Confessions of a Teenage Crooner
Disclaimer: If I owned Hairspray, believe me, you'd know about it.
Summary: Hairspray, Link-stylee. A little look at how his character changes throughout the film, and of course, his developing feelings for Tracy.
Notes: So, I had this idea to take moments from the movie, and write them from Link's POV, sort of give my interpretation of what he was thinking during certain scenes. They were supposed to be drabbles, but apparently my brain doesn't know the meaning of that word because each section got a bit...lengthy. I can't submit the whole thing together anymore, so I decided to split it, and I figured I might as well post it and see what people thought! So here's part 1.
This section is a bit short, but don't worry, the next couple of parts will make up for it. Thanks to InLovewithBroadway who beta-ed me, she's a star. And also an amazing author, check out her HS fic too!
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Link Larkin combed back his carefully-sculpted 'do for the umpteenth time, turning this way and that to inspect it in the mirror for any hairs out of place or, god forbid, any kinks. Finding none, he smirked in satisfaction and jovially applied a last coat of Ultra Clutch, nose wrinkling slightly as he mistakenly exhaled the strong fumes. When he was finally satisfied that his appearance was picture-perfect, he awarded the mirror with one of his patented winks before turning away to pick up his bag and make his way out the door, thinking of what lay in the day ahead. There were classes he'd rather be avoiding, the show as always, and nestled somewhere in the back of his mind, a gnawing reminder that he had the small issue of giving Amber Von Tussle his ring as a sign of their commitment to each other and the relationship.
It was a big step, he mused silently as he jumped into his car and turned the ignition, but probably what was expected after going steady for six months. Link knew Amber was practically on tenterhooks waiting for him to proclaim his love for her, since she'd been hinting at it non-stop for what felt like forever, but for a while, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Sure, when they had first started dating, Link had felt like he'd gotten the kitten that all the cool cats preferred, because Amber was everything any sane man would want in his girl - pretty, popular, confident. And he knew he was quite the hunk himself, so Amber had also been pleased. But as the weeks went on, it became obvious that there was something real lacking between the two of them. Passion. When they held hands, there was no warm tingly feeling that shot up his arm and through his entire body; when they kissed, it felt more mechanical than worthy of producing fireworks, and rather than being so in love with his girlfriend that he looked forward to seeing her during school and recording the show everyday, he sometimes wished he could go a day, or two, or five, without her high-pitched nagging.
The obvious solution, Link knew, would be for him to tell Amber how he really felt, but as far as he was concerned, that was too far out of reach. In the blindingly admiring eyes of his fellow schoolmates and the Baltimore public, since they were the most popular dancers on the Corny Collins show, they were the perfect couple, the pair others wished they could be - they were revered, almost worshipped, and Link had to admit that he more than liked that feeling. To go from being a status-symbol to being treated like yesterday's trash (which he had no doubt would happen if he broke innocent Miss Von Tussle's heart) was too scary to imagine. Not to mention what might happen to his role on the show - he was, after all, dating the daughter of the station manager. He hated to admit it, but he wasn't anywhere near brave enough to make such a huge leap. He supposed he'd have to endure it until he was. With a sigh, Link pulled into his parking spot right in front of the school, dawdling for a minute longer than was necessary until he killed the engine. Taking one final deep breath, he pasted a grin on his face and made his way inside, almost immediately finding himself swarmed by a gaggle of giggling girls, all tripping over one another to say hi to him. Without even thinking, Link threw them the wink, and sauntered down the hallway, secretly contemplating the fact that encounters like that certainly made putting up with Amber a lot easier.
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