Kelsey Rose: Hello, and welcome to Otherwise! Now, you guys are really going to have to bare with me on this story. I've wanted to write it for ages, and now that I finally am… it's sort of awkward ( perfect word for any situation! ) and difficult for me, at times. I have to incorporate some of the script as well as fresh dialogue, but I promise you, as soon as I can break free from the main storyline and into the times after it, the script will go bye-bye for good, and in will come the original lines from yours truly! So, for now, just know that the script is only included for the sake of time accuracy, factualness, and all of that good stuff. :) This is supposed to focus on Penny and Seaweed, and how they felt during the musical's entirety. So, be sure to keep that in mind!

The story begins just after Tracy is accepted onto The Corny Collins Council.

That said, let's hope that I never have a note that long again! Hehehe.

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Hairspray, or any of its characters. They are not mine in any way, shape, or fashion. I don't own the script, either. Nothing is mine.

Chapter One:

Grumble and Grouse

It seemed so surreal to Penny. To think, her best friend, Tracy Turnblad, had acquired the fame she had so fervently desired almost overnight! She had been so proud of her, so indescribably proud. Tracy was a like a sister to her, really. God knows a girl like her needed someone like Tracy, especially with her eccentric family life.

But, anyway - all else aside, she had been elated ever since. That is, of course, until she found out about her friend's unjust placement in Special Education. While it was visibly unfair to Tracy, Penny couldn't help but wonder what this meant for herself, as well. She wasn't one to think so highly of herself, or even so selfishly, but… with no Tracy, that meant she was alone. They had every class together! What was she supposed to do? Penny was fairly impressionable, so Tracy had always been there to keep her together. So, now what?

The piercing sound of a school bell from the hallways jarred the redhead from her usual daydream-y state. Chewing relentlessly on the stale piece of bubblegum in her mouth, she stared at the clock with wide eyes. Gym class! Penny groaned softly and gathered her things. Typically she didn't mind this block, but without Tracy to joke and giggle with: what was there to do? Amber and her gang were far too concerned with themselves to even begin to think of chilling out with a so-called 'loser' like herself, or so that's what she perceived from their constant giggling and pointing at her on occasions. The idea of being alone certainly struck Penny as unbearable, but something told her that things held at least some promise. Accordingly, she snatched up the rest of her belongings and began to head towards the girls' changing room to dress out.

Walking onto the field by her lonesome was awkward, to say the least. Lucky for her, though, she didn't gather many stares, if any at all. She was Penny Pingleton, and - in their eyes - nothing but another girl, someone simply known as 'Tracy Turnblad's best friend.' It didn't bother her one bit, actually, as it was evident that this girl wasn't one for style, so to speak.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a painful sight of something familiar. Snapping her head in the general direction of what she thought she saw, Penny almost cracked a full-blown, goofy grin before she realized that the person with hair so excruciatingly similar to Tracy's was not actually her best friend. It was Tammy, another girl from The Corny Collins Show. Curious at this new look of hers, she blew a bubble with her freshly unwrapped piece of gum and walked over to the girl, just after Amber and the other girls were through giving her grief about the new 'fashion statement' she was putting on. Tammy quirked a brow at the single, redheaded girl, but smiled nonetheless. She had always been one of the more nicer, understanding girls on the council. If nothing else, when she wasn't around those other she-devils, she didn't seem to despise the idea of integration and speaking to 'those below her' too much. Or, at all, maybe. For Penny, it was difficult to tell.

"Hi, Tammy!" She added cheerfully, as an air of childlike bliss swept over the bubbly teenager. "I like your hair."

"Happenin', isn't it?" The other girl remarked triumphantly, rather proud that she had finally swayed someone to what she believed was the appropriate response to her hairdo. Penny merely continued to smile and chew her gum absentmindedly. Tammy seemed satisfied with her compliment, in any case, so it wasn't as though she was required to say much else. However, even if she had planned on it, the sudden roar of laughter caught her attention as she ( much to her excitement ) took notice of the arrival of the Special Ed class. What a wonderful surprise! She would get to see Tracy at gym class, after all!

