Violence is a constant presence in Bryon and Mark's lives, and they eagerly step in to protect M&M from a beating by Curly Shepard and his gang: “Me and Mark looked at each other, and Mark flashed me a grin. We both liked fights.” In contrast, M&M abhors violence and criticizes Bryon and Mark when Mark suggests they “jump” a black man. M&M points out, “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.” Although M&M’s words have little effect on Mark, they make Bryon think about times when he “was the one getting mugged.” Bryon's mixed feelings about violence deepen after he talks to Mike Chambers, a young gang member who was attacked by a black woman’s friends after he tried to help her. Unlike other gang members his age who might seek revenge, Mike doesn’t hold a grudge against the woman. Bryon understands Mike’s view “about not hating the people who beat him up,” but Mark remains unconvinced.

Despite being surrounded by violence since childhood, the situation intensifies when Mark gets into a fight and is struck “across the side of the head” with a beer bottle. He needs to be rushed to the hospital by ambulance to get stitched up. When Mark finds out that Angela set up the fight, he later takes revenge by getting her drunk and cutting off her hair. Angela’s brothers, mistakenly believing Bryon is responsible, perpetuate the violence by brutally beating Bryon. He ends up with a “black eye . . . stitches in my lip,” and “smashed ribs.” After being beaten, Mark wants to “go look up the Shepards,” but Bryon stops him, saying, “I don’t want to keep this up, this getting-even jazz. . . . so if you’re planning any get-even mugging, forget it.” Bryon reflects on Mike Chambers and realizes that, just as Mike didn’t hate his attackers, “I didn’t hate the Shepards either.”