Sunday, November 27th,
1960
It had been well after midnight – 2:17 a.m. on Friday morning, to be exact – before Johnny had finally arrived back home, stone-cold sober, restlessly bitter, and exhausted, his hair windblown, his eyes itching for sleep.
Upon entry, Duran had merely looked at him from his place on the chair before standing, his eyes hard and unforgiving. "Your mother went to bed hours ago, with a headache. Have you been drinking?"
"No. It's Thanksgiving, nothin' was open. I did coffee." Johnny had yawned widely, trudging away quite slowly up the stairs. "I'm goin' to bed." He hadn't been about to admit that the grizzled old clerk at the one place that had been open had laughed and told him to Get home to your mama, baby boy, before I have your dumb ass arrested, ya ain't old enough to be drinkin'.
"So, you would have gone and got wasted, despite what we told you, that you'd be on your own if we caught you under the influence one more time?"
Johnny paused halfway up the stairwell. "I ain't been drinking, nothin' but coffee. Can I go to bed now? Haul my ass over the coals when I get up, it's what you love any – "
"If you would just start showing some respect to the people trying to help your ungrateful hide, I wouldn't have to. And how many times are we going to have this same discussion? Do you understand how tired your mother and I are of trying to keep up with the way you behave?" Duran had said, so calmly and coldly that Johnny had felt acutely unsettled, his gut twisting; he had bitten at his tongue to keep from retorting.
Duran had taken a deep, steadying breath, listening intently, hoping that Andrianna wouldn't stir – she'd needed a reprieve. "Everything that's happened in the last week, and everything that could or will happen, you've brought on yourself. There's a meeting on Sunday at one at the Frosty Palace, all T-Birds and Ladies are required. The Pink Lady rules are getting a thorough overhaul – "
Johnny had stiffened, panic and rage twisting through – There ain't nothin' wrong with –
"And if I were you, I'd keep my distance from Stephanie. She knows now that you were talking with Paulette behind her back, about all the problems you two were having. Paulette may well be out of the Pink Ladies, for all the lying she did. At your request, boy. Think about that, about the ways you've used Paulette as a means to an end, both in and out of the bedroom."
Duran had frowned harshly, and so had Johnny – Way to keep your mouth shut, Paulette.
"And no," Duran continued, "I don't want to hear any of your excuses. You owe both Paulette and Stephanie so many apologies it's ridiculous. And thank me, because I asked that young man, Carrington, not to throw you from the T-Birds. But I suppose we'll see what happens. And if Michael Carrington does have feelings for Miss Zinone, then it's none of your business. Good night." Duran had walked away towards the bedroom then, where Andrianna had been feigning sleep to listen.
On Sunday, at 12:48, the current and former Pink Ladies began arriving, with the exception of Paulette, their vibrant energy apparent; Stephanie especially was a mess of jittery, zealous anticipation, her eyes practically glowing. Rizzo and Kenickie came in with Rizzo's mother, Carlina (who'd agreed to keep an eye on Audra), while Marty, Frenchy, and Jan arrived in Jan's car. Edrie, Jessamine, Aimee, and Christina, as well as Enid, pulled in to the parking lot at the same time, with Christina driving the rented Mustang.
The past and current T-Birds, meanwhile, began meandering in just a few minutes after, with Paulette riding on the back of Johnny's bike and Delores sitting next to Davey in the sidecar of Goose's motorcycle, looking far from pleased at her position; she'd come along because she wanted badly to talk to Stephanie about potentially becoming a Lady, while Jessamine had called on Enid to join them, to which she had easily agreed, making the hasty arrangements with the hospital director (claiming a family emergency as her reason for needing a few days away) and flying down from San Jose.
The current T-Birds' expressions were reluctant and stating plainly that they were ready to fight the changes (with the exception of perhaps Davey, who had the feeling that it would likely be better to just go with it).
Jett was right behind them on his own motorcycle (a well-maintained '51 Indian Chief), and Michael brought up the rear, driving the '55 Chevy Apache that he had selected the day before, from a dealership over in San Fernando; Sandy was in the passenger seat, holding Michael's T-Bird jacket, while Danny and Sonny were sitting in the bed of the truck.
It was a chilly, mildly windy day, but as there were so many of them – twenty-five in total, excluding Audra – and since the dining room of the Frosty Palace was already half-full, outdoor eating seemed the better option.
