Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks

TJ moved to Marston Street at the age of six. As the only two children in their neighborhood, TJ and Jasmine became best friends. Full of confidence, TJ is unafraid to take up the spotlight and “talked with his body like an old street hustler trying to convince people that stolen goods are a steal” (10). As Jasmine’s confidante, he loves to make Jasmine laugh. He has lived for six years with his adopted mother Ms. Macy. Prior to that, he lived in foster care. TJ does not like to dwell on the past and fears only what he cannot see. He now lives in a loving home and cares for Jasmine deeply as a friend.

Britton is known as Bit due to his small stature. He is one of the smallest boys at Latimer Middle School, although he always talks about his impending growth spurt. Despite his size, Bit “was the biggest when it came to confidence. And when it came to temper” (23). Bit is tough and does not like to show emotion. He only shows vulnerability to his closest circle of friends called the Low Cuts. The Low Cuts all met in a support group for children of parents with cancer. Bit’s mother’s cancer diagnosis has put a financial strain on his family. With the Low Cuts, Bit steals loose change. He hatches an elaborate plan to buy cheap candy at an upcharge. As a hustler, Bit navigates life with prowess. He works with his friends to provide comfort and relief to his mother. Beneath Bit’s tough exterior, he is an empathetic character whose reputation taints his true, honest intentions.

A soft-spoken skateboarder, Pia isolates herself from her classmates at Latimer Middle School. She does desire to connect with another girl skateboarder she respects but holds back. She finds freedom only on her skateboard. She skateboards in honor of her sister Santi who passed away following an altercation with a male skateboarder who was jealous of Santi’s superior skateboarding abilities. Although Pia is unafraid of confronting the boys who bully her, she hides her true feelings of loneliness following the death of her sister. It is only after her skateboard is destroyed at the hands of a bully that Pia reaches out to the girl skateboarders and grows to understand herself as a woman.

Stevie Munson attends Brookshire Boys Academy and is bullied by baseball player Marcus Bradford. Afraid of disappointing his mother, Stevie hides the aftermath of the bullying. His mother sacrifices a lot financially for Stevie to attend private school. Overwhelmed by the relentless bullying, Stevie attempts to assuage Marcus’s unquenching thirst to torture him by participating in an act of bullying against Pia. He immediately regrets his involvement and begins to question himself and his inability to speak up for himself and others. Stevie finally confesses his struggles with his mother who defends Stevie while also holding him accountable for not protecting Pia. Ultimately, Stevie learns to stay true to his values and not give up in the face of intolerance and hate.

The daughter of an environmental scientist and a flight attendant, Fatima lives life in an organized and regimented fashion while also daydreaming of traveling like her father. She follows the strict orders of her mother to return directly home after school. After being embarrassed in front of a school bus full of boys, Fatima decides to document her every moment in the hopes of preparing for any unexpected changes to her daily routine. Fatima fears being caught off-guard and methodically documents what stays the same and what changes day-to-day. As she obsessively records her every movement, she befriends an odd woman named Benni, who sings and dresses up in costumes and provides Fatima an umbrella on a rainy day. Benni’s unpredictable nature unnerves Fatima at first. Soon, Fatima comes to find Benni’s lack of predictability reliable and constant. After Benni urges Fatima to ask herself what she will do to change the world, Fatima begins to realize what she truly wants: to live in the moment and helps others like Benni.

A confident and honorable young man, Bryson Wills does not shy away from expressing his opinion and standing up for what he believes in. Unlike other self-conscious middle-schoolers, Bryson owns who he is, including his Afro which inspires his screen name: “AfroGamer” (83). He is the second-best gamer in the school after his friend Ty Carson, whom he often plays against. When he hears rumors surrounding Ty, he defends Ty and openly defies the boy who attempts to hide the fact that he kissed Ty. Because of this, Bryson is jumped after school. He does not run from the fight and sustains both emotional and physical injuries. As Bryson recovers at home the next day, he welcomes Ty into his home without hesitation. He does not judge Ty and stands by his side as a loyal friend.

The best gamer in the school, Ty Carson loves to play war video games, much to the chagrin of his parents who discourage it. The war scenes he plays resonate with Ty, who hides the internal battles he has regarding his sexual orientation. His kiss with Slim is a turning point for Ty, leaving him vulnerable to the school’s gossip mill while attempting to navigate his own complicated feelings regarding what happened. He feels shame for the encounter and does not speak up to the bullies who harass him. After hearing about Bryson’s attack, Ty moves into instant action and runs from the school to Bryson’s house. Instead of staying silent, Ty seeks out Bryson to thank him and to share with him all that he has been feeling. 

An outgoing and hilarious figure, Simeon is one of the biggest kids at Latimer Middle School. He is described as “a walking anvil with a happy gappy smile that lit every doorway he darkened” (97). His size intimidates the other students and makes it easy for him to make friends with everyone. He is best friends with Kenzi Thompson, whom he regards as a brother. He and Kenzi rambunctiously roam the halls of their school and neighborhood and engage in humorous banter with those around them. He dreams of one day becoming an actor. Simeon is a resident of Chestnut Home, a neighborhood with a bad reputation. Despite the reputation, Simeon and Kenzi find comfort in the unsupervised freedom they experience in their own neighborhood. He looks out for Kenzi, who is much smaller than him. Simeon demonstrates a kindness and empathy towards Kenzi because of Kenzi’s older brother’s incarceration.

Often pushed aside, Kenzi is small for his age and relies on his best friend Simeon to carry him on his back through the hallways. Although he does have friends, Kenzi does not make an impression as “there was really nothing else about him that stood out” (98). Kenzi dreams of becoming a lawyer and enjoys showing off his arguing skills to the adults around him. Like Simeon, Kenzi loves his neighborhood of Chestnut Homes. He enjoys the free rein he and Simeon have to act up and play around. Kenzi views Simeon like a brother and values their unique bond, which began with the friendship of their older brothers and is solidified in the complicated handshake they inherited from them. Kenzi attempts to distract himself from thinking about his brother’s incarceration and dreams of reuniting with his brother and starting over.

Satchmo Jenkins is named after the great jazz musician Louis Armstrong, whose large mouth granted him the nickname of Satchmo. Satchmo is traumatized by an incident with a neighbor’s rottweiler when he was seven years old. Not dissuaded by his mother’s attempts to grow his love for animals, Satchmo avoids large dogs at all costs and constructs a master plan to evade the latest dog to join his neighborhood. Highly imaginative, Satchmo considers every possible scenario. He is soon confronted with his neighbor’s dog who turns out to be quite friendly. Despite his best laid plans, Satchmo does not take into account the possibility that his one perception of dogs may actually be incorrect.

A naturally gifted comedian, Cynthia loves to make people laugh. She puts on shows for her classmates daily. Her grandfather’s namesake, Cynthia admires her grandfather, from whom she inherited her talent for telling jokes. She cares for her grandfather, who has advancing dementia, while desperately desiring the attention of her mother. Cynthia hopes for her mother to attend one of her daily shows. Despite the struggles she faces, Cynthia maintains a positive and upbeat attitude. She honors the traditions of her family and even lets her grandfather believe her own jokes are written by him to give him a sense of purpose and independence.

A boy with unfortunate hygiene, Gregory Pitts relies on his best friends Remar (Remy) Vaughn, Joey Santiago, and Candace Green to help him impress a girl he likes. His friends’ plans to improve his smell, skin, and lips backfire and lead to Gregory having an even more unfortunate appearance. Despite these obstacles, Gregory persists and confesses his feelings for Sandra, much to the surprise of his friends.