"God, Brenda, no! That's not what was supposed to happen!" Shelley Simon threw her pillow across the room at her best friend and roommate. Brenda squeaked at the sudden impact of a pillow in her face and pushed it aside. "But, Shells-" Shelley waved a red-nailed finger in Brenda's face. "No! No buts, Bren! You were supposed to get over him, not under him!"
"Well, actually, I wasn't under him, Shelley. We were in his chair." Brenda said matter-of-factly. The red head sighed in exasperation. "You know what I mean. Bren, he's just gonna hurt you again. Nothing good can come of this." Brenda pouted her lips a little, crossing her arms over her chest self-consciously. "It just felt right, Shelley. You don't understand. Corny and I have a special connection."
Shelley rolled her gray eyes. "Brenda, you realize it's still not right for him to be with you. Nothing has changed." Brenda gave her a serious glare. "A lot has changed." Shelley lost her retort, because she knew what Brenda said was true. When Shelley's parents found out that she'd be dancing with a black man in the new line up, they panicked. They weren't ready for integration, so they pulled her off the show. Shelley hated not being in the elite council, and she had way too much free time on her hands. Brenda had moped for days once Clara had left, despite the fact that the Jones's were nice enough to call every other day and let her know what was going on. She had grown as a person, but in Corny's experienced hands, she was putty once again.
"I'm sorry," Shelley said. "You're right; a lot has changed. But not him, Bren. Guys like Corny will never change."
Corny's Saturday night date with Motormouth Maybelle Stubbs was certainly all he had expected; they talked about work, kids, anything you could think of. It was pleasant, and he was looking forward to another chance with her. He felt a true connection with her, something he wasn't sure he'd ever felt with anyone else. Except maybe Brenda, but as of right now, he wasn't sure where he stood with her. He walked into his dressing room the next day, finding his chair spun to face away from him. It was rocking gently, like someone was sitting there. He cleared his throat quietly, and the person in his chair spun around. It was Brenda, a small smile on her pretty face. "Hey, Corny."
"Well, hey there, Brenda. You realize breaking and entering is a crime, right?" He asked, a playful smirk on his face. She chuckled in her throat. "You know what else is a crime, Corny Collins?" She rose from his seat to put her arms around his neck. He smiled down at her as her red lips began to kiss the side of his neck. "I believe that would be this." He said, quickly turning her and pressing her up against the front of his desk. She giggled into the side of his neck. "Just like old times."
"You were right, y'know." He said, fingering the buttons on the front of her dark blue dress. She gave him a curious look. "I missed you." He said, and she leaned forward to kiss him. Brenda grabbed his tie, pulling him into the kiss even more, when a knock on the door could be heard. "Shit," Brenda heard Corny cuss under his breath as he quickly pulled away from her. She quickly began to pop her buttons back into place as Corny swiped the lipstick marks off the side of his neck. He poked his head through the opening in the door, and Brenda heard him say, "Hey there, Brad….No, I don't think she's here yet. Well, lemme know when you find her. We're on in twenty, and she can't be late." He slowly closed the door, and Brenda gave him a pleasantly surprised look. "Brad's looking for me?" Corny nodded, coming back over to her and wrapping his arms around her slim waist. He kissed her again, "He's really not the brightest guy, is he?"
"No, not really."
Tracy fixed her hair in her mirror, staring aimlessly into nothingness. It wasn't until she felt a kiss plant itself on her cheek that she beamed and turned around. "Hey, Link!" She said excitedly as her boyfriend hugged her. "Well, hey there, little lady. I've got some great news." Tracy turned to face him, an excited look on her face. "What is it, Link?"
"Corny's got talent agents out here today, and I'm getting my chance at a solo. This could be our big break, Trace!" Link said, and Tracy gave him a meaningful look. "You mean your big break, Link." He looked a little sadder, but then he kissed her again. "Na, Trace, you're the best dancer out there. They can't ignore you."
"That's because she takes up half the stage." Tammy walked by, checking her reflection in the mirror and causing giggles from her cronies. Link gave her an irritated look. "That black eye's lookin' good, Tammy." The small girl gave him a disgruntled look, checking in the mirror to make her that her makeup perfectly covered the souvenir Brenda left her from their recent brawl. She made a 'humph!' sound, storming off as quickly as she'd come in. Tracy laughed a little, and Link smiled in satisfaction.
