Mario doesn't understand why his father is so patient with his little brother, Tony. If Paul Garner would put his foot down, maybe Tony would finally finish his education. Mario loves school - everything about it. All he needs is his classes, his father's office, and his young lady friend, Barbara, who constantly haunts his father's office cubbies. Sometimes he wonders, though, exactly what Tony sees in the local dance club - exactly how he has the courage to step into an establishment full of criminals and ne'er-do-wells. Books sometimes hint at the excitement and pleasure in stepping out of the safety of academia into the real world, but Mario doesn't know if the rewards could ever justify the risks.