Black And White

Rose calls Marcus’s house, asking hysterically about Eddie. Marcus tries to comfort her but does not confirm Eddie’s involvement. At school the next day, one of the school officers, Jefferson, pulls Marcus aside to talk to him about what happened. He scolds him for his part in the robbery, and especially for targeting another Black man. During basketball practice, the team asks Marcus about Eddie’s absence—missing practice means he will not be able to start in the upcoming game.

Eddie returns to school the next day and says that no one else knows about his arrest—his lawyer says he and Marcus will both be fine if they “keep [their] mouths shut” (95). The game will be taking place later on, and usually, the team takes the bus; thinking of Sidney, the bus driver Eddie shot, Eddie and Marcus want to ensure the team takes the train instead. In the library during lunch, Rose speaks to Marcus, and Marcus takes most of the blame for what happened.

Eddie leaves class and meets the rest of the basketball team for the game. When Coach Casey asks where he has been, Eddie simply says he had to be somewhere with his family.