Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 17:20:51 -0500 (CDT)
From: 2EI5ZEMANP@vms.csd.mu.edu
Subject: "In Your Eyes" - Part V
Message-Id: <01H46SB4GDYS90NLAT@vms.csd.mu.edu>

                                  IN YOUR EYES
				     Part V
                                 By Philip Zeman
                            2ei5zemanp@vms.csd.mu.edu


     Sam had to admit - he was enjoying the dance.  Back in Elk Ridge, Indiana,
he wasn't much for dancing.  He still had the image of him running away from
Lisa when she asked him to go to the dance after the big Thanksgiving Weekend
game against Bentleyville.  True, that was when he had leapt into his own life;
he was so confused by seeing Lisa again, he had no idea of what to do.  Still,
he was not so sure that he wanted to be at any high school social.
     But Janet made him feel less self-conscious.  He could definitely see what
Neal saw in her.  Granted, he had known her at the most four hours, but he
could see that the person behind her radiant smile and smiling eyes was the
same on the inside and out.  He especially noticed this while dancing with her,
and he couldn't help but gaze at her.  She caught him doing this and she
giggled.  Sam instinctively turned away.
     "What made you do that, Neal?" Janet asked.
     "Oh nothing it's just that - I never noticed how beautiful your eyes are."
     "Oh, Neal...."  The DJ started a new tune.  "Oh hey, Neal, listen!  It's
the prom song.  I really like this song..."  The speakers began to pour forth
Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes".  
     `Very apropos,' Sam thought.  Janet laid her head against his shoulder, 
and Sam stroked her auburn hair with his fingers.  
     Then abruptly, her head popped up.  "What?  Did I do something wrong?" Sam
was almost apologizing for something that he might have done.
     "As if you didn't know that you found my ticklish spot!"  Janet made it
sound like she was angry, but Sam could see that she wasn't in the least. 
"Just for that, Mr. Phillips, I'm going to play with your curls!"
     "Wha--?!?!"  But before Sam could ask her to clarify her threat, she had
started stroking his hair like he had hers.  Janet smiled at Sam and then
proceeded to lay her head back on its resting place.
     `Neal,' Sam thought, `you have it good.' 
     The song had ended, and the DJ spoke.  "It's the last dance, everybody, so
make it a good one!"  Chicago's "You're the Inspiration" started playing, and
Sam had this gut feeling that this was a memorable song for Neal and Janet.  He
didn't know why he felt that, but after a minute or two, his feeling turned out
to be accurate.
     "Remember Homecoming '91?  This was the last song too, and remember how
you started singing to me?  Even though your voice was horrible, I didn't
mind." Janet sighed with the memory.
     "Well, thank you, and I won't put you through that torture again."  Sam
smiled, and then he decided to let his actions speak for him.  He danced his
heart out, but before the song ended, he heard the Imaging Chamber Door open.
     "Hi Sam, how are you doi - oh, I see you got things under control.  Um,
Sam we need to talk a bit, we gotta figure out how you can save Neal and
Janet's relationship."
     But Sam was ignoring him, and as the last chord sprang forth from the
sound system, he bent over and gave Janet a long and passionate kiss.  She
immediately reciprocated.
     "Sam, we gotta - uh, I see you already have a plan.  Um, you seem to have
things under control here. I think I'll, uh, check out the ladies room or
something.  Uh, I'll just be going here, Sam, and uh, well, I'll be back later
to discuss..."  Al decided to skip it.  He pressed a button on the handlink to
Ziggy and was immediately inundated with the sights and sounds of a group of
ladies talking about their plans.  `I _love_ being a hologram....'
     Meanwhile, Sam and Janet were still showing their feelings, when Sam
opened an eye.  That's when he saw Tom and Karen looking at them.  "Well, look
at the two lovebirds!"  Tom had the goofiest smile on his face, or at least,
that's how it looked to Sam.  
     "Um, Janet?"  He broke the embrace, feeling his face grow hot with
embarrassment.  "As _much_ as I hate to stop, I think we better go.  It seems
like our double date wants to go somewhere."
     Janet looked surprised - almost angry - for a moment, as though she
thought Sam was making some excuse.  Then she saw what he meant.  "Okay, you
two, as if you've never been as bad as us.  Remember the trip to Florida?  You
two couldn't keep your hands off each other!"
     Tom started to say something, stopped, and changed his mind, like there
was nothing he could come back with.  "Okay, okay.... Seriously, we want to go
to my house and watch a movie, remember?  And both of you have to get up early
tomorrow, so we can't make it a real late night.  Come on, let's go."
     Janet turned to Sam and sighed.  "Guess we'll have to take a rain-check
until later.  Seems that Tom is getting kind of anxious."  
     "Yeah, sorry about this," Sam replied, "guess he has other things on his
mind."
     The foursome walked outside and picked up their coats.  Meanwhile, Al
decided to return, with a strange look in his eyes.  Sam decided to use
whatever chance he could.  "Say, listen, it's probably a little chilly
outside, so why don't I bring the car around while you guys stay warm."
     "Good idea, Sam.  We really need to talk."  As Sam left the gymnasium, Al 
disappeared only to reappear waiting for Sam "in" the car.  When the door
finally opened, Al was acting peculiarly.  "Sam, Ziggy has projected what you
need to do to get Neal and Janet back together."
     "Hey that's great news... isn't it?  Sam saw Al shaking his head.  "Okay,
Al, what do I have to do?"
     "Well, Ziggy says there is a 61.8 % chance that to save your
relationship..."
     Sam broke in.  "Only 61.8 %?  That's the best you can do?"
     "Sorry, Sam, that's all Ziggy's giving me.  Anyway, the way to have them
stay together is for you to sleep with her tonight."
     "Oh come on Al, that can't be right!  I won't accept that I have to sleep
with her!  There's got to be something better!"  Sam was indignant.
     "I knew the prudent prince wouldn't go for this," Al muttered, half to
himself.
     Sam protested.  "Think about it.  Neal's 18, Janet's 17.  If either of 
Janet's parents would find out, they'd come down on her so hard.  And I don't 
think that Neal's the type to have sex at this stage in his life.  Just trust me
on this; I don't think it's right.  But right now I don't have a choice, do I
Al?"  Sam looked frustrated.  "So either I don't sleep with her and lose her, 
or I sleep with her and still have a chance of losing her."  
     Al wanted to interrupt and correct Sam about it being Neal who would lose 
her, but he decided enough was going through his best friend's mind right now. 
"That's all we have right now.  Anyway, don't think about that now.  Just ask
Tom for directions to his house, feign a memory lapse or something.  I'll go
back and try to jumpstart Ziggy and get some better answers.  Just be careful,
Sam."  Al opened the Door and paused as he materialized through the car.
     Sam called out, "You better find something else, I don't want to do this."
Al's look in his eyes was enough to give Sam a tiny bit of reassurance, then 
his friend walked through the car and back home.
     Sam again turned his eyes toward the sky.  "Why can't you make things
easier for me some times?"  Neither receiving nor expecting an answer, Sam
pulled the car up to the gymnasium door.