Billy Bob stepped off the front porch of his house in Sturgis, South Dakota. He was an impressive young man, wearing a ten-gallon hat, a pistol belt, and two six-shooters. Bikers were in town, from all over the world, for the Black Hills Rally.
It was high noon. Not exactly, but close enough. The movie, starring Gary Cooper, was his favorite. His mom made fun of the way he played that video so often, but he paid her no heed. Moms are good at pestering, he figured - that's what they're born to do.
Gary Cooper had been all alone, one man too proud to run, facing a tough gang.
Seemed a lot like himself,Billy Bob figured. He'd been all alone in school, too proud to beg other kids for acceptance or approval. Especially the girls who seemed like a strange species to him. They talked funny and giggled when they saw him approaching.
He'd had his eye on Peggy Sue Thornton since first grade. She was something special: the way she carried herself, and her long dark hair that seemed like a halo to him. As she got older, Peggy Sue developed beautiful breasts and long legs. She wasn't mean or anything bad, but she seemed unaware that Billy Bob was available and in love with her. Even worse, the Thorntons lived next door to Billy and his mom. He had to endure the image of Peggy Sue in a flimsy summer dress, stretching on tip toe while hanging up a wash to dry.
Gary Cooper didn't approve when Billy whacked off at night, "Kid, you can do better than that.," he said, from a corner of the bedroom.
"It's easy for you to say that," responded Billy. "But I have to live in Sturgis next door to a gal who doesn't give a damn about me."
"She will, Billy."
"When?"
Gary Cooper winked at Billy, and his image faded. It happened that way - he chose when to appear, in accordance with his own set of rules.
"To hell with Peggy Sue," Billy Bob figured, "there's lot of hot biker gals in town this week."
His mom was out of town, visiting her sister Ruth in Rapid City. Billy could do whatever he wanted, which was rare.
He'd waited five years to participate in the Rally, without letting on to mom. He wasn't a biker, but everybody in Sturgis was so wound up with the Rally that it was natural to want to be a part of the biggest biker event in the world.
Unbeknownst to his mom, he'd been practicing with the guns at the town dump, shooting at tin cans. He practiced a quick-draw style, just like Gary Cooper did in his shootout with the gang.
Billie Bob strolled down the main street of Sturgis, oblivious to stares from locals and tourists. He noticed a group of bikers off to one side, wearing "outlaw" colors. Most places in town posted warnings that outlaw colors were banned - they belonged to the most notorious, violent biker gangs.
One gal caught his eye, a redhead who filled out her shirt and jeans real nice. He stopped and stared at her, at which point a burly member of the gang said, "Hey, buster, are them guns for show, or do you know what the hell to do with them?"
Billy Bob almost retreated, as was his customary response to violence. "Go for it," said Gary Cooper, in his ear. "This piece of shit is a coward and needs someone to show him up."
"Draw, pardner," said Billy Bob.
"You must be nuts," replied the gang leader. "Seen many old movies lately?"
"Draw," said Billy Bob again.
After hesitating, the outlaw reached for a concealed weapon.
Billy Bob used his quick-draw, honed to perfection by many practice sessions in the town dump. A gun seemed to appear in his right hand immediately, pointed at the outlaw.
Billy heard a whisper in his ear, "Good work, boy. I couldn't have done better myself."
Billy's opponent stepped away, muttering to his gang, "The kid is crazy, no point to messing with him."
The gang followed their leader down the street, except for the redhead.
