Scott was so happy that tomorrow was his 15th birthday it was hard for him to concentrate on anything, six months from now he would have a drivers permit and could go on dates alone with Evie using Mick's car. She had told him that by then she would be able to date him alone.

He had had to get Mick to agree to take them all to the new Dance club tonight, and he was so excited about it.

He was so happy at school he didn't notice when Evie paid more attention to others, and didn't eat her lunch with him. She was too busy trying to get people to vote for her for queen. She assumed Scott had it all arranged.

Mick wished they could find something not so costly but it was his brothers birthday and Scott had told him it was all he wanted, Mick had been saving for a new record player.

"Come on wouldn't you rather have a record player? Then one night out with the girls?" Mick asked.

"No, I thought you liked Sheila," Scott almost whined sounding more like 12 then almost fifteen.

Mick sighed and thought about what Vinnie had said about those girls being trouble.

"I do but seriously Scott do you think those birds will want to be with us a month from now? We are like some new fad to them." Mick asked.

"How can you say that Mick?" Scott asked, looking stricken, "You have been in love before, and you know how you felt when Amy left you, I love Evie."

Mick sighed, and said, "All right we can go, but don't you come crying to me when Miss White Tower dumps your arse."

"She won't she loves me, and Shelia loves you," Scott sighed, Mick could be so grouchy and stubborn some time.

Mick did that little snort he did when he thought someone was putting one over on him, but said no more. He went back to work on the car, and Scott went in to do his homework.

The next night they picked up Evie at Val's house, and Sheila at her own home, and drove to the new dance place called the Spotlight.

Mick was quiet and Sheila wondered if he some how knew her father had laid the law down to her, no more dates unless he met this young man.

She had gotten around the Christmas formal, because her father assumed she had a date with someone the family knew. But that date had been broken for some time.

Once they got to the club Mick seemed more relaxed, Sheila hated to sneak out like Evie was doing but she would for Mick.

One thing that made Mick happy was the fact most of his gang were at the new club. He was glad to see that the club didn't care if you were black or white or purple for that matter.

"This is the best birthday I have ever had," Scott said happily.

"I am glad," Evie said thinking she would get all the bad side of town votes too because of going with Brian. She thought surely she would be the new queen.

Mick waved at Vinnie who was there with Rosa, Rona's sister. Mick thought Rosa was a little young to be dating Vinnie, but it was none of his business.

No matter how much Evie tried to get Mick alone Sheila stuck by him like glue, she decided she would wait until after the Christmas dance to make her move anyway. She had a plan to break up Sheila and Mick so she could have him.

"This is fun," Mick said.

"Yes much better then any school dance," Sheila agreed, "Mick I want to be your girl."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Yes. I love you." Sheila said.

Mick looked at her, and saw she was dead serious.

"It's my dad," she sighed, "But I want to be with you no matter what!"

"Sheila I need more then dancing and such," Mick whispered.

"I know and I am working on that, be patient and give me a chance. I promise you will not be sorry, but I have to be careful," she said hoping he grasped what she was saying.

He smiled, and he wished they could talk alone, but it seemed like very time they tried to slip away Evie, or one of their friends was there.

The Alabasters kept to them selves just long enough to make sure the Warlocks were lulled into false security.

Then they struck smashing windows and even attacked citizens unlucky enough to be on the street. Shady Lucas owner of Shady Spot Cafe was one who was hit in the head and knocked down.

His niece Pearl, who Mick had came to like and was always flirting with him, demanded he do something.

"We knew this was coming, sorry, we are after them, did you see which way they went sir?" Mick said.

"Towards the apartments," Shady said in a shaky voice, "I smelled kerosene."

Mick nodded yelled for Julio, and ran out to gather his gang.

The rivals in their light coloured jackets tried to march in formation down the poorest area of town, threatening anyone and everyone they saw.

One of the look outs saw them and signaled to the next man, and he ran to find Vinnie.

The two groups of Alabasters about twelve in each group up the street shouting out threats.

The boy posted watched hoping Mick and the others would get here before some innocent person got killed or something.

Suddenly he heard something and looked around, it was the Warlocks.

They were outnumbered. But Mick jumped on Jim, and Scott, Julio, and Bela circled to keep anyone from grabbing the leader, hoping to fend them off until Vinnie and his bunch, and Jube and his bunch could arrive to back them up.

"Where the heck is that ghigo Vinnie," Bela said knocking back one of Jims buddies who laughed as if it was a game.

