another creation from the minds of ORy and Lori.

"Chino? Is he out of his mind? Does he want us dead or something? No, wait I know what it is. He's trying to get back at us because he doesn't know our real names, right," Taylor "Max" Townsend ranted at her band mates and friends.

"I think he's more pissed that you won't go out with him," Anna "Pepper" Stern commented.

"Anna, don't be gross," Luke "Rip" Ward groaned. "He knows that if he ever tried anything with either of you I'd knock him into next week.

"No offense, dude, but I don't think he's afraid of you," Seth "Zeke" Cohen drawled, spinning a drumstick. "Max threatened to geld him last time he made one of his "suggestions"."

"Okay, enough about the slime ball," Anna said. "If we're playing Chino we need a different set list."

"I don't think kids in Chino are gonna be all the different than the club crawlers around here," Taylor raised an eyebrow. "The only difference is that they'll actually be in gangs instead of just adopting the lifestyle."

"True enough."

"Think your stalker will be brave enough to follow us to Chino?"

"She followed us to L.A., crazy skank."

"Yeah, but we were playing Bev Hills. Chino is a little different."

"True. Wish I knew what I could do to turn her off."

"Act like Seth. It seems to work with Summer," Anna giggled.

"Very funny."

"That girl is nuts."

"Not as nuts as the one following you around."

"Don't remind me."

"We should get ready and since we're going to Chino I vote for Luke's ride tonight," Taylor said.

"Why my car?"

"It resembles a small tank," Anna told him as Taylor pulled her up. "Pink hair tonight?"

"I think I might go with red. I tend to get a lot of whistles when I do red hair and leather pants."

"Oh for the love of-" Luke looked towards the ceiling. "That last time you did that, I spent all of our breaks gently discouraging every guy in the club."

"Gently? Your fist in their face is gently?"

"Since I never actually hit any of them, yes."

"I don't think threats will work on guys from Chino."

"We should take mace."

"We should make Taylor wear a parka."

"Think I'll go with the mini skirt," Anna smiled.

"No," Seth and Luke said together.

"C'mon Anna, you can borrow that purple tube top I bought last time we went shopping."

The girls went upstairs.

"They're trying to kill us," Seth remarked to Luke.

"Let them have fun. It's the last gig before the girls take off for the summer."

"When's Taylor leaving?"

"Saturday," Luke said. "And Anna leaves right after cotillion for her sailing trip."

"I wish my parents would let me go. Sailing to Tahiti's always been a dream of mine."

"You're lucky they let you do this. I think a co-ed, month-long sailing trip is a bit much to expect from the people who tried to hire a National Guard unit to keep an eye on you during gigs."

"That was so embarrassing," Seth closed his eyes and slumped in his seat. A sudden thought occurred to him and he sat up quickly. "You didn't tell them where we'd be playing next, did you?"

"I was tempted. Your mom would've ripped Oli to shreds."

"Luke......"

"Relax, dude. Seeing the weasel put down isn't worth losing our drummer."

"Thanks man."

"We need some plans to keep us from going crazy this summer."

"I have a plan. Video games."

"You're gonna go blind one day, you know that, right?" Luke got up and took his glass into Taylor's kitchen. They usually congregated at the Townsend home because Taylor's mom was never around and her father had checked out when Taylor was six. That was when Veronica had moved herself and her daughter to Newport from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and while Veronica had done her best to lose her accent she still sent Taylor to see her family every summer.

"So, you think this thing in Chino will be all right?"

"Sure," Luke reassured his friend. "It'll be a night to remember."

---xxxx---

"Come on, Ryan. The Rebels are a great band."

"If you say so."

"If you smile tonight, I'll make it worth your while," Teresa Diaz smiled at him.

"How worth my while are we talking?"

"Depends on how genuine your smile is," she said.

"See what I can do." He didn't want to tell her that the music she tended to like grated on him. All cheerful and happy and saccharine-sweet. Life wasn't like that. At least his music was about real things; not flowery romantic nonsense.

Except Journey, but no one had to know he liked that.

-x-x-x-x-

Ryan and Teresa walked into the club, Trey and Arturo behind them.

"See, I told you we were late," Teresa frowned. "They're already on stage."

"Take it up with your brother. He's the one who couldn't decide what to wear," Ryan said. He looked up at the stage when the strands of a song he liked hit him.

"What is this crap," Trey complained.

"....And being apart ain't easy on this love affair..."

"You didn't tell me they played this song," he whispered at Theresa.

"I thought you knew," she whispered back. "You like this?"

He shot a nervous look at his brother, who was distracted by the lead-guitarist's mini-skirt. "Yeah."

The singer finished the song and the club applauded.

"Thank you," she smiled. "We'll be back in a few."

The band left the stage and headed for a table. The girls sat down and the boys headed for the bar.