"Hi, Steph." Paulette called timidly, staring at where Stephanie was standing next to the Studebaker, with Rhonda and Sharon on either side of her (Paulette's Pink Lady jacket was laying across the backseat of the car). Stephanie ignored her and strode over to the truck that Michael was in, after he'd parked it at a crooked angle next to Louis's bike, still getting a feel for it. "Here." she said caustically, nearly shoving a piece of paper into his hand, while Jett parked and turned his motorcycle off. "It's the torta tenerina recipe, red pepper added."
"Thank you." He was tempted to ask (tease her gently) about the expression on her face – a woman on the verge of a cataclysm – but held his tongue, fighting back a smirk. They're going to wish that they'd never –
"There ain't nothin' wrong with the rules!" Johnny said loudly, diverting everyone's attention, while Paulette stared towards the ground, while Rizzo, Kenickie, Marty, and Jan all got out of the vehicles (Carlina stayed seated, feet on the pavement while she cuddled and hummed to her sleeping granddaughter).
"Every Pink Lady here begs to differ, Mr. Nogerelli." Edrie replied coolly. "Beginning with Rhetta's sister, Enid, whom you see standing beside Jessamine."
Johnny continued as though she hadn't spoken. "And ya ain't takin' what's mine, Carrington."
Michael's expression slid back to near indifference (and it occurred to Stephanie that that was his go-to look whenever he was gearing up for a fight), and he asked, "Other than the motorcycle, your clothes, and your name, what's here that belongs to you, John?", while laying the recipe aside and climbing from the truck (Sandy followed suit, holding the jacket, while Danny and Sonny jumped out from the truck bed, with Sonny making a mental note to call Doody and Putzie at the army base over in Barstow and tell them about all of everything the first chance he got).
"You're quite the fast thinker, Mr. Carrington." Jessamine mused aloud, looking both impressed and amused.
Michael smiled, looking vaguely self-conscious, and Johnny plowed ahead with a snarling, "Zuko, you're outta your damn mind if you think this nerd freak has anything on me for bein' a boss!"
"Shut it, or I'll take that jacket off you myself, little brother." Jett growled; he and Johnny glared at each other, anger and outrage blazing.
"You think me, DiMucci, and Davey are gonna listen to the likes of him?!" Goose spoke up, wide-eyed, gesturing towards Michael.
"Well, he has you there, Danny." Michael conceded, leaning against the truck. "But you three are welcome for the papers." he added, nodding to Louis, Davey, and Goose. "Is that something that will be continuing?"
"Whaddo you think, wanker?" Goose hissed.
Michael's eyebrows arched and he almost smiled, his mouth twitching. "It's not my decision, McKenzie."
"Carrington's in charge of the T-Birds until Johnny-boy gets his ass straight. If Johnny-boy can get his ass straight. That's it." Danny commanded with finality. "You three don't like it, if you wanna leave the party, drop your jackets by the door on the way out. I told you before, there's a legacy here, and you, none of you, are gonna wreck it while I'm around."
"Michael, you'll have to put this on." Sandy said, handing him the T-Bird jacket. "It's a dress code requirement any time there's a meeting like this."
"Can I get some food before we really get goin'? I'm starving." Delores needled, as Michael nodded and pulled the jacket on – a perfect fit, and Johnny sneered, his thoughts bitterly venomous, as Sandy flipped the collar of Michael's new jacket upward, winking at him.
"Likewise." Rizzo commented. "I'm goin' in, give Val a stroke."
The vote for lunch turned out to be unanimous, and just about everyone – crew members and patrons alike – stared as the lot of them marched in and up to the counter, placing their orders in groups: sandwiches and fries, salads, soups, and drinks. Val looked like she wanted to retire on the spot, but greeted the 1959 Pink Ladies readily enough, and was slightly impressed by the presence of the original Ladies.
A few of the the other dining patrons were three seniors: Eugene Fitzherbert, Bruce Sanders, and Jeannie Beachwood (who was ducking in cover from her parents, who had only just found out about her boyfriend, Hank, currently a junior at a college over in Los Angeles); all three of them stared in open-mouthed shock at the sight of Michael with the T-Bird jacket on.
Back outside twelve minutes later, while waiting for the food, their drinks all in front of them, every T-Bird and Pink Lady positioned themselves to form as much of a circle as was possible in the outdoor dining section, making sure that everyone could see everyone. Carlina was sitting in the car nearby, cradling a bundled-up Audra and listening closely – all this hullabaloo was going to be the highlight of her annual Christmas letter. Bruce and Eugene sat down a table away, intent on hearing everything (Jeannie had left to go see Hank, figuring that she'd get the whole story from Rhonda come Monday).
