Michigan 1981, Saturday Evening
Lindsay had gone home for the holiday. She promised her parents she would, after all. Thanksgiving itself had been pretty uneventful. She spent the day with her mother's side of the family just like every Thanksgiving. It was kind of boring, but pretty much business as usual.
Yesterday, she spent the day hanging out with Kim and Daniel. Mostly it was cool. Other times she felt like a third wheel. That's when she would think about Barry. Though she never did call him a few weeks ago when the island was making everyone weird, she did find the nerve to call him earlier this week. To her delight, he agreed they could hang out this weekend sometime. She was so very nervous, but it was a giddy kind of nervousness. She didn't dare tell any of her friends. She really didn't feel like enduring the teasing that was sure to cause.
Now, it was Saturday night, and she was sitting next to him on the couch in the Schweiber living room. Sam and Neil were somewhere else in the house. Probably in Neal's room playing that stupid video game. Not that Lindsay cared. That just meant she was out here alone with Barry.
"So, how's college life?" she asked just to start the conversation.
"It's good," Barry replied. "I'm still undeclared. I should probably start figuring out what I want to do with my life, huh?"
"What is this having a life thing, anyway," Lindsay said, chuckling slightly. "Though yeah, it probably is important. What are some of the things you like? Maybe that'll help you decide."
"All I know is, I want to get out of this place," Barry said, looking around the house. Lindsay knew things weren't that great with his parents right now. She figured that was an awkward topic and kept quiet about it.
Thankfully, Barry broke the silence before it had a chance to get awkward. "What do I like? Hmmm. Reading, driving, philosophy, girls..."
That was Lindsay's cue to blush. Hopefully not enough so that he would notice. "All good things. Anything else?"
"Stirring up political controversy," he said, grinning. "It's my understanding that's something you like. I heard about what you did when the Vice President was in town last spring."
"Oh, that was nothing," she said, shrugging it off like it wasn't a big deal. "I just asked a question."
"One that needed to be asked. I'm impressed Ms. Weir," Barry added, smirking. "You're brave. I mean, you defied your parents to follow the Dead around. Nice."
"Yeah, I guess. It wasn't that great."
"You went out and explored, though. Not everyone here can say they did that before college," Barry pointed out.
Lindsay couldn't help enjoying the praise just a little from a guy she had a crush on. Maybe more than a crush. She never felt this way when she was around Nick.
Over the next hour or so, she laughed at his stories of college pranks on dorm mates and listened as he described his favorite classes. College sounded so awesome. After awhile, she realized they had moved closer, and she was remembering the last time she saw him and the kiss they had shared. It wasn't something she forgot about. For a moment, it seemed like that kind of intensity was there again. That's how Lindsay read the situation, and it seemed Barry was thinking the same thing. So she went for it, expecting Barry to do the same.
That's not what happened. He grabbed her shoulders, pushing her away gently. "Lindsay...I'm sorry. I should have been up front with you from the beginning."
"About what?" Why did she have the feeling that she wanted to flee right now?
"I...I have a girlfriend."
That's why.
"Oh." Yes, she wanted to crawl under a rock right now. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed..."
Yes, you should have told me! That's what she wanted to shout.
"I shouldn't have let you think..." He did not finish that sentence. "Are you...okay?"
Lindsay tried to play it cool as she shrugged it off. Or at least attempted to. "Yeah. It's fine. I have to go back to school anyway. There's someone there I sorta like anyway."
That was a total lie.
Barry nodded. "You're a great girl, Lindsay. You should go for it."
"Maybe." She stood up. "So, um. I should get Sam home. My parents are gonna start to worry."
"Right. Um." Barry sighed. "I'm really sorry."
Lindsay just nodded awkwardly, and then she went to retrieve Sam.
She was completely silent as they walked home, the Michigan air even colder now. She was certain Sam could tell she was upset about something. Thankfully, he didn't ask what was wrong. She didn't really want to start crying on the sidewalk.
It wasn't until she was alone in her room that she allowed herself to cry. She crawled into her bed, snuggled her teddy bear, and sobbed.
