriend!" I say to him. "You can't tell me what to do, I don't belong to you!"
Kenickie pulls me outside where we see Riz about to pull away in her car. Kenickie looks at me, then at Riz then back at me. He then leans down and kisses me, pulling me up to him and grabbing me. I go to pull away but then I think about how Rodriguez acted and how Rizzo didn't apologise for covering me in milkshake, so I return his kiss.
"Hey, Charlie?" He says as we break apart to see that Riz has left.
"Hm?" I say, regretting kissing him.
"Would- would you like to go to the dance with me?"
"Oh god, Kenickie. I can't, I'm sorry."
"'Cause of Rodriguez?"
"Rizzo."
"Wh-"
"She's my best friend, Kenickie, I can't go to the dance off with her boyfriend."
"Oh, course."
"Sorry." I shrug.
"No, I- I understand."

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