The date is Friday, October 7, 1983. Gas is $1.16 per gallon, the first African American is crowned Miss USA, over 2,736 Americans have been killed by Aids so far, The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” continues to top the singles charts, a Soviet military officer just averted a nuclear war by identifying a U.S. missile attack as a false alarm, Cheech and Chong’s third film Still Smokin’ is probably still playing at drive-ins, and fifteen-year-old Matthew Van Der Boot is simply trying to survive another day of sophomore year in high school.