Chapter 3: Introductions
"Five-thirty. Give your hair a fresh set. He's worth the extra trouble," Brooke read from a magazine. It was the cover issue of the girl who'd won Miss Galaxy the previous year, giving beauty advice for getting ready for a date. The girls were getting ready to head to the pavilion for dancing and food. Pudge, never worrying too much about her appearance was dressed in her yellow Bermuda shorts, and tank top, hair held back with a band, and bare feet. While the other three girls got ready she had a dancing rope tied to the bedpost and was shag dancing with it. It's what she always did when she couldn't dance with a partner, which was usually always.
Brooke laid on the bed, in her pants and a bra, reading from the magazine. Millicent and Haley were in the bathroom, Millicent doing Haley's hair for the night.
"After your bath apply a cloud-like spray of his favorite cologne, and don't forget your deodorant," Brooke laughed. The other girls giggled too. "I can't believe she put that in there. Six-thirty, apply makeup."
"What does she say about eye-liner?" Millicent asked. "Does she do that little taily thing at the end?"
"I think eye-liner looks trashy," Haley put in her two cents.
"I wear eye-liner," said Brooke.
"Well, I like the way it looks on some people," Haley said with a smile as Millicent gave her a small push. Brooke went back to reading.
"What does that add up to?" Pudge asked. "She spends two and a half hours getting ready to go out?"
"Reckon that's how she got to be Miss Galaxy." Brooke held the picture of the girl up for Pudge to see. "She's not even that pretty." She got up to take the magazine over to Millicent and Haley. "Don't ya'll think she looks exactly like Gigi?" The two girls studied the picture and burst into laughter.
"Gigi was the one that told me about boners," Pudge said running into the bathroom.
"Gross," cried the girls.
"It isn't a bone at all! It's a muscle. A cousin of hers dated a Clemson Tiger who sprained his in a game. And she had to massage it every night when it got hard because he was in so much pain."
"Gigi told you that?" Brooke said bursting into laughter.
"And she always acts so innocent," Millicent laughed. But Pudge didn't think it was funny. She was sure Gigi was serious.
"Now," Millicent said turning the attention to Haley's hair. "What do you think? French twist or bubble flip?"
"Bubble flip's much better for shaggin'," Pudge said. "Come on, let's go!" She was ready to go.
"I'm not gonna dance," Haley said. It didn't feel right without Lucas.
"You're gonna dance," Brooke said taking the brush to Haley's hair.
"This is your weekend," Millicent said squatting down in front of her. "Just forget about that old wedding and let us spoil you."
At that moment Haley looked down at her lap.
"Haley I will never get over how tiny your feet are, what size do wear? Four? Four and a half?" Pudge said from the bed, admiring Haley's tiny yellow shoe.
"Lucas is certainly a very lucky boy," Millicent continued.
"Oh," Haley cried out as she let her head fall into her hands.
"Sugar, what's wrong?"
"Looky, looky," Pudge said putting Haley's white rabbit puppet on her hand and walking over to her. It was her plaything as a child, and for sentimental reasons took it with her on trips just to have a piece of home wherever she went. "It's Binky." Seeing Binky made Haley smile.
"Sugar, tell Millicent what's wrong."
Haley sniffed. "I love ya'll so much. But ya'll are going off to college and everything. And you're gonna forget me. I know I shouldn't be jealous. But I am." Tears were coming down now and Haley wiped them away, along with some mascara.
"She's wrecked her face," Brooke said going back into the bedroom.
"Haley," Millicent said grabbing a tissue and handing it to her. "I swear. I swear on the bible that I will write you every week from college. And so will Pudge. And so will Brooke."
"I'm not going to college," Brooke said as she put on her midriff bearing shirt.
"Do ya'll think I'm doing the right thing?" Haley asked.
"Yeah sure," Brooke offered, but only so this conversation would end.
"Of course we do," Millicent said. "Lucas is a wonderful person from a wealthy and respected family. And I know you're just gonna be very happy."
"And if you're not," Brooke said. "There's always divorce."
"Brooke!" Millicent and Pudge both yelled. But Haley giggled a little. Her friend could be shrewd, but she knew how to lighten the mood.
They left the house and headed for the pavilion. The nightlife was even busier than the daytime. Cars and people everywhere were enjoying the night. Kids and teenagers ran by with cotton-candy and balloon animals, heading to the amusement rides. With Millicent driving, Brooke and Haley sat in their seats, but Pudge was so excited for everything that was happening, she sat on the top of the seat, or stood most of the time to get a better look at all of the sights. They passed under a banner that read "Miss Sun Queen Pageant" and saw fun places like the drive-in restaurant.
"Where you going, baby?" a guy called to Brooke as he passed by. She winked and smiled, and Millicent made a face.
"Millicent, how come you never brought us here before?" Brooke asked.
"I haven't brought you here now, remember?" she said reminding them that the trip was a secret.
"Right."
"Haley, you look exactly like Jackie Kennedy," Pudge said with Haley's hair flipped out at the bottom. She'd never seen it like that before.
