Jamal

Jamal has begun to get a lot of teasing from his friends in the neighborhood. They continuously call him a sell out and a “white” boy because he's trying to get into college. While he sometimes takes the teasing with a laugh, it really hurts his feelings and makes him feel bad.

Jamal gets a break from class and decides to spend the day with his friends. When the teasing begins, he takes some of it without showing any anger but then decides to just go home. Jamal feels frustrated because his friends don't understand what he is doing and the teasing only makes him feel worse.

Ivan

Ivan woke up to his parents arguing. He tried to go back to sleep as he was somewhat used to this. His parents argued from time to time, especially when they were worried about money. This time, though, the fighting got louder and Ivan got worried. He noticed that his little brothers were awake in bed and also looked worried, so he walked out into the living room hoping they would calm down.

Instead, Ivan's father pointed at him and continued screaming. He realized his mother must have just told his father that Ivan hoped to go to college. Ivan's father started yelling at him, calling him selfish and asking him how he thought it could be fair that he go to college instead of getting a job and supporting the family. “I have worked too hard to bring the family to the United States to have my oldest son leave the family for his selfish dreams. Get out!”

Not knowing what to do, Ivan quickly ran back into the bedroom to put on clothes to leave. He saw his younger brothers crying. He told them not to worry, then walked out of the room, and then out of the front door. Ivan took the bus downtown and walked around thinking for hours. He hadn't seen his father this angry in a really long time. Ivan was scared for his mother. He'd seen his father get in his mother's face before. He had to go home to make sure she was ok, but how would he calm his dad down? On the bus ride back, he tried to put himself in his father's shoes. How could he make his father happy while still pursuing his dreams of college?

Danny

Danny has been feeling distant from his roommates lately. He has been working really hard to improve his grades at school and so he hasn't been spending as much time hanging out with them as he used to. Sometimes they make fun of him for turning into a “serious student” and they poke fun at him every time he shuts his bedroom door to study. Although he knows they are just joking around, it bothers Danny a lot. Not only does he wish he could talk to them about how he's been feeling, he also doesn't want them to think he wouldn't like to hang out.

He misses hanging out with them but he also knows that he needs to keep up with his work. Rather than explain that to them though he just walks away or shuts his door. He hasn't been feeling as close to his friends and he doesn't feel like they understand what a hard time he's been having. Instead of talking with his roommates he tends to give in to their teasing and walk away. In some ways he is intimidated by their jokes and it has made him feel distant from them. It also makes him mad at times because they don't know how hard it's been for him lately and their teasing just makes him feel worse. Danny knows that if he would just let them know what's up and joke back with them they would understand.

Elena

The next day, Elena's mom showed her and her sister more love and affection than she had in years. The girls woke up to a freshly made breakfast. Next, their mother insisted they all go to mass together. Clearly feeling proud of her daughters, Mom wanted to hold their hands as they walked into the church.

Elena started to feel uncomfortable and uneasy. After mass, Mom saw some of her friends and dragged the girls over to talk with them. Elena noticed her mother almost bragging about her, saying, “My daughter will go to nursing school.” She knew in the back of her mind that part of the reason Mom was doing this was to protect herself from having to talk about their father leaving, but for some reason, it was making her very uncomfortable.

After mass, Elena quickly changed clothes and left the house without saying goodbye. She wasn't sure where she was heading… to see her friend Carla? To call Jose? She knew she shouldn't avoid her mother just as things were starting to get better, but this change was making her anxious. Even though she knew her mom must be worried, she went for a long walk and thought about calling Jose for comfort.