(43)
Denny sat in the small set of bleachers at Memorial Park watching Billy warm up for his baseball game. Joe often took him along whenever Billy had a game. Tonight, Billy’s cheering section was one bigger; Paul Greymore sat on Denny’s right with Joe and Tina next to him. Billy kept glancing over, as if expecting trouble. Denny knew why. It was obvious from the minute they stepped out of the car that they weren’t welcome. The blatant stares and the people whispering to each other and sometimes pointing were not his imagination. Nobody wanted Greymore in Haven, let alone at a park full of kids. Not a single person had actually said anything yet, but the family seated in the same row of the bleachers got up and moved when they saw Paul coming.
When the game started, people had something to focus on besides Greymore. Denny watched with a mixture of emotions as Billy played flawlessly at third base, fielding everything that came near him and making throws cleanly to first base. Now, in his first at-bat, he stung an opposite-field double down the right field line, sending Frankie DeLeo all the way home from first. As happy as Denny was to see Billy do well, there was a tinge of jealousy. Denny loved the game, loved to play the game, but had shied away from try-outs again. He avoided all organized sports, unaware of the real reason: his brother’s memory. What if he wasn’t as good as Jimmy? Worse yet, what if he was better? Billy tried to convince him, Joe had even offered to take him to try-outs this year, but Denny always had an excuse. Now, watching the game, he knew he would have made the team. He wasn’t as good as Billy, not quite, but he was good enough.
His reflections were interrupted as angry shouts came from the crowd. Denny’s heart lurched, thinking people were finally screwing up enough courage to confront Greymore. But that would come later. Now it was just a bunch of kids who wandered across the outfield causing a delay in the game and the shouts from the spectators. Before Denny’s heart could settle back into its proper place in his chest, he realized it wasn’t just some random kids, it was Crawford and company. And he would recognize those long, tanned legs anywhere. Julie Cummings was with them.
Denny could see Julie trying to pull Crawford off the field, but he was too strong. Then he grabbed her arm and twisted it, shoving her roughly away.
“That son of a…” Denny turned to see Joe trying to get up but Paul and Tina were holding him from either side telling him to stay calm. Finally the group reached foul ground and the game could continue. On second base, Billy had his hands on his knees and his head down. He looked like a kid who was out of breath after legging out a double, but Denny knew him better than that. He wouldn’t be winded in the least: he was humiliated by his sister’s bad choice of friends. For that, Denny hated Crawford even more.
By now the group had made their way to the stands. Denny recognized Tony Costa and Buddy Dentner, the usual suspects in other words, flanking Crawford. Chuck Brantley was noticeably absent from the party. In fact, Denny hadn’t seen Brantley with Crawford very much since the night at the library. Whether Brantley had seen enough that night to smarten him up, or Crawford had kicked him out of the gang, Denny didn’t know. Either way, Brantley was better off for it. Denny felt sick, wishing he was anywhere but where he was. Something’s going to happen, he thought. As sure as I can smell rain in the air sometimes, I smell trouble right now. Dale and Julie were arguing loudly and Denny could see her eyes darting in their direction as they fought. Eventually Dale noticed too, and when he turned and saw Denny and Greymore sitting with the Cummings, Denny knew just what kind of trouble he smelled.
“Well, well, look who’s here: the freak and the geek.” As always, his hyenas laughed.
Denny felt Greymore’s body tense next to him. He could almost smell ozone in the air now, like a thunderstorm was close. As much as it must have hurt Joe to see his only daughter with that creep, he saw the immediate danger in what could happen if Greymore got a piece of him. He would be on his way back to Braxton: do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars. Joe stood and turned to Greymore, putting a hand on his shoulder.
“Paul, stay here with Tina and Denny, let me handle this.” Paul was staring at Dale, staring hard, but he gave Joe a barely-perceptible nod. As Joe turned and started down the stands, Denny jumped to his feet.
“Denny, stay here.” Paul’s voice was insistent, but when Denny looked in his eyes, he saw what looked like understanding.
“I can’t, Paul, not this time. Okay?” Again, this time with a look of resignation, Paul nodded.
He slipped through the crowd and made his way down the stands, catching up to Joe. He glanced at Billy, who had completely stopped paying attention to the game and in a bizarre role-reversal was standing on second base watching the action in the stands. Joe turned to see Denny and his eyes quickly darted to Greymore then right back to Denny. With his lips set in a grim line, he turned back toward his daughter. Crawford, with his gang in tow, had started up the stands despite Julie’s increasing protests, and now they met halfway up as Denny took his spot next to Joe.
“Julie, go sit with your mother, Mr. Crawford and I have something to talk about.” His eyes never left Dale’s. Julie was looking down, probably afraid of what she might see in her father’s eyes, probably not wanting to look at Crawford at all for putting her in this situation. As she tried to move past Dale, his hand shot out and grabbed her arm.
“I don’t think I want my girl anywhere near that child-killing freak.” Dale sneered.
“Take your filthy hands off her, Crawford, she’s as sick and tired of your shit as I am.” Before Denny knew he was even thinking them, the words were out of his mouth.
Crawford’s head snapped in Denny’s direction. His face began to redden and he screamed a single word. “You!”
Denny saw a look in his eyes that went a few steps beyond anger. Maybe just a step or two away from crazy. Crawford shoved Julie away and stepped toward Denny. Denny’s senses seemed heightened as he waited for Crawford’s attack. Behind Crawford, Denny saw that Billy had wandered off second base at the sound of Crawford’s voice. The pitcher spotted it too and he whirled and threw a strike to the secondbaseman, who tagged Billy out. The crack of the ball hitting the glove was as crisp as a gunshot. Denny saw Julie’s eyes widen and in that split-second he thought he saw a spark of concern for him in them.
Finally, he saw Dale’s wrecking ball of a fist arcing toward him. Before the jaw-shattering blow arrived, Joe’s hand shot out and caught Crawford’s fist in his. Billy raced off the field toward the stands. Joe’s eyes remained on Dale’s as he squeezed Dale’s fist. Crawford winced and now Denny saw the fear in his eyes. Dentner made his move, stepping around Crawford to get to Joe. Denny waited until he was close, then swung. It was a wild punch, but it was fueled by years of being bullied, and it landed squarely in Dentner’s unsuspecting gut. Dentner doubled over, the air leaving his lungs in a violent reverse gasp. As he desperately tried to breathe, he stared at Denny with an expression that said “you did this to me?” And before he could get any air, Denny swung again. This was a left-handed swing that had none of the fury or power of his first punch. But it was enough. It connected with a sickening noise to Dentner’s ear and he went down silently, still unable to suck in enough air to utter a whimper let alone a scream. Costa moved fast, grabbing Denny roughly by the shirt and landing a glancing blow to his head. Out of nowhere Billy came, batting helmet still on, hitting Costa in the small of the back in a flying tackle. Costa bent awkwardly before slamming into Denny, sending them both crashing to the stands. Billy was flailing wildly at Costa who was struggling to throw Billy from his back. Denny was pinned under both of them, helpless to do anything but watch the scene unfold. Dentner had regained his ability to breathe and when he touched the trickle of blood dripping from his ear, he looked at it quizzically, then reacted. He threw Billy and Tony aside and pounced on Denny’s chest, his knees grinding Denny’s shoulders into the rough wood of the stairs. Before Dentner’s punches began raining down on him, Denny saw Billy suffering the same fate. Costa had ended up on top of Billy’s and now had Billy’s arm twisted behind his back while he took wild swings at Billy’s head with his other hand.