"Make sure you dance your heart out today, Trace. We could really hit it big!"
Everyone was trying to be in the spotlight once word got around that talent agents would be watching. Corny found it humorous as he stood behind his podium, jamming away, and watched all the teens fight for attention, except for Brenda, who only fought for his attention. It was not a battle she lost.
Corny let his cast know that he'd get word from the agents in the next following day, and that no matter what happened they were all spectacular dancers and he was proud to have them on his show. Brenda and Tracy retreated back to their vanities, and Brenda was pleasantly surprised by the rose on her table with a note. Tracy raised an eyebrow, a smile on her face. "Is that from you-know-who?" They both turned to look at Corny, who was talking to Sketch and Link. He felt their glance on him, and he gave Brenda a small wink when he saw the flower in her hand.
Brenda turned back to Tracy. "When we were first sneaking around, he always left me presents. He gave me a necklace once, too, but Shelley took it from me in her attempt to make me move on." Brenda inhaled the scent of the flower. "He used to say I deserved better than what I got from other guys." Tracy made an amused noise, sitting down as Brenda did the same. "Sounds like love is in the air."
Brenda shook her head. "I don't think so. At least, not on his part." Tracy gave her a reassuring smile, putting her hand on Brenda's small shoulder. "You wanna come to dinner tonight? My mom's making roast again." Brenda giggled slightly, nodding her head slightly. "Yeah, sounds nice. Thanks."
The next day at the studio, Brenda watched with narrowed eyes as Corny Collins chatted with Maybelle, leaning a little closer than he probably should have been. She felt jealousy rise up in her stomach like morning sickness would, especially when Maybelle touched the side of his face lovingly. Brenda swallowed hard, Tracy walking up beside her. "I'm sorry, Brenda." She said quietly, sitting down in her chair with a pitying expression on her face. "Seaweed said he's been at their place all the time for the past few days."
"No, Tracy, I'm fine. Really. He can sleep with whoever he wants." Brenda stated the obvious. She watched the blonde woman walk away from him, and his head immediately turned in Brenda's direction. She bit her bottom lip, turning away from him to look in her mirror. Tracy watched the expression on his face change as he strode over to them. "Brenda, Tracy." He greeted them both, and Tracy took the memo to get up and walk away. "I have to go find Link." She said, smiling at Corny as she walked away nonchalantly, and Corny took her vacant seat. "Don't be mad, Bren."
"I'm not mad, Corny. You're allowed to have a life." She said quietly, and she felt his gaze leave her. She followed his blue eyes up to the picture of Clara on her mirror, and he gently took it in his fingers. "We made one gorgeous kid." He mumbled to himself, but Brenda caught it. "We did." Was all she could say. He gave her a small smile. "Can I keep this?" Brenda nodded a little, trying not to lock eyes with him. "Yeah, I have a few other ones at home. Go ahead."
Corny touched her shoulder gently, and their eyes snapped together. "You're special to me, Bren. You always will be. But you know we can't be together. It's better for everyone this way. I promise-" He began, but her absentminded chuckle made him stop. He gave her a serious look as she licked her lips and turned to him. "Don't even say those words to me, Corny. We all know you can't keep a promise."
He looked slightly hurt as he slid the picture of Clara into his breast pocket and rose from his seat. He walked away in silence, and Brenda watched him until he was out of sight.
A phone call from the Jones's pulled Brenda out of her miserable slump. Her eighteenth birthday fell around the same time as Christmas, and the Jones's thought she should come stay with them in Topeka during Christmas break, so she could share Clara's first holiday with them. Brenda immediately leapt at the offer, since the show was off the air for the holiday and she had nothing to hold her down. Shelley and Tracy urged her to go, saying that it was possibly a once in a lifetime offer.
However, a conflict had arisen between Tracy and Link. The agents that came to the set one afternoon had definitely noticed Link, and they told Corny that they could have big plans for him. However, those plans could require Link to leave the Corny Collins Show and go outside of Baltimore. Of course, Tracy was happy for him, but she really didn't want him to leave. But being the sweet, giving girl that she was, she told Link to go ahead with whatever his heart told him and that he deserved whatever success he got.
