"Link it's not that bad, so will you just come out" said Tracy patiently. Link was hiding in one of the Corny Collins show's dressing rooms with the door firmly shut.

"Please for me" she said sweetly.

Link reluctantly opened the door and poked his head out. Just at that moment Penny went skipping by. She stopped suddenly and gasped loudly.

"Oh my gosh Link! What happened your face its all purple!" she said genuinely surprised.

"Penny!" snapped Tracy and Link was about to close the door again when Tracy slipped her foot in between it so he couldn't shut it. She pushed the door open and pulled Link out. He reluctantly walked out and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Link if it was that bad I'd have probably ran a mile now, screaming help but yet I'm still standing here."

Link smiled at Tracy's attempt to cheer him up.

He felt really self conscious but Tracy held his hand and they walked back out to everyone else. Everyone was staring at him but Tracy pulled him forwards to Seaweed and Little Inez.

"You see that wasn't that bad." she whispered but she had spoken too soon.

Amber came gallivanting over to them and ran up to Link and hugged him. Link squirmed but she had a tight grip around him.

"Oh my darling Link what on earth did she do to you?" she said sickeningly sweet.

"Amber will you get off me, it obviously wasn't Tracy so will you just go away" he said and pushed her away. The only person he wanted to hold him was Tracy. Amber scowled at him for being rejected. He knew she wasn't used to it but she was just getting to the height of annoyance now. She wiped herself down like Link was dirty or something just to get on his nerve but he ignored her petty attempt to annoy him. She stood there glaring at Tracy like she was about to hit her so Link moved in closer to Tracy protecting her.

"Oh right, Linkie was it your father?" She whispered menacingly just so Tracy could hear her, knowing too well that he hadn't told her about him yet. Amber took a step back cautiously and grinned she knew she had hit him in a soft spot. Her eyes had filled up with malice and she slid her hand up and down his arm. He could see from the corner of his eye Tracy was starting to get bothered.

"Amber I told you to go away!" he growled, completely furious at her. She always had to destroy everything. Amber stomped off but he knew she had got so much satisfaction from saying that. She was cold hearted and she liked to see him in pain. He couldn't face Tracy. He knew what her expression on her face would be and those eyes, he didn't want to think about it. He'd rather have told her at a better time, he didn't want her to find out this way and it was ruining all his plans.

"Link, what did she mean when she said was it your father?" she said innocently.

"Look Trace it doesn't matter right now okay!" he snapped at her. He felt a huge pile of guilt fall on top of him, he'd been so angry with Amber and he really didn't want to get into things right at that moment but it still didn't justify snapping at Tracy like that. She was staring down at her feet and was about to walk off when he caught her arm.

"Look babe I'm sorry for snapping at you, it's just I don't want to get into things right now" He glanced down at her face she looked, disappointed. He felt like a complete and utter jerk.

"It's okay" she said quietly but he knew it certainly wasn't okay, right he had to do it now because there certainly wasn't going to be a better moment later on if he just left things the way they are.

"Hey Trace," he whispered into her ear, "follow me."

Tracy looked up at him suspiciously not having an idea what was going on.

"Why?" but he didn't reply to her and just guided her down to an empty part of the studio.

"Link what's going on?" she said confused.

Then once no one else was insight, then he pulled his class ring out of his pocket and slipped it delicately onto Tracy's finger.

"Will you be my girl?" he asked sweetly, praying she would say yes.

"Oh Link!" she said happily and she hugged him. "Of course!"

Link kissed her neck gently and then it led up to her mouth and they kissed passionately. He was starting to get lost in the moment when they heard someone cough loudly, Tracy bounced back in surprise. Standing in front of them was a tall, heavy man. His brow was furrowed and he had a scowl on his face. He was very strong looking.

"Emm … hi I'm Tracy" she said quite friendly and held out her hand to shake but he stared at it like it was filth or something. How dare he treat her like that! She was only trying to be polite. Link felt the anger rising in him.

"Who are you" Link said with a sharp tone to his voice.

"Well young man I'd think you should be a little more polite to your new station manger.

Link's jaw fell open and he felt his heart sink right to the ground. Why did they always end up with jerks as their station managers.

He smirked when he saw the look on their faces. "I'm Mr. Cannon and I think you two should be practicing your dancing instead of smooching down here." He said cheekily and then cockily laughed at his own sarcastic remark.

"Hopefully the next time we meet your tongues won't be down each others throat" he said and started to laugh again.

He was about to walk off when he added his last comment "Oh and you boy what's your name?"

"Link Larkin" he said glaring at him.

"Well I don't think you should be on camera today because you would set a bad example to our younger audience" he smirked and then walked off. Tracy and Link stood silently watching Mr. Cannon walk off, just what they needed another nasty station manger.

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Link was sitting in the chairs which had been used in the miss hairspray pageant watching the show. He could see Tracy was really not enjoying herself and she had that fake smile plastered over her face, it wasn't that usual one that made him light up inside when he saw it. First of all Mr. Cannon hadn't let Link dance because of his black eye and from the sideline Link could see something wasn't right.

Mr Cannon had split up the dancers into two groups white and black. Link was furious when he saw Lil' Inez be pushed away by one of the white girls.

It wasn't fair she was one of the best dancers by far and yet she had been shoved out of the limelight. The black kids were fighting to be seen as the cameras had focused on the white kids. Also Tracy was stuck at the back of everyone she was just part of the crowd not even being recognised for her amazing dancing. Though of course stuck at the front was Amber, Tammy and Brad. This wasn't what the Corny Collin's Show should be about; it should be about equality, not about different colours of skin or what size people are. Mr. Cannon's excuse was that they had to "ease" the public into the whole idea of integration but Link knew he was just as racist as Mrs Von Tussle was. He noticed Maybelle was standing watching all of this and she was taping her foot impatiently. The show ended and Tracy walked instantly over to Link. She sat down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. He stroked her hair gently it was so soft. He kissed her head gently,

"Do you want to go babe?"

"Yeah, that would be great" she said catching her breath back.

The two of them walked out leaving the Corny Collin's Show behind them for another day, though for once in Links life he wasn't entirely looking forward in coming back.

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Hey everyone thanks for all the reviews, I'm going to start on chap. 4 this weekend so hopefully will have it up soon. Thanks for all the reviews they are really motivating me. I know this wasn't my best chapter but I'll try and get a bit more drama in

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