"C'mon," Trey said, making a bee-line for the girls.

Ryan rolled his eyes.

"We should go with him," Theresa tugged at his arm. "I want to meet them."

"Great." He muttered, following her to the table. "Just what I need - spending the night helping Trey wash mace out of his eyes."

"You guys sounded great up there," Trey was saying to the guitarist.

"Thanks," she said, tucking a strand of blue hair behind her ear.

Meanwhile the singer had spotted Teresa and Ryan on an eye roll. "Aren't you the girl who saved our bassist from his stalker in LA last month?"

"You remember that?"

"Of course. Here, sit down."

"You kick someone's ass, T," Trey included himself in the invitation, missing the annoyed look the red-haired girl gave him.

"No, just kept the dizzy bi....girl from getting back stage. Some boys," she glared at the darker Atwood, letting him know she included him in the category, "see a pair of.....see a chest, and their brains go bye-bye."

"Tell me about," the singer and guitarist said at the same time and then giggled.

"Well, since you saved him, I think we owe you a drink," the guitarist said. "Oh by the way, I'm Pepper. Is a coke okay or do I need my fake ID?"

"Coke's fine, thanks," Teresa said. "And I'm Teresa."

"Nice to meet you," she said before she headed for the bar.

"And I'm Max," the singer said. "So do your friends have names?"

"Larry, Moe, and Curly," Teresa said without missing a beat.

"Funny, sis."

"I'm Trey."

"Call me 'Turo."

"You have a name?"

Ryan shrugged.

"His name's Ryan," Theresa put a hand on his shoulder possessively. "We're dating."

"Thought we broke up."

"We're here, aren't we?"

Max blew out a breath and turned her attention to Arturo, "So, 'Turo, was it? What do you do?"

"A little bit of everything," he said with a shrug. "What do you do when you're not singing?"

"I chase tornados."

"I swear Max, I'm confiscating that damn movie the next time I see it. Thirty times is enough for any movie," the drummer sat down and handed her a coke.

"You sat through Gone With The Wind four times when Pepper had the flu."

"I was being a good friend."

"The fourth time was your idea," she said.

The bassist joined them with a smile, "I never did get to say thank you."

"You're welcome. That chica was psycho."

"Have you called the cops?" His friends gave him dark looks, but he didn't look away from the male guitarist.

"Yeah, but they can't do anything unless she does something illegal."

"I've talked to.....a lawyer, and he says stalking is real hard to prosecute, especially with a girl."

"So why don't you just sleep with her? Unless, of course, she's a dog or something."

"Trey..." Ryan shook his head at his brother.

"Trust me while she isn't a dog, she is no one I want to give any encouragement to."

"One soda for the savior," Pepper said. "So did the boys introduce themselves or have their manners escaped them?"

"What do you think?"

"I'm Zeke," the drummer introduced himself.

"Rip."

The four from Chino introduced themselves again.

"You guys are really good," Theresa enthused. "Even Ryan likes your music."

"Thanks," Max said. "It's nice to have fans as long as they don't go overboard with their adoration."

"It doesn't look like your number one fan followed you tonight," Teresa said to Rip.

"I guess this is a little out of her comfort zone."

"Is it out of yours?" Trey leered at Max.

"Let's be clear," Max raised an eyebrow at him. "You like your collar bone in one piece, yes?"

"I wouldn't go there if I were you," Zeke said. "She's got a black belt."

"Sounds like fun," Trey gave his brother a glare, letting him know the kick under the table wasn't appreciated.

Max rolled her eyes and looked at Rip, "You wanna dance before we get back up there?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Let's boogie," Pepper grabbed Zeke's hand.

"You got it."

"Did we just get dissed by a bunch of band geeks," Trey asked.

"You did, my man, you did." "Turo teased.

"You had to be a jerk, right," Teresa looked pissed. "They were nice and you had to be yourself and make a move on a girl, oh wait, make a move on girls who had no interest in you."

"Wanna dance?" His friends gave him odd looks. He leaned close to Theresa and whispered, "We could talk to them without the others."

"Sounds good," she practically dragged him to the dance floor.

They found themselves next to Max and Rip.

"Hey," Rip said to them.

"Hey," Teresa said. "Sorry about that. Trey's a little hard to handle sometimes."

"Guys like that are nothing new to us," Max said.

"It's not your fault he doesn't know how to take a hint."

Teresa smiled at them, "Thanks."

"Does anyone mind if we switch partners," Rip asked.

"Not at all," Max said. "Step on her feet for a while."

"I'm not that bad."

Ryan released Teresa and her and Rip danced away. Max put one hand in his and the other on his shoulder.

"We don't have to dance," she said after he didn't move.

"Are you sure," he couldn't quite keep the relief from his voice.