"What do you two dorks want?" Goose sneered.
"Just wondering what Johnny was smoking, that he decided to make Mike a T-Bird." Bruce ventured, almost timidly.
"This was Danny's decision, actually. I'm the T-Bird leader until Johnny gets his grades and his life straightened out."
Bruce's and Eugene's answering expressions were comically thunderstruck for a few seconds, before wide, wildly excited smiles began curving their mouths.
"You two asswipes better keep your mouths shut!" Johnny barked.
Bruce dared, his eyes dancing wickedly. "I'm sorry, who are you?"
"Sit down, Johnny!" Jett snapped.
"Johnny, perhaps you should try this one on for size: As the new Head Bird, if I hear of you bullying Bruce or Eugene for any reason, I'll take that jacket from you. I'll give it to them to share."
"I'll fight you on it. Man to freak." Johnny hissed.
Michael looked him in the eyes, his gaze steely. "You want to go another round with me, John?"
"The meeting's begun." Stephanie announced before Johnny could retort, and she was sitting next to Michael, with Johnny on her other side, with Paulette on his other side; so far, she'd gone about acting as though neither of them were there, and had heard from Sharon and Rhonda that Paulette had been filled in on her current status, with the both of them coming down hard on her for how grateful she'd better be.
Stephanie looked now over at Rhonda and Sharon, both of whom were sitting on Paulette's other side, asking, "Sharon, you brought the codes?" At Sharon's nod, Stephanie continued crisply, "Rhonda, you're up."
Johnny opened his mouth, and Jan snarled at him, "Shut the fuck up, you little asshole."
Five seconds of silence greeted this: Jan never swore.
"Oh, my God, yes, she can be taught!" Marty sing-songed, throwing her arms around Jan in a tight hug, while Rizzo wolf-whistled. Frenchy, Sandy, and the 1959 T-Birds all stared, with Sonny asking, "What got into you?"
"A baby." Jan admitted after a crackling few moments, still shaken at the realization.
More silence, and Jan (cheeks burning) rushed ahead with, "I didn't wanna say nothin', cos you just had Audra, but ... yeah." She looked at Rizzo pleadingly. "Any pointers?"
It was a moment before Rizzo found her tongue. "Hundreds of them. We'll talk later. Rhonda, go on."
"Well, wait a sec, Rizz ... Jan, who's the father?" Marty demanded.
"A loser I didn't know is married. I liked him, I miss him, but if I had to see him right now, I'd start throwing everything at him. I got the pleasure of telling him what I think of him when his soon-to-be ex-wife called to thank me. Apparently she's been lookin' for an excuse to get rid of him."
Jan bit her tongue there, to keep from spewing her anger and laughter and reigning anxiety all over the place, and Marty rubbed her back. "The five of us'll get together later and discuss this. Rhonda, you're on."
Rhonda gave Jan a mildly sympathetic glance, then straightened, squaring her shoulders, ignoring the ornery expression on Goose's face; Sharon pulled the laminated paper from her shoulder bag, laying down in front of her; she also fished out a notebook and pen.
"Okay, well ... rule number one, is about always looking, acting, being cool." Rhonda stated. "All sass, no mercy."
"No survivors." Jett cracked, bringing a round of easing laughter.
No kidding, Michael thought, remembering the kiss Stephanie had laid on him in the bowling alley, inhaling in a way that wouldn't draw attention, dragging in the scent of her perfume, spicy-sweet this time.
"Rule one should be a given." Frenchy said, while Sharon scribbled, 'The Pink Lady Codes, Amended', on the first page of the notebook. "There's no being a Lady unless a girl has some real backbone."
"I've got backbone." Delores proclaimed, staring hard (almost frantically) at Stephanie. "I'd make a damn good Pink Lady."
Stephanie arched her eyebrows, gazing with impassive contemplation, while Rizzo and Marty both gave Delores a once-over, and Marty replied with, "Prove it. Prove you have what it takes, same as Stephanie did, and you'll be considered. All sass, no mercy."
The wheels in Delores's head began turning.
"Takes backbone to be a T-Bird, too." Johnny offered resentfully. "Carrington, I know you don't know this, but rule three states we all got reps to protect. That takes balls I know you ain't got – "
"We're not discussing rule three right now, Mr. Nogerelli. We haven't even finished for rule one. Please stay focused." Enid barked, looking enough like Rhetta in that moment that Jessamine would have sworn they could have been twins.
