Disclaimers: Characters of Trent, Tommy, Katie, Tandy and Tyler Malloy, Adam and Roscoe Brown, and Carlos Sandoval belong to CBS, Top Kick Productions and Chuck Norris. Mary and Bridget Sullivan are my creation. The line from "Magic Carpet Ride" is by Steppenwolf, copyright 1970.   Companion piece to "For the Girl Who Has Everything" by Robin Nagot - original characters borrowed with her permission.
 
 
 
 

Part 1

Trent Malloy and his girlfriend, Mary Sullivan, stood in the overlook area above the gym floor, looking down at the dance. Trent and his date were chaperones for the "Blind Date Dance."

"Ohhh, they look so…gorgeous, so…handsome, so… grown-up" Mary commented to Trent. "I really like Tommy in that tuxedo."

Trent grinned at Mary, put his hand on her waist, guided her closer to him and kissed her.

"You look very nice in your tuxedo, too," she told him. "The midnight blue really brings out your blue eyes."

"I really like how your blue dress co-ordinates with my tuxedo and we didn't even plan that," Trent replied.

"Hey bro," Tommy called up from below, "chaperones are not allowed to kiss; it sets a bad example."

"And that rule is written…where, Tommy?" Mary answered him. Tommy was with a beautiful girl in a red dress with auburn hair named Robin who Mary recognized from karate school.

A few feet away from Trent and Mary stood Katie Malloy, Trent and Tommy's mom. With her were her other children, Tyler and Tandy and Mary's daughter, Bridget.

"I've taken pictures of Tommy, Adam and Robin"; Katie told Trent and Mary. "I'm out of here with these three in tow."

"Mrs. Malloy, I really appreciate you taking care of Bridget tonight," Mary told Katie.

"I appreciate you and Trent's willingness to chaperone this dance," Katie replied.

"Mom, pretty soon Tyler and I will be down there," Bridget told her mom.

Mary covered her eyes. "Bridget, I'm not ready for that yet," she told her daughter.

"Well, Tyler's 10 and I'm 9 and we're ready to dress up and dance."

"But now, ladies and gentlemen, to the Malloy house to watch movies and eat popcorn", Katie told the three kids with a smile on her face.

"Bridget, please do as Mrs. Malloy asks and I'll see you tomorrow", Mary told her daughter.

Trent and Mary walked out with Katie and the kids, loaded them into the Jeep Cherokee, said goodbye to them and went back into the gym.

"Should we check to be sure the punch has not been spiked yet?" Mary asked Trent.

Just then the DJ announced: "For your dancing pleasure, another oldie but a goodie, 'Heart of Gold' by Neil Young."

"A real oldie" Tommy said, laughing as he came up behind his brother and Mary.

"Let's not start that, Tommy", Mary told him.

"I'll quit teasing if you dance with me", Tommy smiled.

"Ok", said Mary.

"Good" said Robin. "I wanted to dance with my karate teacher."

After 'Heart of Gold' was finished, the DJ started 'Du Wop' by the Hansons.

"Un, un," said Mary. "I don't to this fast stuff." She handed Tommy back to Robin.

"Come on, Trent" said Mary.

"I haven't gotten to dance with you yet" Trent answered.

"The dance isn't over until 11:30", Mary replied. "They will surely play another slow song before then."

"I'll make sure of that", Trent said.

Trent and Mary circulated inside and outside the gym with the other chaperones. Shortly after 11PM, the DJ announced "By chaperone request, another slow oldie by Tommy James and the Shondells, 'Crystal Blue Persuasion'.

"This one is mine" Trent told Mary, leading her to the dance floor. Trent held Mary close while she put her head on his shoulder and 'let the sound take her away'.

Tommy and Robin floated by. "Just think", Mary said to Trent. "They weren't even born when this song came out."
 
 

Part 2

At 11:30 Trent and Mary stood outside the gym doors with Adam, Tommy and Robin.

Tommy turned to Adam. "I'm so glad you persuaded me to come tonight, Adam," he said. "I really enjoyed myself more than I thought I would have."

"How are you all getting home," Trent asked.

"Pastor Brown is taking Adam and me," Tommy answered his brother.

"Here's my mom to take me home," Maggie said. "Goodnight, everyone."

"Well…I came with Mark I guess he's taking me home," Robin stated.

Suddenly Mark came up to the group and grabbed Robin's arm.

"Come on, I'm taking you home."

'Excuse me," said Mary to Mark. "Let go of her arm."

"And who are you?" Mark snarled at Mary.

"Who I am is not important," Mary replied. "Robin is not a possession for you to treat any way you want to."

Tears shimmered in Robin's eyes.

"I don't want to cause any problems," she tearfully stated.

Tommy took a step toward Robin and Mary; Trent stopped him.

"You aren't, Robin," Trent told her. "Mary and I will take you home."

Trent turned to Mark. "If you are smart, you won't have any problem with that arrangement. At the very least, you own Robin and Mrs Sullivan an apology."

Mark stomped off.

"He'll get over it," Trent told Robin. "If he doesn't its no great loss, from what I can see."

Tommy put his arm around Robin. "I'm sorry he treated you that way."

"Here's Pastor Brown, Tommy and Adam," Trent said. "Go ahead, we will make sure Robin gets home safely."
 
