Seriously, I love you guys. Reviews own.

This chapter is just a bunch of little scenarios thrown together.

Also, I have to post a Happy Belated Birthday to Sodapop, who turned 17 for the thirty ninth time on October 8th :- )


The next two months were hectic, even more than usual. We were scrambling around, making plans for New York, and making plans for our wedding, and making plans for a nice little house we were going to live in - it was Darry's wedding gift to us, he said, getting us a crazy discount because he owned the building company. We hardly payed anything.

We'd set the date for December 4th - Soda claimed it was perfect, because it was exactly two years after he 'fell in love with me.' I remembered December 4th, 1967 perfectly... it was the day that I'd had to sing 'O Holy Night' in that church, and Soda and Pony came to watch. One of the most vivid memories of that day was that horribly garish dress I had to wear. Oh Lord...

It would be a few days after the production of 'Hair' was over, so whether I got in or not, I'd still be home for it. Not that I'd miss my own wedding...

"Mama," I heard a voice babble behind me, "When gone?"

"A few weeks, honey," I said absently, picking up Marie. Glory, she was getting big.

"Why?" She asked, cocking her head to the side. This was her favorite question. Why?

"Because Mama has to go sing in the big city."

"With me an' Dada?"

"Yes, honey, with you and Dada."

"Sing now?"

"Are you going to sing?"

She shook her curly blonde head, grinning toothily.

"Well, then, I don't think I can, either."

She sighed.

"Otay."

"Go find Daddy, okay? He probably wants to play."

Her eyes lit up, and she toddled in the door as quick as her chubby little legs would carry her. I had to laugh, because God knows Soda was probably trying to catch up on the sleep he claimed to have missed while he was up with Marie last night. Maybe I really lucked out in not living here...


"Okay, no." Emilie frowned, spinning me around, "No way. You look like a grandmother in that thing."

I sighed. Every girl dreams about going to try on wedding dresses with her friends. But Emilie, Ashley, Daphne and Hannah are not in any of those dreams.

"Better that then look like a whore in one of those." Ashley snorted, nodding her head towards a slightly more revealing dress.

"Okay, listen guys, are there none that suit?"

"You know," Hannah snorted, "If I ever get married, I'm not bringing you guys."

"But I can get you a nice discount," Ashley said, raising an eyebrow, "Otherwise I'm pretty sure that Naomi would've kicked me out by now."

"How about this one?" Emilie held up another dress.

"You know," I said, as I ran my hand over the intricate little designs on the bodice, "This is really nice -"

"It's too long," Daphne sighed, shoving the dress away.

"No!" Hannah grabbed it back, "No one cares if it's a little long! We'll hem it! Get the damn dress, and let's get the hell out of this place!"


"Okay," I said, holding up a list, "Here's the VIP guests. What do you think?"

"I don't like that guy," Soda frowned, pointing to a name. I raised an eyebrow.

"He was my friend since elementary school."

"He beat me up when I was seven!"

I laughed.

"Okay, then, if you're scared that he'll beat you up at your own wedding."

"Oh, fine," he snorted, "Invite him. Bring a bully to the wedding..."

"How about Christy Simmins?"

"I don't think I know her."

"She was in your grade since forever."

"Just... invite them all, okay? If we see someone we don't like, we'll pretend we don't see them."

"Soda..." I stifled a laugh.

"Or we could have them thrown out. I bet we could get Two-Bit to walk around with a baseball bat, he'd do it for free-"

"Stop it, you're not funny-"

"I'm not trying to be funny. I'm serious. You're the one that's laughing."

"Okay," I continued, trying to keep a straight face, "So all these people are good-"

"And she doesn't even ask for my opinion!" Soda looked offended, and walked out of the room.


I flopped down onto the couch as soon as I got home. I'd recieved a call that morning from my old teacher, Shirley, asking if I'd be interested in teaching singing lessons for the day, because she had a sore throat. I figured that any practice was good practice, since I was auditioning in a week.

Wow, can kids be annoying. They really don't want to be taught, rather just sit on the bench beside you and yell loudly. And, the more I think about it, the more I'm sure that I was like that as a little kid. I wish I could find all my teachers and apologize to them.

"Mama!"

I squeezed my eyes closed, and was slightly amused at my sudden impulse to use the age old excuse - Not now, honey, Mommy's got a headache - but since I didn't actually have a headache, I figured I'd avoid getting into the trend of lying to my daughter. Even though, A, I'd start eventually, and B, I was only seventeen, and my Mom was still mothering me, technically.

