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fightin’?”
    â€œNaw.” He heard Leighton yawn. “Wrestled too many ornery bulls to be scared of a few Johnnies.”
    â€œYou thinkin’ I’ll be a good soldier?”
    â€œDon’t rightly know if
I’ll
be a good one.” Leighton yawned again, rolled on his side.
    â€œWe gonna die? Harry says we won’t take a bullet—”
    â€œTruth is, we ain’t all comin’ back, Billy Boy.”
    Leighton’s words frightened Billy. Staring into the darkness, he hesitated for several moments.
    â€œIf I don’t like it and all, can I go home? I can find my way.”
    â€œAin’t none of us goin’ home for a long time. We do what the army says now.”
    â€œLeighton?”
    â€œBilly, you ask me one more question and I’m gonna throw you outta this tent. Now lie down and get some sleep.”
    Billy ran his fingers through his hair and moved to the edge of the blanket. “Sure enough, you take up the whole dang thing.” Rocking his thin body, his arms clasped around his knees, Billy thought about home. Already he sorely missed Jamie. Sometimes Jamie sneaked across the hall and crawled beneath Billy’s covers, snuggling against his back. Many nights Jamie would talk about things he learned in school, explaining it all nice and easy.
    If he was home right now, he might be playing checkers. Or maybe Ma would be reading from the Bible. He shook his head. He’d sooner be in his own bed, warm under his quilt. Lying down on a sliver of blanket, he leaned his back into Leighton’s broad shoulders and closed his eyes.
    â€œMy name’s Captain Edward Mathers—commanding officer of Company G.”
    Billy listened to the words of his new commander and glanced at the members of his company. Most of the soldierswere older. Charlie said a couple were lawyers; some had even been to college. But mostly, Charlie told him, the others were like them—just plain farmers.
    â€œReveille will sound at five,” Captain Mathers continued. “The regiment will form ranks by company. You will be given a description of the day’s duties. For the next week and a half, your days will be filled with company, battalion, and regimental drills, target practice, policing camp, and digging sinks.” He added the last with a smirk on his face.
    Billy nudged Leighton. “What’s he mean, diggin’ sinks?”
    â€œGonna be pissin’ in a hole in the ground,” Leighton replied.
    By the end of his first week at Camp King, the only relief Billy had found was when he finally received his own wool blanket. He cringed each time the drill sergeants screamed at his slowness or leaned into his face, hurling torrents of mean words. Increasingly frustrated, Billy walked away from drill one afternoon. Harry ran after him, telling him the sergeants’ hurtful words were just army talk. At roll call the next morning the sergeant major shouted Billy’s name and ordered him to step forward. A few others were called, including Leighton. Terrified, Billy inched forward, timidly, brushing his shoulder against Leighton.
    â€œIs he sore at us?”
    Leighton’s face flushed. “Looks like you and me gonna be doin’ extra drills ’til we get things right.” He shook his head in disgust. “Sergeant major’s put us fellas in a new squad. Already give us a name.”
    â€œWhat name?”
    â€œBilly Boy, you and me is in the Awkward Squad.”
    â€œThen we ain’t in trouble?”
    â€œNaw, just slow is all.”
    Billy liked having Leighton at his side. When the teasing got bad, Leighton would slap him on the back and tell Billy to laugh. Said laughter was like a shield of armor. If you laugh, Leighton said, the hurtful words can’t go all the way to your heart. Billy tried to imagine the shield whenever the drill sergeants or other privates teased him, but mostly the taunts still managed to