No one knew at first about Evie and Mick except Vinnie, Rosa, and Jube, perhaps he told Denee’ but if he did she kept it to herself.

Neither Jube nor Vinnie understood what Mick saw in Evie, and Evie wished she could tell Liz at least that Mick and she were seeing each other.

Evie was used to clubbing and going to school events, she still went to some of them but always alone or with friends no dates, even though boys were still asking she told them no she wasn’t dating. Mick may have flunked Grade Six in England but he was no dummy he often made dates with Evie at the library or at the apartment where he would help her with her home work.

Sometimes he would do his homework with her. She had never had a friend who wanted to study with her but Liz. He at least knew how to study and do homework she never had learned that skill.

Mick was going to night school to get his General Education Certificate so he could take the test to become a certified mechanic.

If Evie’s parents had of known what a good influence Mick was on their daughter, and how she was getting bored of the simple pleasures of Mick’s world perhaps they would have let nature take its course.

Someone had seen Mick and Evie together at a street carnival and had told Will Kentland. The someone was Harry who told his father Lawrence who happened to work for Will’s brother Daryl and play golf with them.

Will started putting pressure on Evie to break up with Mick, but the more pressure he put on her the more she refused to break up with him. Since Will did not know who this hippy boy her daughter was seeing just that it was not the same one that got crowned school king there was not much he could do. He put her on restriction for no dates, but allowed her to spend the night at girlfriends houses, and she saw Mick anyway.

She invited Rosa over and gave her some of her clothes that she was tired of, some of the things had only been worn once like the gold semiformal and some school clothes she had gotten for Christmas and didn't want to be bothered heming up.

On Valentines Day, Mick decided Evie had been really good about all the pool games and cheap dates, and he would splurge and take her to the Spotlight.

"Thank you so much for taking me out here, I love the Spotlight," she said smiling.

"If we are careful with money and I have some good days we can do this more often expecially after I get through night school.

He thought his brother and Sheila would stay home since he told them he would not be home. When he usually went out for the night they spent the night in the apartment.

“Bro what are you doing here?” Scott asked and then his eyes widened as Evie appeared by Mick’s side.

“He is taking me out as a treat,” Evie said smiling.

Scott looked as if someone had hit him, and Sheila sighed, and said, “Come on Scott.”

“He did not know we were dating?” Evie asked thinking maybe Mick did have a bit of her sneaky streak in him.

“I hadn’t the chance to tell him,” Mick sighed, “You know he was really in love with you.”

“That is why he is with Sheila, the whole school knows they are shagging,” Evie giggled, but it was not unkindly.

Mick sighed, and saw her point, if he had really loved her as he had said would he have turned to Sheila so quickly?

"Scott, is your brother completely lost his mind, you know Evie is just going to dump him like she did you," Sheila said.

"Yeah," Scott said, but then thought what if he really loved her, he had fallen for Sheila and somehow he knew this was more then what he had felt for Evie.

"Evie doesn't love anyone but Evie." Sheila said, "I used to think she really cared about Val and me, but she hasn't even tried to get us back as friends. Val thought she would. Liz is the only one she talks to of us four friends.

"I think it is interesting how she is trying to break up Rosa and Vinnie," Scott said.

"Hmm I wonder why, Rosa is only 14, Vinnie is 18 I think he is too old for her but at least he is not 20 like Jared the guy Evie dated last year." Sheila said watching Vinnie and Rosa dance.

"I don't think age means that much I am 15 you will be 18 this summer," Scott said.

"Scott you are right, you are so much more mature then most guys your age, and you are smart and ahead in some subjects too," Sheila said, and she loved how he smiled at her.

After the dance Mick asked her if she wanted to go to Moonlighters, he had a deal with the night clerk for a room for the night for fixing the college kids muffler.

Evie agreed thinking he was joking. Until he drove to the nice motel over on Hillcrest.

"We are a little late so kind of be quiet," Mick said softly.

“Spend the night in a motel, can you afford that?” Evie asked, looking really concerned.

“Sure not all the time but tonight I can, but if you don’t want to go I understand,” Mick said, as they approached the office where there was a young man waiting with a key for Mick.

“I want to go I just don’t want to bankrupt you,” Evie said and kissed him.

