I used to call you. You never called back. It was horrible, having to keep leaving messages with those guys in your dorm — I could just hear them thinking, “Oh, no, it’s that pathetic hometown chick that Pierson dropped… ”
ERIC
It wasn’t like that…
JANICE
But you know what the worst thing was? Do you remember that stupid song about the telephone? It was playing every time I turned the radio on that fall. (She sings, a little hoarse)
“Okay, so no one’s answering… so I’ll just wait a little longer, longer… ” I couldn’t get away from that fucking song.
JANICE blinks angrily, fighting tears.
ERIC
I never liked Electric Light Orchestra, anyway. Brent really hated ‘em. Said they’d gone downhill after Roy Wood left the group.
JANICE
Boys. You can talk about guitar solos, but anything else just paralyzes you, doesn’t it?
ERIC
Look, for years there wasn’t a fucking day that went by when I didn’t think about how things went so wrong — with you and me, that night… everything. Over and over. Thinking about how if I’d only done this thing different or that thing different…
JANICE (after a pause)
What are we going to do, Eric? I’m frightened.
ERIC shakes his head, then moves closer to her and puts his arm around her. She relaxes into his chest.
ERIC
I have no idea at all. I’m scared shitless myself. But this feels good. It’s the first thing that’s felt that way for a while. (a beat)
I haven’t really been able to make it work with anyone. Scared I never will. Sometimes it feels like I’m getting paid back for being a shit to you, back then.
JANICE lifts her face to look at him. She has a tear on her cheek. ERIC gently wipes it away with his finger. After a moment, he touches her cheek again, letting his hand stay. She leans forward and they kiss. What starts out careful and tenative begins to turn passionate — JANICE is crying as they kiss, almost climbing onto his lap. Then she pulls away.
JANICE
No. No, it’s not right.
ERIC
If you want…
JANICE
After all these years, I don’t know what I want. But you don’t know me any more, Eric. I’m not the same person, and neither are you. We can’t just fall into bed. We’d be… I don’t know, fucking our past, not each other.
ERIC
Seems like its our past that’s fucking us. In more ways than one.
JANICE slowly moves back against his chest.
JANICE
You’re still pretty funny, you know? Too bad it’s true. (after a moment)
I was so scared.
ERIC
It’s been a weird day all around.
JANICE
No! Back then. That night. I was acting cool because I hated you guys treating me like a wimpy girl, but I didn’t really want to take that stuff…
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. — PIERSON HOUSE, 1976 — NIGHT
CLOSE ON: BRENT’S PALM
YOUNG BRENT is shaking a little bit of something out of a pill bottle onto the cotton wadding in his hand. As we pull back, we see that everyone is sitting in a circle on the living room floor, except TOPHER who is lying on the couch with his feet up.
YOUNG BRENT
Four-way windowpane. Decks are cleared. Ready to beam up, Mr. Spock.
KIMMY (nervously)
I thought acid came in, like, a sugar cube.
YOUNG BRENT
That was in the old days. This is the latest and greatest. Come on, you don’t know who your friends really are until you trip with them — right, Erky?
YOUNG ERIC (singing)
“Oh I wish I was an Oscar Mayer Wiener, that is what I’d truly like to be-ee-ee, ‘cause if I was an Oscar Mayer Wiener… ”
YOUNG BRENT
Five hits. Kimmy, put a record on so we don’t have to listen to fucking Pierson.
YOUNG ERIC (finishing)
“Everyone would be in love with me!”
YOUNG JANICE
You wish. KIMMY
What should I put on? YOUNG BRENT
I don’t know. You got anything decent, Pierson? You got Yes? “Fragile” would be pretty bitchin’.
KIMMY
Here’s a Yes album, I think. It’s hard to read the writing.
As she’s putting it on, YOUNG TOPHER swings his legs down from the couch back and sits looking over the others as the acoustic intro of “And You And I” begins.
JANICE and KIMMY are both clearly nervous.
YOUNG JANICE
They’re so tiny! How long is this going to last?
YOUNG BRENT
A while. I wish I could have got Stringer to get me this stuff earlier — it’s amazing to go, like, to the park. The grass looks alive. YOUNG ERIC
The grass is alive.
YOUNG BRENT
You know what I mean. (to Kimmy)
But wait ‘til you see the stars. They look just… far out.
YOUNG ERIC
They are far out.
Everyone laughs, even BRENT.
YOUNG BRENT (in a bad Brooklyn accent)
Quit bustin’ my balls, Pierson. (holds out the acid; normal voice:)
Okay, boys and girls. Come and get it!
YOUNG TOPHER
Slow down, Zenger. I wanna show you guys something.
