Questions: Chapters 5 & 6

6-   Were you surprised by Charlie’s death in chapter 5? Why/Why not?  In your opinion, what will be the consequences of this death for Bryon and Mark?

My first impression about  Charlie's death was that I was surprised, because I didn't expected that at the beginning, but when I think further, I'm not surprised about it for many reasons. First, Charlie was working in a bar, his business, where many different people were going to. Bars are not the safest place to work in, sometimes fights happened in there, because the clients are not controlling everything they do, because of alcool, but also drugs where the story takes place. Charlie was taking a risk everyday by going to work, it is also mentionned that he was keeping a shotgun handy for this reason.  Also, Charlie was a generous person, taking Bryon's and Mark's responsability as something really important. He was taking risks by letting the two boys coming to his bar, but he was feeling really responsible about them, that's why he wanted to protect them from the Texans who were trying to kill them. Charlie put is life in danger to help the two kids.  I think that after Charlies's death, Mark and Bryon will be more carefull about going to bars, even that now they don't have anybody to take care of them there.  Maybe they will think twice before doing things that are reserved to older people, because they lived something really troubling, seeing their friend killed by a shotgun.  I think they will priorise their security.

7-   In chapter 6, Cathy and Mark’s relationship evolves.  How do they feel about one another?  What events prove that?

In chapter six, we can see that the situation between Mark and Cathy changes. At the beginning, they feel happy to see each other, Mark seems funny, and Cathy seems to appreciate it. When the chapter goes on, we can see that their relation is changing, they don't appreciate each other as they used to do at the beginning, I could even say that they don't like each other very much at this point.  Everything started when Bryon, Cathy, Mark and M&M were driving to the Ribbon. Mark suddendly went out of the car, and hit someone outside.  Cathy was not impressed about it, she was not considerating Mark as a hero, like he seemed to do himself.  We see that Mark is someone who think in the simple way '' Leave me or take me'', he doesn't like to be analyzed. Cathy is someone more serious who analize, who seems to tolerate less things.  When Bryon tell her about the story of the cops beating Bryon because he was drunk and running, she react like a mother who would punished his son. Mark is speaking like if every teenager was innocent, that it was normal. At this point, like Bryon mentionned, it was impossible for Cathy and Mark to become friends!

8-   Chapter 6 ends with M&M running away.  What do you think makes M&M choose to do that?

I think M&M was not happy anymore at his house, we know that he got grief fir his hair and his ideas, but I think it's more than that.  If M&M runned away it's because he was not feeling good about staying home with his family, but also with his friends. I think that M&M feels alone.  Before, he used to pass more time with Mark and Bryon, but now, when Bryon goes to his house, it is to pick up and see his sister Cathy. I think he feels a little rejected of his friends, but also he tries to find his real identity, between all the different people. Cathy thinks he started smoking marijuana, he seems to be anywhere with people that nobody knows, that he pretend them to be his friends, with long hair, etc. I think M&M is discovering who he is, and that he left the house, because  the people he liked are rejecting his ideas.