"And I've familiarized myself with the Lady codes, John." Michael added dryly, in a by-your-leave manner. "Stephanie and I went over them lengthily yesterday evening, after I called her up to remind me of said rules and Mr. Zinone decided to invite me over for dinner."
The bit about the dinner invitation was a lie, and he and Stephanie both knew it, but it was worth it to watch Johnny's blood pressure rise.
Johnny blinked, staring, the anger and resentment growing, burning a hole in his gut. "Your old man invited Carrington for dinner?" he bit out in Stephanie's direction, because not once ... NOT ONCE ... in all the time that he'd been dating Stephanie, had Jake Zinone ever invited him over for dinner. Or for anything.
Stephanie didn't acknowledge him, or that he'd even spoken, and said, "All hands to a vote, rule one of the Pink Lady code stays as is, raise your hands if you agree."
Every Pink Lady hand went up instantly (Paulette's included), as well as the right hands of Danny, Sonny, Kenickie, Jett, Delores, and Michael; after a moment, Goose, Louis, and Davey each raised a hand, and Louis, at the look on Johnny's face, responded, "C'mon, Johnny, man, that one's an easy."
Paulette gave him an adoring smile (Stephanie thought she might vomit), lacing her fingers between his. "C'mon, Johnny, it'll be okay."
"Johnny's the head man, he can fight – " Goose began loyally.
"He's not in charge anymore, and it doesn't matter what he thinks, regardless, he's out-voted here." Stephanie declared icily, and Paulette's smile faded; she looked coolly in Stephanie's direction. "Johnny's opinion matters, Stephanie. Do you really think Goose, Louis, and Davey are gonna listen to someone like Michael Carrington? He's a geeky little stick in the mud who wouldn't know how to have fun if his life depended on it!"
"You open your ungrateful, trouble-making mouth about my cousin one more time, you'll get slapped silly." Sandy ground out, her eyes glinting coldly.
"I take it that you won't be needing any more tutoring sessions, then, Paulette?" Michael questioned, that look of belligerent calm back on his face, his eyes gleaming with annoyance while his jaw clenched.
Paulette looked somewhat ashamed, but didn't get a chance to answer before Delores plowed ahead with, "Aw, no, Mom'd shit pinecones if she quit. She's already way the hell pissed off cos Nogerelli and Paulette've been gettin' between the sheets – "
"Delores!" Paulette hissed, eyes huge with shock and outrage.
"Oh, please, like we didn't already know you were makin' it with him." Sharon scolded. "It's your go-to for keepin' any guy's attention. God forbid you should try some other method."
"Like what?!" Paulette flared. "I'm not smart like you, I – "
"By whose estimation?" Edrie demanded. "Arrogant chatterboxes such as the one sitting next to you?"
"I think it's by her own." Aimee clarified.
"That's quite a damaging habit you've picked up, girl." Christina added. "Thinking so little of yourself. Projecting your lack of self-respect on others, especially your fellow Ladies. Believing that the only way a man will pay attention is if you show him your chest. As far as I can tell, none of it is landing you anywhere decent."
"I have respect for myself!" Paulette defended, tremulously.
Jessamine spoke. "Then why did you agree so easily when Mr. Nogerelli asked you to lie for him? Why not say to him, 'No, Stephanie is my friend, I will not lie to her simply to protect you.'? Why not say to him, 'Go and fix your problems with Stephanie yourself.'? Why did you allow, and continue to allow, him to use you?"
"Hey, I ain't – "
"He isn't using me!" Paulette yelled. "I haven't done anything I didn't want to!"
Their advices were something Paulette didn't want to think about.
What if you have to? He lied to you too, what if ...
Stephanie dug her nails into her palms, I can't be friends with you, I can't trust you, I –
"So, by that, you wanted to lie to Stephanie about Johnny talking with you." Enid concluded, and Paulette flinched back; Enid continued before she could reply, turning her piercing gaze upon Johnny. "And what of you, Mr. Nogerelli? What's the excuse for your behavior? What is your reasoning for all the lies you told Stephanie? Did you feel she deserved it?"
"No! I just ... " Johnny looked over at Stephanie, who was staring determinedly in a different direction, arms folded. "Damnit, Zinone, look at me!" he barked, feeling recklessly desperate for a reason he couldn't explain.
