"Want a smoke?" Tommy pulled his car to a stop, took out his own pack of cigarettes, and offered one to Susan Curtis, who was waiting for the last bus at the bus stop at sunset.
Susan accepted one and said thank you.
Tommy lit a cigarette and, together with Susan, watched the setting sun over Palm Drive, "They say you deserved an 'A' for every class over Saturday and Sunday."
"To be honest, I haven't seen that letter on a report card since I left elementary school, and back then I didn't give a damn about it," Susan lit the cigarette with a self-deprecating smile, "But now, I want to earn it in every single performance."
"That letter just represents your longing for a normal life," Tommy exhaled a smoke ring, smiled at Susan, then swung open the door of the Barracuda parked nearby, gesturing for Susan to get in, "I'll take you back to San Jose."
