I wrote this story 12 years ago while I was teaching high school and was reflecting on the stark contrast between the opulence of the idyllic Marin County environs in which my students were living and the urban decay of the 1970s in which I had grown up. This story is an unsparing look at young people who were not granted the luxury of innocence. It portrays the crude, violent and tribal relationships of young teens in an urban setting.

Readers should be advised there is coarse, foul language and brutal violence. But I believe it accurately reflects the times and the people I grew up with some 40 years ago, if not the actual geography of the old neighborhood. Enjoy.