Chet Breen was suiting up early for practice on Tuesday when he heard Coach's voice go up an octave. He looked around corner of the lockers and saw the office door swing open as the new kid bolted. Chet could sympathize, but he didn't. Though he'd been the focus of one of Coach Aguirre's cold rages, Chet spared no kind feelings for Jack Twist. Yesterday afternoon, Twist had made the whole team look like a bunch of girls with wet noodle arms. Chet knew for a fact that there was no way he could toss a baseball with anything approaching the velocity, not to mention the accuracy, of Twist's throw, and it didn't make him like Twist any better. He was still gloating over the other boy's rapid departure, when Aguirre appeared in the doorway.

"Breen, whut in hell're you moonin' over? You got a crush on the new kid?"

"No, sir!"

"Git in my office right now," Aguirre ordered as he turned away.

Chet sat down in the hard plastic chair opposite the coach's overflowing desk. Aguirre eased back in his wheeled and cushioned throne and fixed Chet with his nail-head stare.

"I asked Twist t' come out for the team," Aguirre said. "Know whut he told me? No thank ya, Coach. I'm too busy warshin' dishes to play ball."

Chet's mouth dropped open. "He said whut?"

"Don't that beat all? Lissen up, Breen. We could use Twist's arm this season, so I'd like you and a couple a the other fellahs t' try and persuade him t' join up. Maybe a little peer pressure'll do the trick."

"That won't be no problem, Coach," Chet said. "Whut if he still don't wanna play after we talk to 'im?"

"Breen, when a man don't like sports, you can be sure a one thing. He's queer as a three-legged duck. Comprende?"

Chet nodded. There was something prissy about Jack Twist. His clothes were a little too neat and clean, made him look like a mama's boy to Chet. "He'll join the team, or he'll be sorry, Coach," he said.

"Well, you ain't gonna find him in my office."

Chet jumped to his feet, nearly getting tangled in the chair legs in his haste. He wanted to find Randy and Pete before practice started. He thought about including Ennis, but Ennis was unpredictable in a fight. There was no guarantee that Ennis would stop beating on Twist once he started. No, better to leave Ennis out of this one.

::x::

"See ya tomorrow, Miz Reagan," Jack said as he left the big kitchen for the relatively cooler air outside. He started for home, altering his route so he didn't pass by the baseball field. Practice should be over by now, but he didn't want to run into Coach Aguirre if he could help it. Man reminded him too much of his daddy; though they looked nothing alike, Jack could tell that Aguirre had the same low opinion of him. Jack was wondering what made some folks want to be so all-fired mean all the time when a piece of gravel kicked up dust in front of him. He whirled around and saw three guys his age walking behind him. Jack looked around, but didn't see anyone else, and he had the strong feeling these boys weren't here just to shoot the shit with him.

"Hold up, Twist," Chet said. "We ain't even met, but you done pissed me off already. Think you're too good to join our team?"

"That ain't it," Jack said, squirming with the shameful words. "I got to work after school so's we can make ends meet."

"Ain't that sweet. You a mama's boy, Twist?" Chet said.

"Sure looks like one to me," Randy said.

"Coach wants ya on the team," Chet said. "Don't know why; we sure as hell don't need ya."

"Your coach must think you do," Jack answered too quickly.

"You sumbitch!" Chet said. "Smartin' off ain't gonna git ya nothin' but trouble."

"I don't know why I said that," Jack said. "Cain't we just forget it? I'll go on home since ya don't need me anyway."

"That ain't how it's gonna be, Twist," Randy said. "If you don't join up, Coach'll be pissed at us, and I surely don't want that."

"Well, I cain't do it."

"Just remember ya brought this on yourself," Chet said. "Randy, Pete, grab hold of 'im."

Jack was fast, but Aguirre had his team running sprints every day. The ball players caught Jack before he crossed the railroad tracks and dragged him behind a covered bus stop. Randy and Pete held Jack's arms as Chet cocked his fist and punched the helpless boy hard. Jack's head snapped around with the force of the blow, and he was shocked by how much it hurt, almost as much as getting kicked by a milk cow. Daddy's blows were never designed to cause Jack physical pain. The thumps and backhanded slaps were more a way to get Jack's attention so Daddy could flay him with words.

"Whatta ya say Twist? Ready to change your mind?" Chet drew his hand back, threatening Jack with another punch. Jack shook his head and Chet swung, but the blow never landed. Ennis Del Mar wrapped a big hand around Chet's fist and held it immobile.

"Whut the hell's goin' on here?" Ennis asked.

"Whut's it look like?" Chet answered. "Let go my fuckin' hand, Ennis."

"Whut'd Twist ever do t' you?"

"He's a homo," Chet accused

"Yeah? How you know that? He suck your dick?"

"Hell no!" Chet said. "Coach told me he was queer."

"Coach told ya?" Ennis repeated skeptically, releasing Chet's fist.

Chet flexed his fingers a few times as he spoke. "Yeah. He said we should convince Twist to join the team."

Ennis didn't say anything. His dark gaze swung from Chet to Randy to Pete and back to Chet. By that time, his teammates had remembered that they had other places to be. Letting go of Jack, Randy and Pete mumbled their goodbyes and hurried away. Chet followed after a parting shot at Ennis.

"Coach ain't gonna like this."

Ennis shook his head. "Reckon there ain't much he does like."