She began to chew her gum at a more rapid pace as she immediately darted over to Tracy with one of the hugest grins imaginable on her lips.

"Hi, Tracy! Sorry about your Special Ed…ness. But! Think of it as a testament to the record-breaking extremes your hair has reached. I'm so jealous!" Her words came out in a rush of excitement and utter happiness as she locked eyes with her friend, only to have her gaze drawn away by something far more unexpected and… magnificent. It was that moment that she found her pale eyes upon what she knew must be the most gorgeous guy she had ever seen in her whole life. And he… he was actually looking at her! Not Amber, not some other 'pretty' girl, but her! Penny felt as though her heart skipped a beat, just as Tracy gave her a light squeeze on her nearest hand. Oh, gosh - she hadn't realized that her mouth had been wide-open the entire time. And how long had she been staring? She had to say something, anything.

"Hellooooooooo…" She bellowed, not even believing it herself when she came to final realization of what actually come out of her mouth. Tracy stifled a giggle, while the boy in question offered the Penny a charming smile that virtually stole her away, again and again.

"Seaweed, this is my best friend, Penny Lou Pingleton," Tracy announced smoothly. Seaweed? So, that was his name? Penny felt her eyes grow wider as his attention suddenly drifted to her once more. She had to remind herself to breathe nearly, and that was not an easy thing to do when you were face-to-face with such an attractive boy like him. That smile, the alluring atmosphere about him - Penny couldn't help but house the complete desire to learn so much more about him, about Seaweed.

Out of almost nowhere, Penny came back to the bracing reality that he had indeed moved closer. It must've been a fraction of a second, but it had happened.

"Wait! I've seen you before… at the gum machine! Gettin' your Wrigley's on!" Seaweed chorused suavely, an almost suggestive grin upon his lips. Penny felt her voice catch in her throat as she stared up at him. It was practically intimidating how he towered over her, and yet, somehow, unusually sheltering, too.

"I do two packs a day!" She replied proudly. The words slipped past her lips like an impulse. Seaweed edged a bit closer, causing the teenaged girl to flinch and arch her back slightly.

"Hmm…" He leaned down a little, eyes entirely focused on her as she drew in a sharp breath and then significantly increased the chewing speed on her gum. This wasn't happening; this wasn't happening; this wasn't happening! Oh, but it was! "All that chewing must make the muscles in your mouth mighty strong." Concluded the dark-skinned boy, his eyebrows lifted in evocative curiousity.

"No… probably just average!" Penny chimed, her response overthrown by Amber von Tussle's sudden approach to the trio. Whatever she went off about, Penny completely missed it. For, even though Seaweed was caught up in the present actions, along with the rest of the detention and now Special Education regulars, she was still mesmerized by the ghost of his appearance. It was only when she heard a hasty and expressive, "Amber von Tussle, you have acne of the soul!" from Tracy, that she snapped back into the real world, just in time to dodge a playing ball to the head. Jeez, she had been so out of it that she hadn't even heard the coach announce that they would be playing another hellish game of scatter dodge ball. Penny relented. She could fantasize on her own time, when she didn't risk severe concussions and brain trauma from a blow to her skull.

BAM!

It was so sudden when she realized that Tracy had hit the ground.

"Tracy! Tracy!" Penny shrieked, running to her friend's side, without even noticing that she could have very well run Seaweed or Link over in the process. Amber had left all in a huff because Link Larkin, Tracy's longtime crush, hadn't gone with her - as if Penny was one to notice the small details, though.

"Are you dead?" Her voice had risen considerably as she stared, concerned, at the fallen, and currently unconscious, brunette. Link and Seaweed were knelt close to the teen, as well.

"I'd better go get the school nurse," Seaweed offered, rising to his feet.

