Hairspray – Maybe you should?

Disclaimer – I do not own Hairspray or any of its character except for my own Dotty.

Chapter 5

Walking into Corny's Apartment was different to what Dotty had imagined on the way over. She expected it to be slightly messy, things to be lying everywhere, the typical bachelor's apartment. However, it was nothing like that. It was neat but not overly so, had a homely feel to it and looked lived in even though there was only him living there. Dotty didn't know whether Corny had a significant other or not but from looking around his apartment, if he did, it didn't show in his home.

Corny was holding her bag still so she turned to take it off him, only for him to pull it out of her reach and motion her to sit. She had to admit, her head did hurt still and she hadn't had time to take any pain killers but she wasn't a big fan of them anyway. "You need to take your painkillers. I'll get you a glass of water and you're going to sit here while I do everything okay? You have to take it easy." The way he said it could have come across patronising to other people but Dotty knew he was saying it out of concern and worry for her. That was why she didn't argue and sat there, slowly relaxing into the softness of the sofa. He came back into the room with a glass in one hand and the tablets in the other. She also noticed that he'd unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt and his jacket was fully undone too, giving him a less professional feeling. It also made her feel slightly hot but she tried to ignore it, hoping he wouldn't notice either. He didn't say anything about her slight blush and she was glad, but he definitely had noticed it and it made him happy inside that she at least found him attractive.

Saying a quiet thank you for the water, she threw back the pills and gladly drank water after them. She grimaced afterwards, taking tablets was never easy for her. They sometimes got stuck and it was one of the reasons that she didn't take tablets to begin with. Placing the glass back on the coffee table in front of her, she wondered what they were going to do for the next 5 hours she had to be awake and the rest of the night afterwards which she had to keep being woken up if she went to sleep. Corny noticed she was beginning to look slightly awkward and started up a conversation which would hopefully take her mind off everything.

"So, I heard you work at a car mechanics? Few gals have that kind of job, what do you do?" he knew that this was a sort of safe topic, even though he heard her mother mention it in a bad light, Dotty didn't seem at all bothered by it or ashamed. Instead, she brightened up at this topic and got a sparkle in her eyes that had Corny mesmerised for a few seconds. It was there and then that Corny Collins fully fell for the little red head name Dotty Turnblad and he would do absolutely anything to keep that sparkle in her eyes.

"Oh yes, I love working there. I work at Karls mechanics, it's not too far from my house, only about 20 minutes' walk or 5 minutes' drive. Karl, the owner, and my boss, hired me as a receptionist for them but because I'm sat there most of the time with nothing to do, he offered to teach me how to fix cars or how to diagnose problems just in case anything happens with my car. He's become like an uncle to me, always making sure I'm being treated right by both his workers and customers and making sure that I know what to do if my car breaks down and I'm on my own." The way she spoke about where she worked and the people she worked with made her seem so happy and Corny was glad that someone in her life seemed to care about her as much if not more than her parents do.

"So, how long have you worked there? Learnt anything interesting?" he knew that this conversation was a good way to keep her occupied and he actually didn't mind it all that much. He was learning new things about her and she didn't even seem to notice how much she was giving away. Then again, she probably didn't realise he had intent to court her and wasn't hiding anything from him because of it.

"I've been working there since I was 16, before I even left school. It's what's been funding Tracey's fads. My parents, they like to think that they could support all of us but dad, bless his soul, until Tracey got onto your show, the Hardy Har hut wasn't doing too well and hasn't been for a while and my Mother laundry business covered the food barely, with how much her and Tracey eat. Tracey obviously didn't know how badly the financial side of things were going but as soon as I could I got a job as well as doing other little things to earn as much money as possible to help my parents. They never said I had to do it but they never said no to the money I would give them each month. I get paid quite well for my age as well as being a woman, but like I said, Karl takes really good care of me." She seemed slightly sad at the way the conversation had gone but he could understand why. It was one thing helping your family when they're on hard times but it was another basically supporting them because they can't stop living in their old lifestyle.

"Doll, you know it's not your responsibility to support your parents, right? I get your helping them out, by giving them money so that your sister gets what she wants and so that they don't have to worry, but that is your money to spend on things you want to spend them on, not your sister. And because your sister didn't know I bet she just keeps asking for increasingly more things, thinking that your parents had enough money for her to do however she liked?" he knew it wasn't really any of his business but he had to try and see if she knew how wrong it was. He wasn't going to stop her from doing it, it was her money and her life, but he just wanted her to know things didn't have to be that way.

