I do not own Dirty Dancing.

Chapter Eight

POV Penny

Baby's Playpen

"So, Baby, what do you want?" Neil's voice came from the kitchen aisle, striding down towards me. This Baby, whoever she was, was no doubt his latest unwilling conquest. Even though I sit crying in the kitchens because of my own miserable situation, I feel pity for her. Neil flirting with you was not an enviable situation. When I first came here, I had been the object of his affections, and had endlessly tried to get rid of him. That was until he realized multiple things about me; that Johnny and I had briefly been a couple; that I had grown up in the same town as him, and still considered him to be my best friend; and that no amount of flirting would turn me into the meek, yet classy girl he wanted.

"You can have anything you want," He enticed her, "Brownie, some milk, left over rice pudding..." Desperately, I try to stifle my sobs before one of them heard me, but it is too late. Baby, who I now know to be the Houseman girl, watches me from behind Neil's shoulder as he continued to ramble on.

I shudder. She could is easily tell him, and just like that, I would be fired. Please, I think, Please, don't say anything.

"Beets, left over Cabbage roll, fruit salad. Sweet Gherkins?" Neil continued, glancing over his shoulder at Baby, oblivious to what she had just been watching.

She looked up at him, and a sensation of relief washed over me as she spoke, "Oh, Neil, look. I'm sorry, I'd better go check on Lisa," At least she wasn't as bad as the other guests, who would've turned me in in a heartbeat. Baby was kind enough, it seemed, to get Neil out of there so I didn't get in trouble, and could have the room to myself to cry at this pity party.

"Yeah?" He asked skeptically.

"Yeah," She answered, leading him out of the kitchen and away from me, while I started to weep again. Maybe, this time, it was from relief.

There were footsteps. Sharp, purposeful footfalls clicking harshly and swiftly against the kitchen tiles. I didn't even bother to hide my sobs this time. Why should I? I'd never be able to come up with that kind of money on such short notice. Let Neil fire me.

But then I was in Johnny's arms, and everything else melted away. He understood. "It's okay. It's okay," He assured me, though it was anything but, "Johnny's here. Johnny's here. It's okay, it's okay. I'm never gonna let anything happen to you," Another wail left my mouth when I heard him say, "We've gotta go," Obediently, I wrap my arms around him, feeling his own pulling me tighter, and lifting me up and away, "Just hold on. Just hold on. Good girl. Good girl,"

"What do you think you're doing?" Johnny scolded me, wrapping his white jacket around my shoulders, "You're in trouble, you talk to me, I'll take care of it," Billy, who had just re-entered after his search for blankets and alcohol, walked over and passed Johnny the blanket. Billy sat down and poured the drinks, while Johnny piled the cloth around me. "You should've come to me in the first place," He insisted.

"Forget it, Johnny, I'm not taking what's left of your salary," I protest to my friend. He already gave me most of it, be it for wardrobe additions for our performances, or for buying records, or to get a new table after one broke, or things like that.

"Penny, that's my business," Johnny argued, but I stop him.

"And besides," I said softly, trying to calm his anger, anger at everyone. At Robbie, and Neil, and Max, and his Father. Even at me. "It wouldn't be enough," It would never be enough. It would take more than a month to make that kind of money, and we didn't have that kind of time. I wasn't going to drag Johnny down with me. Billy handed me a glass of the booze. Dryly, I remember that you weren't supposed to drink when you were pregnant. Not like it mattered, anyway. "Oh, God, it's hopeless," I wail.

"Don't say that," A small voice said from across the room. It was the Houseman girl, who'd found me. With a little bit of probing, I remember Neil and her Sister calling her Baby. Life did have a sick sense of irony, didn't it? "There's got to be a way to work it out,"

"Baby?" I question, "Is that your name? Well, you know what, Baby? You don't know shit about my problems,"

In my peripheral vision, I see Johnny down the rest of his liquor, while Billy said, "I told her,"

He what? How could he? Billy knew as well as any of us did that someone like her finding out about this would mean we'd all be fired. "Jesus, Billy!" I exclaimed, "Now she's going to run and tell her little management boyfriend, and we all get fired! Why not sky write it? 'Penny got knocked up by Robbie the creep!'"

"Robbie?!" Baby gasped.

In a flash, Johnny is up and ready to defend me, "Look-"

But then it is Billy, standing up from the couch and tripping over his own feet to get to her, "No, Baby! Baby," Billy stopped in front of her, and she looked over to him for an explanation, "One of the Counselors knows a Doctor. A real MD, just traveling to Newpulse for one day next week. We can get her an appointment, but it costs $250,"

"But if it's Robbie, there's no problem," She started, "I know he has the money. I'm sure, if you tell him-"

"He knows,"

Baby was silent. Because how could anyone possibly be that cruel? It was a question I asked myself nearly every day. Without thought, a half sigh, half laugh came from my mouth. This naive little girl had no business with us, among cruel doings she didn't understand, "Go back to your playpen, Baby,"

Billy gave her a look that just said she should probably go, and without another word, she left.