He smiled, and said, “Sometimes I have good weeks and can afford more, sometimes I have bad weeks and we have to have hamburgers at Railroad Diner. You have to understand that Evie.”

"Wow this is very nice," Evie said really surprised and how clean and nice the room was, not first class but no flea bag either.

"Yeah it is nice," he agreed, "But I want you to understand my world is different then yours."

"I understand but it wouldn't hurt us to date dutch sometimes, me pay my share," Evie explained, as she nodded, and he looked at her genuinely surprised he had never had a girl offer to pay anything.

"That would help," he said thinking she really was understanding he was not made out of money like all her friends.

"Come on lets try out this bed." she giggled. She had wanted to go to bed with him since that day at the Railroad Diner. "Take off that dress," he said, and she looked over and saw he was removing his socks.

They crawled into bed and she laughed, and said, "Can you help me with my under wear."

He laughed and they kissed, and she started really getting agressive with him, she had never got that way with any other guy. But then she had never slept with anyone before Mick either.

"Easy baby," Mick laughed thinking this was something different, had he really melted the ice queen as everyone called Evie. Her kisses were so passionate and he loved the way she seemed to feel a freedom with him, he had never observed with her and Scott.

Mick was amazed at how Evie could thrill him beyond even some more experienced women, she seemed to know exactly how much pressure to applie and where to touch him.

He seemed to get lost in her cool blue eyes, and her lips and minty kisses seemed to work him into the most frantic love making he had felt. She was some woman, it was almost as if her body had been made for his.

It was even better the second time around, Evie knew nothing about protection and why he had to use condoms they seemed so inconvienient.

“Evie I think you should go get on the pill like Sheila did, it is safer then condoms,” Mick said as they cuddled in bed after they were both saited and exhausted from their love making which had left Mick's legs weak, and feeling as if he had ran hard for hours.

“I will,” she said sleepily.

The next day when Mick came home Scott was upset, and they argued over Evie.

“I can’t believe you are seeing her after what she did to you and I, are you insane?” Scott asked angrily.

“Maybe I am, but love is crazy,” Mick sighed, he was not in the mood to fight with Scott. “She is using you and she is going to hurt you,” Scott cried.

“How do you know I am not using her?” Mick asked, thinking Evie had done everything he had asked of her, even her own homework. Except for Evie’s math which Rosa was still doing for Evie during study hall at school.

“Maybe but I doubt it, you said yourself she is poison, bro I am not going to feel bad for you when she hurts you and she will,” Scott sighed.

“Evie needs someone to take her in hand, someone to make her do what is right that is all,” Mick said.

“I see, and you think you are the one to do this?” Scott asked, thinking Mick was fooling himself. Evie was playing some kind of a game and when she got tired of it she would dump Mick.

“Someone has to, her parents won’t they are too busy being snobs and socialites to raise their daughter and set an example for her, the difference with Sheila and Evie, is Sheila’s parents have instilled in her good ethics.” Mick said.

“Sheila wants me to go to church with them,” Scott said, knowing how Mick felt about organized religion and church.

“Maybe you should go,” Mick shrugged.

Scott rolled his eyes, and walked away there was no arguing with Mick once he made his mind up.

Evie had gone out with a couple of other boys to Country Club events and once to the final basketball game of the season where she had to appear as queen, she had asked Tommy to escort her as a friend, Liz wasn’t going and did not mind she wanted to see if Tommy who always had wanted to date Evie would be true to her. Tommy was mostly because he really loved Liz and a bit because he was afraid of Mick.

Will saw the picture of Tommy with Evie, and while his father was only an owner of a local business and not a member of society like Will was, the kid was not a hippy. What Will Kentland did not know was Tommy was waiting to grow his hair out and become just that as soon as his scholarship was in the bank. In college no one cared what your hair looked like.

But Scott had more serious troubles at school the coach was constantly picking on him. Will golfed with the coach and sometimes drank with him at a little bar uptown. The coach and he both thought long hair on a boy was trouble. The coach thought it was a sissy mama’s boy, Will thought it degenerate, either way the coach picked on Scott, who was still weak from his bought with near pneumonia.

Scott would come home too tried to do anything much at all on the days he had gym class.

Scott had also become friends with Julio and would drink with him on the weekends when Sheila was too busy to come over. Which seemed like it was more frequant now as Sheila was busy trying to get scholarships and entrance in college.

