Duck Tales

[Brownstone Brat]

They walked in. The crowd surrounding the dance floor, the couples standing and talking and laughing, turned toward them one at a time, and then in twos, threes, and fours- growing silent, stunned, clearing a path as they passed.

They stepped up to the edge of the dance floor, and the people who saw them stopped dancing.

Blane was among them. He looked over his shoulder to see what the others were staring at- and then he dropped Kate Hanson's hand. He stopped dancing and turned toward Duckie and Andie. He was mesmerized.

Kate looked at Andie. Then she looked back at Blane. And then she crossed her arms peevishly. Blane was smiling at Andie Walsh.

Andie was smiling, too, though she hadn't seen him. She looked across the dance floor, not focusing on anybody, just feeling Duckie's hand on hers- just knowing he was with her, and smiling. B

enny had her eyes closed and her hand on Steff's shoulder. When he stopped dancing, she opened her eyes lazily. The she gasped. Steff stepped away from her.

All activity on the dance floor stopped. People were just standing still, looking at Andie and Duckie.

The music from the bandstand petered out. The orchestra had stopped playing, and the musicians were craning around to see what had halted the dancers.

Andie and Duckie stood proud in the silent ballroom, all eyes on them.

And then, finally, someone moved. The crowd parted. And Blane McDonough walked slowly toward them.

Behind him, Kate was hissing, "No, don't. Come back."

And some of the crowd were whispering. "Whew, he's out of it man," one guy said. "What's he doing? Isn't she the one who went berserk on him in the hall?"

But Blane kept going. Andie saw him, and he kept on looking and walking toward her, and she didn't turn away. And Duckie, watching Blane approach, knew he had nothing to fear, nothing to risk. In a way, he admired Blane for coming over. Blane offered his hand to Duckie. Duckie looked at it, and then at Blane. Finally, he shook Blane's hand. And then Duckie squeezed Andie's hand, released her, and walked away.

He stepped over to the bandstand to the conductor, determined to get the music started again.

Blane smiled at Andie. For the first time since he had seen her in the halls at the school, he knew he was good enough for her. For the first time he was able to meet her strength and honesty with his own. He saw her smile. He saw her eyes accept his gesture, his unspoken apology, his admiration and love. And then he turned away.

-From Pretty in Pink, A Novel by H.B. Gilmour

 

[Brownstone Brat]

Isn't it rich?
Are we a pair?
Me here at last on the ground,
You in mid-air..
Where are the clowns?

Isn't it bliss?
Don't you approve?
One who keeps tearing around,
One who can't move...
Where are the clowns?
Send in the clowns.

Just when I'd stopped opening doors,
Finally knowing the one that I wanted was yours.
Making my entrance again with my usual flair
Sure of my lines...
No one is there.

Don't you love farce?
My fault, I fear.
I thought that you'd want what I want...
Sorry, my dear!
And where are the clowns
Send in the clowns
Don't bother, they're here.

Isn't it rich?
Isn't it queer?
Losing my timing this late in my career.
And where are the clowns?
There ought to be clowns...
Well, maybe next year.

-Send in the Clowns by Stephen Sondheim

 

[Brownstone Brat]

And now for some B-grade song lyrics!

Have you ever been stabbed in the back
By someone you thought was really cool
Did they steal your heart or was it money
Or was it lies they told
Strangers just disguised as your friends
Never again ‘cause now you know

That friends will let you down
Friends won’t be around
When you need them most
Where are your friends

Friends are hard to find
Friends, yours and mine
I’m talkin ‘bout your friends

Smiles they hide behind
Never know what’s on their mind
Could be true deception
Jealousy and envy reign
They never want to see you get ahead
They just hold you back

Friends will let you down
Friends won’t be around
When you need them most
Where are your friend, oh, oh

Friends are hard to find
Friends, yours and mine
I’m talkin ‘bout your friends

Friends are hard to find, so be careful
You could find an inch or mile if I pay you
But some ain’t that bad, but one might back stab
To get the fake tips of what one might have
Bite the hand that feeds you, leave the people who need you
For those who hold you back and mislead you
To be a needle, don’t get lead on unleaded
The wrong direction, a dead end’s next then
Heed the detour, life’s like a seesaw
The ups and downs, and I’ll bet there’ll be more
Potholes and obstacles in our path, that’s righteous
At times you need a hand to fight this
Way of life, straighten up, take the door to the placid
And don’t you act two-faced
‘Cause jealousy and envy, and you still act friendly
You could find the end and pretend to be

