Moonlight and Roses

Chapter One: Rizzo's Point of View

"I'm just saying it's ironic, that's all," Frenchie persisted, all wide eyes and innocence.

"You still beating that dead horse, French?" I snapped, leafing through the dresses on the rack as if they were pages in a particularly boring book. At least, I was trying to be that casual about it. I was trying to act like I belonged here. The sight of so much snow white satin was making me a little jumpy, but I had to stick it out.

The sales girl had already come by twice, asking us, "Is there anything I could help you young ladies with?" and "Are you sure you're in the right store?" It really burned my biscuits. Who was she to assume the Pink Ladies didn't belong in a bridal shop? I'd show her. I'd be the classiest damn bride she'd ever have in her little corner store. Betty Rizzo never backed down from a challenge.

"I'm just saying," Frenchie squeaked. "You and Kenickie are getting married, and Danny and Sandy are getting kicked out of every respectable joint in town for making out in bathroom stalls." She spread her hands out helplessly. "It's like bizarre world here!"

I was about to say something really impressive and crushing--something rude at least--but Sandy beat me to the punch.

"You're exaggerating, Frenchie. It was only that one time," she shrugged, crushing an imaginary cigarette under her toe. It was the first time since her pre-graduation transformation that any of us had seen Sandy without an actual cigarette. It was almost like she had become addicted to those things. "I told Danny that that was the woman's bathroom. I told him he couldn't follow me in there. I told him we were going to get caught. He is just so incorrigible sometimes."

That's Sandy for you. Still managing to sound prissy and innocent even when dolled up as and acting the part of the greaser's fast and loose dream girl.

"I did everything I could to stop him," Sandy added, fluffing her hair.

"Sure ya did," I teased her.

"I did," Sandy screeched defensively. That high-pitched, honor defending squeal was the one habit she couldn't kick. Any question of just how pure little Miss Too Pure To Be Pink still was met with a test of the emergency broadcast system. The kid still cared a little too much what people thought. "What was I supposed to do, make a scene and storm out of there? That was the old Sandy."

"Hey, what did the old Sandy do with her wardrobe anyway? I could use a Halloween costume." Jan asked, not unkindly, as she tried on veils. You would think she was the one getting married by the amount of bridal paraphernalia that managed to find its way onto that girl.

"Jan, we're not teenagers anymore." Marty sighed as she fingered a frilly dress that she would never be able to convince me to try on. "Only children dress up for Halloween."

"If you must know," Jan said with an air of disdain. "I'm taking my baby sister around the neighborhood for my mom."

"Sounds like more of a trick than a treat to me," I quipped, selecting a dress that wasn't too horrible from the rack.

"You can't wear that!" Sandy said, in a shock tone reminiscent to her early days at Rydell.

"Why not?" I challenged.

"It's white," Sandy explained.

I looked Sandy over: red heels, leather pants, teased hair, and scandalized expression. She was one strange walking contradiction.

"Well, I don't think they have any pink dresses," I answered, keeping the animosity to a minimum.

"I'm sorry, Riz." The apology only ever took five seconds, but damage done by the comments kept accumulating.

I opened my mouth to tell her that it was alright, that I don't offend that easily, but something else came out instead. "What kind of dress are you going to be wearing for your wedding, Suzie Q.? White with beige trim? You ain't exactly an angel yourself any more from what I hear." I guess I just can't help but push people's buttons.

Sandy turned beet red. "True, I've let Danny take some more liberties than I probably should have, but we haven't done anything wrong. Nothing near what you and..."

That was it. Time to stop the kid before she made a big mistake. "Be cool, Sandy. I was only joking around. I have no doubts you're still as pure as the driven snow for the most part," I said placating. I didn't want to have to fight Sandy right now. What can I say, I was going soft in my old age. I couldn't resist giving her one last condescending look though and adding contemptuously. "No doubt at all."

"Can I help you with anything?" the sales girl broke in, her voice really suggesting, "Can throw you out into the gutter with the rest of the trash?"

"No, as a matter of fact, we were just leaving, weren't we girls?" I said haughtily.

"Yes, there's nothing here that's up to our standards ," Marty added convincingly. A little too convincingly. If she and Frenchie tried to force me into something with a train I was going to have to kick their asses.

I turned on my heel and sashayed out of the bridal shop, trusting my friends to follow me. I could hear the sales girl's relieved sigh from out on the street.