Stephanie didn't answer, except of a tautening of her jawline, her eyes fixated on the table in front of her, and Edrie stated unsmilingly, "It's highly likely she doesn't want to look at or talk to you, Mr. Nogerelli. Or you, Paulette. And why should she have to? You both betrayed her for your own gains. She owes you nothing. I wouldn't be surprised if she's wondering just what happened to you, Mr. Nogerelli. Where did that boy go, that saved her life without intention and made her laugh like it meant a great deal to him?"
Her words were something Johnny didn't want to think about.
What if you have to?
"Rule one's been voted on, next." Stephanie commanded tightly, her voice cracking from trying not to scream, not wanting to hear any of Johnny's babbling excuses. "Rhonda, read rule two."
"'At no time is a Pink Lady to become romantically involved with a non-T-Bird member. Restriction is rescinded only after graduation or expulsion. A Pink Lady will not date a: jock, nerd, preppie, anybody non-cool, or member of a rival school or gang. T-Birds, not nerds'."
"Screw that. If I meet a guy before graduation, I'm not gonna let my jacket get in the way." Stephanie swore.
Michael bit at the inside of his his cheek – I'm here, Stephanie!
"Right, yeah ... your 'cool rider'." Johnny derided.
"Give it a rest, Johnny." Jett snapped, while Danny glared warningly at him; Johnny's attention landed briefly on Kenickie, who answered, "Don't look at me. They ain't the only ones thinkin' you been actin' like an idiot."
"Rule two gets tossed out – " Stephanie began.
"Why?" Goose demanded. "There ain't never been a problem before."
"This ain't before, Goose." Stephanie retorted.
"Personally, I feel that the second sentence of rule two is a good one to keep." Sharon piped up. "We could write, 'A Pink Lady will not date a: jock, nerd, preppie, anybody non-cool, or member of a rival school or gang'."
"She's got a point there. The T-Birds and Pink Ladies have been interconnected for so long, what affects one affects the other." Frenchy explained.
"You know what I think, Zinone, is you wanna fix these rules to benefit you." Johnny stated, his expression turning condescendingly smug. "Rhonda's with Goose, Sharon's got Louis, there's me and Paulette, it's just you by your lonesome."
Anything's better than you, you maggot-infested – Stephanie shook herself fiercely, forcing her attention to stay focused, the anger a red haze around the edges of her vision – I could make him lose teeth. "All those in favor of banishing the first sentence of rule two to the center of hell, raise your hands."
"You know Dante's Inferno?" Michael asked before he could stop himself, pleasantly surprised, and Stephanie blinked, staring at him. "Yes, I know, I probably read too much, but that's one of the great works of Italian literature."
All the food arrived at that moment, brought on by nine servers, Val included: seven serving trays carrying four plates each, one tray carrying four bowls of varying soups, with the last tray holding silverware, napkins, condiment packets, and three bottles each of ketchup and salad dressings. After the careful distributions and the many thank you's, the four original Ladies and Enid all fussed, making sure that each server was handed fifteen dollars.
After the waiters and waitresses had departed to back inside, Stephanie, while adding extra ketchup to her loaded hamburger, said, "Back to what to do about rule two. All those in favor of obliterating the first sentence from that code, raise your hands."
Every Pink Lady (with the exception of Paulette), as well as Delores, raised her hand. Michael and all of the past T-Birds lifted their hands, while Paulette arched her eyebrows coldly at her younger sister, who replied waspishly, "Don't give me crap, Paulette, what happens if I become a Lady and I meet someone who ain't a Bird? I don't feel like having my love life dictated to me by some double-standard bullshit!"
"You can't vote, you're not a Pink Lady." Paulette retorted.
"Ask me if I give a damn."
"Since Delores represents every potential future Lady, her vote counts, Paulette." Edrie declared, while Sharon was scribbling the amended code down – she'd re-do everything later on the Smith Corona. "Continue, Miss Zinone."
"Okay, so that's one, two ... " Stephanie began silently ticking the numbers off with her fingers. "Nineteen in favor of fixing rule two, against the five wanting to keep it as it. So that one's done. Rhonda, the next rule."
"This bullshit ain't nothin' but one-sided! You – "
"Only because you're making it that way, Mr. Nogerelli." Edrie reprimanded.
"There wasn't nothin' wrong with the rules!" Johnny shouted. "Zinone, if you're so damn bent on wreckin' everything that was doin' just fine, then get out!"
Stephanie bit her tongue hard to keep from screaming blue murder at him, glaring at the table in front of her, her nails digging into her palms.