"I'll go with you!" Shocked at her own proposition, Penny blew a rather large bubble with her gum, a clear sign of concealed embarrassment in her book. Though, somewhat of a spark glimmered in Seaweed's eyes as he gave her the once-over before glancing down at Tracy one more time.

"Come on, then. We'd better hurry," Grasping her hand unexpectedly, Seaweed began to guide a very stunned Penny Pingleton towards the school building. She scarcely knew what to do with herself. Everything had become such a blur. All that she knew for certain was that she had to help Tracy, and fast. That plastic Amber von Tussle had spiked her in the head during dodge ball, and… and--Seaweed… had such remarkably soft skin. Her fingers twitched gawkily against his hand, which still had hers clutched eagerly as he automatically forced her to keep up with his mighty pace. Catching the possible uncomfortable vibe from her, he casually released her hand, just in time to reach the school doors and burst inside.

"Tracy'll be fine," Seaweed reassured her with a flashy smile, as they neared the darkened nurse's office.

"I sure hope so…" Penny never intended to make any more of that sentence. Though, truthfully, she had been cut off by her own edginess, which only meant that she blew another huge bubble with that persistent gum of hers. Seaweed produced an enchanting 'heh' just before he peered into the office window, twisted the doorknob, and let himself in. He stared around the small room and dropped his arms in dismay at his sides.

"So much for that plan. She ain't even here," He rolled his eyes. Penny followed his example and let herself in while looking around the place. Her eyes ultimately landed on a somewhat crumbled note on the nurse's very messy desk. Naturally, she picked it up and began to glance over and try to decipher the words that had such horrible penmanship. All of a sudden, the redhead giggled, much to Seaweed's surprise. "What's goin' on?"

"It says the nurse is out sick," She found herself snickering a bit more as she twirled the muddled piece of paper between her fingers. Glancing up at Seaweed sheepishly, she wondered if he shared her silent amusement. As if on cue, he clicked his tongue. The amusement was subtle enough for Penny to just barely catch on.

"Sorta ironic," He looked about the room and moved here and there, starting to thumb through a few nooks and crannies as he searched for something unknown to the girl. It was then that apprehension swiftly collided with her, however clear that was by her newly widened eyes and parted lips. Seaweed paused, side-glancing her uncertainly as a peculiar expression settled on his face. But, before he could even get a word in, she burst out with a:

"Oh no! Seaweed! What are we gonna dooooo? Tracy's in trouble. She needs us; she needs the nurse." Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared, panicky. It was very clear to him ( as for her, that was another story entirely ) that she was blowing the whole situation out of proportion. After all, it was just a minor blow to the head. Even still, he found the eruption strangely engaging, so he smiled a teensy bit, which caused Penny to gawk at him in horror. "What? This is nothing to smile about! What if she's really dead?" Was it weird that Seaweed found that all the more adorable, in a way? He moved over to her and placed a secure hand on one of her shoulders. She tensed up.

"Whoooaaa there. You're forgettin' who you've got here," He noted, insinuating himself with a smug grin. "Seaweed J. Stubbs ain't lettin' anybody die on his watch. C'mon, I think I got what I need to help your friend out," Penny stared at him, overtly astonished.

"What? What is it?" She blinked her eyes a few times, trying to convince herself that what was happening was actually real. Seaweed pursed his lips in a prideful smirk as he whisked a handful of something from his left pants pocket.

"Here they are."

"Band-Aids?"

"Yeeep."

An explosion of a smile twisted her features as she stared at the Band-Aids that he held within his hand.

"Oh, Seaweed!" She voiced her approval further with the ceremonial popping sound of her gum. The boy could only sneer pleasantly at his feat.

"Let's go, now. Can't leave Tracy hangin' for too long," He stated, his voice at a complete ease. Penny frowned inwardly. As much as she really, really wanted to help Tracy, something about leaving this moment with Seaweed left her confused and unsure. Nevertheless, she nodded briskly and followed the exiting Seaweed out of the door and back to the field.