Friends will let you down
Friends won’t be around
When you need them most
Where are your friends, yeah

Friends are hard to find
Friends, yours and mine
I’m talkin ‘bout your friends

Used to me kiss me, tell me you missed me
But now you try to glaze me, play me and diss me
Uh, wide awake, ready to break, so we argue
What happened to the kisses, and, “Why, how are you's, yours and mine
I’m talkin ‘bout your friends

Friends will let you down
Friends won’t be around
When you need them most
Where are your friends, yeah

Friends are hard to find
Friends, yours and mine

-Jody Watley

 

[Brownstone Brat]

I am not a big fan of dirty laundry.

But I am getting really bored with this journal. And as Oberon once uttered, "'Tis almost fairy time."

So please, permit me to take a brief sabbatical from the words of Shakespeare, Pushkin, HB Gilmour, Baldwin and the like.

Anger, Hurt, Abuse, Misdirection, Cowardice and Humiliation. I thought I left those words in the halls of high school. Sadly, I was wrong.

Illusions can be dangerous, especially when viewed from afar. They are even trickier to deal with when aided by their good friend Liar Liar Pants on Fire. I take full responsibility for my part, for I did nothing wrong. As Kool and the Gang once sang "Misled."

The mess that ensued? Complicated and often unbearable, as many messes tend to be. Why should I be on my best behavior? And for whose benefit? Sorry boys and girls, it doesn't work that way. I don't believe in sacrificing pride for comfort.

I am not the activities director on the lido deck. I am not here to provide a service. True, my generosity knows no bounds but don't ever assume that I suffer fools. Assumption is the mother of all fuck ups.

My anger has subsided. The incident has been filed under Lessons Learned.

I should really thank you. Though simply the straw that broke the camel's back, I finally saw what was what, as opposed to pretty projections on the wall.

Enjoy your parting gifts, luvvies.

And send in the clowns.

-Duckie

 

[Brownstone Brat]

Buh Bye

Duckie was back by then. Andie took his hand and walked him out to the dance floor. The crowd separated around them again, leaving Andie and Duckie alone at the center of the floor.

She took Duckie in her arms. The orchestra began to play again. Duckie grinned. And then his face froze with terror.

"Andie," he whispered, "I can't dance."

"Neither can I," she said through her unwavering smile.
"Are we crazy?"

"Completely."

She took a deep breath and began to move to the music. Duckie followed clumsily. A few steps- and they began to loosen up. A few steps and they were dancing without shame or concern for what anybody thought.

Blane thought Andie had made this night a real graduation night for him. He watched her, his eyes brimming with pleasure at her graceful beauty. He knew he'd probably never see her again, but his heart was warmed by how right he had been to choose her and how much she had taught him about courage and self-respect.

Benny thought Andie had stolen the prom. Flabbergasted and furious, she glared across the dance floor at the misfit who'd become the main attraction, the transformed freak in the amazing pink prom gown, the rag-hag who'd turned into the Makeover-of-the-month. "I could've had that gown," she told one of her friends, "she got it at Magique. She practically ripped it out of my hands and ran out of the store with it. You should have seen her. She knocked everything over. Ask Kate."

Steff thought this might be the worst night of his life. First, he'd lost Andie to Blane, his best friend. Of course now he'd lost Blane, too. And then there was Duckie Dale, the biggest loser the school had ever seen- except for the one time the jerk had thrown a lucky punch at Steff McKee and the whole school had turned out the witness it. Now Steff had to stand here and watch his ex-best friend and the frog, or Duck- who'd all of a sudden turned into Prince of the Prom- drooling all over Andie Walsh. Or did he? No way, Man. Steff grabbed Benny's arm. "I'm bored," he said. "Let's split." And he led her out of the ballroom.

Kate saw Benny and Steff leaving. "They've ruined everything," she pouted. "The entire Prom. Steff and Benny just left. What are you grinning at, Blane? Honest to God, I don't understand you."

Blane wasn't grinning. He was smiling. And so was Andie Walsh and Duckie Dale. They held each other as the couple around them began to dance again. They held each other and smiled. They danced around and around, smiling at each other, then laughing, dancing around and around and around, until they were one- one whirling, smiling, laughing blur of pink.

THE END

-From Pretty in Pink, A Novel by H.B. Gilmour