"Let her alone, Mr. Nogerelli." Enid barked, loud and fierce.
"It's not down to you to decide, John, whether she stays or goes." Michael reminded him crisply. "And obviously things weren't going so well, if we're all here now."
"Only cos you had stick your Pinocchio nose where it don't belong! None of this woulda happened if you'd just stayed in the back with all the rest of the freaks! How do I know you didn't plan this, tryin' to get with Zinone?!"
Michael very nearly laughed, his expression cold. "You should really stop trying to cause unnecessary trouble, John. I'm not responsible for your choices or the consequences of them. And I certainly didn't ask for this jacket. That was Danny's decision, to protect the T-Bird legacy." He looked at Rhonda, asking, "Moving forward, miss?"
"Shut up, Johnny." Jett growled.
Rhonda nodded. "Rule three. 'The Pink Lady jacket symbolizes that the wearer is the girlfriend/consort of a T-Bird member. Upon leaving the Pink Ladies under duress – violation of any of the Rules, expulsion, illness, death, school transfer, or personal choice, the wearer must return the jacket to the T-Birds to avoid damaging said T-Birds' reputations. 'They got a rep to protect'. Rep is everything'."
"The only thing a Pink Lady jacket needs to symbolize is that the wearer is, in fact, a Pink Lady. Anything else is a moot point, including you four roughnecks believing that the Ladies are responsible for your reputations." Edrie stated flatly. "Next."
"Do you know what your reputation's gonna be, Carrington?" Johnny sneered coldly.
Michael only shrugged indifferently, refusing to take any bait. "It'll be the same as it's always been, I imagine. I'm not necessarily concerned about it." He looked at Stephanie, continuing, "Should we put this rule to a vote like the first two, even as that won't change the outcome?"
"Keeps shit fair, I suppose." Stephanie replied flippantly.
Hands went up, and once again, it was nineteen to five, and Stephanie finally allowed herself a sideways glance at Paulette, who was practically sitting in Johnny's lap.
It's really going this far with her ... if he says jump, Paulette, will you ask how high? Do you have a sense of yourself past him?
There was something almost sad about that thought.
"Rhonda, next rule?"
And so on and so forth, until the Pink Lady Codes, after a number of more loud protests (in which Stephanie still wouldn't look at or respond to Johnny or Paulette), counter-arguments, and plenty of joking around, were written as follows:
Rule 1: Obey the Pink Lady Pledge: Act cool, look cool, be cool. Til' death do us part, think Pink!
Rule 2: A Pink Lady will not date a: jock, nerd, preppie, anybody non-cool, or member of a rival school or gang.
Rule 3: The Pink Lady jacket symbolizes that the wearer is, in fact, a bad-ass. Upon leaving the Pink Ladies under duress (violation of rules 1 and 2, expulsion, illness, death, school transfer) or personal choice, wearer must return the jacket to either the Head Lady or the next in charge.
Rule 4: A Pink Lady must present herself in appropriate attire at school at all times during the school year – the Pink Lady jacket a must! Flashy, seductive attire is allowed only when appropriate, such as special social functions (Prom, other high school dances, and/or the Graduation Party).
Rule 5: A Pink Lady is to have a cigarette and matches/lighter on her at all times, for herself – ciggies equal `cool' – and her fellow Pink Ladies and T-Birds (and favored Rydell staff) who might wish to bum a smoke.
Rule 6: No Pink Lady is allowed to interfere with another Pink Lady to T-Bird/boyfriend relationship. The punishment for doing so is immediate expulsion from the Pink Lady sorority. Period.
Rule 7: If an unattached Pink Lady shows interest in a potential boyfriend, said potential boyfriend (T-Bird or otherwise) must be assessed by each of the Ladies, to determine his merit. The more bad-ass the potential boyfriend, the higher the chances of approval.
Rule 8. Contrary to popular belief, premarital 'coupling' isn't a requirement for being a Pink Lady.
Rule 9: If you're a non-romantic friend of the Pink Ladies, you're a friend for life. Friendship (non-fraternization) may include nerd/brainiac (really good for assistance with essays), and jock. NOT allowed: Gossip Girls or annoying cheerleaders.
It was going on 3:30 before they were finished, the lot of them leaving just in time to avoid the rain that was coming; Stephanie arrived home around four, when Rhonda dropped her off, and walked into the kitchen to see Jake and Siena-Rosa sitting at the table, with Jake gazing quite sternly at her.
"Stephanie, come sit down, you and I need to talk."