Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks

“But Marston Street was lined with a little bit of everything, from small brick to fancy vinyl. From bay windows to Colonial style. From ramblers all on one level to three stories. A fence here and there, a gate there and here. Grass. Gravel. Blacktop. Pavement. Everything old enough to look lived in. To look tried on. Old enough to be warm and worn by a generation or two. Maybe even three.” 

Jasmine describes the street she and TJ live on and how old it is. Jasmine and TJ’s friendship is strong after six years of friendship and, like the street they live on, there is a familiarity and comfort that exudes between them. Both come from loving, warm families who reflect the neighborhood they live in. 

“But it dawned on her that he seemed freaked out dealing with the things that wouldn’t smash or smear. The things already invisible living all around him, and maybe even on him, and there was nothing he could do about it.” 

Jasmine notices TJ’s discomfort when talking about water bears, microscopic animals that are invisible to the human eye. Jasmine recognizes in TJ that he feels more in control when he can exert physical power over what he can see. The invisible scares TJ because he is unable to fight against it. This fear of the invisible permeates throughout the novel and throughout various characters.

“The way they were—a braid of brilliance and bravado—concerned everyone.” 

This depicts the Low Cuts and how the Latimer Middle School teachers view them. The alliteration connotes a sense of beauty that glorifies the connection between the four members of the Low Cuts. Despite this recognition of their “brilliance” and “bravado,” the teachers worry about the mischievous actions of the group. The group is judged for their actions without an attempt to understand why they steal loose change. 

“The other Low Cuts watched Bit the hustler, Bit who could turn ninety cents into nine bucks—into ice cream—turn into a son. A son who was scared. A son who loved his mom.” 

The other members of the Low Cuts catch of rare glimpse of a vulnerable Bit who cares for his mother deeply and sacrifices for her well-being. While teachers and other students judge Bit as “the hustler,” the Low Cuts see another perspective. They understand and acknowledge Bit’s fear and love for his mother. This is a side that no one else sees. 

“She would’ve thought they lived perfect lives, in perfect neighborhoods, in perfect houses with clean windows and green grass. Grass even greener than their jackets. Houses that smelled like coffee in the morning and popcorn at night.”

Pia states what she would have thought about the private school kids she sees on her way home. She admits that she would have envied their perfect lives. What allows Pia to understand the reality of their lives is her connection to Marcus and her understanding of Marcus’s abusive home life. This insight gives Pia a perspective that allows her to see that the grass is not always greener. 

“Why didn’t he say anything? Why didn’t he stop it? That’s what he asked himself as he walked back down the sidewalk. That’s what he asked himself when he tipped into the street, his hand up timidly as traffic slowed for him, and picked up the cracked halves of the skateboard. He held them like he was holding a broken heart, looked around only to find that Marcus and the boys had left him. Like the suckers they were. Like the sucker he was.” 

Stevie recovers Pia’s broken skateboard and admonishes himself for not stopping Marcus from bullying Pia. This moment serves as a moment of realization for Stevie. He regrets his inaction and makes a change that results in him divulging everything to his mother. His brief encounter with Pia inspires Stevie to speak up for himself. 

“Routine lessens risks. And Fatima was tired of the risky stuff. The tripping. The rain. She needed this walk home to be one she could predict so that she could get there safely.”

Fatima begins her walk home and follows her strict routine of documentation to control what happens to her. Fatima seeks to avoid any further embarrassment and relies on routine to protect her. This serves as a direct contrast to the impromptu way Benni interacts with the world as she walks with Fatima.

“What could I be? What do I wish I could become to change the world? I think about telling Benni. I might want to be wet cement to fill the cracks in the sidewalk. Not to hide. But to stop someone else from tripping. Or maybe I’d be an umbrella to keep rain from someone’s head. Keep someone dry in a storm.” 

Fatima contemplates her answer to Benni’s questions regarding what she will do to change the world. In this moment, Fatima realizes that she desires to protect others around her, much like Benni protects her. Fatima sees how her routine has isolated her from interacting with the world around her. This is the moment she changes.