Sometimes Scott thought Sheila was more interested in college then him.

Scott had started getting zits something Mick had never had a problem with, which led to more teasing.

If Mick had not been working so hard and going to night school along with trying to keep Evie and Opal somewhat happy he would have noticed Scott’s moodiness and hangovers.

When Scott mentioned the coach to Mick, Mick told him to buck up and be a man, Scott said he would try.

Scott dreaded gym class.

Coach Daniels got some new exersize machines from a company to try out, it was so nice having rich friends to help out. He would have the best teams in all sport next season.

"Come on men, I have set up a machine for each of you," Daniels said, "Now do exactly as I do!"

"I can't," Scott sighed trying to lift the bars.

"Then girly boy jump rope like a little girl," coach Daniels laughed.

Several boys laughed but many scowled.

Scott was soon panting and felt like his side was on fire. He stopped to try to catch his breath.

He felt very dizzy, his chest felt tight.

"Keep jumping or you will flunk gym," the coach shouted.

Scott tried to keep jumping.

But black dots danced before his eyes and he forced himself to jump more.

He stumbled and amost fell.

"Keep it up Warwick," the coach laughed.

Scott looked at the coach with pure hatrid.

"Faster sissy boy," the coach said.

"Stop it," Jube said angrily.

Scott looked at his friends, and saw Chris starting to stand.

Then he fell.

Chris was already running towards his friend, Jube only hesitated a second, then he was heading to Scott too.

“Leave him there,” Coach Daniels ordered.

"Sir I can't do that," Chris said.

"No way," Jube agreed.

Daniels glared at them, but couldn’t do much to Chris his father was too powerful, being on the school board, but he would make Jube pay for his part in this.

The Coach did not like the black kids but to make a winning team to stay competitive with Fenton, Bayview, and Smithfield who had black players he had to allow them. This was the first year his team had gone to the state championship since 1959, so he saw how valuable they were and he couldn’t punish Jube for disobeying him in front of the others for fear the hopefuls for next year would refuse to try out instead he would get him in another way.

Jube and Chris did not think about punishment as they looked at Scott looking pale and trembling on the nurse’s cot.

"Is he going to be okay?" Jube asked worriedly, he could not believe the coach had done.

“I will call the doctor you boys did the right thing, that coach had no business forcing this boy to work like that he did,” the nurse said angrily.

“Something needs to be done,” Jube asked.

“What are your names?” the nurse asked, “I might need you to take him home.”

“I can, Jube Carver ma’am.” Jube said softly.

“No hospital,” Scott whispered.

"Take it easy Scott," Jube sighed.

Jube knew what Mick feared more then anything and with his birthday only a week away Scott getting caught up in some social workers net would land his friend in a lot of trouble.

In a few days Mick would be 18 and untouchable. But luck was with them as Dr. Davies from Davies Clinic the only doctor in Tacky Town was called out.

"I am feeling better doctor," Scott forced himself to sit up.

"Young man, I think you will get sick if you are not careful, you had a very bad cold, you could have a relapse." Dr. Davies said.

Dr. Davies had seen many poor youth and knew most their parents could not afford the hospital, so he gave Scott a prescription that he hoped his parents would at least fill and sent him home with mandatory 5 days off of school and no PE for three weeks.

Jube was called out of class and drove him home.

Scott thanked Jube and then promptly fell asleep.

Mick looked up from the car he was working on, he frowned seeing Jube’s old truck he sensed something was wrong.

Scott was put to bed without protest, and Jube told Mick what was going on.

Mick listened and sighed shaking his head sadly.

“This is all my fault, I thought Scott was just whining because he hates PE I didn’t realize to coach was really going at him that much, I feel terrible I told him to buck up and be a man, and he tried, but this jerk just drove him into the ground,” Mick sighed.

“Look Mick he is tough on anyone he doesn’t like, poor Goldstien almost keeled over with an asthma attack before his doctor got him on limited gym. Lots of kids had problems with him, kids that are different or not good athletes.” Jube explained.

“That is not right someone should do something,” Mick said angrily.

“They have tried Mick, but he has too many rich friends,” Jube sighed.

“So he only picks on poor kids, well he has picked on the wrong damned kid,” Mick said throwing down the rag he was cleaning his hands with.

