Ain't No Fool

Chapter Fifteen

One Week Later

Tex awoke the next morning to the sounds of laughing and giggling. Quickly sitting up he smacked his head against the side of the bunk bed, "Damn bed!" he yelled angrily.

"Hey now," Tex looked up to see Joshua glaring at him. This kid was messed up and Tex knew it. But Tex's main worry was that he and his little buddies were planning something. But what? He and D had been there for a week. If he were planning something wouldn't it have already happened?

"Sorry," Tex grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head. He never knew that bumping your head on a wooden bunk bed would hurt so badly. But it did. Standing up he glared at the alarm clock. Nine twenty-four.

"So ya wanna play some ball with me and my friends today?" Joshua asked randomly. Tex hardly ever talked to the young boy because he was always off playing baseball or going to the Nightly Double or reading comic books.

"Nah," Tex shook his head no, "Thanks," he added as an afterthought.

Joshua shrugged, "Thought ya just might like something to do besides sitting around the house and sulking."

"Look, Joshua," Tex said firmly, "I know ya just tryin' to be nice but I ain't turnin' into no soc. I'm still a greaser and that ain't gonna change. So ya can quit tryin' to make me hang with your friends and making me look like a soc."

Joshua nodded in a sigh; "I know ya ain't no soc...I'm not trying to turn you into one. I just thought you might like to play some ball with a couple a guys. That's it."

Tex replied, "Thanks, but don't ya think your buddies 'll think I'm a little weird and all since I'm a greaser?" Tex asked and added, "Plus some a my kind still rolls 'round this side. They see me hangin' with a bunch a' socs, they'll skin me."

Joshua nodded, "Yea guess you're right."

Tex saw at that moment that poor Joshua was probably just bored of summer. Well they had one thing in common.

Tex turned to leave and Joshua went back to reading his Spiderman comic book. But Tex felt a feeling that he rarely felt, a feeling that he had forgotten how to feel. He felt bad for Joshua. Maybe he had no friends? Maybe his so-called buddies were just lies? Maybe since his father was always the one to take him places, Tex was right? Who knows? All Tex knew was that he felt bad.

But Tex ignored his erg to turn around and talk to him. Thoughts and illusions filled his mind. Thoughts of socs plans and illusions of him getting out numbered by them. And with that, Tex walked into the bathroom to get ready. He knew that deep down in his heart Joshua was probably just trying to be nice because his mother told him to be but in his mind he was taught to think the worst.

After getting ready Tex decided to check up on Dakota. Since they had been here she was pretty used to the socs. Tex made sure she was polite but was careful that she didn't enjoy what the people gave her. This was not their permanent home and it never would be.

"Hey, D," Tex knocked on her door.

"C'mon in," she replied.

Tex walked in to find his sister ripping the heads of the Barbie dolls that Mrs. Greenberg had kindly bought for her. Tex laughed at the sight! A dozen little heads and bodies surrounded Dakota. It looked like the attack of the oversized woman!

Tex didn't know what to say. He knew that Mrs. Greenberg would be very upset at this sight but Dakota was never one for dolls. All her life she had played with trucks and racecars. And the trucks and racecars didn't last long because Tex had her in full on tough guy training from the time she was four.

"Ya know Mrs. Greenberg ain't gonna like this too much," Tex said still laughing a bit.

"I know," Dakota replied, "But I can't stand 'em. They stare at me when I try and play with the tea set."

Tex looked over and saw a teas set sitting on the tiny table by the window. So his sister did like to do something girly.

"Well I suggest ya hide 'em," Tex replied.

"Where?" D asked.

"Uh..." Tex scanned the room.

"Under your bed," Tex turned around to see Missy laughing at the sight of the dolls, "Nice."

Dakota smiled a soft grin, "Thank you."

Missy laughed once more and said, "Anyone wanna walk down to the ribbon and get some ice cream?"

Immediately Dakota cried out, "YES!"

Tex shrugged, "Sure." The Ribbon was a neutral place where not too many people would snicker at the fact that he was a greaser.

"Good," Missy smiled, "Let's go."

Tex and Dakota walked evenly along the sidewalk. Missy strode ahead. She was in a hurry for something. What? Tex had no idea.

"What's the rush?" Dakota asked.

Missy shrugged, "What rush?"

"Uh you're like ten yards 'head a' us," Dakota replied.

"I'm just in the mood for ice cream," replied Missy as they walked inside the ice cream parlor.

Tex noticed a man sitting in the corner eye Missy. He didn't like the way he looked at Missy. It was a wrong way. Like he loved her or something. But it wasn't like Tex liked Missy or anything; he just didn't want guys looking at her in such a way.

"Hey, Missy," Tex asked.

Missy turned to face him, "Do ya know that man over there?"

Missy's face turned bright red, "Look the only reason I brought ya two along was 'cause I wanted ya to know my secret."

"And what's that?" Tex asked.

"That's my father," Missy replied.