"I think JFK's a sweet potato," Brooke said.
"Eww Brooke he's an old man!" Pudge said.
"I don't care. I'd have an affair with him outside of marriage," Brooke laughed. She was joking, and the other knew she was joking, but Millicent still didn't care. There were some things you just didn't joke about.
"He's the president, Brooke. That's sacreligious."
As they passed the ice cream shop, a tall handsome strong boy walked out in a sleeveless shirt showing off his muscles. "What a sweet potato," Brooke said. And all of the girls looked. He saw them all looking at him and smiled.
"Oh!" Pudge exclaimed. "He saw us!" She ducked down along with Haley and they all laughed. And they went onward, stopping in traffic and Haley looked up and saw a banner with a picture of none other than Chris Keller, the music slash actor sensation that was gripping the nation.
"Chris Keller!" Haley said in awe.
"Where?" Pudge said looking around.
"There," Haley pointed to the sign.
"They can't really mean the real Chris Keller can they?" Brooke said.
"That's him," Haley smiled. "That's Chris Keller. Ya'll don't think he's really gonna be here, do you?"
"God," Pudge groaned. "He's a greaser. I thought you were over him."
"How can you like him and Lucas Roe at the same time?" Brooke asked, smiling.
"He can't even sing," Pudge added. "Did you see Paradise and You? Made me puke."
"Well, most of it is-." Haley defended. But Millicent spoke up.
"Ya'll, it's okay if Haley likes Chris Keller."
"Yeah," Brooke said. "He's got a great… personality."
As the car glided along at only ten miles per hour, a guy with a beer came up beside them. "Okay, which one of you girls is mine?" he asked.
Pudge laughed. "None of us," she said.
"They're all so forward," Haley noted.
Then a sight appeared in front of them and all the girls (except for Brooke) groaned. The same yellow car came towards them. The dark haired boy was driving and threw something at the car windshield. It broke, spraying water everywhere, and stuck to the shield. And it wasn't until too late that they girls realized it was a condom.
"Oh my God!" Brooke yelled. "It's a thing!"
"I can't believe the jerks in this town!" Millicent yelled.
Haley turned around, a vacant expression on her face and stared into his eyes until he had to turn around to see where he was driving.
They reached the pavilion just in time to see everyone on the dance floor shaggin' the night away. The four girls got a table, some sodas and watched for a few minutes hoping someone would ask them to dance.
Just a little bit longer. Please, please, please, please tell me you're going to. Now your daddy don't mind. And your mommy don't mind. If we have another dance, yeah, just one more, one more time. Why don't you stay, just a little bit longer. Please let me in. And say you will. Say you will. Won't you place your sweet lips to mine? Won't you say you love me, all the time? The music was going, the band just playing away, and Pudge desperately wanted to get onto the floor.
"I'm really here. I can't believe I'm really here," Pudge said. "Please God, someone ask me to dance."
The music got faster and louder, and a guy and two girls came dancing by in a line, acting crazy. Their clothes and hairstyles a little out of the ordinary. The boy, tall and skinny, had an elvis-like style with the long side burns, and the girls both tall, both pretty, but the scary kind of pretty that reminds you of an evil queen, both had her hair in an up-do that made their heads look lopsided. One girl, had dark brown hair; the other, with red hair, had a cigarette hanging out of the corner of her mouth.
"God," Brooke said as they passed. "Look at these Boho hair-dos. Where are they from?"
"Oh good, here come somebody," Pudge said as a guy walked their way.
"Pudge," Brooke said. "If he asks you to dance, first time say no. You don't want him thinking you're desperate."
The guys approached the table. "Would any of ya'll like to dance?"
"No thank you," Pudge said reluctantly.
"I'd love to!" Brooke said leaping from the table and into his arms.
"Brooke!" Pudge yelled.
"The exception proves the rule," Brooke smiled and went off to dance.
Pudge just smiled and rolled her eyes. Typical Brooke. She shouldn't have fallen for it.
"Hey baby!" a voice called from behind them. It was a tall, very skinny man, a sombrero around his neck, and sunglasses on his face, to hide his bloodshot eyes, no doubt. He was looking at Millicent. "Let's twist!" And he dragged her protesting "Wait, wait, wait. I don't dance!" from the table out to the dance floor where he proceeded to fling her around. She tried desperately to get away but he would always grab her again.
"Aww," Haley said. "Poor Millicent!"
"Oh my God," Pudge said, "such a creep!" As Millicent still tried to pry away but was lost in a sea of dancers.
Pudge and Haley couldn't help themselves, they had to laugh. And once they'd finished, Pudge went back to hoping someone would ask her to dance. A guy started walking toward their table and Pudge looked at him expectantly, but he walked right past to a girl standing on the wall behind them and took her by the hand, leading her out to the dance floor.
"Why can't girls ask boys to dance?" Pudge asked with a whine. "It's not fair." She said looking over at Brooke dancing with that boy.
Then, out of nowhere, the handsome stranger from the day and his friend sat down at their table. "Hi," said the dark-haired blue-eyed one to Haley. "Buy you a beer?"
