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Of course Link had noticed her around the halls of school, often dancing, in her own little world. But he had never given her a lot of thought, they were nothing more than classmates. She was just an exuberant teenage girl. He didn’t even know her name, and it didn’t help that he rarely paid attention in class. She was typically with that taller girl who always had a lollipop in her mouth, but that's all he really knew.
The first time she really made an impression was at the Corny Collins show auditions to replace Brenda. She may have been short and stout, but goodness could that little girl dance. She was the only one who was able to keep up and make it look good. When he had looked over at the lineup when the girls first entered the studio, she was the one who stood out from the crowd. He still didn’t know her name, but knew he wanted to find out.
Link knew Amber could be cruel, but she was being quite vicious today to the auditioning girls. It had made him feel so uncomfortable that he decided he needed say something about it. “Amber, there’s no need to be cruel.” Amber just sent him a glare. But then the girl with the tall ratted hair and swift flip really blew his mind when she said she wanted to swim in an integrated pool in front of the Von Tussles. He was sure that Velma was having an aneurysm, and Amber wasn’t too far behind. He would have been glad to add someone more like minded to the cast. Link had wished Corny were here today, he would have seen the girl’s potential.
Link wasn’t sure what came over him when he thought to open that detention door. All he knew was he wanted her to be able to dance on the Corny Collins show. She deserved it. Everyone needed to see this chick's hip moves. She was so progressive! sJust seeing her dance from behind the window pane made something in his heart beat louder. He had never had this feeling before, watching another person dance.
The last thing he would have ever expected her to say was what had tumbled out of her mouth when he flung the door open. “I’m a bad bad girl who needs to be punished!” He could feel his jaw drop to the floor. Then she had the audacity to hit her own rear! This girl was wild. The sound that the contact made echoed in his head. His heart started to race. Get yourself together Link! Quick!, he thought. He had never felt like this around a girl before. He was Link Larkin, teenage heartthrob, he made the girls' hearts race, not the other way around. Why had he opened that door again? He needed to think of something to say, and fast. He couldn’t help but look her up and down first. She looked over her shoulder as her at him while her Negro friend chuckled at her, then at Link’s face. Her eyes were so big and brown, her teeth shiny and straight, smile lighting up the room.
“Hey,” was what ended up coming out. He was sure it sounded more suave than he felt, trying to bring out his character. She looked terrified and humiliated. Shit. Link looked over her curvaceous body again. He walked towards her, a sudden need to be closer, see her up close. As he walked over, she turned to face him.
“You know, Corny’s having the hop tomorrow, If he saw you dancing like that, he’d put you on the show.” She nodded, but made a weird face and a half reassuring mmhmm noise. Was it disgust? He wasn’t sure, no one had ever made that face towards him. Was he making a bad first impression? Try and stay cool constantly went through his mind. Thankfully the bell rang, causing the overthinking to stop, he needed to get going.
“See ya,” he said. But now was the time for him to make an impression on her. Right as he walked by her, he intentionally bumped her shoulder, causing the two of them to turn to face one another, only an arms length away. “Ah, woah. Sorry little darlin’, hope I didn’t dent your do.” This caused her to almost stare at him in awe. It was cute, to be honest. Link couldn’t stop staring at her as he walked out of the classroom. He was praying that had worked.
Link’s mind and heart were racing. What had just happened? It was all a blur. He couldn't get that smile or the look of her out of his head. Brad went back to droning on about the ideas of March and Caesar, but there was only her on Link’s mind. He was hoping that she would actually listen and come to the hop tomorrow. Not only for Corny to see her dance, but himself too. Damn it, he still didn’t know her name!
Link had been on stage for almost an hour now. There were only two more songs on his set until they brought in the other kids to sing. He had been keeping his eyes on the gymnasium doors as much as he could to watch for her. His eyes would occasionally dart to the dancing to see if she had joined without him noticing, or scour the back and side where people were standing. Even looking to see if her friend was there, as they didn't go anywhere without one another.
He had just had to sing Ladies Choice then It Takes Two until he was finally done with his set and he could go search for this wild chick. He just had to hope that Amber wouldn’t hunt him down first before he could get away. It was going to be hard since he was going to be singing It Takes Two, a song that she considered to be “their song”. She was sure to want it dedicated to her, but the thought of doing that made him nauseous.
Ladies Choice started and it was time to go. He really needed to put his energy towards this song and finish the set on a strong note. He continued to sing the first verse with gusto, but there was no sign of her coming through the doors. Onto the chorus, he looked over at Amber dancing on the floor, then suddenly felt something in his gut. He looked back to the door, and there she was, she had actually come. His heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t believe it, positive she would have skipped. Her pigtailed companion at her side.