“From the catchy captions and antics from kids who barely spoke in school but had mastered saying the right things online, matched with the perfect light and angle to turn out-of-this-world boredom into an Oscar-worthy blockbuster.” 

Bryson thinks about the dangers of social media as he attempts to block out the events of yesterday. Bryson offers a commentary on how social media provides an opportunity for young people to disconnect from reality and feel empowered under the shelter of anonymity. This connects to the motif of appearance versus reality that runs throughout the novel. The tension between how one appears on social media versus the harsh reality of their actual existence presents a challenge that Bryson foresees.

“But Ty also knew that there was some kind of war he was in. Some kind of battle he did know but couldn’t make sense of. That the other sounds in his head were more than just sounds, that they made his heart do weird things, made his stomach tighten. Ty knew the anxiety of a kind of way. He knew the adrenaline and the confusion of it all.” 

Ty explains his affinity for war video games and how he feels an internal battle within himself that he struggles to resolve. Ty struggles to understand his sexual orientation and finds solace in the violent video games that mirror what he feels internally. This internal battle leaves Ty devastated in the aftermath of his kiss with Slim as he fears the rejection and judgement of his peers.

“There were things they needed to talk about. Things they didn’t need to talk about. There was a lot to say but nothing that needed to be said.” 

Ty appears on Bryson’s doorstep with flowers the day after he is jumped for defending Ty. Ty feels a lump in his throat and struggles to express how he is feeling in this moment. He understands that he and Bryson have reached a deeper level of friendship and understanding that does not require them to speak about what happened. Ty finally feels less alone in this battle to understand his sexual orientation. 

“So the path was clear, laid out for Simeon the Grand and Kenzi the great, like a runway to their kingdom. A kingdom where carrying a person on your back was allowed. Encouraged, even. A kingdom where kings are throned and dethroned daily. Where the crown jewels get dropped down sewers and flushed down toilets. A kingdom full of princes, like Kenzi and Simeon, princes no one ever bet on anyway.”

Simeon and Kenzi rush home to Chestnut Homes to move freely with the restrictions and judgements of their teachers at school. Their neighborhood is one that most people avoid. But, to Simeon and Kenzi, their neighborhood is a kingdom that allows them to have free rein and be themselves. Though “no one ever bet on” them, Simeon and Kenzi support one another and dream of a future where they will accomplish their goals.

“Such silly thing to take, a gossipy newspaper and a lighter, as if Fredo ain’t own a store. One with a bunch of newspapers and matches and lighters behind the counter. But still, it was about the principle. The loyalty. The brotherhood.” 

When Fredo insults both Simeon and Kenzi, the two friends defend one another and take Fredo’s newspaper and lighter. Though they acknowledge that this is not much, they understand the importance of following a code of loyalty. Simeon and Kenzi inherit this code from their older brothers, whose friendship they honor in their own. The bond between Simeon and Kenzi is one that binds them forever. 

“As he slinked past Mr. Jerry’s front door, coming up on his side yard, Satchmo’s backbone became rawhide, his stomach a squishy chew toy, his palms wet but his fingers dry like dog treats, when he heard the bark.” 

Satchmo attempts to follow through with his master plan to avoid his neighbor’s new dog. His anxiety makes him feel vulnerable to the perceived threat of the dog. He falls into a stream of consciousness that takes him out of reality and causes inaction. His reaction to the dog’s bark demonstrates the impact his past trauma with Brutus has on him to this day. 

“Mr. Jerry was calling out for him. He was kneeling behind the fence, rubbing the dog’s head, its tongue slapping the old man’s cheek. No bite-bit. Love-love.” 

Satchmo is confronted by the reality of the situation. He now sees that the dog he perceived as a great danger and representation of his past trauma is nothing more than a loving, friendly puppy. His master plan and anxiety-fueled obsession has resulted in nothing. He realizes the futility of his plan.

