Author's Note: I don't own Grease nor Grease 2 or any of the characters. I only the plot to the story and a few characters which are my own.
Summary: Grease 2 Au. Michael Carrington and Stephanie Zinone grew up together. They went their separate ways after graduation. Michael to the Marine Corp and later Vietnam. Stephanie a recently divorced single mother of two.
Six years later in the summer of 1968. Michael returns to Rydell after being medically discharged from the Marine Corp struggling to adjust back to civilian life. Stephanie recently divorced single mother to two boys.
Chapter 5
Rydell California July 1968
It just after dawn when I pulled the old GMC pickup up near the Rydell Cemetery on the edge of town. I shut off the engine. I grabbed the unopened six pack sitting on the passenger side. I slammed the door behind me.
I followed the same path I had followed six years ago. I stopped when I found his headstone.
Beloved Son and Brother. Matthew William Thomas Carrington. 3rd July 1939 to 20th March 1962. Aged 22. Forever in Our Hearts. The headstone read.
"It's been while Matt. It's hard to believe it's been six years since you've been gone. Last time I was here was when I told you I was going to Basic Training for the Marines.
I don't suppose anybody else had been to see you. Mom and Dad haven't changed all that much in the last six years. Ellie and Sam have grown up a lot these past six years. Me well I'm doing ok." I said cracking the top of a beer and sitting next to the headstone.
"Happy Birthday Big Brother" I said raising my half empty beer in a toast to his headstone. Today would have been his twenty ninth birthday.
I sat for another half and hour at my brother's grave talking and sharing a beer with him. Though he wasn't here in a physical sense. Matthew was most likely here in a spiritual sense. I drank the last of my beer and got to my feet.
I grabbed what was left of the six pack and headed back towards my truck. I glanced at my watch as I limped over to the truck. I placed the opened six-pack on the passenger seat.
It was just after five thirty when I pulled up at Jakes. I slammed the driver's side door before limping over to the office.
Ten minutes later Mr Zinone gave us the lay out about who was doing what. Jesse and I avoid each other like the plague. There hadn't been anymore run ins between the two of us since last week.
Davey and I where working on an old Buick which had almost defiantly seen better days. Davey sat behind the wheel of the Buick trying to get it to start.
"Try it again" I said from under the hood as I put the new air filter in place. Davey tried to crank the engine over.
"Well. It's not the starter. We've put a battery, filters and oil." I commented as Davey got out of the driver's seat.
"Spark plugs" Davey suggested.
"Probably. Seeing as the battery new and the oil and filters have been changed." I agreed heading/limping over to the toolbox putting a couple of wrenches back.
I grabbed a ratchet drive wrench and extension bar from the tool. I grabbed a few sockets to use. Just as I turned around to limp back over to Buick. I caught Jesse glaring me from under the hood of the Ford Mustang Fastback he was working on with Greg.
I just ignored him and limped back over to the Buick. Davey was standing over next to the DeSoto Josh was working on.
An hour later I finished replacing the spark plugs in the Buick. I looked up at the sound of a wrench being thrown.
"Stupid fucking thing" Josh swore after throwing the wrench. Josh had been in a mood for the past few days. He had been snarky and snapping at everybody.
"What that wrench do to you Zinone" Jesse pipped up from the under the hood of the Dodge he was working on.
"I didn't ask you for opinion Wilkinson" Josh snapped at Jesse turning attention back to the DeSoto he was still working on.
"Struck a nerve did we" Jesse taunted.
"Jesse come one man. Leave Josh alone will yeah" Greg spoke up from under the Oldsmobile he was working on.
"Leave it Greg. I think Jesse all talk and no action. You're real good at shooting your mouth off" Josh snarled in Jesse's direction.
"What you think I'm scared of you Zinone." Jesse snarled back at him. I glanced over at the side door to the office as it opened and Mr Zinone stepped out.
"That's enough you two. If you boys want to do ten rounds with each other do it in your own time." Mr Zinone said stepping in between Josh and Jesse." This is the second time in almost a week I've had to break up a fight between you guys. Now who started this time" Mr Zinone asked.
"Josh did" Jesse said.
"That's bullshit. Jesse just doesn't know when to keeps his mouth shut" Davey spoke up in Josh defence.