“Mick what are you going to do?” Jube asked, feeling a bit nervous.

“I don’t know, can you stick around keep an eye on Scott I got to fill this prescription and talk to someone,” Mick said.

“Mick please be careful you are still 17.” Jube sighed.

“I will,” Mick said.

Usually anything Mick told him Jube believed, Mick was not good at lying and seldom tried, but Jube did not believe him and he was afraid for his friend.

Jube put on a sweater and went out to do some work.

“Hey were did Mick go tearing off to?” Julio asked.

“I don’t know, but do you think you could follow him?” Jube said.

“Follow Mick, I dunno . . . guess I could try,” Julio said looking puzzled.

“I will explain later if he looks like he is getting into trouble or going to the high school call me here, but don’t say nothing to Scott.” Jube said.

“Mysterious stuff, okay man,” Julio said, hoping that Mick would take the bus and be on the corner. He had taken off on foot, leaving Goldie’s car.

Later Julio reported panting like a dog, Mick had went to see Clyde and then gone to the pharmacy and was probably on his way back there, but he had lost him.

“You want to tell me what this is all about amigo?” Julio asked.

Jube told him about Scott and the coach, and how upset Mick was.

“Yeah coach Daniels he is the reason I quit high school he is one evil man,” Julio sighed.

Jube agreed, but thought the real reason Julio quit was because Julio was basically lazy. Julio had a cousin who was hard working and would finish with the rest of them, while Vinnie got kicked out for fighting and Julio dropped out.

After Jube got off the phone it rang, he thought maybe it was Denee’ it was about time for them to get home from school.

“Hi Jube, how is Scott?

“Still sleeping,” Jube said.

“Good. Where is Julio?” Mick asked.

“I uh,” Jube started not knowing what to say.

“When he comes back there tell him to clean those heads up, and if he is going to follow me he has to learn to be a bit more clever,” Mick laughed, “I am at the Eight Ball I will get some chicken for dinner and be home in about an hour to run those heads over to Thorne.”

“Okay Mick,” Jube said, thinking he had cleaned those heads himself not knowing it was Julio’s job.

Julio came in a bit later looking exhausted.

“He’s not here, he said next time you want to follow him your going to have to be more clever,” Jube said trying not to smile.

“Yes, he is very clever our boss,” Julio said smiling, “How is Scott, I will go in and see him. Then I will help you around here.”

“Okay,” Jube said, thinking he did need help putting on that driveline.

Later Mick came home and wondered where Sheila was, he was glad.Jube had gone and taken the heads over to Thorne’s like Mick had wanted.

What Mick didn’t really want to be there and have Mick ask him why Julio was following him, he had never lied to Mick and didn’t want to start now.

Julio must have thought the same thing so he left to leaving Bela to watch Scott. The gypsy brewed him some strong tea and made Scott drink it. It was not pleasant but Scott was surprised how much better he felt by the time Mick came home.

Bela and Mick talked a bit, while and told him Jube was bringing burgers for dinner.

Mick was suspicious but figured it out after talking to Scott and Bela for a bit, Jube had been afraid that he would go do something foolish and had sent that bumbling Julio after him.

After Jube came in and Scott sat down at the table surpized at how well he felt, Mick decided to tell the others what he had done.

“All I did was go talk to Clyde, then go to the pharmacy, then I decided to teach Julio a lesson and doubled back to the Eight Ball to see Vinnie, who wanted to go trash the coach’s house.” Mick laughed.

“What did Clyde say?” Bela asked.

“Well he said the best thing to do is go through his lawyer friend Mr. Barron and build this thing like a court case, then go to the school board with the evidence, this is not the first time the coach has hurt kids,” Mick said.

“Clyde is a good man has lots of sense, you did well to go to him, Vinnie’s idea would just land you all in trouble and not help anyone,” Bela said after a moments thought.

Mick smiled, this was the most Bela had ever talked, and Mick knew why he had liked him the first time he had met him and his brother Petro, he was logical and thought out things.

“Well I would like to trash his house, but Bela is right I never thought of it that way, Vinnie would have really done that for me?” Scott asked, he always thought Vinnie didn’t like him and he thought Vinnie was worthless.

“Yeah,” Mick said, of course he would have never gone for it but he would like some revenge on the jerk.