THURSDAY - JUNE 24, 1976

Sarah took a sip of her diet soda, her eyes opened wide at what her friend was telling her.

"It's true! Becky's grandmother was in the salon today. Becky broke up with Pete last night, after we left! Everyone is saying that it's because he still loves you. Becky is flying back to her parents in Indiana, tomorrow."

"Oh fuck! Oh my god! I have to go see Pete!" Sarah gasped. "I know he really liked her, Midgie!"

Midgie took a french fry and examined it, talking carefully. "Maybe what they're saying is true. Did you ever consider that? Maybe he does still love you."

"No! Don't even say that!" Sarah was horrified. "I can't be the reason they break up. Don't you see, Midgie? That just puts me on the same level as Gisette!"

Midgie looked at her friend and narrowed her eyes, angrily. "You will never be on that bitch's level! You didn't try to break up Pete and Becky. And don't you even think that!"

"I feel so bad for him. Do you think he's blaming me?"

"Pete would never think that of you. Maybe you should go see him. You'll find out for yourself that he's not upset with you."

Sarah climbed the steps to Pete's apartment. He lived over the garage of a nice, old widow that they had known since they were kids. Mrs. Schultz had no children of her own, and she used to let them play in her yard. She was only too happy to have Pete as her tenant.

As she knocked on his door, Sarah saw Mrs Schultz peeking out the window. She waved and the widow ducked back out of sight.

Pete opened the door, still wearing the clothes he had on last night. It was obvious to Sarah that he hadn't slept, his eyes were shadowed in dark circles.

"Hey, c'mon in." He held the door open and she followed him into the living room. "So, I hear from my mom that we're the talk of the town." He said, dryly.

"Yeah, I heard that too." Sarah pointed through the window at Mrs. Schultz's house. "She's at the window again."

Pete sat on the couch, leaning forward to roll a joint over the coffee table. "She's looking for some new gossip to spread about us. It's probably making its way around right now, 'Sarah and Pete are alone in his apartment'.

Sarah bit her lip and turned to face him. "Maybe I should leave." She started towards the door, but Pete jumped up and grabbed her arm.

"Fuck them! Fuck them all!" He said angrily. "I think we should give them something to talk about!"

"What do you mean?" Sarah was bewildered.

"I heard about what your mom told Sam last night. You're with me?"

Sarah looked surprised. "How did you hear?" Then it dawned on her. "Your mom."

Sarah sat down on the couch, stunned. "Is that why Becky broke up? Oh god, Pete, I'm sorry. That was not what I meant. Well.... it kinda was. But I didn't mean for everyone to hear that! I just wanted Sam to think we were together so he would stop calling me!"

Pete sat next her, lighting the joint, then passing it to her. "No, my mom wouldn't say anything to anyone else. She knows it's not true. But she is the one who called me today to tell me what's being said and she sounded real hopeful, even though she tried to hide it."

"Hopeful?" Sarah squeaked. "As in..."

"Yep. The moms are at it. They think that we're going to get together again."

"Oh fuck." Sarah leaned back on the couch. That explained why her mother was over at Delly's when Sarah woke up.

"Pete, I am so sorry I got you into this mess."

"Baby, we were born into this mess. Since day one, they have been planning our wedding, you know that."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know."

They both sat in silence while they shared the joint. Then Sarah spoke up, quietly.

"I came to see how you were doing. You don't look like you slept last night. Do you want to talk about it?"

"What is there to say? Becky left me. She says that she can see that I still have feelings for you. I tried to deny it, to make her see that she's wrong. But I don't think she wanted to listen. She had her mind already made up." He shook his head, and sighed. "It was bound to happen. She was going to leave at the end of the summer, anyway. We knew that it was probably just a summer thing."

"It doesn't make it any easier on you. I can see that you've been up all night."

"Yeah, I went to the tent. I stayed there last night."

"What? Why would you go there? You have your own place."

"It was just too quiet here, too lonely. At least the tent has memories, that gives it a better feeling than an empty apartment."

"You didn't sleep, I can tell."

"I just did a lot of smoking and drinking." Pete took a long hit, then exhaled it as he added. "And thinking."

"Sometimes that can be a bad thing. Your thoughts can take you places you don't want to go." Sarah said, sadly.

"Yeah, they did last night. It was a real tough night, but I made it through. I thought I was doing okay, then my mom calls this morning with the latest gossip. You know, it pisses me off when you're included in such fucking lies."

"I'm getting pretty thick skinned I think. Except for my thumb." Sarah held up the bruised digit.

Pete took it and turned it around looking at it. "You're lucky you won't lose your nail. Why did you do it? It was just a necklace."

"It was something he gave me.....I don't really want to talk about it, ok?" Even as she thought about it, the pain in her chest returned with a vengeance.

Sarah got up and looked out the window again, seeing Mrs. Schultz, hovering behind the lace curtains of her kitchen.

"I should go. You know, Pete, maybe I should stay away from here for awhile."

"Fuck it, Sarah! Don't let it get to you."

"It's just adding fuel to the gossip. I'll call you later, ok?"

Pete sighed and walked her to the door. "I hate living in this little town. I have no fucking privacy."

***

Sam had just sat down in a seat on the bus. They were in Seattle, headed to do their show. He turned to look out the window when he saw Gisette board the bus. Seeing her again reminded him too much of why he and Sarah had fought. She saw him immediately and came to sit next to him.

"I didn't think you would be back so soon." Sam said as he stared out the window.

"I wanted to get back to you, Sam. You weren't doing so good when I left."

"Yeah, well, I was scared shitless that I was going to be a daddy. Now that problem is solved."

"What about Sarah? Are you two talking?"

"No, she hasn't talked to me since she left." Sam kept his head turned away.

Gisette heard the despair in his voice. "Sam, turn and look at me, please."

He continued to look away, his fingers pinching at his bottom lip, angrily. "Right now, Gisette, I don't want to see your face."

Gisette stood up in the aisle. "Ok, for now. But we're traveling together, and I am still your road manager. I've been hearing about things you've done to your hotel rooms. I am tired of paying for your damages. You'd better get that head of yours straight, real quick. I won't put up with anymore." She walked to the back of the bus.

Sam put his forehead against the window. He really didn't want to hear anything from Gisette right now.