The day that Brenda got ready to leave town, Tracy was visibly upset; her good friend was leaving her for the holidays, and Link might be leaving her as well. Brenda promised to call her as soon as she got to Topeka, and Tracy couldn't help but smile. "Bring back pictures!" were her parting words, and Brenda gave her a long wave goodbye when she got on the bus.
It was a long trip to Kansas, but it was totally worth it, in Brenda's opinion. Jeremy and Jemima Jones were the sweetest (and possibly the wealthiest) people she'd ever met, and they were certainly the perfect parents. They could afford to dress Clara in the cutest clothes, and Jemima was always doting and playing with the baby girl. Brenda was welcomed with open arms into their home, and she spent the first afternoon just staring at her beautiful daughter. "I love you, sweetie, and so does your Daddy…even though he has a really funny way of showing it." Brenda kept assuring her little girl, to which Clara would blink her large, expressive eyes and gurgle.
Later in the afternoon, however, Brenda's attention was torn away from her daughter when the Jones's best friend and neighbor, Miss Charlotte, came over. She was a sweet woman, roughly thirty-seven years old with dark hair and dark brown eyes. She vaguely reminded Brenda of home, but she wasn't quite sure why. She brought them a Christmas basket of cookies and sweets, which Brenda immediately found herself snacking on. "Things are going to be getting crazy around my place tomorrow. My siblings are coming up for Christmas, kids and all. Of course, you're all welcome to come if you like. It'll be a full house anyways." Miss Charlotte said pleasantly, giving Brenda a motherly smile. "I bet you're excited, spending Christmas with your daughter."
Brenda nodded. "Yeah, I'm really glad I chose the Jones's for Clara. They're the nicest people I've met in a long time." Jemima and Jeremy beamed at her, the latter putting his arm around his pretty, blonde wife. Miss Charlotte said, "I haven't seen them happier since you let them have your child. That was a very kind thing of you to do." Brenda nodded, thinking back on the fact that she originally hadn't wanted to give the baby up. Corny had found them and talked to them, and he made sure they were everything Brenda would want them to be. It was all him, but she decided it was best not to bring him up.
Miss Charlotte proved to be correct, as Brenda watched numerous cars and people pull into her driveway. Jeremy had informed Brenda that, in the little time they'd known Miss Charlotte, they had learned that her family consisted of nine siblings total, and she was the oldest girl. Brenda practically cringed; it was bad enough having her little sister Beatrice, and she couldn't imagine having seven more of her. Jemima was putting a warm pink bonnet on Clara's little head as the birth mother watched in curiosity. It was amazing how natural motherhood seemed to come to Jemima; she was perfectly gentle and sweet, and Brenda wasn't sure she'd be able to handle anything half as well as Jemima did. They were getting ready to go over to Miss Charlotte's and meet all of her family, and Brenda was actually beginning to feel like she truly belonged in the Jones household.
They'd bought her new Christmas clothes that she decided to wear that day; a dark red dress with a white parka and matching white shoes really made her light eyes pop, and her hair was hanging down in tight, hair sprayed curls. She applied her ruby red lipstick, and she felt like she was picture perfect when Jemima set Clara in her arms. "She really looks just like you, sweetie." Jemima said, smiling at Brenda and her baby. Jeremy poked his head in the door, letting them know that it was time to head over.
It was a good thing that Miss Charlotte had a large house, because it was packed full of people. An assorted amount of kids, some older and younger than her, all around the mingling adults, and Brenda was shocked and amazed that one family could be so incredibly large. It was easy to tell who the siblings were, since they all had somewhat similar features. Brenda found herself sitting on the couch with Clara, watching everyone bustle about and trying to keep her young daughter from being overwhelmed. She was busy glancing around Miss Charlotte's beautiful home when she felt someone sit down on the couch beside her. Brenda averted her blue eyes to see who it was, surprised by a handsome young man who strangely reminded her of Link Larkin. He looked about eighteen or so, and he held out his hand to her. "I'm Robbie. I don't think I know you. You're not some long-lost cousin or something are you?" He asked, his voice smooth and handsome. Brenda couldn't help but smile, using her free arm to shake his hand. "No, I'm not related to you. My name's Brenda. I'm staying with the neighbors." She said sweetly, and Robbie smiled down at Clara in her arms. "Is she yours?" he asked, and Brenda nodded. "Of course she is," He said, looking back up at her. "She's too pretty not to be."