Dotty took a deep breath, looking away from Corny before turning back and slowly nodding at him. "I know that I shouldn't and don't have to do anything of this but I've been doing it for 4 years now and if I do like I told Tracey I was going to and stop all the payments I give my parent's we'd be living on the streets within a few months because Tracey, even though she's 18, doesn't understand how the world works very well because Ma's kept her hidden from it for so long. I said to Tracey I won't be funding her anymore, and I won't, which is why I'll be keeping my money and whatever Ma and Pa need to get I'll buy myself, be it food or clothing or anything like gas or electric but Tracey must learn that she can't get her way every time and if she want's something she has to work for it like she's worked hard to get onto your show." You could tell she'd done some thinking since what happened at the studio and Corny was slightly surprised at how much thought she'd put into it in such a small-period.

"You've really thought this through, haven't you?" he regretted how surprised he sounded the minute it came out of his mouth but Dotty didn't take any offense or even react to his tone of voice. She just smiled softly at him and shifted so her legs came up to rest underneath her on the sofa. He hadn't even noticed when she'd slipped her shoes off but he saw she had.

"Yeh. I had a lot of thinking to do. I knew as soon as she yelled at me and then punched me that nothing would ever be the same again and that I couldn't expect it to and neither should she. It was in the car ride over to the hospital and while we were at the hospital that I started to make plans. I only work 4 days at the garage now, but I'm thinking of taking more shifts, because Karls starting to let me actually work on some of the cars that come in and is always hinting that I could do more than I already do. And the extra money I make, won't be for Tracey's or my parents but for me so I can do more and start to live the life of a 20-year-old like I should be. Another was that I'm going to slowly cut down the amount of money I give them to see how badly it's actually needed because I love my parents, and I trust my dad not to lie to me, but Ma's been doing very well with her Laundry business over the past 2 years that I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't really need that money anymore." She knew she sounded slightly bitter towards her mother and that she shouldn't but with how she was feeling at the moment, she thought it was slightly justified to feel that way.

Corny huffed out a breath and shook his head slowly in disbelief, a small smile on his face as he looked at one of the smartest women he knew. She had to be the only person he knew to be able to make plans like that while suffering from a concussion and put them into place without even having to try very hard.

"You are amazing, did you know that?" he just had to say it, to see her reaction. And she didn't disappoint him. She blushed bright red, biting her lip as she did so and started to avoid his gaze by looking at her fidgeting hands.

"I'm not really, I'm just used to having to have everything done by myself that I know exactly what to do…" she sounded quiet as she said it, from embarrassment he could tell, and it made her more endearing to him.

"Don't let anyone, even yourself, tell you that you are anything less than amazing, you got that? Because I've only known you less than 24 hours but from what I've seen and heard, you have quite the personality and even though you try and hide it and are naturally shy, you can be fierce when needed. Now I wish some of the kids on the show were more like you and not more interested in boys and what the latest gossip or fashion is, I wouldn't want to come home and never leave again almost every night.2 he said it jokingly at the end, she knew he loved and cared about those kids more than he would admit to anyone, but she understood the sentiments.

"If there were any more of me, I don't think they'd be dancing on your show. I have no rhythm and two left feet, so I think you'd go out of business very fast." Dotty wasn't very good as being funny and telling jokes, that was her sister but she felt proud of that one, especially when she got to see a rare sight of Corny throwing his head back in a genuine laugh and it set something off in her heart and her stomach. She loved that she made him happy and smile and laugh with her and she wanted to keep doing it for as long as he would let her. Without realising it, she'd let him into her heart and even thought twice about it. From there one she was a goner, because she'd already fallen for him and would do anything in her power to keep that smile on his face and his eyes on her.

Authors Note –

Omg, another chapter within a day! I love this story and it's inspiring me to write soo much1 I have work in less than an hour and half and still need to eat but I just had to finish this one! I hope everyone likes the chapter and that the characters aren't too OOC and everything makes sense. If there's any mistakes or problems just let me know and I'll fix it

Please read and review if you have the chance

Kitty