Count Me In

Chris continues working with Mr. C. He loves Mr. C’s tutoring methods and is continuing to improve in math. Mr. C gives Chris treats and makes him laugh. One day, they take a break during their session to watch old basketball videos online. Chris is surprised when Karina joins them and chats about the videos, too. He’s even more surprised when she asks for his help with her photo competition before he leaves for the afternoon. She wants his opinion on which photo to choose for the gallery’s contest on the theme of home. Chris compliments all of the pictures but likes the one of the night sky best. Mr. C encourages Karina and Chris, promising to make them his late wife’s special cake when Karina wins the competition and Chris gets an A in math. Chris leaves the Chopra house feeling happy.

Karina keeps hanging out after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays during Papa’s tutoring sessions. One Thursday after tutoring, Karina, Chris, and Papa walk to the car together, eating fruit, chatting, and singing a song from Karina’s childhood. Out of nowhere, a car appears and the driver rolls down his window to ask Chris if he’s okay. Chris doesn’t know the man. The driver stops the car, gets out, and approaches menacingly. After studying the three companions, the man starts calling Papa racist names. He then pulls out a knife and demands that Chris and Karina give him their phones. He throws the phones into the bushes and threatens Papa. Papa tells Chris and Karina to run, but the man won’t let them. He continues insulting Papa, pushes him to the ground, and kicks him.

Chris is confused when the strange man approaches him, Karina, and Mr. C. But when Chris sees how the man is looking at Karina and Mr. C, Chris realizes what’s happening: a racist attack. The man calls Mr. C a terrorist, pushes him down, and kicks him repeatedly. Chris doesn’t know what to do.

Suddenly a neighbor emerges, sees what’s happening, and yells for her husband to call the cops. The attacker hears the woman and races away. Chris jumps into the bushes and grabs his and Karina’s phones so they can call their parents. The Chopras and Daniels arrive, followed shortly by the police and ambulance. Jay rides in the ambulance with Mr. C. Chris watches in amazement as Karina takes photos of “the spot where Mr. C fell” (56). She photographs Papa’s broken glasses, his missing shoe, and the smashed berries they were eating.

Chris and Karina go to the hospital afterward, too. The nurse treats Chris’s scratches and sends him home. He can’t sleep that night, terrified by what happened. He can’t stop seeing the attacker’s face and Mr. C’s twisted, injured leg. He calls Matt and tells him what happened. Then he bursts into tears. Matt encourages him to get some sleep so he can support the Chopras.

At the hospital with her family, Karina is so upset she’s shaking. Her parents comfort her. Then Papa’s doctor comes out to talk to the family. His eyes look like the attacker’s eyes, but Karina tells herself not to judge him because of how he looks. The doctor explains that Papa has to have tests and surgery. Dad stays at the hospital while Karina and Mom return home. That night, she lies in bed replaying what happened. In the morning, she realizes she overslept and Mom didn’t wake her; they will take the day off to visit Papa. At the hospital, Karina worries about Chris but is happy to see Papa. He is weak but makes jokes to make Karina feel better. He assures her that no one can defeat them. Karina feels better.

Karina sits in the waiting room with her family while Papa goes into surgery. She looks at the pictures she took of the incident and decides to post them online with a description of what happened. She wants the support of her family and friends.

Chris attends school the next day but regrets going when Karina isn’t there. He can’t focus. At lunch, he sees Karina’s pictures online. He remembers the stories Mr. C told him about his youth and coming to the US in the 1960s. Chris hopes Mr. C is okay and feels upset that anyone would want to hurt him. He comments on Karina’s post and hopes that other people support her, too.

During basketball practice, Chris gets angry when he overhears Quinn and his friends making fun of Karina and her photos. He confronts Quinn, but Quinn tattles on him for trying to start a fight. The coach benches Chris.

In the hospital waiting room, Karina continues to worry about Papa. She wonders what will happen if he doesn’t get better. Then her parents ask her about the details of the attack. Karina tries explaining and then shows them her pictures. Mom starts crying, blaming herself for telling Papa to tutor. Dad reassures her, insisting that it’s not her fault and that Papa loves tutoring. Shortly afterward, the surgeon tells the Chopras that Papa’s surgery was successful and that Papa is resting.

On Saturday, Chris’s mom takes Chris to the hospital to see Mr. C. Chris hasn’t liked hospitals since he had to get stitches as a child, but he wants to support the Chopras. They meet up with Karina and Trisha when they arrive, and all four visit Mr. C’s room. Shortly thereafter, two policemen arrive and ask Karina and Chris to identify the attacker from a lineup of photos. Karina, Chris, and Mr. C all identify the same man, so the officers leave to look for the suspect, who has committed other anti-immigrant acts in the past.

That night, Chris and his parents find an article in the newspaper about Mr. C’s attack. Chris doesn’t think that the article says enough about what really happened and how the man treated Mr. C. The Daniels family discusses hate crimes, which surprises Chris. However, he’s glad he can talk about these things with his parents.