Chapter 7: Dreams and Discounts
Friday, November 25, 1983, Early AM
Music: Aldo Nova "Fantasy"
Neal Schwieber was staying over at his friend Sam's house after having Thanksgiving Dinner with the Weir family. Neal's brother was spending the holiday with his fiancé, and his parents weren't on speaking terms. The Weir's were happy to take their son's longtime friend in. Neal woke up in the middle of the night, craving a late night snack.
He walked into the dark kitchen and almost missed her. There dining on left over turkey and pumpkin pie by moonlight, wearing an over-sized T-shirt was Lindsay Weir, the long-time object of his desire.
Neal said, "Hey"
Lindsay replied, "Hey. I hope I didn't wake you."
Neal asked, "Not at all, mind if I join you?"
Lindsay offered, "Have a seat."
Neal made a plate of leftovers from the meal Jeanne Weir took great pains to keep kosher for their guest. At first the two ate in silence.
Finally Lindsay said, "Do you think I'm fat?"
Neal, stunned, responded carefully, "I think you're perfect."
Lindsay smiled and said, "Thanks, you're not so bad yourself."
Neal blushed. He thought he felt Lindsay's bare foot slide up his calf. Must have been a mistake. But he looked up and Lindsay smiled devilishly. The college co-ed then seductively started sucking on the turkey bone she had in her hand. Soon Neal and Lindsey both were licking their fingers and suggestively playing with their food.
Finally Neal declared, "I've had a crush on you since the sixth grade!"
Lindsay replied, "I've been such a fool, going out with Nick, your brother, and the others. You're the one I've always wanted."
Neal ran over to Lindsay, and she kissed him passionately. The two were standing in the Weir kitchen, bodies pressed hard against each other, lips and tongues entwined.
Lindsay came up for air and asked Neal, "You are 18, right?"
Neal replied, "I will be," in a few months, that is, but now wasn't the time to discuss the calendar.
Lindsay then said, "Good enough for me." At that the college coed swept the plates and glasses on the floor. It made a racket, but neither she nor Neal seemed to care. Lindsay then threw her brother's best friend on the kitchen table where not so long ago the two boys used to dare Bill Haverchuck to drink God awful blended concoctions.
Lindsay stood at the end of the table, seductively looked at the high school student and asked, "Neal are you ready?"
Neal replied, "I'm ready."
Lindsay then shouted, "Neal!"
Neal shouted, "I'm ready!"
Sam Weir's voice said, "You don't look ready. Come on, the play opens on Thursday. We need to go to Maureen's this morning and practice our lines."
Music: Supertramp "Dreamer"Neal realized he wasn't on the Weir's kitchen table; he was a sleeping bag on Sam's floor. It was just a dream. Not a bad dream at all but just a dream.
Neal shifted from his back to his side and told Sam, "Go ahead and finish getting ready. Give me five minutes or so."
Sam, perceiving why his friend might not want to get out of the sleeping bag right away, said, "Ewwww, don't do anything nasty in my sleeping bag. Hurry up and get ready."
Maureen and Cindy were waiting for the two boys. Bill was there also, even though he didn't have a speaking part. He wasn't sure himself if he was there because of Cindy or Sam and Neal.
Cindy announced, "I've got my interview for Princeton next week!"
Sam told his ex, "Good luck," and he meant it. It took a couple years, but he was over her.
Bill said, "Ben told me to keep my options open, that there will be a lot of schools scouting me this winter during basketball season."
Neal mouthed the word Ben to Sam. Both thought it amusing Bill was on a first name basis with his coach/step father.
Maureen declared, "Well, I'm applying to art school in San Francisco." Then to Neal and Sam asked, "What about you two?"
Neal said, "Eventually I want to go to Johns Hopkins Medical School, but I'll probably do my pre-med at UM."
Sam looked surprised. Neal had never mentioned UM before. Sam shot Neal a glare that was meant to be a reminder about the section of the 'guy's code' regarding dating a buddy's sister.
Maureen turned to her friend and probed, "Sammy?"
Sam responded with, "Huh?"
The girls laughed. Maureen asked Sam, "Where do you plan on going to college?"
Sam replied, "I'd like to go to film school. Either at NYU or USC."
Cindy said, "That's very bi"
Sam cried, "What?"
Cindy sighed and explained, "Bicoastal, you know, New York, LA."
Sam calmed down and said, "Oh yeah. Well, we better get started rehearsing this play…"
Anybody that's ever worked retail knows that the day after Thanksgiving is the busiest shopping day of the year. And nobody knew that better than Harold Weir, proprietor of A-1 Sporting Goods. To make things even more hectic, his own son had to take the day off to rehearse a play. Harold and Jean allowed it though, because school always came first. His daughter Lindsay volunteered to help out at the store today while she was home for college.
Music: Pink Floyd "Money"
"Wow, its busy today, dad!" Lindsay exclaimed between customers.
Harold Weir replied, "Yes, my dear, Christmas is just around the corner." The constant ringing of the register put Harold in an unusually good mood.
Lindsay saw this as a good time to butter up her father for a favor. "Daddy," the college freshman said in her little girl voice, "Some of the kids are going to Cabo San Lucas for spring break next March…"
Harold said, "Mexico! So that's why you eagerly volunteered to fill in for your brother today. No way! That's worse than when you went off with the Grateful Dead in your sophomore year in high school. I know why you kids want to go down there, there is no drinking age and they let you get away with murder. Not my little girl. After Korea, I was stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas. After learning my lesson overseas, I stayed on base. However, a lot of the guys used to go down to Ciudad Juarez to drink and carouse with women. Well one soldier got drunk, and ended up in the wrong section of town. Guess what happened to him? He died!"
Lindsay half expected this response, and continued, "Please, Daddy. We will be in a large group, and we'll watch out for each other. Millie's parents already said she could go. The girl, Pam, who is coordinating the trip is an RA in my dorm." Then Lindsay added her final selling point, "And when I told Pam you owned a sporting goods store, she said that would work out great, then we could buy all the snorkeling and beach stuff we need in one place." Four years of working sales for her dad had taught the college freshman a thing or two about persuasion.
Harold said, "Well, since Millie's going and a responsible person is in charge, maybe I can discuss it with your mother."
Lindsay smiled, picturing herself sipping Coronas on a sandy beach surrounded by handsome Latin men.
Music: Jimmy Buffett "Margaritaville"