Billy seemed bigger than he usually seemed. But I never stood this close to Billy before. I ain’t never stood this close to no one who ain’ my kin.

Billy done gone an’ took my book, the one with my special thoughts in it, an’ he read about how I knew ‘bout him an’ Tammy an’ he mad. Real mad. So mad he said he gon’ stomp me. Stomp me good.

So I’s skeert. An I’m thinkin’ maybe Billy don’ run so good on account uh he so fat. But Maw said “don’t say ‘fat’”. But Billy. He fat. An he gone stomp me today. I don’ think I kin run pas’ him he so mad. But ifiin I kin git pas’ the brick wall I know he’ll trip on the tracks an I kin run to the trains. The whistles be blowin soon an’ I kin smell the bread baking from the Bakery.

Billy stood in fron’ of the Bakery an’ said he gone stomp me. An’ I kep lookin’ at his shadow, so tiny behin’ him. And I thinks to mysef, I thinks, Billy ain’t so mean. He shadow is smaller’an him. And his shadow pretty big an all but it maybe only as big as me.

I wish maybe his shadow make him stop. Jus’ pull away from th’ sidewalk an tell him this jus’ silly. Billy, this jus silly. Or maybe the mens come walkin’ out o’ the fact’ry. See Billy gone stomp me an’ stomp Billy ‘stead. Stomp him good. I’m a good boy, I don’ mean no harm.

But Billy mad. He real mad. An I knows it – he gone stomp me an’ get blood on his daddy’s tie. Billy gone stomp me smaller than his shadow.