DON'T NEED A CAP OR A GOWN
It was a rule that only "teenage Baltimore" could be the "Nicest KIDS in Town", and any council member was forced to graduate from the show when high school graduation came around… Half of the council has its last show (Crappy summary, but R&R anyway)
It was in the WYZYT Handbook that eighteen-year-olds were no longer kids and no longer council members. In 1963, a good percent of the council was turning eighteen and preparing for whatever lies ahead of them. Corny was scared for them and sad to lose such great kids. When the whole council was there at 2:30 pm the day before graduation, He knew it was time to give an off-air farewell.
Corny walked out re-spraying his hair to find his council sitting awaiting his speech. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and began. "What a year… who would've thought in one year we'd have an integrated council, no Velma von Tussle (laughter), or a beautiful councilette would give birth to a beautiful little boy." He winked at Brenda who smiled and squeezed Fender's hand as tears rolled down her face.
"Fender I'm not ready for this… for graduation, for the …real world. Especially after…. I lost little Timmy." She stopped whispering as the tears flowed freely down her face. Fender put his arm around her as a friend, knowing how hard her junior and senior years must've been… everyone harassing her about getting preg and only to lose the kid after a month… He knew first hand about half of it, kids thought he was the father… but that was a lie probably started by Amber.
No one knew why she hated the upperclassmen, Brenda, him, Shelley… the other seniors; Lou Anne, Brad, and the twins were accepted though. Fender shrugged and tried to listen to Corny as he shakily spoke about each senior and their greatest moment on the show. He wasn't the only almost graduate to lack focus, he looked to his left and saw Shelley readjusting her bracelet for about 2 whole minutes. He cleared his throat to get her attention and mouthed "are you ok". Shelley straightened her back immediately and nodded whispering "of course" as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Corny was wrapping up his speech as it approached 3. "So, kids… if you don't want to do it on air, be sure to say your g-goodbyes" he stopped, instantly regaining his composure, "to Shelley, Brenda, Brad, Fender, Lou Anne, and Noreen and Doreen."
Some of the others cheered for them. Link patted Brad on the back and Corny broke it up by saying "Hey kids! Hour till show, get ready and we'll make it the best show ever!"
(By the mirrors)
Lou Anne was curling her hair babbling about how she fulfilled her goal of becoming a Radio City Rockette
Shelley didn't want to hear about Lou Anne's success for the five hundredth time, it was a little old and she needed to find the best dress in her wardrobe. The girls graduating decided to wear solid black dresses in place of their hideous graduation gowns.
She squealed as she found the perfect dress, plain with thick straps and a gold bow across the waist. She ran to put it on and saw Noreen and Doreen, already in their matching less attractive dresses, failing miserably to do breathing exercises.
Shelley walked over with the arrogant kind of poise only she had. "Nervous are we ladies?"
The twins, as if choreographed, nodded. Doreen spoke up first "its high school graduation, Shell!" And then Noreen, "you can't say you're honestly ready!"
Shelley rolled her eyes disgustedly, "and what was high school but boring classes, a couple layovers, and prom? The best part about it was the council."
Noreen spoke softly, "Shell, we have to leave this… today" Shelley heard this so many times before, but it registered that this was the last time in her life that she would ever be a councilette.
For once in her life, her shell was gone; she couldn't look them in the eyes and just stormed away in her stilettos. She was headed for Corny's top secret liquor stash in his dressing room (in another wing of the studio) and she walked right in the open door, finding the coast clear and took the bottle and started drinking… to confusion, to the hell she caused, to her current state of hell, to her lack of a future, and to her attachment to this place.
Because Shelley never drank before, she barely consumed a quarter of it and the bottle was snatched by none other than a furious Corny Collins, whom she expected to throw her out of his office, but grabbed her arm and slammed the door shut. He couldn't keep his cool with her, he didn't even care, and he was incredibly shocked and disappointed when he yelled
"WHAT THE HELL SHELLEY?"
Shelley glared at him, having gotten some of her backbone back due to the drink.
"WHO?...who told you about this?" He gestured to the bottle in his hands, and then put it back behind the mirror a little ashamed.
"What's it to you? Everyone knows you've had some of the council girls in here… so what if they tell what they saw?" She responded with confidence, not wanting to rat out her best friend Brenda.
"Knock it off, Shelley. You know more than you should, I've always known that and do you know how? Because you twist the truth into your mangled lies that tear apart the other councilettes- "
Shelley cut him off, "well haven't they listened to the bitch of the station manager? Grow tough skin… It's show business for Christ's sake!"
Corny did not get angry with her outburst, "They're just kids… all of you are. And none of you are really horrible, you just happen to have bitchy, bratty qualities but whatever! That's not why I am so disappointed with you!"
Shelley was really tired of being lectured by stuck up adults who thought they knew it all, so she yelled back fiercely. "THEN WHY ARE YOU?"
Corny grabbed her by the shoulders, "Cut the shit, Shelley… why did you drink?"
Shelley felt herself shrinking in importance and felt lightheaded and mumbled something about being scared.
Corny was confused, "you're scarred?! Shelley who were you with? Didn't you learn those consequences?"
Shelley shrugged out of his grasp, "WHAT? Well you'd know a lot about teenage pregnancy wouldn't you? Well did you know Brenda's son died a month after his birthday? You ruined her life for nothing. And I said scared you dimwit."
Corny was angered again and whispered fiercely, "you do not know the full story, Shelley…" He regained composure and explained, "I sent anonymous checks to Brenda's family in my writing so her parents wouldn't know but she would… I didn't know Tim died…" Corny felt tears forming in his eyes but blinked them away before any escaped, he looked her hard in the face, "Why are you scared?"
Shelley had never seen this compassion of a father figure, considering her real father was taken away by the police after he was overheard talking about his plans to beat his and his brother's children… It was then when she realized no one can be trusted and family ties should be cut. She didn't look at him, feeling insignificant and betrayed by her own thoughts and words.
Corny spoke concerned, "Shelley, is everything alright?"
Shelley responded, whimpering, tears forming… "I can't graduate"
"Did you fail?"
"I'm not an idiot…" She tried to sound defensive but couldn't manage her arrogance, she shivered as the tears began to fall. "This show has been my life for the past six years… I was the little red head girl that-"
Corny finished "that no one could dance like, Miss Teenage Hairspray for 2 years"
Shelley shook her head, "that loved dance more than anything, that rumors were spread about…" she swallowed. "that changed to the other side of those rumors when faced with change"
Corny lifted her chin, making a mental note that Shelley was all talk and actually was capable of crying, of being vulnerable, "what is this about, Shell?"
"I can't leave this show…it's ….all I……… have" Corny hugged the poor shaking girl and stroked her straight red hair, carefully avoiding the characteristic curls sitting on top, "you'll be alright, kiddo… you've got that shell around you that nobody can break through… even Amber."
Shelley half laughed, "Amber's nothing special."
Corny smiled, "there's the strong spirited, classy Shelley I know."
Shelley looked at him and frowned, "that's only when I know I'm better than people… I don't even know what to do with the rest of my life." She broke into little sobs. Corny wiped tears and saw the running mascara around her usually cold blue eyes. He hugged her and sighed, "We'll get through this Shelley." And planted a fatherly kiss on her head.
But little did they know, Amber von Tussle heard his words and saw Shelley's smudged make up and the kiss, and let out and obnoxious gasp.
END OF CHAPTER ONE
R&R