The Other Wes Moore Chapter 2, Prisoner Wes Moore perspective

The people in Wes' life are trying to better it for him. Meanwhile, Wes just lives his best life playing football with his friends out in the neighborhood. Wes played football a lot, so much that his grades declined in school, they were still high enough to pass, but they weren't high enough to say that he was learning anything. Wes goes outside to meet his best friend Woody, who has a father. Wes and Woody find some other kids about their age and stature, to play some football with, as they find people, they begin playing. As they are playing, Wes keeps shoving this boy while guarding him, eventually, the boy has enough and punches Wes in the face. In more shock than fear Wes stands completely still, Wes feels the blood running down his face. Instead of fighting the kid, Wes decides to run home in shame. After Wes gets inside he remembers something that Tony (his brother) told him to do, "Send a message so fierce that they won't have the chance to do it again." After remembering this moment, Wes grabs a knife and begins to chase the boy down the street, in an attempt to settle the score with him. After someone calls the police, the police show up and tell Wes to put the gun down, he can't hear them, he is still thinking about what his brother had said earlier "Send a message." Wes ends up being forced against a police cruiser along with Woody after Woody said the following words "If y'all don't let him go, I'm gonna have to kill somebody!" Tony begs their dad to pick up Wes from jail, and he complies. Wes is then dropped off at his mom's house, and his mother does not know what happened that day and does not punish Wes. This is important to the rest of the book, as we learn what the source of Wes' violent overreactions is later, we also learn about Wes' past run-ins with the cops. We can also see where the relationship between Wes and his dad stands, as his father simply thinks that Wes' mother can deal with it, as he wants no part in it. This may also explain why Wes doesn't have a moral right and wrong, as when he was growing up he was not punished for something very severe, and he most likely thought he could get away with anything.