Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks

Bryson Wills stays home from school today because his mother “figured it was a good idea to let things cool off” (79). Bryson was in a fight the day before and his face is in pain from “the black eye, the busted lip, the swollen jaw, the scrapes” (79). His mother and father say goodbye to him for the day and tell him that they love him. His mother tells him “that he shouldn’t play video games all day” (79).

Later, Bryson eats breakfast and prepares to play video games, despite his mother’s warning. He tries not to think about school and his walk home but “the thoughts were there like the smell of coffee that seemed to linger in the house long after it had been brewed” (80). He replays the scene in his mind and recalls how “he’d seen the clips all over social media the night before” (80). At his mother’s request, he deleted the apps completely from his phone. Bryson begins to play Call of Duty to escape.

At school, Ty Carson feels paranoid about his classmates “looking away whenever he’d catch their eyes. Or cutting conversations whenever he walked by, like he was some kind of human mute button” (81).