Brenda raised an eyebrow. This guy could easily pass for a younger version of Corny Collins, and it was almost eerie. But at the same time, she was flattered by his comment, and she couldn't hold back a blush. "Thanks, but I have a boyfriend back home." She said easily, knowing that if she was still the old Brenda that a little fact like Brad wouldn't stop her. Robbie's smile faded slightly, and she heard a chuckle behind her. "And Robert is denied. Sorry, kid, but your dad got passed over in the charm department, so there's not much to inherit there."
Brenda's lips parted in shock as her ears heard the voice. She thought she was hearing things, but when she turned to see who was leaning over the side of the couch, she found herself looking right into those unignorable blue eyes. "Corny?!" She said in shock, and a surprised expression crossed his face. "B-Brenda? Jesus, Bren! What're you-?" But he stopped when he looked down and saw the bundle in her arms. Robbie, apparently a little weirded out by the entire situation, got up and walked away in silence. Corny jumped over the side of the couch and took Robbie's seat, sitting beside his favorite councilette and his child. "You're staying with the Jones's." He immediately understood why she happened to be in Topeka, unable to take his eyes off Clara, who was looking at him as well. Brenda nodded, finally comprehending that he didn't realize that the neighbors were, in fact, their Jones's. "That's why Miss Charlotte seemed familiar! She's your sister! I remember you telling me you had eight siblings." They were silent as Corny reached down and gently swished a wisp of dark hair out of Clara's face. Brenda spoke again. "This is weird."
"You're tellin' me." Corny finally spoke. He looked up and Brenda hopefully. "Can I hold her?" Brenda smiled a little, nodding slightly as she handed the bundle of pink blanket off to him. She'd never seen a more genuine smile on his face when he held Clara in his arms. They both sat in silence, and it had been the most comfortable Brenda had felt in a while. It used to be her dream that she and Corny could live happily ever after with little Clara, snuggling on the couch and fawning over her, and this was the closest she'd ever gotten to that. She leaned against him ever so slightly, but he couldn't look away from Clara. "Hey, there, sweetheart. Aren't you a gorgeous little doll." He said quietly to her, and Brenda made a happy noise from the back of her throat.
"So, I see you've met my baby brother." Charlotte walked over to them on the couch, and Brenda quickly sat up. Corny played it casual for his older sister. "Actually, Char, I already know her. Brenda here's a dancer on my show." Charlotte raised an amused eyebrow. "Well, it really is a small world then. So I take it you already know that the Jones's have brought her in for the holidays to spend some quality time with her little girl?" Corny glanced over at Brenda. "Well, I do now." Jeremy and Jemima came walking over, arm in arm. They smiled at Corny, then turned to Charlotte. "Is this the little brother you were telling us about?" asked Jeremy, and Brenda suddenly had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach as Corny allowed Jemima to take the baby. Charlotte nodded, "Yes, this is my brother, Cornwallis Collins. Maybe you've heard of him? He's got a big TV show in Baltimore."
The Jones's exchanged glances, not noticing Brenda's suddenly panicked expression. "Cornwallis Collins?" repeated Jemima, looking down at Clara. "We talked to you on the phone before. You're Clara's father, aren't you?" Brenda looked over at Corny, who bit his lip hard as he avoided his older sister's glare. Apparently, his family wasn't particularly in the know about his personal life. Charlotte looked vaguely outraged. "What?"
Corny put on a nervous grin. "Y'know, Char, you were always my favorite sister."
Charlotte pulled her youngest brother and his teenaged fling into her bedroom, the Jones's following in suit. Corny sat down on the side of the bed, lowering his head to avoid his sister's gaze. She was mimicking the gaze their deceased mother used to wear whenever Corny did something wrong, and it still intimidated him to this day. Brenda was a little worried as well, but her fear dissipated when she found herself facing a wall full of pictures of the Collins siblings. A small smile crossed her face as she stepped closer, hearing Charlotte go off on a rampage. "Let's have a little math lesson, Cornwallis. How old are you?"