"Yes, honey!"

"Where you?"

"Mama was teaching kids to sing, honey."

She pouted her perfect little mouth. Even at this age, I could tell she'd be very pretty when she was older. I guess it makes sense - much as I hate Sandy, the coniving little bitch that she is, she's really pretty.

"I sing?"

"When you're older."

She placed her hands on her hips, a dramatic gesture that earned a laugh from me.

"I big."

"You're big, honey. Mama's tired, though, alright?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. That's another thing she got from Sandy - a taste for the dramatic. It's a lot like Dad said - I'm finding it harder and harder to stay mad at Sandy, when I'm raising her child. I'm hating her less and less.

If given the chance, though...

I'd still smack her.


"Is this your daughter?" Tammy Pearson asked me, clasping her hands together, and making quite a face. Her mouth was open, and her eyes wide. It was one of those times where you have to answer right at the perfect interval, otherwise, the person will either fall over or be stuck in a really awkward facial expression. I chose to wait. But her face was really creeping me out, so I answered.

"Yes, this is Marie. She's fourteen months old now." I grinned happily, which I'd been doing all night. We were leaving for New York in two days, and my old friend from school was getting married, and invited us to the wedding. I'd always laughed at those people who were getting married just out of high school - and there were some every year - and now I was one, and probably had a few juniors laughing at me. I found I didn't particularily care.

"Oh, she's adorable..." Tammy said, "Who's her father?"

"Over there," I pointed in Soda's direction, where some girl with fake blonde hair was flirting with him. I didn't really care, for three reasons. One, he kept catching my eye and winking. Two, She wasn't that pretty, or smart, from the looks of it. Three, Marie was finally my legal daughter - the courts would never let him terminate that after all the trouble we went through to get it that way.

"You're not worried about that girl?"

"Not at all."

"I see," she looked awkward, then asked tentatively, "Are you two married?"

"Engaged." I answered evenly.

"Shame to have to rush things, though, because of a child?"

I sighed.

"It's not just because of Marie. She was my daughter for six months before we got engaged."

"Your daughter -"

I sighed again.

"She's the daughter of one of my fiance's old girlfriends, and some guy... when they broke up, we took the case to court to make sure that Marie here didn't go into a bad home."

"That's sweet," she said, pressing her hand to her heart, "It's so sad when teenage girls get pregnant, and have to leave school. Remember Gillian Cole?"

"Yeah," I said slowly, "I think I was just a freshman when she left."

"And Stephanie Harker? Oh, that was a damn shame, she was so smart."

"I never knew her."

"What about Sandy Crawford? Now, that was a shame. Such a sweet girl."

"Never had the opprotunity to meet her," I said, slowly, "But I bet she was nice."

"Moved to Florida with her Grammy. She was back, I heard, a while ago. Coupla months, but she was changed."

I nodded. I'd always really wondered what Sandy had been like before I knew her. I'd only ever heard mention of her maiden name once, otherwise, I'd never think it was her... sweet girl? Wow.

I looked at Marie, grinning happily in my arms.

Yeah, I decided, I bet she was real sweet.


"That was terrible," Soda said loudly, causing several people to look our way.

"Soda, honey, you're talking really loud."

"Well, I can't hear myself!"

We'd just arrived in New York. Soda, who had never flown before, had found that his ears had plugged upon ascending, and hadn't changed. I had flown several times, and I was used to the unusual pain in my ears, however, I'd never spoken so loudly in an international airport.

"So, where do we get our luggage?"

"Sodapop, plug your nose," I instructed, "Now, blow out it really hard."

If it didn't help his ears, it certainly kept him quite and occupied until we found our suitcases.


"Naomi Sterling?" The smug looking man asked as I walked onto the stage.

"Yes," I replied calmly, keeping my head high, and remembering everything I'd worked on my entire life.

"And you're auditioning for..."

"Sheila," I replied, not loosing the fake air of confidence I was putting up... really, I was nervous as hell.

"So, you've already done acting for us?"

"Yes, I was with Heather."

"Ah, yes, Heather auditioned a group of actors, didn't she?" He muttered, "Alright. I must ask you first, Miss Sterling, do you consider yourself a better singer, or a better actress?"

"A better singer, definately."

"So, you'll be singing your heart out now?"

I grinned at my shoes, then looked up at him.

"It's what I've been doing my whole life. No point in stopping now."