 

Part 3

As Mary, Trent and robin walked to Mary's car, Trent asked, "Mary, tell me again whose idea it was to bring your Stratus instead of the "Vette?"

"Mine, of course, Trent," said Mary, laughing. "For just this reason in case someone needed a ride home. Where would you put anyone else in your Vette, my lap or on the hood?"

"Ok, ok, you are right again," Trent answered.

They pulled up into the circle drive in front of Robin's home.

"Wow", Mary said.

"Yeah, it looks great but I'd trade it all right now if my parents would just spend some time with me and be interested in me," Robin stated.

Trent and Mary exchanged glances over Robin's head. As they walked to the door, it opened and Mrs Timberlake came out.

"Why, Robin, you look lovely", her mom told her.

"You would have known that before the dance if you were ever home" Robin told her mom as she brushed past her.

"Where is Mark?" Mrs Timberlake asked.

Mrs Timberlake knew Trent and he introduced Mary to Robin's mom.

"Mark tried to exert ownership of Robin after the dance," Mary told Mrs Timberlake. "When I called him on it he got angry."

"What do you mean?" Robin's mom asked. "He's a very nice young man and Mr Timberlake and I highly approve of his relationship with Robin."

Mary and Trent exchanged another look.

"Pardon me for saying so, Mrs Timberlake, because I don't know you, but if I ever saw my daughter being treated like Mark treated Robin tonight, I would be VERY unhappy."

"Well, its late, we need to leave," Trent told Mrs Timberlake, taking Mary's arm.

"Goodnight, Robin, see you at karate," Mary called to Robin who was hovering in the doorway behind her mom.

Trent and Mary walked to her car.

"I'm sorry Trent but that woman obviously doesn't have a clue as to what is going on in her daughter's life."

Trent put his arm around Mary's shoulders.

"Nothing to be apologize for. You said just what needed to be said," Trent told her.

Trent took Mary home and picked up his car, which was at her home.

"See you tomorrow at your mom's when I pick up Bridget" she told him.
 
 

Part 4

Robin avoided Tommy all day at school Monday. After school was over, Tommy caught up with her at her car in the school parking lot.

"I read your note" she told Tommy. "You have a lot of things I don't have."

"Like what?" Tommy challenged her.

"Real friends, like Adam who doesn't like you just because you have money. And a family who loves you and is interested in you" Robin replied. "Anyone with money can buy a fabulous house, but money doesn't make a house a home. And money can't buy real friends who are with you in both good times and bad times." With a last tear-filled gaze at Tommy, Robin got into her Blazer and slowly drove out of the school parking lot.
 
 

Part 5

Robin showed up at the karate school a little before 5PM, crying and very upset. Tommy and Trent didn't how to help a very upset 17-year-old teenage girl, so they put her in Trent's office until Mary came in with Bridget. Tommy was waiting for Mary when she came in.

"Robin is very upset, could you talk to her?" Tommy asked.

Mary put her hand on Tommy's shoulder. "Go teach your class, I'll talk to her."

Mary went up and sat down with Robin.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked Robin.

"My mom says I have to get back with Mark or my dad's business deal in doomed. She wants my to apologize. I guess I'll have to run away. Mark is cruel and possessive. Until I met Tommy I thought all guys were like Mark. I guess I don't have much experience. I could never go out with him again now."

"Running away isn't the answer," Mary told the auburn-haired girl. "Why don' t you come to my house for a few days? Do you want me to have a talk with your mom?"

"It wouldn't do any good." Robin turned sorrowful, tear-filled eyes to Mary. "She doesn't know how to listen to me. All she's interested in are her society functions. No one can help me."

Robin got up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Mary asked Robin.

"I don't know…I just need to be alone for a while to think."

As Robin was leaving, she glanced over her shoulder at Tommy.
 
 

Part 6

The next afternoon, Trent called Mary to tell her Robin was not at school and no one seemed to know where she was.

"Robin and I talked about her coming to stay with us for a while but I haven't talked to her since yesterday evening," Mary told Trent.

"Tommy is convinced Mark knows where she is and has gone to confront him," Trent told her.

Later…

After Trent and Tommy brought Robin home, Mrs Timberlake was apologetic to Trent and Tommy. "You two and your friend Mary knew more about what was going on in my daughter's life than I did," she told them.

"I'm going to try to be a better mother to Robin." Mrs Timberlake was rewarded with a brilliant smile from her daughter.

"This is our cue to leave," Trent told his brother. "I need to stop by Mary's to let her know Robin is OK" Trent said. "Then I'll take you home," Trent told his brother.

A few days later at school…

A few of Mark's friends stopped at the lunch table Robin was sharing with Tommy, Adam and Maggie.

"I can't believe you had Mark arrested," Gina said to Robin.

Robin slowly got up from the lunch table.

"Just because you have money obviously didn't traslate into brains," Robin sneered. "Kidnapping is a felony; he had no right."

"I don't care if I'm not welcome in your group anymore, you were never 'friends' in the real sense of the word."

Adam, Tommy and Maggie clapped.

Gina and her group left in a huff.

Tommy hugged Robin.

"That was great, I'm so proud of you. You really told them."

"Yes, I did. I'm proud of myself and I'm with the people I want to be with, not the ones I'm forced to be friends with." Robin replied.

"This will be a time of change and adjustment for me. Thanks for being here for me and not wanting to rush our relationship," Robin told Tommy.