Summary

Chapter 7 (The Past, 1982) – Sixteen year old Larry excitedly tells his parents he’s going on a date with Cindy Walker, with narration describing (in a brief flashback) how it was Cindy who asked him. Over the intervening days between her invitation and the actual date, Larry becomes both excited and nervous; manages to make friends with the guys at school who had bullied him (who are impressed that he’s actually got a date); and endures an assault from Cecil (who demands that he treat Cindy well) when he goes to pick Cindy up. As they’re heading to the drive-in where they’re supposed to be going to see a movie, Cindy insists on taking the wheel: when she does, she turns the car around, speeds away, deliberately runs over a snake, and then takes them to a secluded roadway. There, Larry is...