Oh right, he was singing on stage. Next was verse two. Let’s give a show, little darlin’. He had expected her to dance with the white side conforming with the moves of everyone around her, but instead she made her way over to the rope in the middle, and spoke with the Negro boy he had seen her with the day before.The two hugged. What was that welling up in his chest? Jealousy? Another new feeling. This girl was making him feel all sorts of new feelings. He noticed Amber give her a dirty look. Oh right, Amber.
With the start of the breakdown, the wild child strutted her way through the dispersing crowd onto the middle of the dance floor, her big smile never leaving her face. A grin spread over his. Link wasn’t sure where she had gotten these moves, but man were they groovy. He looked over at Corny, who had a look of excitement, bright blue eyes lighting up. His plan was working. All the kids, both White and Negro had their eyes on her, amazed at her moves. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.
Now to send it home! She blew a kiss and he happily caught it. “Woooooah!” he screamed out, feeling the excitement and urge to dance fighting to be let out. Some of the white boys even joined in, quickly picking up on her moves. Suddenly there was no one in the room but the two of them. Link wanted to be closer to her, but he was still on stage putting on a show. He quickly slid on his knees over to the corner of the stage, where she danced over to him. The thrusting he was doing might have been a little much, but it was all for the show, right? Link decided he clearly was the ladies’ choice based off of how she was looking at him, and he couldn’t be happier.
His heart was currently soaring, nothing could bring him down. That was until two seconds later when Corny was having him sing It Takes Two while going to talk with this enigma of a woman.
“Well well, what a performance,” Corny smiled into the mic. “After all that energy it’s time to slow it down with Link’s last song, It Takes Two.” Then pointed at Link and the band to start. Corny came from behind his podium and swept away to the side of the gym.
Link could feel Amber staring daggers at him as he sang. Uh oh, she wasn’t very happy, not that she often was. He was out of here as soon as this song was done. He was making a run for it to find that girl, and finally learn her name.
He got off stage, and even though he tried to avoid Amber, she tracked him down.
“Link, what was that?” Amber huffed., Her arms crossing over her chest
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Amber. I was performing. You know I have that image to maintain when I’m on stage. I was putting on a show for the crowd.” He feigned innocence.
“Ugh, yeah right, I saw the way you looked at that whale. Can you believed that she hugged that Negro boy?!? Did you see that? The audacity!” The blonde whined, stomping her foot down like an angry child.
“Amber, we've been over this, you know I don't care about those kinds of things. And I thought she was really good. Actually, I think she should have gotten on the show from her audition alone. Her size shouldn't matter.” Amber's face twisted into disgust.
“Lincoln! You cannot actually think she’s a good dancer. She looks like a fish flopping around for goodness sakes. The way she gyrates her hips, it’s so vulgar.” He noticed his mystery girl making her way from Corny over to her friend.
“I think it’s hip. It’s the next big thing. Times are changing, Amber. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need a break,” Link tried to end the conversation.
“But Link! What you did out there was totally inappropriate!”
“Not now, Amber,” he begged, the short girl was walking away, he needed to go get her. He ran off towards the gym entrance, following the two girls.
“Link Larkin!” Amber called, her voice fading off in the distance.
His long legs made it easy for him to catch up with them. They were loitering outside of the detention room that had started this whole thing.
“Hey little darlin’,” he grinned, walking up to the two girls. His mystery girl was facing the opposite way, so she quickly spun around. Her friend had a grin plastered on her face, lollipop not leaving her mouth. He held out his hand to her. “Link Larkin,” he introduced himself.
“I- I know who you are. I watch you on Corny’s show everyday.” She rushed out, her cheeks turning a bright pink.
“She has pictures of you all over her room,” the tall friend quipped. Link had to stop himself from chuckling.
“Penny!” she shouted, face turning more red.
“I don’t think I ever caught your name,” He said, looking down at her.
“I’m Tracy. Tracy Turnblad,” Tracy. He had definitely heard it in class and the halls, but never associated it with her. It suited her. He quickly decided he loved the way her name sounded in his head. Tracy, Tracy, Tracy.
“Well, I’m glad you decided to listen to me and come to the hop. You really proved yourself out there. I saw Corny pulled you to the side after, he seemed to really like your moves.” Was he nervous? He felt like he had no need to be, but his heart was racing.
“Yeah,” she grinned that beautiful smile that hasn't been able to leave his mind. “Mr. Collins offered me Brenda’s spot on the committee. I’m happy that you encouraged me to come! I wouldn’t have been able to have done it without you.”
Link felt a grin emerge. “That’s great, Tracy! I’m excited to be able to watch you dance with us,” Maybe even with him if he’s lucky. “Also, don’t listen to Amber, she’s mean to everyone.”
“You don’t have to worry about me, Link. I’ll be fine,” She smiled up at him. “Penny, let’s go, your mom will kill you if you’re not home soon. Thanks again, Link. I’ll see you around,” with that the two of them walked off. His head reeled, this Tracy girl sure is something else. There was no one else like her, and he was excited to get to know her better. He had a feeling she was a start to a new exciting adventure.