I Better Shape Up,'cause You Need a Man.

They were back again. It seemed they always appeared in the diner whenever she was trying to unwind after school. Rory sometimes wished the jock, his peppy girlfriend and their followers would find another place to hang around. It always got obnoxiously crowded when they arrived.

She watched as Danny went to put a nickel into the jukebox. Instantly the place erupted in singing and dancing. Rory couldn't help but roll her eyes in irritation. She was about to get up to leave, find somewhere quieter to hang out when Mr. Popularity girlfriend started heading over to where she sat.



What in the world could she want? Rory was nothing but a greaser and one of the "undesirables" for that group. Surely she wasn't interested in actually talking with the loner.

"Hey there. You looked lonely so I decided to come join ya!" Shirley said with so much pep and joy it made Rory feel queasy. Her unease just increased with every second.

"Why would you want to join some greaser thug? Surely your jock boyfriend wouldn't want you hanging out with me?" Rory snapped, a little harsher than she had intended, but Shirley didn't look the slightest put off.

"Well, he's not really my boyfriend. We just go out sometimes. And I've had enough sock-hopping for right now. I think Danny will be fine by himself, plus you seem interesting! We should at least try and get along, you know? No reason to let silly social stigmas divide us"



I really couldn't argue with that. She was right. The only thing that separated us was the idea that cheerleaders and jocks were a completely different class than the greasers. Which was utter bullshit. They were all just people with different interests, but the fact remained, Rory was hesitant.

But one milkshake turned into four and the hours seemed to slip away. Before they knew it, Shirley had Rory laughing and vice versa. The music had ended sometime during their conversation, which brought Danny to the table.

"Hey babe, you wanna get going?" He asked gently, having had his fill of attention for the night. Shirley looked up, seemingly unaware that hours had passed. The diner was now nearly empty.

"Oh! I didn't even notice this place was empty." Rory's heart fell. She was actually enjoying her time with Shirley. It was weird, but she didn't want this night to end just yet. "I think I'm going to hang out with Rory for a bit longer. We're having a really good conversation!"
"If you're sure babe. I'll catch ya at school tomorrow." Danny replied with a smile, before heading out the door.
Shirley turned back to Rory with a broad smile, was she capable of any other facial expression? "So where were we? I think you were telling me about this time you had an engine explode in front of you!"

"Oh right! So let me tell ya, I was there, covered in black soot with the smoking mass of metal in front of me and I had no idea what happened." And without another thought, Rory went into the story. She loved the way Shirley laughed and seemed so into it. It made her realize that she hadn't connected to another person like this in so long.

Plus Shirley wasn't too bad on the eyes either.

Wait no, she couldn't think like that. Shirley had a boyfriend...thing. At the very least she was going out with the jock. She couldn't start thinking that like. It only led to disappointment. And Rory would be darned before she let herself be let down. Besides, a good friend was just as good right?

Before long, she realized another few hours had past. As much as she didn't want to admit it, they both would have to get going soon. They had school tomorrow and Rory still hadn't started on her homework. She had no idea how this friend thing worked. Did they just say good bye and part ways?

"Oh drat! Its late and my ride left hours ago. I guess I'll have to walk." Shirley muttered with a dejected sigh. Rory's brows furrowed at the thought and dismissed it with a wave of her hand.

"No need! I can give you a ride...if you want. I have my bike in the parking lot if you don't mind a little adventure." She was testing the waters and she knew it. Most cheerleaders wouldn't be caught dead on the back of a greaser's bike, but Shirley was different. Rory figured it was worth a shot, plus it was much better than forcing her new friend to walk.

"Sure! It sounds fun! I've never been on a motorcycle though."

"Don't worry, its easy to get used to. Just trust me."

They left the diner, and got on Rory's bike. With a few growls from the engine, they took off into the night. Shirley's face was a lit with excitement and Rory couldn't help but keep glancing at it from the corner of her eye.



All too soon, they ended up at Shirley's doorstep. Rory offered to walk her to the door like a proper friend, still unsure on the etiquette of such things.

"So I had a really cool time with you...I uh, it' be cool if we could hang out again. You know as friend or-" Rory was cut off by Shirley placing a deep, yet gentle kiss on her lips. The greaser's cheeks erupted in a blush as her eyes widened.

"Sounds fun! I look forward to it." Shirley giggled after pulling away. "Get home safe ok! I'll see you tomorrow."

Rory watched as she disappeared behind the door, and couldn't help but stand on her porch for what seemed like forever.

Shirley had kissed her. She had actually kissed her. Wow.

Nothin' Left for Me to Do:

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