I was standing in the field, alone. It was raining, but I didn't notice, nor did I notice the muddy streaks on my pants and shoes that would've given my mother a heart attack. I was clutching a baseball tightly, my hand trembling. One wouldn't have noticed, but there was a different kind of water streaking down my face than raindrops. They said they were going to be here. They said. I looked up, my inner thoughts broken, when something rattled the wire fence. I frowned when I saw a boy standing there, grasping the fence with his fingers. He looked like he was a year or two older than me, and he was built like an ox. His face was grim and serious (and a little scary, to be honest), close to what I imagined a murderer would wear. But then a goofy smile stretched from ear to ear, the grin lighting up every rough and rugged feature of his face, and he waved wildly to me. “Wanna play some baseball?” he yelled. Before I could even say anything, he climbed up and over the fence and ran toward me, his strange manner of running giving him the appearance of a monster chasing its victim. He skidded to a stop before me, and it was only now that I noticed he had a bat in hand. He held it out to me. “You wanna bat first, or do you want me too?” he asked. I pointed at him, too stunned for words, and he grinned, his eyes lighting up. He jogged to home base and got into position. He turned to me, he widened his eyes, as if he wanted them to be a big enough size to capture everything going on around him. He gave a slight nod. I wiped my face and, taking a deep breath, I readied myself. Then with all my might, I threw the ball. The ball hurtled toward him, and he swung, his strong arms giving plenty of power to his swing. I was thinking with amazement that it was going to be a home run when I felt something collide with my head. The last thing I remembered was the sensation of falling and mud on my face... When I woke up, I gasped when I saw there was a hulking figure towering over me. I sat up abruptly, and he jumped in surprise. Then I saw that it was the boy from before and relaxed. He had a sheepish smile on his face, and in his large hand was my baseball. There was a small splatter of blood on it. “Sorry,” he said. “Mama always said I don't know my own strength.” “I thought you were going to hit a homerun,” I replied, to which he laughed - a booming, hearty sound, a sound I couldn't help but associate with genuine goodness. “What?” I asked, confused. It didn't sound funny to me. “I'm not sure,” he admitted. Then his smile vanished, and he replied, “The doctor called your mom. She'll be here soon.” “Why the long face?” I asked. “Your mom's not gonna let me be your friend, I reckon, since I hurt your head.” I blinked in surprise. Friend? This guy wanted to be my friend? Since when had anyone wanted to be my friend? It's probably a trick, a voice inside warned me. After all, those kids said they would play baseball with you, but they lied. What makes you think he won't do the same? Yeah but...there was something about this kid - something different. There seemed to be this aura of...goodness...around him. I couldn't quite describe it in a way others would understand. I guess you'd have to feel it for yourself to know. Anyway, it was something that just couldn't be faked, no matter how hard you tried. So, yeah, I had a feeling - maybe something more real than that - that he was being genuine. “How come you wanna be friends with me?” I asked. “Who wouldn't?” he replied. “I have no friends!” I wanted to scream at him. “I suck at socializing! I suck at sports!” - (though I do like baseball) - “I suck at being cool! I'm a total GEEK!” But of course, I didn't. Instead, I asked, “You know who I am, right? The Four-Eyed Geek?” “Oh, yeah, I was wondering why people at school call you that. Is it because you have glasses?” “Yes,” I replied, my cheeks flushing red with embarrassment, as I pushed my glasses farther up my nose with my middle finger. “Mama always said she wouldn't raise no bully - no sir, she wouldn't tolerate no bullying of any kind, no siree.” “So you don't think I'm a geek?” “Naw. I think you're a Jimmy.” I raised my brow - something I'd practiced a lot doing to get it just right - and he shrugged. “Mama always said we weren't nothing them bullies said. We were only us. You ain't no Four-Eyed Geek, and I ain't no Bonehead. You're just a Jimmy, and I'm just a Cade.” “Cade? That's your name?” “Yep, it sure is.” “Well, Cade, don't worry because I wanna be your friend too. I'll just tell my mom I ran into a pole or something.” “So then we friends?” “Yeah, we're friends,” I said with a smile, offering my hand. He took it and shook it, thus starting a lifetime friendship between us.