"C'mon, we'll sit at the bar," she said letting him go and walking towards the bar. Ryan followed her. They grabbed some seats and faced the club. "So, I take it you're not a dancer."

"No. I was just doing it as a favor to Teresa so she could talk to you guys again. She liked you and Trey ruined the conversation and since I brought him and he's my brother-"

"You felt like you had to make it up to her."

"Yeah."

"That's sweet."

"She's a good friend."

"Not a girlfriend?"

"Not really."

"Meaning that you two hook up every now and again but you're not actually going out?"

"Pretty much," Ryan said sheepishly.

"Sounds familiar."

"You and one of the guys?"

"No. But that goes on a lot at our school."

"My brother brags on it. Now I've got a rep as a Casanova."

"There are worse reps to get and you might want to tell your brother that Pepper carries mace," she nodded to the dance floor where Trey was trying to cut in on Zeke and Pepper.

Ryan sighed, "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. We have to get back on the stage anyway," she said getting up and walking over to her friends. "Sorry Trey, time for us to go back to work." She scanned the dance floor and found Rip. She signaled and he excused himself. Max pointed to the bar where Ryan was and Teresa waved her thanks.

"That guy comes around again, I'm kicking his ass," Pepper muttered.

"You'll only encourage him," Rip warned, running a quick check as they hooked their gear back up. "Mace him and have done."

"Too bad you can't mace stalker chick."

"Oh no," he looked to where Zeke's drumstick was pointing. "Damn it."

"Ignore her," Max advised. "We've got a gig to finish."

---xxx---

Marissa Cooper's eyes narrowed as she watched the girl Rip had been dancing with go back to the bar where another blonde boy was sitting. She sat down next to him and crossed her arms as she glared across the club at the two older boys that had been talking to Pepper and Zeke. She had recognized her immediately as the girl who had kept her from going backstage last month in LA.

As the band started back up Marissa made her own way to the bar and ordered a drink. She kept an eye on the other teenagers waiting for the right moment.

---xxxx----

Max looked around the club once more before she turned and walked out the side entrance to join her friends.

"What took you so long," Pepper asked as she took off her wig and combed her blonde pixie cut locks out, turning back into Anna.

"I was looking for Teresa. I wanted her last name to leave on the list for that gig in September."

"I think I saw her leave just before our last song," Rip put his long-haired wig in its bag and rubbed a towel over his brush cut, "with her boyfriend and those other guys."

Zeke took out the nose ring and removed the dark glasses before he took out his earring as he leaned back against his seat in the back of the car while Max took off her wig and unclipped her auburn hair letting it tumble down around her shoulders.

"Everyone back," Luke asked, starting the car.

"I'm starving. I got a major buzz off of that pot smoke and I think it gave me the munchies," Taylor said.

"Let's hit the diner," Seth suggested, digging in his bag for his sunglasses. "One of the spotlights was glaring in my face all night. I need a chocolate/vanilla shake to take the edge off."

"Can we go to Moe's instead," Anna asked, naming the diner the kids from Pacific frequented. "I am so not in the mood to be stared at by the morons from Harbor as they sober up."

"Oh, like being stared at by Pacific morons is better," Luke grumbled.

"Let's hit Clyde's," Taylor suggested. "The only morons there are from the local community colleges and since most of those are on break, it should be pretty empty. They have awesome shakes and those cheese fries you like."

"Clyde's it is," Anna agreed. "No one there will be hitting on us, either. It'll be nice to have the break."

---xxx---

"Look, it was an emergency. My friend passed out."

"Did calling an ambulance occur to you," the officer asked.

"Ambulances are expensive." He gave the other cop a hard look. "And they take too long to come to Chino. Longer than we thought she had." And they'd turned out to be right. The nurses at the ER had said that if they'd waited any longer, the drugs would've done some permanent damage.

"Your friends have some pretty extensive records," the cop said.

"Yeah, I know."

"Where did you get the drugs?"

"What drugs?"

"The drugs you gave the girl."

"I didn't give her any drugs and she wouldn't take them. She's not like that."

"So your brother gave them to her."

"No!"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. After we got here we kind of split up. Trey was being a jerk to some people we'd met and Teresa was annoyed with him so we sat at the bar and he and 'Turo did their own thing."

"And these people you met, could they have given her drugs?"

"No. It was the band that was playing there. They invited us to sit with them because they recognized Teresa from another show she'd been at where she got rid of some girl who was harassing their bassist. We talked to them for a while. One of them got Teresa a coke and then they got tired of Trey so they got up to dance."

"Who got your friend her coke?"

"The lead guitarist. Her name was Pepper. But Teresa never drank it because she and I got up to dance, too."

"So how did she get the drugs?"

"I don't know. Maybe the Dew she got when the band started playing again."

