Finally, one night, they found themselves near his apartment. He had a feeling that if he were to ask her up she would take him up on his offer. But he was too much of a coward to ask, and he wasn’t sure he knew how to handle the situation anyway. Instead, he offered up a meek “See you later,” and she headed back home. Later, he wondered if he’d blown it for good and if something else within his grasp had slipped away.

Excerpt from David Browne’s forthcoming book Goodbye 20th Century: A Biography of Sonic Youth.