She felt like such an idiot. Why would Barry be interested in her? She was a lowly high school student.
Being a teenager sucked.
[NFB, NFI, etc.]
Yesterday, she spent the day hanging out with Kim and Daniel. Mostly it was cool. Other times she felt like a third wheel. That's when she would think about Barry. Though she never did call him a few weeks ago when the island was making everyone weird, she did find the nerve to call him earlier this week. To her delight, he agreed they could hang out this weekend sometime. She was so very nervous, but it was a giddy kind of nervousness. She didn't dare tell any of her friends. She really didn't feel like enduring the teasing that was sure to cause.
Now, it was Saturday night, and she was sitting next to him on the couch in the Schweiber living room. Sam and Neil were somewhere else in the house. Probably in Neal's room playing that stupid video game. Not that Lindsay cared. That just meant she was out here alone with Barry.
"So, how's college life?" she asked just to start the conversation.
"It's good," Barry replied. "I'm still undeclared. I should probably start figuring out what I want to do with my life, huh?"
"What is this having a life thing, anyway," Lindsay said, chuckling slightly. "Though yeah, it probably is important. What are some of the things you like? Maybe that'll help you decide."
"All I know is, I want to get out of this place," Barry said, looking around the house. Lindsay knew things weren't that great with his parents right now. She figured that was an awkward topic and kept quiet about it.
Thankfully, Barry broke the silence before it had a chance to get awkward. "What do I like? Hmmm. Reading, driving, philosophy, girls..."
That was Lindsay's cue to blush. Hopefully not enough so that he would notice. "All good things. Anything else?"
"Stirring up political controversy," he said, grinning. "It's my understanding that's something you like. I heard about what you did when the Vice President was in town last spring."
"Oh, that was nothing," she said, shrugging it off like it wasn't a big deal. "I just asked a question."
"One that needed to be asked. I'm impressed Ms. Weir," Barry added, smirking. "You're brave. I mean, you defied your parents to follow the Dead around. Nice."
"Yeah, I guess. It wasn't that great."
"You went out and explored, though. Not everyone here can say they did that before college," Barry pointed out.
Lindsay couldn't help enjoying the praise just a little from a guy she had a crush on. Maybe more than a crush. She never felt this way when she was around Nick.
Over the next hour or so, she laughed at his stories of college pranks on dorm mates and listened as he described his favorite classes. College sounded so awesome. After awhile, she realized they had moved closer, and she was remembering the last time she saw him and the kiss they had shared. It wasn't something she forgot about. For a moment, it seemed like that kind of intensity was there again. That's how Lindsay read the situation, and it seemed Barry was thinking the same thing. So she went for it, expecting Barry to do the same.
That's not what happened. He grabbed her shoulders, pushing her away gently. "Lindsay...I'm sorry. I should have been up front with you from the beginning."
"About what?" Why did she have the feeling that she wanted to flee right now?
"I...I have a girlfriend."
That's why.
"Oh." Yes, she wanted to crawl under a rock right now. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed..."
Yes, you should have told me! That's what she wanted to shout.
"I shouldn't have let you think..." He did not finish that sentence. "Are you...okay?"
Lindsay tried to play it cool as she shrugged it off. Or at least attempted to. "Yeah. It's fine. I have to go back to school anyway. There's someone there I sorta like anyway."
That was a total lie.
Barry nodded. "You're a great girl, Lindsay. You should go for it."
"Maybe." She stood up. "So, um. I should get Sam home. My parents are gonna start to worry."
"Right. Um." Barry sighed. "I'm really sorry."
Lindsay just nodded awkwardly, and then she went to retrieve Sam.
She was completely silent as they walked home, the Michigan air even colder now. She was certain Sam could tell she was upset about something. Thankfully, he didn't ask what was wrong. She didn't really want to start crying on the sidewalk.
It wasn't until she was alone in her room that she allowed herself to cry. She crawled into her bed, snuggled her teddy bear, and sobbed.
She felt like such an idiot. Why would Barry be interested in her? She was a lowly high school student.
Being a teenager sucked.
[NFB, NFI, etc.]