"Was anyone around you two? Did you notice anyone watching the two of you?"

"No." He didn't know whether to be embarrassed or pissed. Maybe, if he'd been paying attention, Theresa wouldn't be in the hospital. "I was watching the band."

"The Rebels, right," the officer checked his notes. "The singer or the lead guitar?"

"What?"

"My son likes them."

"Oh," Ryan flushed. "The singer."

"My boy likes the guitarist. I keep telling him girls with different colored hair are not a good idea, but he doesn't listen."

"Is Teresa gonna be okay?"

"I'll check for you. In the meantime, I'll see what the owners want to do about the car."

"I know a guy who can fix the window cheap, if they want."

"I'll make sure they know that. Now, since you don't have a record and have never needed an attorney, I called legal aid for you. He should be here any time," the officer said as he stood up. "Just relax. You didn't do the actual stealing, you have no record, and you had a better than most reason. You'll probably end up with probation."

"Thanks."

"Sure kid."

-x-x-x-x-

"I can't believe you're leaving in forty-eight hours," Seth complained as he picked at his fries.

"Do not remind me," Taylor sighed as she reached for a nacho.

"You like visiting your family," Anna reminded her.

"Yes, I know. But this year I was really hoping to do the whole debut thing here with you guys."

"C'mon T, it's not your fault that none of your uncles can leave the state," Luke said over a mouthful of burger.

"I know a girl whose entire family has prison records," Seth mused. "My grandpa will be so proud."

The teenagers laughed and the sound echoed around the nearly empty diner.

"Hey, my grand-maman does not have a prison record," Taylor reminded him. "That's the only reason we're still allowed at the country club and while the females of Newport are walking down the stairs to Mozart or something equally classic I'll probably be walking down to 'Dixie'."

"I think, with the heavy French influence in Louisiana, you'd be more likely to be walking down to 'Berloiz' or something." Luke smirked at his friends' stares, "What? I go to the same snooty school you do, remember?"

"So, have you two decided who's escorting Anna down the stairs?"

"Seth won the coin toss," Anna said. "So Luke's partner is going to be determined by the head Debutante."

"You are so freaking lucky that she doesn't know who you really are," Seth said. "She'd glue herself to your side and never leave."

"She may do it anyway," he said mournfully. "She doesn't have a boyfriend, remember?"

"So ask someone else before the big day. She can't assign herself to you if you're taken."

"Who? Holly? Thanks but no thanks."

"Yeah, stupid might be catching."

"Meow!"

"So, do you know who your escort is?"

"Probably one of Grand-maman's friends' unattached grandsons. I really wish I could take one of you guys with me."

"A California Yankee in Queen Collette's court," Seth said in mock horror. "Perish the thought."

"Maybe you could take the guy from last night."

"What do you mean?"

"Yeah, you're right, Anna. She was staring at him...."

"...intently....."

....for, like, every song after our break."

"I hate you three," Taylor rolled her eyes. "The only thing I know is that his name is Ryan and that girl he was with tonight is his bed buddy."

"Explains why they left early."

"Looks bad for the home team."

"Shut up, Seth."

"He's cute but he doesn't know my real name and I'll probably never see him again."

"Teresa's a fan, so you might."

Anna giggled.

"What?"

"I was just imagining people's faces if you worked it out. A kid from Chino at the Newport Debutante Ball."

"I'm having more fun imagining a kid from Chino at a Debutante Ball under the watchful eye of Baton Rouge's society matrons," Luke said.

"You gotta admit it'd be funnier if he was here and could you see Julie Cooper's face if the one he was escorting was Marissa?"

"Better him than me."

"Tay, you wanna stay over tonight," Anna asked as they got up to leave, each of them leaving money on the table.

"No, I should get home and start packing."

"That's our job for tomorrow," Seth said, putting an arm around his friend. "We go to your house, we help you pack for Baton Rouge and we take home boxes of things you don't want your mother to find in your room to hide in our rooms for the summer."

"Have I ever told you how much I love you guys?"

"Yes."

"Good. So, we've avoided the subject for as long as we can," Taylor said, shooting a look at Anna.

"She's right. You guys are going to be okay without us this summer, right?"

"Because the last time we left you completely on your own, we were twelve. I headed off to Baton Rouge as usual and Anna went to Pittsburgh for the summer and when we got back, Seth had a sprained wrist and Luke had a black eye."

"Hey, I was helping him out."

"Yeah, these guys objected to me looking at Summer."

"Just promise us you guys won't do anything stupid," Anna frowned at them. "I don't wanna worry about you two."

"Yeah me neither. I also want you two in one piece when we get home."

"Like I don't get enough of this at home."

"We'll be fine." Luke grinned. "It's Newport. What could happen?"

"Famous last words," Anna said as they all climbed into Luke's car and headed home.