There is a lot that happens between the span of these chapters, but through it all we truly see Dave grow. Although he is only 14, I feel like he does many things that older kids would be doing or maybe just compared to me we have very different lives. Dave starts off as a lonely teenager at the beginning, even saying that Kevin is his only friend because their parents force them to be. Dave does not have someone he can truly rely on or even call a friend. Most people around him just bully him and don’t see much in him. This is most likely due to the fact that he is white and goes to a school that is mostly populated by blacks. But then Dave meets Marlon and their relationship quickly grows. At first, what connects these two is the fact that they are both Celtics fans, but after that, they see each other a lot more often and seem as if they are best friends. We can tell that Dave truly likes being around Marlon and has respect for him. Marlon does not really show how he is feeling but because he always seems to stand up for Dave, he may also feel the same way. I believe that chapter 6 was the most interesting of all chapters, as we begin to see Dave’s and Marlon’s friendship break apart. Dave drags Marlon to dig snow and the boys end up seeing a group of guys. Because Marlon stands up for himself he ends up getting beat up, Marlon just watches feeling helpless. This causes Marlon to believe that Dave does not care and is just a selfish person who wouldn’t stand with him against the guys. Dave feels guilty and wants to make up for his mistakes but doesn’t know-how. Could it be the force that keeps their friendship apart? I believe that Dave and Marlon make great friends and they have a lot to learn from one another.
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