"They don't sell beer here," Pudge said, mostly to herself.
"I have a soda, thank you," Haley said.
"Bartender, four beevos," he said and his friend pulled up a small cooler and pulled out four beers for everyone, taking the tops off for them.
"Nice night," the friend said.
"Oh yeah, real nice," replie Pudge just trying to make conversation. "Say, you don't happen to shag, do ya?" she asked hopefully.
"Nah," said the cute friend who was now putting straws into the beers. The handsome man didn't answer, just kept staring at Haley, smiling, like he knew a secret he didn't want to tell. Pudge sat back in her chair, disappointed.
"I'm Nathan Scott," said the dark haired handsome boy to Haley. "Let's dance." He reached for her hand.
"I'm sorry," she said holding up her left hand. "I'm engaged."
"Well, I'm sorry you're engaged too," he replied taking her hand this time.
"Wait!" she said before he could pull her up. "Dance with my girlfriend first." And Pudge hopped at the chance to dance with anyone. She stood up quickly and walked with him out onto the dance floor where they started shagging. He was very good, knew the steps, and was able to lead her. This was great! She'd never had a partner this good before! As they twirled around, Pudge noticed the same boho red haired girl hanging out against the wall beside them, smoking a cigarette and watching Nathan as they danced. And every so often, she would look at Pudge with disdain.
When Pudge could take it no longer, and after Nathan spinned her she stopped in front of the red-head girl. "Got your eyeful?" she asked. But Nathan grabbed her hand and they began to dance again, but not before she heard the girl retort.
"Fat-ass," she said.
Back at the table, Nathan held out the chair for Pudge to sit down and then walked over to Haley just as a slow song was coming on. He held out a hand, and reluctantly she took it, letting him lead her to the floor. And Pudge was left with the friend, who's name she learned was Jake. After Nathan and Haley had left to dance, there was an awkward pause where they both didn't know what to say.
"Do you know any elephant jokes?" Jake asked, to break the ice.
"Is that a remark?" Pudge snapped.
"About what?" said Jake, clearly confused.
"Sorry," Pudge said, embarrassed. "I guess I'm just sensitive about my weight."
"What weight?" Jake said looking her up and down. Pudge smiled.
"You want to drive out out to Weewap Point?" asked Nathan as he and Haley were dancing. His arm was getting too low on her waist and so she pulled it back up.
"Weewap Point?" Haley said laughing. "You're out of your mind if you think I'd go parking with you. I don't even know you."
"Well I don't know you either," he said. "But I don't consider that an impediment." And in that moment, he reached down and wiped something off of the breast of her shirt. Haley was so embarrassed and angry that he would ever even consider touching her, especially there! She let go of him and stepped back.
"Sorry," he said. "You had a little something on your little thing there." She was shocked, and stood there dumbfounded, but he smiled and took her hands again and started dancing, pulling her closer than before.
While that was going on, Brooke was outside the pavilion at the beach doing the limbo. She was one of the last girls left and the pole was so low, but she was ready and she knew she got it. Just before her stomach was about to go under, her knees bent as much as they could, she heard it.
"Yeah!" cried a voice. "Dance on your butt, babe!" And she felt the floor shake underneath her. She fell and looked up into the face of the brunette boho hair girl and her friend laughing. "Oops," she said. "My foot slipped." Brooke gave them a mean stare and then walked away, but not before she winked at the guy with sideburns that was with them earlier. That'll get them going, Brooke thought.
"Bitch," the brunette girl said as she wrapped and arm around him. It had to be her boyfriend.
In the bathroom, Brooke was in the stall, when the same two girls came in. They didn't use the bathroom, but stood at the sink, and through the crack in the stall she could see the red-head writing on the wall with red lipstick, and the other re-applying make-up.
"She thought she was the bees knees until she landed flat on her butt," said the redhead laughing. "I can't wait until you win Miss Sun Queen tomorrow. Chase will about die when you waltz off with Chris Keller."
"Oh Rachel," said the brunette. "You really think I could win Miss Sun Queen?" Then she looked at Rachel and they both laughed, like it was inevitable.
Brooke, with a sudden surge of energy slammed open the door, hitting Rachel. "I got news," she said walking out. "You're gonna lose." And she left the bathroom to see the tall guy, what was his name? Chase? He was standing there jingling keys. Brooke gave him a nod and followed him out to the car.
"Jake, grab the bar," said Nathan as he and Haley walked back over to the table. "We're going to make like a tree and leave."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," said Haley pulling away.
"Well don't play hard to get, you might miss something," Nathan said pulling her along. And Pudge and Jake followed to the pale yellow car.
Meanwhile, the creep had Millicent against the wall and was trying so hard to kiss her, while all she wanted was to get away. Finally, when she saw Brooke had left with Chase, and saw Pudge and Haley leave with those two jerks, she'd had enough. "In the name of dinity, I beg you to stop!" she yelled punching him and then pushing him away. She composed her self and then ran after her friends.