The next morning Jube came by as usual and brought his uncles truck and asked Mick if he would let him work on it and help him if he needed it.

“Sure, have some breakfast," Mick invited.

"Don't mind if I do." Jube said.

"Say where were you all last night, Boone, and Izzy and the other cats?” Mick asked.

“We were stopped by the Alabasters, we were told we couldn’t attend the dance,” Jube said angrily, “I had Denee’ and other girls we couldn’t fight them! Not with the girls there. Knight wanted to, but man the girls were really disappointed it was the first dance since we moved to White Tower High.”

“That’s not right mate, you are members of the school and it said for everyone,” Mick said angrily.

Jube was a little surprised.

Later when Mick took his final payment to Clyde, he was told the men were in the dinning room and to go on in.

Mick didn't hesitate and mentioned what had happened, and about the gang of white kids who called themselves Alabasters, who wanted to keep anyone not white out of school events and harass them.

“I know about this, and I am willing to fund a gang but what we need is someone who knows something about organizing a gang and running it, none of these kids do. But I saw you fight, I think you have the charisma and the brains to do this,” Clyde said.

“Me,” Mick said, and looked kind of shocked.

Clyde smiled, and said, “Your brother wasn’t making up stories about you and your four friends taking on a gang in London was he?”

Scott had probably ran of his mouth to Todd.

“No, but Clyde, I want a peaceful life,” Mick said.

“There will be peace if you take care of them snot nosed boys, and teach them not to mess with us down here in Tacky Town,” Clyde said.

Mick felt the two men looking at him with new scrutiny and he was not sure he liked this. But what was the alternative.

“I told you he didn’t guts to do it.” Tab growled.

“I will do it,” Mick said defiantly, “I am just trying to figure out how me and four other guys are going to do this.”

Tab raised his eyebrows and said, “Well you will need more men then that, you will have to recruit.”

Mick nodded, he was just so overwhelmed by the thought of his own gang and breaking his own promise, of course he would have to recruit. He nodded and said, “You are right.”

There was no use saying anything else, and letting the men see how overwhelming he thought this was.

“We had our own gang once back in the fifties and it is going to take time to build, but I am urging you to try to get this up and running as fast as possible,” Clyde said gently.

Suddenly Mick thought about Vinnie, and nodded, Vinnie would be a great as would Mario, and Vinnie knew a lot more people, then he saw Clyde was right, as an outsider he could bring all these kids together. The blacks, Italians, and the Hispanics, he had just met Julio Rosales at the pool hall the other day when he and Vinnie had gone there and Julio had an old Chevy and not much money. But he seemed like the kind of guy Mick could easily get into the gang and he was muscular and wanted to learn about cars. Like Vinnie he was a high school drop out. But like Mick he lived on his own and had a full time job.

“Okay mate, I think I can do this,” Mick said smiling.

Clyde smiled too and Tab looked a bit relieved.

“Everyone needs a good education to get better jobs, and everyone should be equal and how can they be when blokes like Jim and his ogres are trying to run things, they will be stopped,” Mick said.

“It’s about time, look Mick if you need anything come to us we will try to help. There are some old things down in the hotel basement you might want, I will have Jube and Todd take them over to your place,” Clyde said.

Mick nodded and told the men goodbye. He had a lot of work to do, first stop the Eight Ball pool hall to see Vinnie, who almost lived there.

Vinnie was there and he was interested in being in a gang. He thought Mario and Julio would be interested too, he even had some ideas for the gang, and where they could meet.

Mick looked at his men and felt good, this was the first meeting with all the members present, he had worked hard on this.

To his right sat Jube, to his left Vinnie, his betas, next to Vinnie was Mario, then Julio, then the two gypsies, Mick did not know them very well but Vinnie said they wanted in, Bela and Petro. Next to them was Chastain, Mick didn’t know his first name then there was Scott, Goldie, and Todd the younger of the men, then came Boone, Knight, and Izzy.

“Okay Boone got some info about the Alabasters that we can use to surprise them and give them a good drubbing, mates!” Mick said smiling. He knew Chris had gotten the info, and even though Chris had not wanted to join the gang he wanted to help and thought he could do more good by spying on the Alabasters for them and keeping a low profile, this meant staging kind of a fall out with him and Boone. But the two were still good friends.

