"Jayne's a girl's name!" A clump of mud hit the scrawny twelve-year-old in the forehead as he attempted to duck. "Don't cry little girl!" Hodd, the leader of the band of older kids mocked Jayne as he wiped the splattered mess from his face. Jayne had no intention of crying. He simply looked mournfully at the older boys.

"Ain't a girl" He protested weakly. The boys laughed.

Jayne was finally left to himself after being dosed liberally in cold mud. The others left laughing and shoving one another about. Jayne walked homeward slowly, hoping that the drizzling rain would wash most of the mud away before he had to confront his mother.

The mud was not all washed out when he arrived home, so Jayne's mother had three things to be angry with him about. "Child! You are a mess! And drenched to the bone! The damp lung'll surely get you, boy. And whyever are you so late?" Her eyebrows crinkled together in annoyance.

"Sorry, ma, I tripped an' fell…" Jayne trailed off as the eyebrows of doom furrowed further.

"Them boys've been pickin' on you again! You can't let em do that forever. Here, get outta them wet clothes!" She handed him a blanket and sent him to the back room to change.

Jayne wrung his dirty clothes and spread them out on the bench that lined the back wall. It would be some time before they could be properly washed and dried, what with the near constant rainfall.

Jayne was about to reenter the kitchen when he heard the front door slam and his father's guff voice filled the house.

"Ai ya, it's wet out."

"Yes, dear, it's called rain." His mother quipped.

"Don’t talk to me like that." Jayne's father was in one of those moods again. Jayne decided to remain in the back room. He crouched by the door listening to his mother trying to placate his father.

"Where're them boys anyhow?" His father finally bellowed. "They should be here."

"They're out, Hal, doin' chores." This seemed to satisfy Hal Cobb for the time being. When he was settled down to his dinner Jayne's mother scuffed over to the back room. She thrust a packet of food into Jayne's hands.

"Take this to the loft and share with yer brother." Jayne simply nodded and slipped past his mother and through the kitchen to the rickety ladder. Years of avoiding his father had taught him exactly which rungs creaked and where. He made it up without arousing his brooding father's attention. Jayne then tiptoed to the back and settled down on a straw mat where his five-year-old brother sat.

"Got food." He said, tearing the package open to reveal some bland protein bars. He broke one in half and offered it to his brother. The smaller boy reached tentatively for it. Jayne swung his hand away with a lopsided grin. "Naw. Why'ud I give it to you anyhow?" His twinkling eyes gave away his joke and soon both boys were munching happily.

*****

A/N: Ok, so here's the deal. The little bother is Mattie. If you recall, Jayne's mother mentions Mattie in her letter to Jayne in 'The Message.' My thoughts are that Jayne's pa is a hwoon dahn and all that. He kinda beats the boys around a bit. So the little brother is not right in the head. This will explain why he lives with the mother still in 'The Message.' Also it can explain why Jayne is rather protective and yes even sympathetic toward River. So soonly, next chapter perhaps, Jayne is gonna find his backbone. He is gonna protect his mum and lil bro from his pa. Or, mebbe in the next chappie he'll confront the bullies. Anyhow. He will end up the bully cos that's all he knew. Then I'll go into some more stuff and crud. Tell me what you think. Also, give me a better idea for a title. This one kinda sucks.