That Was Then, This Is Now

Bryon and Mark visit Bryon’s mother in the hospital. She does not comment extensively on Mark’s injuries; though she encourages Bryon and Mark to be responsible, she does not interfere with their activities. They also visit Mike, who appears shaken after a visit from his father, who scolded him.

Bryon visits Cathy in the hospital cafeteria, buying her a soda during her break. He reflects that, compared to Angela, Cathy is refreshingly honest. After Cathy explains that she turned down Curtis when he asked her out, Bryon sets a date with her for the coming Friday.

To make money, Bryon and Mark decide to go pool hustling. Stopping at the drugstore, they borrow $5 from M&M, promising to repay him the next day.

When they arrive at Charlie’s bar, Charlie happily informs them that he will not be drafted after all, due to his criminal record. Charlie says that he killed someone when he was 12, but Bryon isn’t sure whether he is joking or not. Charlie also points out a couple of visiting Texans for them to hustle and warns them to be careful.

By losing the first few games and then gradually playing better, Bryon manages to win more than $25 from the Texans, one of whom is known as Dirty Dave. As the bar closes, the Texans leave. Moments later, when Mark and Bryon leave, the Texans confront them in the alley behind Charlie’s bar. Dirty Dave’s friend holds a gun as Dirty Dave puts on brass knuckles. Despite their predicament, Mark is “cocky.” Before Dirty Dave can hurt him or Bryon, Charlie appears, holding a shotgun. As Charlie moves to protect Bryon and Mark, the Texans shoot him, killing him. Seizing Charlie’s gun, Mark fires at the Texans as they retreat, but he misses.

Over the next few weeks, Bryon continues to feel guilty and shocked about Charlie’s death, which he discusses only with Cathy and Mark. Mark, who feels no guilt, points out that Charlie knew the risks of his actions. Feeling that Cathy understands him better, Bryon begins to spend more time with her. Bryon and Cathy go for long drives in Charlie’s car, which the police allowed Bryon to keep, and begin to share their deep thoughts and feelings with each other. At the same time, Mark and Bryon drift apart.

Bryon and Mark testify at the trial of the men who killed Charlie, who are sentenced to life in prison. Throughout and after the trial, Bryon feels numb and apathetic.

With his mother facing a month in bed, Bryon resolves to improve his attitude and get a job. Mark also promises to make money but doesn’t specify how.

On a ride with Bryon that night, Cathy shares her concerns that M&M is smoking cannabis. Unhappy with his home life, M&M spends most of his time elsewhere, and Cathy worries that he could end up taking harder drugs. They decide to take Mark and M&M out for drinks on the Ribbon, a two-mile strip of road where teenagers gather to hang out. When a stranger in a neighboring car makes a foul remark at a stop light, Mark gets out of the car and punches him. Cathy asks Mark about what he did, and he tells her not to analyze him. Later, as they order food, Bryon mentions the time a few years earlier he was beat up by police officers; Cathy suggests that Bryon should not have been wandering around drunk. Offended at Cathy’s viewpoint, Mark leaves. Cathy comments that she and Mark are “fighting over” Bryon (100). Observing some nearby 12-year-olds, Bryon wonders if he used to be as foolish as they are.

Bryon, Cathy, and M&M drive up and down the Ribbon, wondering what to do. Near a hot dog stand, M&M says that he spotted some friends of his and asks Bryon to drop him off. Bryon does so. As he pulls away to maintain the flow of traffic, M&M says not to pick him up, since he doesn’t plan to return home. By the time Bryon returns a few minutes later, M&M is gone. They look for him until 1:00 am but don’t find him. After picking up Mark, Bryon drives home while Cathy quietly cries.

When Cathy and Bryon report M&M’s disappearance to her parents, her father is dismissive, suggesting that M&M is just going through a “stage.” She replies that he is to blame for being so critical of M&M. Back in the car, Bryon discusses the situation with Mark, who suggests that there is nothing to worry about. When Bryon tells Mark that he “can get away with anything” (106), Mark says that Bryon used to be able to do the same.

Over the next week, Bryon and Cathy continue searching for M&M. Bryon gets a job at a grocery store, where he manages to avoid saying “smart-aleck things” that could get him into trouble (107). Mark also starts making lots of money, but Bryon doesn’t know how.

One night the following week, Bryon and Mark go for a ride on the Ribbon; at first, it feels like old times. They stop when they see a group of girls including Angela, who recently married a friend of her brother. When Bryon asks Angela, who is drunk, about her marriage, she implies that she only married because she thought she was pregnant, but it turned out she was not. Crying, Angela hugs Bryon; he feels nothing but hatred for her.

At Mark’s suggestion, the three of them go for a ride. As he listens to Angela complain, Bryon is struck by the contrast between her dysfunctional family and Cathy’s family. They stop at a liquor store, where Mark finds someone to buy rum for them. They also visit a convenience store, where Bryon buys soda and Mark buys scissors, then park near a lake. Bryon, who was starting to feel bad for Angela, is stunned when Mark uses the scissors to begin to cut her hair off, but he approves when Mark reminds him that Angela almost got him killed.

Back at home, Bryon, now drunk, thinks about Mike and Charlie wonders aloud why trying to help other people so often leads to painful outcomes. He realizes that Mark avoids such pain because he doesn’t care about other people, except for Bryon. When Bryon mentions M&M, Mark confidently states that he is fine, and then admits that he knows where M&M is. Bryon asks Mark why his parents shot each other, and Mark reveals that their argument started when Bryon’s mother confirmed her husband’s suspicion that Mark was not his son but rather the son of a traveling cowboy from a rodeo. As Bryon continues to worry and wonder about why certain things happen, Mark tells him to take life as it comes rather than analyze everything.