Helen begins to write books for children.

Opie has a really big crush on classmate Mary Alice Carter, but she has her eyes on hunk Fred Simpson. When Opie asks her to the dance, she says yes, not thinking Fred will ask her. When Fred asks her, she immediately says yes and has to think of a way to tell Opie she can't go with him. At the dance, Mary Alice realizes that she really wants to be with Opie and they end up together.

Opie joins a rock-and-roll group and starts getting failing grades in school.

As Andy is looking through Helen's old newspaper clippings, he finds one of her being taken to jail by the police. He decides to keep his discovery secret until it leaks out to the school board which could destroy Helen's teaching career.

Opie sticks up for a young boy and must pay the price.