Charlie refuses because Bryon is underage. The boys are forced to look for jobs, but they do not have much luck. Douglas’s hospital stay causes financial stress.

Mark states that if anyone ever hurt him like that, he would hate them forever. Mark does not share Mike’s understanding of the factors that caused the girl to lie. After the visit ends, Bryon and Mark discuss Mike’s misfortune. When he thinks about it from the girl’s viewpoint, he can almost understand why she lied. Despite this, Mike does not hate African Americans. They pulled him from the car and nearly beat him to death when the girl lied, claiming Mike hurt her. Mike drove the girl home and his car was surrounded by a group of African American kids. Mike tells Bryon and Mark what happened, how he actually saved the girl from being harassed by a group of whites. Mike is recovering from a beating after being falsely accused of harming a young African American girl. Bryon and Mark also visit Mike Chambers, a boy Bryon’s mother befriends. Bryon is taken with Cathy and hopes to see her again. While there, Bryon meets Cathy Carlson, M&M’s older sister, who works in the snack bar. The following day, Bryon and Mark visit Bryon’s mother in the hospital. The “Hippies” are a new group and the lines between the two former groups, the “ Greasers” and “Socs,” are becoming blurred.

Bryon and Mark find M&M in time to stop Curly Shepard and his Greaser gang from beating M&M up. Charlie tells the pair that M&M, a younger Hippie boy, is looking for them. The boys hang out at Charlie’s Bar and earn money by hustling pool. They have lived together with Bryon’s mother ever since Mark’s parents shot each other in a drunken brawl. The book was later adapted into a 1985 film starring Emilio Estevez and Craig Sheffer. Set in the 1960s, it follows the relationship between two brothers, Mark Jennings and Bryon Douglas, who are foster brothers, but find their relationship rapidly changing and deteriorating. That Was Then, This Is Now is a coming-of age, young adult novel by S. Print ( hardcover, paperback), Audiobook ( audiocassettes)

That was then this is now author