Summer Ball

Danny finds Will, Ty, and Tarik. Tarik is very similar to Will: “He seemed to have his own language, the way Will did. But already you could tell Will liked Tarik’s better” (43). Danny tells them about his run-in with Rasheed, defending himself against Rasheed’s accusation and against Will’s teasing, adding, “‘And I didn’t flop because I don’t flop’” (44). This debate becomes a Danny-says-versus-Rasheed-says conflict for much of the novel.

Back in his dorm, Danny meets Zach Fox, who reacts emotionally when Danny tries to talk to him. As it turns out, Zach wants to go to camp with his friends and feels homesick and anxious, similar to Danny. As Zach starts to cry, he runs out with his basketball. Danny decides to follow him. He finds Zach shooting the ball with the tell-tale launch of a smaller player, “[t]he way Danny always launched it until his dad made him change” (48). He decides to give Zach some pointers, and this helps both boys until they pass a court with Rasheed and another tall player. The other player, when he sees the shorter boys, responds: “‘Check it out,’ […] ‘These two musta got lost looking for the jungle gym’” (49).