Ain't No Fool

Chapter One

Texas Winston stood carelessly in front of Herman's Grocer. His blonde hair sunk close to his face from the hot sun that beat down on his head. Lighting up a cigarette he walked down a few steps. He was waiting for him. And by him I mean the Man that shall remain nameless for now.

Tex was the glad that He Who Shall Remain Nameless was late because his little sister, Dakota (who goes by D) was late. Tex didn't want He Who Shall Remain Nameless to show up and get mad that she wasn't there. He Who Shall Remain Nameless would get mad and maybe even hit Tex. If he were angry enough he would.

Tex leaned against the telephone booth that sat right in front of the grocery store. His leather jacket was attracting heat to his body but he wasn't going to take it off for shit. That was his father's jacket. It was the only thing he had to let him know that he had had a father.

Tex's father, the infamous Dallas Winston, took off about a year after Dakota had been born. Tex's mom, Sylvia, said it was because he couldn't handle being tied down with her and Tex and Dakota for so long. Dallas was a man that lived to his own rules. He did what he wanted to do when he wanted to do them. But Tex wanted his Dad. As tough as he was he wasn't afraid to admit that he wanted his father.

"Tex!" a little girl screamed. Tex looked up from the bare street of 4th Avenue to see his little sister running toward him. Blood stained her shirt and hands. Her small body shook with fear.

"What the hell happened to ya?" Tex asked trying to hide the fear in his voice. The truth was that he was worried his little sister had been knifed (stabbed) by a Social.

A Social was a rich kid that lived in a real nice house on the nice side of town. Tex and Dakota and all the other kids in their neighborhood were greasers, the low life bad kids.

"I...I mean Tyler got stabbed by a Soc," Dakota sighed. Tears hit her eyes but she swallowed them away. She was never one to cry even though most seven-year-old girls did. She never cried. That was a trait she had inherited from her father.

"She okay?" Tex asked a bit worried. Tyler was Dakota's best friend in the whole wide world. She and Dakota had been born on the same day and had all these similarities and blah, blah, blah. Tex didn't like to get into the whole nine yards of his sister's social life. He only cared about her well-being.

Dakota nodded shakily, "Her brothers took her down to the hospital."

"That bad, eh?" Tex asked, shocked. It was pretty abnormal that a girl that little got knifed, "Who knifed her?"

"A few middle scholars," Dakota replied in a heavy sigh. She was still shaking pretty badly, mostly from the shock of seeing her best friend stabbed, "We were walkin' over to her house from the park when the three farts stopped us and started a little three on two. Ty went up to smack one but like a little shit he pulled out a knife and stabbed her in the stomach."

Tex sighed heavily. He knew D had probably never seen that much blood so she was probably a little shook up, "Ya ok-"

"I'm fine, Texas," Dakota snapped. Tex took a few steps with his hands in the air.

"Wanna smoke to calm ya nerves?" Tex offered. He knew Dakota wouldn't take it but he figured he should start getting her addicted soon otherwise she'd be made fun of by all the guys.

"Nah," Dakota shook her head sharply.

"Ya know ya gotta start some time, kid," Tex said as he took one last draw on the cig and stomped it out.

Dakota raised her eyebrows, her reply. She wasn't one for smoking or drinking. Tex, on the other hand, lived for all the trouble. He loved stealing and drinking and cussing and brawling and smoking. He had been in the cooler twice and he was only fourteen.

"There he is," Dakota said wearily. She was referring to He Who Shall Remain Nameless. He drove up in his old beat up black truck. Well it wasn't really black; it was grayer because most of the paint was chipped off.

"Yea. Let me do the explainin' with the blood. He's probably been drinkin' and I don't want him hittin' ya again," Tex said in a protective manner. He always watched out for D. She was his responsibility because their mother didn't really give a damn.

Lighting up another cigarette he waited for He Who Shall Remain Nameless to pull up. Dakota scooted back a few feet behind Tex. She wasn't afraid of much except for He Who Shall Remain Nameless.

"Hey, kids," He Who Shall Remain Nameless slurred his words. Tex knew he'd be drunk but he was worried that he'd be violent. He didn't like him hittin' D. The last time he had hit her she got a nice shiner on her left eye and a tuff looking bruise on her shoulder.

"Hey," Tex said firmly as the two kids got into the truck. Tex sat in the middle of He Who Shall Remain Nameless (who's name, which I will now reveal as Randy) and Dakota.

"Where'd the blood come from?" Randy asked looking Dakota right in the eye.

"It ain't blood," Tex lied, "She and Ty went fishin' today and gutted the fish."

Randy's grip on the steering wheel tightened causing his knuckles to turn white. Dakota winced at the sight. She was afraid of Randy's fights, "That right, eh?"

Tex nodded, "Yup."

"Get out a' the truck," Randy said sternly. Tex obeyed as he pushed Dakota towards the front of the truck so that she couldn't see Tex get his butt whooped. Tex never fought back against Randy. At first, when his mother started dating him, he did. But after a while he got tired of it and gave up.

"Why do ya lie to me, boy?" Randy barked as he smacked Tex straight across the face. Pain instantly pervaded his cheek as Randy took another blow. He dared not to scream though. Only a whimp would scream.

"Get in the truck now," Randy slammed Tex into the trunk of the truck and then walked over to the front of the truck where Dakota stood. Tex winced in pain but immediately stood up even though the pain in his back was awful.

"Get in the truck!" Randy hollered making D jump. Tex was right behind her ready to pick her up and run at any moment. But Randy just got into the truck and waited patiently for the two kids to get into the truck.

"Ya okay, Tex?" Dakota asked as they got back into the truck. Tex nodded and placed an arm around her shoulder. He wanted to let Randy know that if he ever laid a hand on D he'd pay.