The link to the timeline is now in my bio, if you're curious. The titles of the following stories are also included, so if you're hypersensitive about potential spoilers, there's your warning.
.o.o.
Link thought he might go crazy before the day was over. He'd worked up the guts to go say hi to Tracy at lunch, but she'd just said hi and turned around to talk to Lou Ann some more, and then her friend with the lollipop had given him a look that was half anger and half pity and his carefully tended nerve had broken. Then Amber had sat next to him and spoiled his appetite by talking about how her mom had said they needed to come to a party together a week from tomorrow, and when he tuned out to look at Tracy, she was looking back, but so sad that he stood up to go find out what was wrong.
Tracy stood up too, turning around and leaving in a hurry. He couldn't even go after her, because Amber was stuck to him like glue, and she'd make everything worse. She didn't leave his side for one second, not during classes, not on the bus, and when they got to the studio, she waited for him outside the bathroom. And all the time, Tracy was looking unhappy and not talking much to anyone.
It came time for the solo spotlight and he edged closer to her, because despite Corny's warning, and Tracy's own preference for being out of the spotlight, he'd finally sent a telegram the day before. Well, he'd paid the kid next door to take it down to the telegraph office, and he'd used a name he got out of the phone book, just to make sure it wasn't going to be immediately tossed as fake.
To his consternation, though, Corny wasn't reading that Shawna Rayes of Highlandtown was asking for Link and Tracy to dance to a record of their choice. Instead, what Corny said was, "Mrs. Belle Collins requests that little Tracy Turnblad dance the solo today, and make it a lady's choice. Your wish is my command, Mrs. Collins! Boys, line up over here so Tracy can look you all over before deciding who she wants to dance with today."
Link took his place in the line of boys, hardly daring to breathe. Amber would be insufferable if she chose him. Mrs. Von Tussle was going to be furious whatever happened, but doubly so if he danced with someone other than her daughter. And then there was the image issue, because while he knew Tracy was beautiful, he also knew that Corny had someone go through her mail before she got it to weed out all the people calling her names, and there were a lot of them. It'd change things, once everyone knew he liked her, and he wasn't sure he was completely ready.
Corny led her to the opposite end of the line, and was talking to her about making sure she inspected the merchandise before making her decision. Tracy played along, hamming it up and asking to see Mikey's teeth, and could Sketch turn around so she could see whether he had a limp? Everybody was laughing, and even he smiled through his nerves at how adorable she was. Corny put a hand on her arm and she stopped clowning to walk down the line, smiling and looking at each boy as she passed.
Just in front of IQ she paused, and Link thought his heart would stop. IQ didn't care about popularity, and didn't have any doubts about showing his adoration of Tracy. He was a better person and deserved her more, and Link hated him for it a little. Tracy started walking again and Link's breathing restarted, because he hadn't lost her yet. He still had a chance to show her that he could be a good person, and still retain the popularity he'd worked so hard for. He couldn't afford to throw it away, even for Tracy; there was only another year left before his deal with his dad ran out, and Link would have to give up all thoughts of a singing career if he hadn't progressed beyond local television.
Her steps had slowed down, but she was finally at the end of the line, standing right in front of him. Their eyes met and he felt it all the way down his spine. It wasn't something he could describe – he'd start talking about how sexy she was, how cute, how cheerful, how fierce, how adorable, and he wouldn't be able to stop, but he still wouldn't be able to say why it was that one look from Tracy Turnblad shook his whole world up.
Still standing in front of him, she put her hand to her chin and said, "My, my, such a lot of handsome men! I'm the luckiest girl alive, except I have to choose just one!" Then she winked at the camera, and looked so cute that he had to smile.
She looked at him again, and he could feel his heart racing and his breath becoming harsher as neither of them looked away. She was going to choose him. It would mean the end of trying to sneak around Amber. It would mean facing down anyone who questioned why he would want someone who didn't look like a fashion model. It would probably mean that he'd have to go straight into college after high school, and not go to California or New York to break into the music business. But it would definitely mean he got to hold her hand, and look into her eyes, and that she might like him as much as he liked her. It would mean everything.
"I've made my choice, Corny." She looked away from him, and kept her face turned away so he couldn't catch her eye again. "There's so many great dancers, it was really hard, but..."
She took two steps forward, away from Link, and he fought to put a smile on his face as she laid a hand on someone else's arm. "Us new kids need to look out for each other, so Tommy and I are going to show off what he can do to the Isley Brothers and Twist and Shout!"
Corny smiled, just like Link was trying to do. Every week, almost every day, he'd smiled through shin splints and bruised feet and bad moods and now he just couldn't make himself do it. Corny had made his way back to his podium, where an assistant had cued the record, and said, "A great song for a great dancer! Let's all give a hand to Tracy and Tommy!"
The record started and she was dancing, and Link felt Amber walk up beside him. She said something and he looked at her, losing all interest in pretending to smile. She was frowning, too, and whispered, "Can you believe her? She almost picked you! As if she doesn't know you're my-- partner."
He kept his clenched hands in his pockets, not sure who or what he wanted to hit, although Tommy was near the top of the list. Tracy was smiling at her partner, and shaking her tits and her ass and he really, really didn't want to deal with Amber right now. She probably knew that, because she put a hand through his arm and around his waist, plastering herself to his side.
Turning away, Link caught a glimpse of Tracy's face and saw that she was enjoying herself – and barely looking in Tommy's direction. A slight smile crept over his face as he thought that it was only natural she'd try to be nice to the new guy, and maybe she'd just been scared of what Amber would do. He'd talk to Mrs. Von Tussle again, and if she didn't fix everything, it was only ten days until the pageant, and then he'd tell Amber himself that it was over.
At least she hadn't chosen IQ. He still had a chance to make everything work, to get the girl without giving up his dreams. And tomorrow they didn't have morning rehearsal. He'd take Tracy to a new diner he'd found, and maybe find a way to work it into the conversation that she didn't have to be afraid of Amber. He'd protect her from anything the little shrew could do.
.o.o.
Just in case it wasn't clear, Tommy is Jesse's replacement who just joined the Council. And Twist and Shout doesn't really fit the same beat pattern as New Girl In Town, but I couldn't resist putting it in. :)