They just had to stay away from each other at school, they worked together at Chris’s fathers business, which happened to be in the theater district where it was only blocks away from Tackett and the new gang the Warlocks.

Mick had wanted the name the Wolves, but Jube had suggested Warlocks because of the magical quality, and it had a better ring to it.

Bela had agreed, he also told everyone Mick should be the leader and there should be no election, only if Mick stepped down there should be leaders agreed on.

To Mick’s surprise the others agreed with the soft spoken gypsy, and Mick thought the quiet man and his even quieter brother would be very valuable to their gang, even though no one but Jube seemed to agree. It had been Jube who had talked to the gypsies and he knew them they were new to the town like Mick was.

Jube had an idea to put the few lawn chairs in the back of the yard facing a bus stop so that the people who weren't sure they wanted to join.

Everyone in the gang or wanted to join sat on the ground. Mick was surprised to see Goldie, Todd, and his brother join up.

Deacon Knight was the sole person in the lawn chair.

"You wonder why I object to something that is supposed to protect kids and girls and allow us to go to dances and events without hassel by the man or Alabasters?" Deacon asked after Mick asked him why he was objecting.

"Yeah man," Jube said, sensing Deacon could walk away with all the black kids except him, Deacon was called that because he sounded like a preacher when he talked.

"Because I want to make sure brothers get a fair shake in a gang headed by a white man, I don't know Warwick but it seems he is getting everything his way and why I want to know," Deacon challenged.

"Clyde picked him to lead cause he knows more stuff then we do he ran a gang in England, and he saved me from those Alabasters single handed," Todd said almost angrily.

Deacon stared wide eyed at Mick and then sat down beside Todd on the ground, Mick tried not to smile, and he wondered how many knew that Clyde had asked him to do this.

After the meeting Mick went home to work on the old car that Jube and Boone had helped him get.

He thought a lot about the gang, and what he would need to do, training sessions had been agreed to and he wanted to make them fun as well as build them up as fighters.

Mick thought if the gang got to hard or too boring some would quit and he needed all the men he could get. Even ones that weren't good fighters could carry messages and act as lookouts, freeing up fighters to do the heavier work.

He was still thinking about some games, and wishing Jube would come by to discuss it when Scott came to the door of the garage and said, "A new place opened up, and Evie would like to go there for dinner, you can dance too."

"Man, is this place expensive?" Mick asked, thinking of an excuse not to drive them or be forced into another date himself, they couldn't afford to waste money.

"It's called Del Roma's Italian Garden its in the theater district, and I got coupons from Goldie, he is advertising for him, It says here calazone or speghetti dinner for two with soft drinks a dollar and a half, that is not bad, you could take Sheila," Scott said smiling.

Mick sighed, and said, "Maybe."

"Come on man," Scott sighed, "I can't drive, I asked Goldie to get us a car for that night and he did all we got to do is fix the busted muffler on it, Goldies da even has the new one in the trunk."

"That chevy out there?" Mick asked.

"Yeah come on Mick be a sport you said you wanted to get a bird, Sheila really digs you man," Scott pleaded.

"When is this big date?" Mick sighed.

"Tonight," Scott said.

"All right but tomorrow I got some stuff for you to do for the gang. No whining about it understand?" Mick said firmly, he knew Scott was not happy about the gang and was only going along because Goldie and Todd were.

"Okay," Scott sighed.

"I guess I better get that Chevy done and get cleaned up.

"Thanks Mick," Scott said and tossed him the Chevys keys.

Vinnie dropped by and talked to Mick a bit then helped him with the muffler, Scott did not care for Vinnie much, he didn't like the way he looked at Evie the one day when they had seen him at the gas station where he was gassing up Evie's car for her.

Vinnie had made Mick feel a lot better about the Italian Garden, he told Mick that his mother worked there, and that his sister sometimes helped out with dishes and things, and that it was a good place to eat.

"Look man," Vinnie said after they finished working on the Chevy, "I know I haven't came through with a girl for you, but your asking for trouble going out with those chicks from the other side of the avenue man," Vinnie said.

"Maybe, but I think they will get tired of slumming after a while, Scott is happy and that is what is important right now," Mick explained.

Vinnie shrugged, and said, "Your neck man."

Del Roma had a pizzaria for some time but the Italian Garden was a new resteraunt in the next building over from the Roxy Theater. Mick wished he could afford a movie as well as dinner for the girls, whom he had picked up at Vals, Sheila would go home after but Evie was staying the night at Vals and Mick wondered if she ever stayed home.