"Michael, Greg. Was Jesse that one who started it" Mr Zinone asked both me and Greg.
"That was the way of it" I said leaning back against the engine bay of the Buick.
"Greg" Mr Zinone promoted.
"Yeah. Jesse was the one who insinuated the situation." Greg said agreeing with me.
"Jesse. This is your first warning. Anymore trouble and you can pack your shit. Understood" Mr Zinone said before heading back inside the office.
"Thanks for backing me up Greg" Jesse snarled at Greg.
"Back you up for what Jesse. You where the one insinuating the situation with Josh." Greg pointed up. Most likely feed up with Jesse and his bullshit.
"Some fucking friend you are" Jesse snapped at Greg. I limped to the driver's seat of the Buick.
"I am your friend Jesse. You where the one in the wrong" Greg tried to point out. I cranked the engine over on the Buick. It coughed and spluttered to life with a large cloud of black smoke back firing from the exhaust.
"Whatever" Jesse said before walking off or more to the point storming off.
It was just after six thirty when I got home from work. A somewhat familiar Buick was parked out the front of the house with another car. I cut the engine and locked up the old GMC pickup.
I could hear voice coming from inside the house as I headed towards the back door. Jax barked from his pen behind the garage when I came into his line of sight.
Edith Anderson looked up from where was talking with Lillian Carrington as the back door opened. A man of twenty four stepped/limped through the door in oil and grease stained clothing. He stood about six foot or maybe a little taller than that.
"Shower" Lillian said to the man and pointing towards the stairs.
"I was heading that way anyway Mom" He said before walking or rather limping towards the dinning room.
Twenty minutes later I limped back down the stairs having showered and changed for dinner. Just as I made it to the bottom step of the stairs the front door opened. Ellie and her boyfriend David walked in through the doorway from the front porch.
"Dinner going to be interesting then." Ellie commented to David not noticing I was standing at the foot of the stair case.
"How'd you mean Ellie" David asked slightly confused by what Ellie meant by that remark.
"Since Michael got back. Dinner has been more tension filled than normal. So I'm just giving you a heads up if fist start flying at the dinner table." Ellie replied.
"So your dad and Michael don't get on." David asked.
"Don't get on would be an understatement. The last time we had people over for dinner. Michael nearly throttled our Father." Ellie explained more in detail.
"That's putting it nicely Ellie. You mean I nearly leap across the table and socked him one" I spoke up from where I stood at the foot of the stairs. Ellie's head whipped around at the sound of my voice.
"Jesus Christ Michael. Don't sneak up on us like that." Ellie said glaring at me slightly.
"I didn't sneak up on you two. I was standing here at the foot of the stairs when you came in from the front porch" I pointed out to Ellie.
"Mom said to tell you that dinners ready" Sam said interrupting our conversation from going any further.
"Ok Sam we're coming" I said answering him. I limped after Sam heading towards the dinning room with Ellie and David in tow.
Dinner seemed to be filled was the same choking tension as it had been pretty much ever night since I had come home. It seemed my father had better things to do then to belittle and try to pick a fight with me tonight.
It had been Mom who had introduced me to David's parents. Norman and Edith Anderson. My father was to busy big noting himself to David's father Norman to be bothered it seemed. Norman asked me about my time in Marines and unfortunately about Vietnam. Norman had served with the Marines during the War it turned out.
Sam and I had been volunteered to clean up after dinner. While our parents, Ellie, David and David's parents went into the living room.
"You haven't forget that it's Matt's birthday today" I asked Sam as I handed a plate to him to dry.
"No. Mom and I went to the cemetery today to see him. I don't know what Ellie or Dad did. Did you go and see him" Sam answered as he placed the dry plate on the bench.
"I went to see him this morning before I went to work" I said handing another plate to Sam dry.
Not much was said between us after that. Sam and I worked in relative silence doing the dishes from dinner. I grabbed the dried plates from the bench and put them back in the cardboard. Sam was putting bits and pieces away.
I pulled the plug from the sink before wiping down the bench. I glanced behind me where Sam was sitting at the kitchen table. He seemed to be lost in thought about something or someone. I dried my hands on on a tea towel.