"I don't know!" Scott sighed, he was scared.

Bela punched the teen harder, and Scott saw Jube and several others almost materialize.

The Alabasters may look snappy in their white jackets and such but few really knew how to fight, and Scott found by getting them in head locks and bashing them together, he and Bela made short work of most of them.

Once Jube, Deacon, Izzy, and Mario showed up it was even easier to win the battle.

"This is war," One of Jims boys shouted taking a swing at Deacon.

The fighting seemed to intesify, someone yelled, "Call the cops."

"Cops aint gonna come down here to save your white bread butt," Deacon laughed.

The cries of pain and anger seemed to break the otherwise silence of the night.

Scott started worrying as he was knocked to the ground and staggered to his feet they were going to loose the fight. The Alabasters were finally taking this serious, no more shoving and half hearted horse play.

"Your the creep that thinks he can take Evie out," One of the shouted and punched him, but just then, Bela slammed one of his mates into him saving Scott from getting his nose splattered.

But soon as Vinnie, Petro, and the others appeared, the fight soon was over, and they all stood panting staring at each other.

"Okay now its an even fight, want some more of us?" Mick asked panting. Jim was not in the best shape.

"Go home! And don't come back, because next time . . ." Deacon yelled.

"Next time you will not be able to walk because we cut you to tiny pieces," Bela said.

"Mick you ok?" Jube asked.

Mick nodded, he was breathing hard but looked less for wear.

"They like to terrify women and hit old men," Mick snarled.

A couple of the Alabasters ran off, still yelling obscene things and threats.

At last they were all gone an Mick and the others went home, they didn't think those kids would be back to Tacky town for a while at least.

Mick wanted to ask Vinnie where he had been and why it had taken him so long to respond but this was not the time.

Late in October the weather was nice for a change, and one day while their parents were gone out of town to some kind of a conference for reporters and writers Marla had squeaking breaks that did not respond well. Sheila had Mick's phone number and asked him if he could come by and look at Marla's car.

Marla thought Mick was very handsome and with all that hair and she could understand why Sheila was in love with him and wanted to keep him a secret from their parents. Their mother might understand, but their father was a World War Two vet that thought boys should have short hair and serve in the military.

This is why he had hated her beatnik boyfriend Zap Dutcher and why she had married her husband Carl, of whom her father approved, and Carl was now serving in the Army. Marla was not happy and she would do what she could to see that Sheila wouldn't wind up married to someone she didn't love. Marla deepley regretted her choice.

"Oh Mick thanks for coming," Sheila said, feeling if her heart would pound free of her chest and fly away like some bird from a cage.

"No problem at all, I will check the brake fluid level and the fittings and if it is more then that she will have to bring the car over to my place after she gets off of work," Mick said.

She hugged him and gave him a kiss and Marla smiled she had never seen her sister so happy since they were children at Christmas time.

Mick checked out the brakes and determined that one of the brake lines had a small crack she would be ok to drive it to work then over to his place after work, but it needed fixed.

He had her stamp on the brake pedal hard and nodded with satisfaction it would hold for the few miles she had to drive, but he told her to be careful.

"Come upstairs Mick, my parents are gone, they won't be home until tonight," Sheila said blushing furiously.

They laid on her parents bed kissing.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Mick panted, thinking if she kept this up much longer he would loose it for sure.

"Why not I have the pill, and I know that is what you have been waiting for," she said smiling.

"Are you serious?" he asked, the last thing he wanted to do was to get some bird pregnant.

"I am, Mick make love to me," Sheila said excitedly.

"Oh yes," Mick said.

"Mick I love you so much." she cried as they lay together as one.

After making love he was laying there marveling at her, for inexperienced she was not bad or maybe it was he hadn't shagged a bird in some time.

Either way it was good and made him feel really good he was about to ask her if she wanted to do it again in a bit, when he heard something.

"Someones here," Mick said.

"Sheila?" her mother called.

"My parents, they are home early," Sheila gasped.

Mick nodded and grabbed his clothes and shoes.

"Quick in my bedroom you can go out the window into the back yard," she whispered.

He nodded and headed towards the room indicated, she stripped her parents bed but the linen down the laundry chute and ran into the bathroom to rinse off quickly she would pretend she had been in the shower.

Mick went home feeling really groovey

Scott was begging to take Evie out to the Spotlight again, Mick told him unless they got more cars they couldn't afford it for another week or two. Scott was disappointed but the chance to go out in a week or two mollified him.