Jack stared at Ennis. "I don't know why ya done that, but thanks. They surely woulda whupped my ass if ya hadn't come along."

"Felt bad 'bout what I said. Hell, my old man's the biggest tosspot in the county. I got no call to say whut I did 'bout your uncle."

Jack rubbed his cheekbone, giving Ennis a crooked smile.

"Whut?" Ennis asked suspiciously.

"Did'nt know ya could say more'n one sentence at a time."

Ennis returned Jack's smile with half of one. "Words ain't my strong point."

"It's okay 'bout ya said," Jack offered.

Ennis nodded gratitude. "Even steven?"

"Fair and square."

"Truck's on the side a the road. Wanna ride?"

"Wouldn't mind."

"Whut's your ma gonna say when she sees that lump?"

"How's it look?"

"Swellin' up fast. Gonna be a helluva bruise by tomorrah."

"Shit. Mama'll have conniptions. Maybe ya oughta just drop me at the top a the road."

"That whut ya want?"

"Not really. If ya come in with me, she might not pitch a hissy. Worth a try."

Ennis grunted agreement, busy ignoring the memory of running to his mother the first time K.E. had pummeled him. He swung into the gravel driveway and parked behind Uncle Harold's jalopy. Even as the engine noise died, the screen door opened and Sarah Twist came onto the porch. Her maternal sixth sense alerted her to Jack's injury before she saw it, and Ennis stood aside as she rushed past him to look at Jack's face.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Nuthin', mama," Jack looked down. "I was walkin' on the rails, seein' how far I could go without fallin' off and I fell off. Ennis was drivin' by and offered me a ride."

Mrs. Twist's eyes flew to blonde boy that had brought her Jack home. "Much obliged, Ennis," she said. "Won't ya come in? I know boys're always hungry. Come on in the kitchen and have a piece a cherry cake while I tend to Jack."

"Thank ya, ma'am," Ennis said, belatedly remembering to take his hat off. "I sure would like that. Ain't had cherry cake in a long time."

"Maybe your mama would like my recipe," Sarah said, as she sat Jack down in a ladder back chair. "Wouldn't be no bother."

"My mama passed some time ago, ma'am."

Sarah paused in cutting a piece of the cake. "I'm right sorry to hear that, Ennis. We lost Jack's father a few months ago and it's a terrible thing to lose someone."

"Yes, ma'am," Ennis agreed reflexively, looking at the pattern on the plastic tablecloth.

"You want a cold glass a milk with this, don'tcha?"

Ennis nodded, grateful for the change in conversation. Sarah set a glass down beside the plate as Ennis picked up his fork. The young man's obvious pleasure in a simple wedge of cake touched Sarah's heart. Without thinking, she tousled his curly hair as she turned to fetch some things from the bathroom. Ennis paused in shoveling cake into his mouth and looked after her with a complicated expression on his face.

"She grow an extra head or somethin'?" Jack asked.

"Whut?"

"Never mind. Havin' you here takes some a the attention off a me. I love my mama to death, but sometimes…"

"You're lucky, Jack Twist."

"I know, but cain't I bitch just a little?"

"Bout whut?"

"Like how she treats me like I'm six years old, which you are about to witness. Oh Lord, here she comes and she's got the Merthiolate."

Ennis winced. That stuff stung like the devil. And Jack's mama was loaded for bear. She carried an armful of bottles and tubes, including the familiar green of Phisohex plastic and the brown glass of peroxide. Jack was going to get the full treatment. Ennis would have to act fast. As Mrs. Twist set down her arsenal, Ennis spoke up.

"Ma'am, don't mean t' be rude, but before ya git started, is there any chance I might have another piece that cake. Sure is good."

"Course ya can. I know Jack won't mind waitin' for me to doctor him."

Jack gave Ennis a reproachful look behind her back. Ennis reached casually across the table and picked up the little square bottle of tincture of Merthiolate. Glancing at Mrs. Twist, Ennis bent down and slipped it into his boot. When Sarah turned with a fresh slice of cake, Ennis was sitting upright with his fork in his hand. Sarah smiled and made up her mind to wrap up a big wedge for the boy to take home. Humming a little under her breath, she started cleaning Jack's wound. Ennis gobbled up his second piece of cake and tried not to grin too much at the sight of Jack acting like a six year old.

"That's strange," Sarah said. "I know I brought out the Merthiolate, but I cain't seem to find it anywhere."

"Maybe it fell on the floor, Mama."

"All by itself?"

Jack shrugged as Ennis pretended to look under the table. Mrs. Twist knew something was out of true here, but she was so happy that Jack was making a friend that she let it pass.

"It don't matter," she said. "I got iodine and mercurochrome."

Jack groaned as she walked back down the short hall to the bathroom. "Great. Now I git t' go t' school tomorrah with my face painted with monkey blood."

Ennis chuckled. "Monkey blood. Ain't heard that one since grade school."

"How 'bout kiss my ass? Heard that one lately?"

"Jack!" Sarah admonished as she returned with the threatened antiseptics.

"Sorry, Mama."

"I'd best git along, Missus Twist," Ennis said, as he rose.

"You sure? I'm gonna have supper ready before long."

"If you're sure it wouldn't put ya out, I'd like that."

"You'd be most welcome," Sarah said warmly.

Ennis sat back down.

Read Chapter Three of Bailey's Just Another New Kid in Town