Wednesday at lunch, Link, Tracy, Penny and Seaweed, all went to a drive in. It was impossible to ignore all the reminders that tomorrow was the voting, and they needed to get away from school. The tension was plapable as they piled into Seaweed's car.
"So... nice weather.." Tracy said in an effort to break the uncomfortable silence.
"Yes, it's sunny out there," Penny commented.
"Very warm," Link added.
"Get out of the way," Seaweed yelped as a jogger darted out unexpectedly in front of him. He hit the brakes. A golden retriever crossed the street behind the jogger as soon as Seaweed stopped.
"The dog is smarter then the human," Link cracked.
Seaweed pulled into a spot, and a carhop came to take their order. As they waited for their food, the uncomfortable quiet broke out again. Finally it was Seaweed who broke the strain.
'This is ridiculous," he finally stated."We all should vote for ourselves and our girls," Seaweed said.
"I'm with you man," Link agreed.
"I don't want to vote against Tracy," Penny protested.
"I don't want to vote against you," Tracy protested to Penny.
"Hold up. You girls are not going to make the final decision," Seaweed pointed out. "Everybody in school is going to be voting. So ya'll vote for yourselves and your men, and take the strain off. You both want it so no matter what you ladies do, your vote is going to cancel the other out. And it's not going to matter who won once the dance is over. So just vote for yourselves. That's what Cracker and I are doing."
"That's right," Link agreed as he gave Seaweed five over the seats.
"All right, we'll do it," Tracy declared. She kept silent about the fact that she was still voting for Penny.
Tracy couldn't help but get into a giddy mood as she and Link arrived at the studio on Wednesday. Tomorrow was Thursday, the next day was Friday, and then Saturday would finally be prom!!! She was so excited, she completely forgot to notice her mother was there. The energy level was higher then usual with all the pre prom excitement permeating the air. Everyone was acting sillier, giddier, and more sociable then before.
"So whaddya think of Corny and Amber?" Louann giggled to Tracy as she sprayed a cloud of Ultra Clutch on her hair.
Tracy looked over to where Corny and Amber were talking. Everyone at WYZT had been noticing the chemistry. Tracy was just relived that it her and Link's problems with Amber were over. "They make a cute couple, don't they?" Tracy asked Louann.
Louann skipped over to Amber and Corny, teasingly waving her sheet music. "You like this music, but you think it's too young," she told Corny, then she turned to Amber. "You like this music, but you think it's too old. It's a metaphor" she told them cheerily and skipped back to her makeup mirror.
Those who saw the exchange laughed, trying to hold it in. Those who had been on the show longer swore it was the first time anyone had ever seen Amber Von Tussle blush.
"Remember," Maybelle told Edna before Maybelle went on camera, "Don't go for control today. Any dance you can get them to practice is going to be a victory." Edna nodded nervously.
Seaweed smoothed back his hair, and twirled around, tossing his comb in the air, and catching it with an expert grip.
"How are we set?" Link asked him secretivly trying to look like he was now adjusting his hair in Seaweeds' mirror.
"Got the good stuff flowing," Seaweed told him, keeping his voice low.
"We cool with him?" Link asked.
"Cool as ice," Seaweed assured him. "He promised best." And he better deliver... Seaweed thought, looking over at Jamal.
Penny watched the show that day from her living room, practicing as she and Tracy used to do before Tracy landed her spot on the show. Then when the show was over, she quietly changed into her dance clothes, throwing on a dress over it. "I'm going to the library, mom. I'll be back in time for dinner," she called, and walked out.
The routine had been the same for about a week now. She took her backpack with her, under the guise of going to the library, and it wasn't a complete lie. She would cut through there on her way home from the building next to it. Right after she was done with her dancing lessons. She enrolled in dance classes at Madge's School of Art. She wasn't a bad dancer, but she was concerned about looking bad next to everyone on the show who practiced who knew how many hours every day.
Sure Seaweed taught her his moves at platter parties, but she could guarantee that he didn't want to spend all of prom night teaching her the newest steps. Penny had bartered lessons for cleaning the studio on Saturdays and Sundays. Her hand clapped to her mouth. How was she going to handle this Saturday? She would just have to get up extra early, she determined.
Thinking of Saturday, reminded her of tomorrow. Tommorow would be the voting for prom royalty. Tracy would get it, Penny knew that for certain. Tracy was too well liked, and dating Link made her a double threat. Penny would vote for Tracy, despite the pact she had made earlier, becuase she wanted Tracy to win. Yet there was a small glimmer of hope that maybe it would be her wearing the tiara on Saturday night. It wasn't a glimmer that she dare let grow, but it was nice to keep and hold it while it lasted.