Mal had spent the last 15 minutes unsuccessfully attempting to deal with the cowlicks in his hair. It was no use - he was just going to have to go to the dance looking something like a hedgehog. He studied himself in the mirror for a moment. He'd finally started to fill out some this summer, no longer looking quite so scrawny. But still with the gorram hair he'd had since the day he came cryin'...

Maybe the girls wouldn't notice? Nah, just his luck. His very first dance without his Ma keepin' an eagle eye on him and the girls would prolly all be giggling at him. Prolly not even get himself a kiss, much less anything else.

Caroline Reynolds' voice called up to him. "Malcolm Reynolds, get yourself down here! Tommy and Joe just got here! Hurry up or you'll be late!"

He made one last attempt on the hair and just gave up. "Coming, Ma!"

Caroline Reynolds surveyed her 15-year-old boy as he appeared in the kitchen. She had to remind herself that 'boy' didn't apply any more. He was almost as tall as his father had been, and looking to be just as handsome. She smiled to herself as she handed each of the boys baskets with baked goods for the potluck.

"No sneakin' the lemon bars a'fore you get there! And be sure to thank Preacher Wilkinson for hosting the dance."

"Yes, ma'am," the boys all chorused. Mal's Ma might have been a tiny woman, but they all knew that she was not to be messed with. The screen door slammed shut behind them.

"Hey, Reynolds, I hear Wilkinson's lettin' lil' Becky come to the dance," Tommy Chen said, as they headed down the road into town.

"Is that so?" Mal was trying to play it cool. He'd had a crush on Becky ever since they were both eight. Course now, parts of her weren't so little any more.

"Wouldn't mind me some time with that lil' Becky," Joe Turner laughed. "I could show her a thing or two her daddy never imagined."

"You wish," Tommy laughed. "I know for truth, Joe Turner, neither you nor Reynolds here have got yer cherries busted yet. We'd best be seein' to that a'fo