Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish

The following day, as Marcus and Charlie get ready for school, Melissa goes over the changes she is determined to make. She is going to ask for a promotion, work fewer hours, and look into the Academy for Exceptional Students for Charlie. Marcus goes to pick Danny and the other kids up to walk them to school—not for money, but because he wants to. Marcus is nervous as he walks up the school steps, unsure which rumors circulated during the break. He is surprised that other students are smiling and talking to him. A few of them tell him they signed the petition and joke that “it wouldn’t be middle school without big, bad Marcus Vega patrolling around” (244). One student, Joey, is on his phone playing Clash of Clans when he bumps into Marcus. Joey looks worried and holds out his phone. Marcus explains that he no longer “looks after” phones; as they chat about Clash of Clans, Marcus discovers that Joey is one of Charlie’s friends. Marcus is starting to see the school in a different light. Maybe kids were not always running away from him but were simply hurrying to their classes.

A meeting is set up with the principal, Stephen, Melissa, and Marcus to discuss what should happen to the boys. The final decision is that the suspension will remain on Marcus’s record, and Stephen gets a warning. Marcus must also promise not to conduct any businesses in the school.

Charlie does not transfer to the academy but happily continues at the middle school, where he joins the track team. In the weeks following their trip to Puerto Rico, Marcus is happy but feels slightly lost. He is unsure of who he is if he is not “big, bad Marcus Vega” (248). He continues to walk other students to school every day; he enjoys their company, and they enjoy his. With the help of Danny, Marcus organizes an art night at the school, where he presents his photographs from the trip. The positive feedback Marcus receives boosts his confidence, and he continues to pursue photography, documenting his town and his life. Marcus visits the Spanish woman at the counter of his neighborhood bodega regularly to improve his Spanish. He feels connected to Puerto Rico and his extended family there, content to be “part of something that’s way bigger than me” (249).