On SEALED WITH A KISS

February 13th
On SEALED WITH A KISS

6:35 pm – Sally and Marianne get ready for the 80s video dance by crimping their hair, trying on bangles and drinking gin. Josh is coming by in his older brother’s car (driven by his older brother, Jake) to drive them to the school, with Eric, who has finally agreed to date Marianne after a long campaign. This is going to be the best.

7:03pm – Chet checks out his bouffant hairstyle in the mirror, and pops the collar on his too-tight jean jacket with a Hard rock Café logo on the back. “Fuckin’ right!” he says to his reflection.

7:34pm – Sally calls Josh and asks him where they are. Josh says they haven’t come over yet because girls always take fuckin’ forever to get ready. Sally replies, “How do you fuckin’ know that if you don’t come over!” Josh says, “Are you drunk?”

8:00pm - Chet and Michael French arrive at the school gym where J. Geils Band is playing at a disproportionately large volume considering five people, including our heroes, have shown up already and no one is dancing. Also, Michael French is wearing clunky dark sunglasses with fluorescent coloured arms, and a Michael Jackson red leather jacket. Chet and Michael French are both a little surprised at how good their outfits are.

8:28pm – Sally and Marianne have consumed half a bottle of gin. After her last gulp, Marianne shakes her head wildly and almost lacerates her face with her star-shaped earrings. “Whoo!” She says. They are still waiting for the boys to show up. Sally smokes at the window.

9:13pm – The gym has about a hundred grade nines now, and Chet and Michael French are the life of the party. They are in the middle of a dancing circle and Chet’s jacket is coming off – it’s too hot in this jacket!

9:41pm – Jake and Josh and Eric pull up Sally’s driveway. Marianne and Sally see them from the bedroom window and squeal. They run down to the front door, and then coolly strut to the car. Josh and Eric wolf whistle. Jake says, “Alright, lets go already!”

9:42pm - Josh and Sally make out a little in the car already. Eric and Marianne look uncomfortable. Sensing this, Sally and Josh stop and pretend nothing happened.

9:59pm – Chet and Michael French are cooling off by the punch after some marathon dancing. They talk about how they’re not really good dancers, frankly, but sometimes the spirit of the 80s makes you flail your limbs around in invigorating ways.

10:01pm – After a detour to Jake’s weed dealer, the two couples are dropped off at the gym and enter arm in arm. Eric seems into it enough that it’s not completely embarrassing.

10:14pm – A slow song comes on. High on dancing, Chet confidently swaggers over to Marianne and asks her to dance. He is rebuffed.

10:34pm – Chet and Michael French are standing outside, cooling off. Michael French starts making noise about having to get up early in the morning. Chet yells at him, “Don’t you understand! This night can never end!”

10:43pm – After dancing all the fast dances in a perfect square, and sitting out the slow dances, Josh and Eric and Sally and Marianne sit down at a round table. Sally and Marianne start whispering in each other’s ear and giggling. Josh sees his chance, and takes Sally outside for a smoke on the bleachers. It is understood that they are going to make out. Eric and Marianne, who don’t smoke, are left behind. Marianne realizes she doesn’t even really know who Eric is. “What kind of things do you like?” she asks him, yelling over the music.

11:06pm – Chet and Michael French are offered some beer in the parking lot by some cooler grade nines who thought their dancing was rad. A particularly reflective boy, Reuben, says, “Hey, it’s grade nine man. Everything’s different, you know? That’s what I love about grade nine. And you guys are fuckin’ hilaaaarious!!” and he laughed and slaps Chet on the back, spilling his beer.

11:15pm – Marianne is now tearing up the dance floor, having abandoned Eric on the sidelines. She was a little bit scared of Eric, who had boasted to her, randomly, that he could take off a bra with one hand. She is super drunk.

11:25pm – Marianne is almost passed out, and has her arms slung around Chet’s neck and her head against his chest. It is the final song of the evening.

11:45pm – Michael French says goodbye as he walks down his street. “Good bye! Awesome dance!” yells Chet, and Marianne laughs annoyingly. When Michael French turns out of sight, she plants a kiss on Chet, says “Thanks for the lurvly evening,” and pukes into a snowbank.

12:06am – Marianne, having declared herself feeling better, does not need Chet to bring her into her house. She rings the doorbell for her mom, and Chet runs away, scared. Mrs. Goldstein takes Marianne to bed, with a mixture of concern and knowing bemusement.

3:47am – Chet finally falls asleep. What a great night, he thinks.