Corny swallowed hard, "I'm t-twenty-six." Brenda found herself staring into the ten year old face of Corny and another one of his brothers. He had a large smile and scrawny arms, but his face was unmistakable. Charlotte continued. "And how old is this little girl?" She pointed at Brenda, whose back was turned to them as she smiled at Charlotte's picture collection. Corny put on a nervous smile, running a hand over his perfect hair. "Um…she's…seventeen." Charlotte tapped her black heel clad foot on the floor in an annoyed manner. "And what does that equal, Cornwallis?"
"Um...po-potential jail time." He said nervously, and Charlotte nodded, smacking him upside the head. Brenda's small gasp caused all heads to turn in her direction. She was holding a picture frame in her hands, smile at a picture of a sixteen year old Corny. "You really did look like Link Larkin." She said placing the picture back on the spot where it sat as everyone watched her oddly. "Young lady," Charlotte addressed her, "This is serious."
Brenda shrugged. "I've heard it all before. Lemme explain: One day, on the set of the show, my boyfriend broke up with me because he thought I fooled around with some other guy. I was upset, and Corny was nice enough to comfort me. Of course, being me, I took it the wrong way and I pursued him. We fooled around a little bit, and one day I realized that I was pregnant. He was a sweetheart about it, after a little while at least, and now everything's fine." Brenda shrugged her shoulders, surprising everyone with her bluntness. Charlotte raised a skeptical eyebrow. "And what do your parents think of all this, Brenda?"
"Oh, they kicked me out when I told them I was pregnant." She said, causing Corny to bite his lip in regret. "They said there wasn't any room for a whore in the Bennett family, since I told them I didn't know who the father was. I live with my best friend, Shelley." Charlotte let out a low breath, and Clara began to whimper. Jemima and Jeremy took her out of the room to feed her, leaving the two siblings and Brenda by themselves. Charlotte's hands were on her hips. "Why didn't you tell them who the father was?"
Brenda looked over at Corny, sitting down beside him on the bed. "I didn't want him to get in trouble. I…" she trailed off, looking back up at Charlotte. Corny already knew why she hadn't told: She was in love with him, and she hated to admit it. "Never mind." She said quietly. Charlotte glanced between them, shaking her head gently. "Jesus, Cornwallis, if Mom and Dad were alive, God rest their souls…" Corny shook his head. "I know, Char, I know. But look, me and Bren, we've tried to fix our mistakes. Doesn't that count for something?"
Charlotte gave her youngest brother a look. "I suppose it does. But the mistake shouldn't have been made to begin with. I don't wanna have to go out to Baltimore some day and bail you out of jail, Corny, I really don't." He smiled evenly, standing up and putting his arms around his older sister. She hugged him back as he said, "It's a well-kept secret, don't worry."
Brenda was sitting on the loveseat in the sitting room, getting away from most of the hustle and bustle. The Jones's had gone home for Clara's nap, but Charlotte allowed Brenda to stay if she liked. So the young brunette found herself sipping a chocolate shake that Charlotte had made her as an apology, trying to imagine Corny as the little kid she'd seen in the pictures.
"So here's where you ran off to." She heard Corny as he leaned in the doorway. Brenda smiled coyly at him, and he came to sit beside her. "Well, that was exciting." He said to her, and she giggled a little. "I like your sister. She seems well in control." Corny nodded. "Yeah, well, she's the oldest daughter. She's more like a mom now that Ma's passed on." Brenda nodded in understanding, looking down at the chocolate dessert. "You want some?" She offered, and he nodded politely. Brenda smirked a bit, dipping her index finger into the treat and holding it out to him. Corny gave her an intrigued look, and she giggled. "You better get it before it drips and stains your shoes." She warned him, and he reached out and took her finger into his mouth. She made a satisfied sound as he cleaned her finger with his tongue, and he smiled when she removed her appendage.
"You're a very bad girl, Brenda." He said teasingly, and she chuckled a little, her cheeks flushing. "And you love every minute of it, Corny Collins." He smiled warmly at her, leaning forward to give her the gentlest kiss she'd ever experienced. He pulled away just in time to see the innocent hope in her eyes, and just in time for him to catch her pushing it back into her mind.
"Yes, actually, I really do."
End of Part Two