Chapter 12

Write about a character and how they are changing or developing

The next day, both Manny and Jared are missing from school. Justyce doesn’t exactly know why, because no one will talk to him, they just whisper behind his back and stop talking whenever he gets too close. When he gets back to his room, someone knocks on his door and it’s Manny! What a surprise (not really). The boy looks like wasps attacked his face, his lip is all swollen and his left hand is bandaged. Jus obviously asks what happened, and Manny tells him that he finally got enough of his friends blatant racism. He recounts an instance where he nearly lost his cool: “Saturday night, I went to a festival with those clowns. Four times man-four-times I had to grit my teeth to keep from knocking Jared’s punk ass out. Every time he made fun of somebody, it was like sandpaper being dragged over my eardrums. When we saw this black lady with four kids, and this fool called her Shaniqua and made a joke about baby daddies, I couldn’t take it anymore, Jus. I called him on it, and he rolled his eyes. Told me to ‘stop being so fucking sensitive’ “*. After this, he finally realised that those people don’t respect him, and that Jus was right all along. He tells him this: “I’m serious, Jus. Them fools don’t wanna hear when they’re being offensive. They couldn’t care less what it’s like to live in our skin. Those assholes aren’t my damn friends“** and I think this change of mind is INCREDIBLE. Manny finally had enough of Jared and his friends, and he stood up for himself! He said enough is enough and stopped closing his eyes to the truth! But it gets even better, because then he explains where he got his wounds from. He wanted to tell his basketball coach that he’s gonna quit (cause he hates basketball, the only reason he started is cause that’s what society expects a tall, black kid to be doing) and “Jared was in Coach’s office. When I said I was quitting, he made a “joke” about how I couldn’t until ‘Massah’ set me free. I lost it. He clipped me once, but I can’t even tell you how good it felt to pound that dude. Coach wanted to keep it on the low cuz he needs Jared to play in tomorrow’s game, so he sent me home and made Jared stay in his office till school let out.”*** AMAZING! I was internally cheering for Manny SO HARD! I think it’s amazing that he finally saw how RUDE his “friends” are and that he doesn’t have to put up with it! Those guys don’t respect people like him, and he is TOTALLY allowed to punch them REAL hard! I’m proud of Manny for getting out of those toxic friendships. I hope more people realise that they don’t have to put up with discrimination just cause it’s coming from their “friends”. If people think you’re too “sensitive” when it comes to disrespecting your race, they’re not your friends. You’re allowed to stand up for yourself! If Manny can change his attitude and finally put an end to this toxic friendship, anyone can!

*Page 108, row 13-23

**Page 109, row 2-5

***Page 109, row 17-24

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