Billy Deel

Billy Deel moved into battle mountain about a year after Jeanette and her family had been living there. He was tall with a blond crew cut and blue eyes. He was also a juvenile delinquent and had been known to kill animals, vandalize and steal. Jeanette did not like him, but he would fallow her around and tell everyone that she was his girlfriend. He lived in a very small rundown shack, and his dad was an alcoholic. One day he gave Jeanette a turquoise ring. She accepted it but she told him that she wasn't going to wear it and that it doesn't mean that she is his girlfriend. He said that it used to be his mothers, but she didn't believe him. He would try to kiss he but she would fight back, and it worked. He was so mean to her and once tried to rape her. When she returned the ring it made him very angry. He came over to their house while their parents were gone, and he started shooting at them with a BB gun. The oldest, Lori, got her dads gun and tried to shoot him, but she missed. He got away. I can't imagine having to shoot at someone, but in this town it wasn't a big deal. You did what you had to do to defend yourself. People were that nice to each other. And in the newspaper Battle Mountain was considered the number one ugliest town in the country.

Soon the cops found out about the situation and they wanted everyone to go down to court the next morning. So that night they packed up and headed to Phoenix, they are going to move into their grandmothers house who recently passed away. They were only allowed to bring one thing. Brian brought a toy solider, Lori brought The Wizard of Oz and Jeanette brought her favorite rock. Battle Mountain was the longest place that they have ever lived. To them this wasn't anything new to be on the road again, but in some ways they were going to miss Battle Mountain. 

The Owl Club is an actual bar in Battle Mountain and its a place that is referenced a lot in the book. This is were their dad would gamble and drink, and its where their parents were when Billy Deel came with the BB gun.


page 73-91