The Crossover

In “After,” everyone is silent on the ride home from the hospital. JB is bandaged and sits near Josh, but Josh feels “[…] miles away // from all of them” (137). Once they are home, Josh’s mother has a discussion with him in the kitchen. In “Suspension,” she tells Josh that “Boys with no self-control become men behind bars” (139), but Josh cannot pinpoint why he is so angry. Josh’s mother says that he cannot behave this way every time JB has a girlfriend and that there’s no excuse for almost permanently harming his brother. Josh apologizes to her, but she says he needs to apologize to JB. She also suspends Josh from the team.

“Chur⋅lish [CHUHR-LISH] adjective” defines the term as “Having a bad temper, and / being difficult to work with” (142). Josh’s mom accuses him of being churlish, and he isn’t certain how to apologize to JB for behaving in this manner.

“This week, I” shows Josh having a lonely week. Although he makes honor roll, he watches his team win without him, he eats lunch alone, spends time in the library, avoids Alexis, and does everything in his power to make things right with JB, but JB refuses to pay him any attention.