As soon as they got there and were seated at seperate tables, Evie asked Scott to call Chris and see what he and Val were going to do. Evie thought it was too early to eat and she really thought Del Roma's Italian Garden was kind of a sad place.

Sheila went to the restroom and she used the opertunity to flirt with Mick and asked him if he liked things hot and spicy. Mick wondered why she always wanted to flirt with him.

Scott soon returned telling her that Chris's mother had said Chris and Valerie had left already.

"Oh Chris is probably taking her somewhere nice," Evie whispered.

He could tell Evie was not impressed and it kind of hurt Scott, he wished for the first time in his life he had a lot of money. Before now he had been happy with what he had.

He ordered the calazone and Evie was a bit impressed he knew what that was and she would prefer that over spaghetti.

Mick knew what Vinnie said was true it was only a matter of time until Evie got tired of going to places they could afford and school functions and she would be back with her White Tower friends.

Evie wanted Mick, and no matter how hard she tried to put Sheila off him nothing worked.

"What do you want out of life?" Evie said wanting to talk about something besides dating and who was going where and with whom.

"I don't know I am thinking about college," Scott admitted, it was a dream, but the chances of him going were pretty slim.

"Really?" she said, thinking maybe she should skip trying to get Mick and stick to Scott maybe he would be more then a grease monkey.

But every time she looked at Mick she would get all tingly and she wanted to be with him not Scott.

"Hello everyone, we just had to try this place out, the Night Owl is packed," Chris chuckled.

"What is the Night Owl?" Mick asked.

"Food, poetry, a coffee house," Valerie said smiling.

"Its pretty nice but popular with college kids," Sheila said. Her sister Marla went there a lot with her friends.

Mick nodded, the dishes had been cleared away and he was relieved neither of the girls had wanted to see the desert menu, they would have to be careful with groceries as it was.

Scott was so happy to see Chris and Valerie come in, now maybe Evie would quit acting like they had drug her out to a dump, it was a nice place. He had been to some really nice places with the Collins family when he was showing horses so he knew what a nice place was.

Ok the new resteraunt was not the fanciest place but it was nicer then the other places he and Mick had eaten on the way here.

Mick asked Sheila if she would like to go to the Night Owl some night and she said she would. Evie yawned and said she would rather go to the Spotlight, which Mick learned was a dance club.

There was some nice slower music playing, pop music Scott thought, most of it wasn't familiar to him, but he asked Evie to dance.

"Umm Scott," Evie said, smiling at him.

"Yes love?" he asked, thinking if he loved her any more his heart would burst.

"What do you want to be when you get out of college," she asked.

"A CPA," Scott said thinking they made a lot of money.

"Thats kind of boring, being a secret agent would be a lot more exciting," Evie teased.

"Yeah would do you think I should do?" Scott said smiling.

"Maybe you should go into journalism, you did really well with that report you did for me," she said smiling.

"Well Rona helped me by proofreading, Evie don't you think you should do your own school work?" Scott asked.

"When would I find the time?" she giggled.

Mick was so fine, but she knew she had to do more then heavy kissing and petting to keep him and she wanted to keep him.

"I love you," she said, thinking how lucky she was, she had never been in love and her first love was the most handsome man in town.

Mick smiled, and thought he could love her back, and said, "I love you too, but lets take this slow."

She smiled and nodded. She would have to do something Evie wanted him and she knew he was attracted to her. All men were after all.

Vinnie came in said hi to everyone, and got a cold glare from Evie, and Scott sighed.

"Scott do you know that person?" Evie asked, saying the word person like one might say maggot or scum.

"Yeah, he is some friend of Mick's I don't like him much," Scott said honestly

"I bet Rona doesn't know her sister is here with him, and who is that other girl, she's probably from the Catholic Middle School too," Evie sniffed.

"I don't know," Scott said thoughtfully wondering why Rona would care who her sister talked to, but America was a strange place.

A woman came out of the kitchen and spoke to the three teens and they all three left, and Evie sighed with relief. She had no idea the lady was Vinnies and Sophia's mother and she had sent them on errands. But Mick knew and he gave them a little wave as they passed by.

Sheila smiled at Vinnie and the girls, he was sort of cute, but he was no Mick.

All in all it ended up not being a bad second date.