"You ok there Sam." I asked limping over to the fridge to grab a beer.
"Yeah." Sam said as stared off into space again. Lost in thought again about something.
"Hey Mike." Sam asked about five minutes later.
"Yeah Sam." I replied taking a sip of my beer.
"How do you know if a…..girl like you" Sam mumbled under mostly under his breath.
"Ah that explains staring off into space then. So whose this girl" I asked slightly teasing him.
"Her names Anna Bradford. She moved down the street a couple of months ago." Sam explained looking down at the table while turning a few shades of pink.
"Ok. So how does this Anna act around you. Does she act any different with you then anyone else" I asked. Sam gave me look as if to say he didn't understand the question.
"What I mean is. Is she nervous or shy around you. Or smile at you a particular way" I tried to clarify for him.
"She plays with her hair and usually smiles at me." Sam explained.
"Well its safe to say little brother that Anna definitely like you. And I'm guessing from the deep shade of pink. You just turned that you like her to." I said as Sam blushed a deeper shade of pink.
"What are you two gossiping about in here" Ellie asked walking into the kitchen.
"Sam was just telling me about his girlfriend." I said taking another sip of my beer.
"Girlfriend. Oh that explains why he's blushing like he just found one of your Playboys. "Ellie said teasing. I nearly choked on my beer at that comment.
"She's not my girlfriend" Sam said blushing still. Maybe even more than before.
"Really. But from rating your blushing. I guess your really like this girl" Ellie stated sitting down at the table with me and Sam.
"She's not my girlfriend" Sam tried to explain again.
"Ok so she's not your girlfriend yet. Just don't make a complete utter fool of yourself like Michael did on his first ever date. What was her name. Big Brother. Elaine wasn't it." Ellie said.
"I was thirteen and how do you even remember her anyway. You where what six-seven." I replied before taking another sip of my beer.
"What are you three doing in here" Mom said cutting off Ellie before she could answer my question.
"Just talking Ma." I answered taking another sip of my beer. I grabbed the half empty packet of cigarette from my shirt pocket and lighter.
"No smoking in the house." Mom said chastising me once more. She had caught earlier in the week smoking in the house.
I pick up my half empty beer and stood up from the table. I headed towards the back door and porch. I flicked on the light switch for the back porch.
I sat down on the top step of the back porch. I glanced up at the mostly starless night sky. I took a cigarette from the half empty packet and lit up.
I had seen many a nights like these over in Vietnam. Wondering about those I had left behind when I had left for Basic Training. Hoping and mostly praying I made it home alive. It seemed the lucky ones where the ones that never came home.
They didn't have to live with the nightmares and the memories of that hell-hole that was Vietnam or was it the horrors of war. I don't know which it was. Both maybe. I didn't know.
I took a drag from my cigarette still glancing up the night sky. It had been a night like this almost a year ago. That still haunted me.
Chu Lai Vietnam. July 1967
My Squad was patrol tonight. A few fresh faced pup privates had arrived only a week ago to join the squad.
"You think your could whistle any louder Abbott" Corporal Tom Armstrong snipped at Lance Corporal Nathaniel 'Nate" Abbott who was whistling a little to loud for Armstrong liking.
"Oh fuck off Armstrong" Abbott snapped back at Armstrong his strong Texan accent coming through as he spoke.
"If you are quite down squabbling like a couple of school girls" Acting Sargent Blackwell pipped up from the back of the platoon.
"We not squabbling. What's it to you anyway Blackwell" Armstrong asked.
"Blackwell's only trying to get you two to shut up before you alert the entire Vietcong in the area Armstrong" I said speaking up. Abbott sniggered from where he was walking next to Private First Class Clayton
"What are you laughing about Abbott. Like your bloody whistling won't alert them that we're here" Armstrong snapped at Abbott.
"Oh did I strike a nerve Tommy Boy." Abbott said tauntingly to Armstrong.
"If you two don't quite down. I'll have you two cleaning out the all the shit-houses on base." I threatened to stop the squabbling going on between them.
Armstrong and Abbott seemed to shut up and stop squabbling like a couple of school girls. The rest of the squad was quite was we continued our night patrol.
Something seemed off to me. Maybe it was my soldiers six sense I had developed during my time here.
