The usual, I don't own, you know how it is.

October 31, 1979

6 PM

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

In the months since Eric's departure for Africa, I had already become an oddity: a college student who looked forward to studying, to take my mind off how crazy the distance was making me. Right now, after finishing dinner, I needed to get back to my room and study for the two exams I had this week. I didn't get to do that, though, since I saw my door open, and –

"Steve! How'd you get up here?"

My roommate, Brenda McCafferty, smiled. "He needed an escort, and here I was."

"And now here I am. See what happens when you leave your address where your dad can give it to me?"

Brenda read the situation astutely. "Should I go somewhere else?" We nodded, and she went into the floor lounge with her books.

"So Steve, what're you doing here – aren't you trying to put things in place with Jackie?" I asked curiously.

"If I can find where to put everything – she wants to come right back like nothing happened, to start fresh where we were. I'm still trying, though, to get outta my head what I saw."

"What'd she actually do?"

"Besides put me in a spin like this by my seeing her with Kelso – I don't really know." He reached for my hand, and I didn't try to stop him. "You're still missing Forman, aren't you."

"That's what I thought college would help with, that whole distance thing." I sighed. "It only works when I'm studying, or concentrating in class – I can't get him outta my dreams, even."

"We gotta do something about that." Steve shook his head. "For both of us."

"Can't do a lot about it right now, since I have these exams this week … I don't have a costume or I might blow off some steam, might go the party they're having tonight for the dorms."

"What you need is to get away." He folded his arms over his chest. "We both need that."

"But Steve, I have exams this week –"

He laid his finger over my lips. "I'll have you back before then, don't worry." He grinned. "But I got an idea."

"What kind of idea?"

"I know a party that no one else got an invitation to." He winked. "Wanna come?"

"When would I be back?" I hesitated. "Listen, Steve, I'm on a schedule here. I go to bed at eleven, and get up at five-thirty."

"Shouldn't be a problem."

"OK, then, if you got an idea, I'll go for it."

"That's my girl." He winked.

6:20 PM

Night had fallen, so I failed to notice where we were going; I just rested my head on his shoulder as he drove. At length, he spoke.

"Donna?" I yeah-ed. "How long's it been since Forman left?"

"Three months."

"And how long's it been since you had any?" His eyes were watching the road, but his voice was leering at me.

I sat up. "No, Steve, I really can't … I can't do that to Eric."

"What about doing for yourself? Not ito/i yourself, for yourself. Magazines can only go so far, you know."

He had a point; Eric's and my most recent letters to each other were suggesting that perhaps his future might lie away from me, but I still wanted to give him the chance to have something to come back to. To that end, "Steve, I'd rather not --" even though I couldn't help noticing his free hand threading into mine, and mine tightening on his. At this point, I also noticed that he'd pulled the El Camino into an unlit driveway; I gulped. "Is this where the party is?"

"Could be." In even the dimness, I saw that he'd taken off his sunglasses. "Can I ask you something?"

"OK."

"Besides the Vista Cruiser, where's the most daring place you and Forman ever did it?"

I had to laugh. "Eric? Daring? His idea of 'on the edge' was to do it with me when Red and Kitty were home." I smiled as I started to get an idea of where things were going. "Where've you done it that was daring."

"Well, one time Laurie did go down on me in a park, but that was all that was, and Jackie was too worried about being a good little cheerleader that it was always her bed or my bunker." He turned the car off. "Do you see where we are?"

My eyes adjusted to the evening. "Somewhere on the outskirts of town – " I then caught sight of a few spires about six to eight feet tall. "Steve? Is this a … a …"

"Cemetery? Yep. Saw it on my way into town, and thought it'd be perfect for us, given what tonight is." He was too quick for me to block the kiss he planted on my forehead. "Forman's gone, and I can't make up my mind about Jackie – so there's the trick. We need a treat, dontcha think?"

"Won't someone see us here, Steve?"

"A thousand people, and they're all dead – we're safe, I think."