In a rush and haze, Penny realized that they had returned to the now-conscious Tracy, and Link, who seemed weirdly besotted with something or another. The redhead shrugged it off, as if she'd ever be able to understand boys.

"The nurse is out sick," Penny proclaimed flatly. Her tone then took a turn for the better. "But, look what Seaweed found!" She looked over to where the proud boy stood, his hands shuffling through both of his pockets. They're in the left pocket… The teenaged girl found herself thinking. Little did she know that she would catch sight of something positively… well, wow.

"Band-Aids!" He waved them around a bit and then lifted up his other hand. "Some gum, and - uh--" A mere second of fumbling produced another wrapper of some sort. "A rubber!" Penny's mouth dropped open as he paused and looked at the newest prize in his hand. "Oh, wait. That's mine." The tall boy snickered and stuffed the Band-Aids, gum, and rubber back into their specified pockets.

"He's so nurturing!" And gorgeous, and sweet, and… Penny really needed to control her stare-factor. Clearing her throat self-consciously, she trailed her eyes across the ground and, inevitably, to Tracy. She was introducing Seaweed to Link ( the two merely partook in a "how ya doin'?" back and forth respectively ), which was really considerate of her, of course, but the Penny couldn't help but wonder if she was still 'all right' as she claimed to be. "How are you doing?"

"How do you think? I just got creamed in front of the entire school," Tracy replied dejectedly. Penny frowned, blew a bubble with her gum, and touched the other teenager on her hand gently.

Then, out of the blue, Seaweed knocked the back of his hand against Link's arm ( what that meant, Penny had no clue ) and produced the most interesting look of pleasure on his face as he turned his attention to Tracy.

"Hey, Trace, I know what'll make ya feel better! My mom's hostin' a party at our recordshop on North Avenue. Wanna come… check it out?" Penny felt her knees beginning to buckle again, for what, the eleventh time in under an hour? Fortunately, though, she held herself steady as this idea drilled its way into her head. Emotions swam in torrents in the pit of her stomach. She had always been so passive about boys, albeit dorky, but now was the perfect chance to shed that part of her personality, if only for one day. So, constructing a horribly fake cough, she pushed herself between Seaweed, Tracy, and Link. Assertive, Penny, that's the word.

"I, too, feel not good," The redhead fluttered her eyes, held her fist just centimeters from her lips, and stared innocently at the dark-skinned boy who now seemed so unbelievably close to her. "May I also come," She paused to make spastic quotation marks with her hands and even got her body into it, as well. It was the sort of spur of the moment thing that made her sub-conscience go what was that? "… 'check it out'?"

Tracy and Link exchanged glances while Seaweed looked upon this redhead, uncertain if he should be a little frightened or even, god forbid, pleased. She was cute, a little different, but… there was an admirable degree of something-- uh, just something about her. Continuing his natural masquerade of charm, he took a step towards her, glanced downward, and cracked a captivating smile. ( Penny was more or less the epitome of a speechless, babbling brook with her mouth wide-open at this point, but who was judging? ) "Oh, you surely may."

Oh my god! Oh my god! Penny, before she could take part in any more word vomit, wheeled around on her heels and retreated to the confident-as-ever Tracy Turnblad's left arm, which she swiftly clung to. The big-haired teen had been staring at the scene with clear interest. Although, it was easily cast aside for later when she snapped back into the moment.

This is it, Penny thought as they began to walk. She was finally going to get to strut her stuff. Gosh, now she knew why Tracy was so worried about her hair all of the time! Now all she had to do was hope for the best, whether that meant for the ideal humidity outside or, more feared, the huge collection of otherwise. The mysteries of North Avenue were only the beginning, as well as the base to her current line of predicaments.

Kelsey Rose: Chapter two's going to be more fun. Don't worry about that! Then again, anything with Motormouth Maybelle and North Avenue involved is bound to be loads of fun. ;) So, R&R, and stay tuned!