“Dreaming of the day she could funny her mother free of all the work, of all the stress she seemed to wear on her face like thick makeup the wrong color for her skin. Dreaming of her mother telling her a joke. Knock knock. And Cynthia replying, Who’s there? And her mother saying, Me. And Cynthia not having to say Me, who?” 

Cynthia longs to make her mother laugh and to free her mother from the burdens of work, school, and family that overwhelm her. Cynthia imagines a world where she could connect with her in this way. This longing fuels all of Cynthia’s actions as she attempts to live up her grandfather’s legacy of humor.

“She could’ve gone through the back door, which would’ve been an even shorter cut, but then she would’ve missed snapping on Greg, and who could avoid the opportunity to roast? Plus, she’d learned from her grandfather a long time ago how important tradition was.”

Cynthia explains her routine route home and her desire to maintain the traditions she has created for herself. This moment reveals Cynthia’s character as she exerts herself to maintain a connection to her past and to keep her grandfather’s legacy alive. Cynthia values tradition and finds a purpose in keeping traditions.

“Just that thought between them. Cynthia looking at her grandfather, her Cinderella, her cinder block. The man who taught her to perform. Taught her that life is funny most of the time, and the times it ain’t funny are even funnier. And there ain’t no forgetting that.” 

Cynthia shares the life lessons her grandfather has taught her and the emphasis he placed on laughing even in the difficult times. Despite her struggles to care for her grandfather and connect with her mother, Cynthia maintains an optimistic outlook on life. She views life as a series of opportunities to laugh and credits her grandfather with equipping her with this invaluable tool of laughter. 

“And with that, they continued on, down Portal Avenue, until they got to Rogers Street, the whole way gassing Gregory up, trying to take his mind off his fire lips by telling him how much they believed in him and how Sandra will to.”

Gregory’s friends encourage him as he makes his way to Sandra’s house to ask her for her phone number. This is true friendship exhibited in the support offered to Gregory in this vulnerable moment when his confidence is injured by their failed attempts to improve his appearance. The reference to Gregory’s “fire lips” is humorous and highlights the ridiculous but relatable nature of this scene. 

“Halfway through, he glanced up. Sandra was smiling. And Gregory thought maybe it was the kind of smile that came just before laughing. Then Gregory thought, But maybe not.” 

Gregory completes his mission of asking Sandra for his phone number. Although he doubts himself for a minute, he feels a new confidence in himself now that he has had the confidence to make himself vulnerable. Gregory’s insecurity washes away in this moment. His transformation is no longer external but internal. 

“A school bus is a bumblebee, buzzing around with a bunch of stingers on the inside of it. Windows for wings that flutter up and down like the windows inside Chinese restaurants and post offices in neighborhoods where school buses are spaceships.” 

The author lists a series of images that describe the meaning of a school bus as it relates to the motif of a school bus falling from the sky that is repeated throughout the novel. Reynolds uses a metaphor to compare a school bus to a bumblebee. This metaphor captures not only the color of a school bus but also the noise and excitement often found within it. The stingers refer to the clashes between students that can often dictate much of one’s experiences in school. Here, Reynolds offers one interpretation of what the multifaceted school bus can represent. 

“It’s strange, the things that work.” 

Canton states this after describing his use of Mr. Munch’s broom dog to calm his anxiety following his mother’s accident. Canton alludes not only to his own coping mechanism but also to the various unique ways the characters within the novel cope with their trauma. Bit relies on stealing loose change; Fatima relies on her notebook; Pia relies on her skateboard and skateboarding in general. Canton’s remark exemplifies the various perspectives Reynolds seeks to highlight within his novel.

“He watched his classmates tap-dance with tongues, challenging one another, slipping and sliding from story to story. Watched his mother perform a kind of ballet. How she spun, stepped into the street like she was made of more. Blew her whistle. Put a hand up for a bus to stop. Put a hand out to wave the walkers through.” 

Canton observes the following as he completes his homework for Mr. Davanzo’s class. He feels connected to the world around him and no longer feels anxious or afraid. This moment ushers in a new chapter for Canton.