"Dawson, Espinosa. I want you two to scout ahead. Something doesn't feel right" I said.
"You got another one of your gut feelings Gunny" Lance Corporal Dawson asked he checked the magazine on his M16
"What do you think Dawson" Private First Class Espinosa said with a half smoked cigarette hanging from his lips.
"I was asking the Gunny not you Espinosa" Dawson snapped back at him.
"Whatever you say boy scout."Espinosa said taking drag from his half smoked cigarette.
"I don't remember asking your option" Dawson said while glaring at Espinosa.
"If you two are finished having a debate. And just do what I dame well fucking asked you two do" I asked or more like snapped at the pair having had enough of their bickering.
"Yes Sir" Both Dawson and Espinosa said at the same time. Before going ahead of the squad to scout if there where any Vietcong in the area.
The platoon continued on with the patrol in easterly direction. In the distance I heard the sound of thunder. It was only maybe five minutes later when it began to pour down with rain.
"Does it ever do anything in godforsaken hell-hole beside fucking rain."One of fresh pup Privates Swanson I believe his name was complained
"Do you ever do anything besides complaining Swanson." Clayton asked. Clayton was one of the less talkative guys in the platoon. He only really spoke when necessary
Swanson was cut off from saying anything. When the familiar sound of gunfire ahead of us caught my attention. It seemed Dawson and Espinosa had found some Vietcong up ahead.
The sound of the gunfire got louder the closer the platoon got to where Dawson and Espinosa where. We most have been getting close. I could faintly see muzzle flash from Dawson and Espinosa's M16s
"Armstrong, Abbott you take the left flank. Blackwell, Swanson and Clayton you take the right. Bennett, Davenport your with me. Evans, Fernandez and Kane your providing covering fire. MacDonald you and O'Connor you go with Evans, Fernandez and Kane" I said relaying orders of what everyone's job was to be.
Armstrong, Abbott took the left flank, Blackwell, Swanson and Clayton took the right. Myself, Bennett and Davenport brought up the rear. I heard the M60s of Kane and Fernandez open fire with MacDonald and Evans providing covering fire.
We fought our way to where Espinosa and Dawson taking cover from the Vietcong they had run across.
"Nice of you to join us Sarge" Dawson joked as he changed the magazine in his M16
I was about to reply when a deafening explosion erupted over the gunfire. I could still hear the M60s of Kane and Fernandez. So they hadn't been hit. I glanced to my right I could see three muzzle flashes so Blackwell, Swanson and Clayton hadn't been hit. Neither had Armstrong and Abbott.
"O'Connor's been hit. MacDonald how bad is he" I heard Evans yell over the gunfire.
"He's alive but barely. Swanson radio for a Duster." Petty Officer Second Class MacDonald yelled over in Swanson's direction.
The Vietcong we had run into while on Patrol retreated over the next few minutes. Taking their wounded and dead with them.
"Swanson. What's the ETA on the Duster." MacDonald asked our new radio man Swanson.
"No go. The visibility is to piss poor for them to send one out here" Swanson answered MacDonald.
"How bad is he MacDonald" I asked walking over. MacDonald just shook his head. Even if the Duster could get here and get O'Connor. He'd be dead before he got to the Mobile Field Hospital or Chu Lai for that matter.
"I anit going to make back am I Gunny" O' Connor asked looking up at me.
"You're going to be fine O'Connor" I lied trying to reassure him that he was going to be fine. When I knew that he was never going to make it out of this godforsaken jungle.
"Don't lie to me Gunny. I not going to make it back State Side am I. The only way I'm getting home is in a coffin isn't it." O'Connor said clearly seeing through my bullshit lie that he was going to be fine.
"The Gunny's right O'Connor. Your going to be fine" Kane said.
"If I don't make it back. Can you sends these letters to my folks and my girl" O'Connor said reaching into his breast pockets and pulled three letters out.
"I'll make sure these get to the right place O'Connor" I said taking the letters from his hand.
"Thanks Gunny" O'Connor said before he slipped away.
I took a long sip of my almost finished beer. I had seen a lot of soldiers killed or maimed by bullets, artillery, booby traps and land mine during my time in Nam. But that kids death seemed to shake me more then the rest.