In Chapter 1, M&M leaves the bowling alley and is confronted by Curly Shepard and two of his friends. Fortunately, Mark and Bryon leave the bowling alley to catch up with M&M and see Shepard cut M&M's medallion off of his neck then knee him in the face. Mark and Bryon attack Curly and his friends and save M&M from further abuse. After M&M's attackers run off, Mark looks at Bryon and says, "You still in the mood for a little action?" (Hinton 8). Bryon says he's up for it, and Mark signals towards a black man standing at the intersection waiting for the light to change. Mark says, "We could jump him." (Hinton 8). M&M then yells, "You make me sick! " and tells Bryon and Mark that he thinks their weird (Hinton 8). M&M says that Bryon and Mark just saved him from...
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getting beaten up by people who thought he was different, and Bryon and Mark were going to beat up an innocent black man for the same reason. Bryon mentions that M&M looked real shook up, and M&M begins to cry before he takes off running. Instead of chasing M&M or beating up the black man, the boys pick up M&M's medallion and head towards Charlie's bar. M&M stopped Mark and Bryon from beating up the innocent black man by intervening and telling them that their actions were senseless.
What prevents the boys from beating up a black man in That Was Then, This Is Now?
M&M stops the boys from beating up a black man by calling
them weird for jumping people simply because a person is
different.
Shortly after coming to M&M's aid by attacking Curly Shepard and his
friend, Mark pokes Bryon and asks if he still is in the mood for a little
action. Mark motions towards a black guy who is standing on the corner, waiting
for the light to change. Mark suggests that they jump him, but M&M
speaks up.M&M tells the boys that they make him sick and
says, "You just rescued me from some guys who were going to beat me up
because I'm different from them, and now you're going to beat up someone
because he's different from you" (Hinton 23). M&M then calls Mark and
Bryon weird and begins to cry. Bryon and Mark are shocked that M&M
is bawling, and out of nowhere, M&M takes off running. Bryon thinks about
running after M&M, but Mark stops him. Mark picks up M&M's peace
medallion, and the two boys walk back to Charlie's to give him his three
dollars instead of jumping the black man.