Free Darnell Rock Reporting by Walter Dean Myers

was wondering if he should ask Tamika to go with him to interview Sweeby. Tamika wouldn't take no for an answer even if Sweeby didn't want to talk. But she had a fast mouth and might get everybody mad. Larry wouldn't say anything, but he would go with him and be on his side.
    Nicholasa and Tamika were sitting in the back of the room, and Tamika was braiding Nicholasa's hair while the teacher was reading some poetry.
    “Tamika, what are you doing?” Mrs. Finley asked.
    “I'm following the mood of the poetry,” Tamika said. ‘That kind of poetry makes me want to do somebody's hair.”
    “Haiku makes you want to do somebody's hair?” Mrs. Finley screwed up her face in disbelief.
    “Yeah,” Tamika answered. “Ain't it strange?”
    “Leave her hair alone and concentrate on trying to get the feel of the poetry!” Mrs. Finley was turning red.
    “But if her hair isn't right she's going to get upset,” Tamika said. “I think she's upset now. Nicho-lasa, baby, are you upset?”
    “I don't think so,” Nicholasa said in a quiet voice.
    “Does any of you know what the purpose of education is?” Mrs. Finley asked. “Does anybody here know?”
    Tamika raised her hand, and Mrs. Finley gave her a look that lowered it.
    Darnell was nervous the whole afternoon. Even when the dog got into the school and ran into the girls' bathroom, he couldn't keep his mind off the interview. He thought to himself that Sweeby might not even be on Jackson Avenue. He had never seen him anyplace else, but it was possible, he thought.
    By the time the final bell rang, he had decided to postpone the interview for at least another day.
    “Hey, Angie, your brother's in a fight!”
    Darnell didn't hear who said it, but he saw a crowd of kids looking out the window. He went overto look and saw that Angie's brother, Johnny, was standing near the fence in the yard and Benny and Larry were standing in front of him. Chris looked as if he was pushing him.
    Darnell went out the front door and down the side steps. He had to go all the way around the small toolshed to get to the yard. When he got into the yard he went up to where Johnny was still against the fence with Benny in his face.
    “You want to be on the track team, you got to practice !” Benny was yelling. “And you got to do it all the time or else you're not going to be on the team!”
    “Leave him alone!” Angie was there, and she pushed Benny. He pushed her back, hard.
    “So what are you going to do?” Benny Quiros was yelling again.
    “Leave him alone!” Angie was screaming at Benny. She pushed past Benny and grabbed her brother's arm. “Come on.”
    “No,” he said, pushing her hand away from him.
    “Johnny, come on!” she called to him.
    “No,” he said, pushing past her and heading toward the track. “I got to practice.”
    “What are you doing?” she called after him.
    “Leave him alone.” Darnell spoke softly to Angie. “Hey, Angie, don't worry, he'll be okay.”
    Angie walked away stiffly, tears running down her face. She was worried about her brother. Darnell watched her for a long moment, thinking about how concerned she looked, thinking about her brother,thinking about how some of the people from the Corner Crew were doing some really good things. Then his thoughts went from the Corner Crew to the guys standing around the fire on Jackson Avenue.

NINE
    Larry was at Darnell's house on Saturday morning and was watching television in the kitchen with Tamika when Darnell finished dressing. They were having cookies and milk.
    “Larry's got a milk mustache,” Tamika said.
    “Why don't you kiss it off for him,” Darnell said.
    “What is your problem, Darnell?” Tamika threw a towel at her brother.
    “Larry, you ready?” Darnell asked his friend.
    “Just because you're in a hurry to interview that homeless dude don't mean that Larry has to be,” Tamika cut in.
    “Suppose he's not there,” Larry said, putting cookies in his pocket.
    “Then he's not there,”