chapters 9, 10 & 11

13- Which clues should have indicated to Bryon that Mark was selling drugs?

He could know because he spent less time at home, always absent. Then there was a lot of money. Initially Bryon thought he was playing poker. He eventually discovered that he was a drug dealer and that was how he made ​​his money

14- In your opinion, why did Bryon call the cops on Mark?

He called them because he realized Mark wasn't doing good things. He realized he wasn't making the good choices and maybe he was afraid it got worst for him, that's why he called the cops. To protect hiself but also to protect Mark of hiself. He took the safer option for everyone.

15- In your opinion, why did Bryon and Cathy’s relationship end?

Bryon didn’t have the energy to handle a relationship anymore. He had enough problems to deal with in his life and on her side, Cathy was also having a terrible time with M&M who was taken care of at the hospital. Bryon came to a point that he didn’t even love himself anymore. How could he love someone else?

16- What did you think of the ending? Was it predictable? What part of the story foreshadowed such an ending? 

The ending was predictable. Just by looking at the title « That was then, this is now », it shows us that something is going to change things forever. When Bryon discovered that Mark was selling drugs, I automatically knew that it was the beginning of the end, that something even more awful would happen. And it did, when Mark was sent to prison.

17- In your opinion, did Bryon do the right thing by calling the police on Mark? Explain.

In my opinion, I think that he did the right decision because Mark was starting to change his behaviour, to become a bad person and a bad influence for everyone. .

Chapter 7 & 8

9- When Bryon talks to M&M’s dad, he thinks about how his own mother raises them: “I could have told him that Mom never worried about Mark and me –she loved us but let us run our own lives”. What do you think about the way Bryon’s mother raises the boys? Do you think it has consequences on their lives? What are the consequences? 

Bryon's mother does not mean much in the education of boys, because it let them do what they want, it does not take care of them and give them advice. They are left by themselves and it has a huge impact on education in their lives. They tend to take the wrong path by the influence of others who are present for them. Bryon and Mark gets into a lot of trouble because they have no guidance

10- In chapter 7, Mark says: “So are we [just kids]. Nothing bad happens to you when you’re a kid. Or haven’t you realized that?” Do you agree with Mark? Do you think Mark’s opinion is going to change? Why?

I don't agree on that because he's a kid and bad things already have happened to him. He just don't seem to realize them. Maybe being called the lion is making him blind about all the bad things that have happened. He always wants to be the tough one, the strong one but doesn't realize the bad stuff. For example, the death of his parents, in the fight. Maybe that's why he won't reallize Mark is hurt when Mark will be in trouble, he didn't reallize it on his own parents, he won't reallize it for Mark too. That's why i don't think he will ever change his opinion.

11- In chapter 7, how does Mark’s previous statement from chapter 2 (“That is one stupid guy. [… ] if anybody ever hurt me like that, I’d hate them for the rest of my life.”) become prophetic?

Mark was really injured in chapter 2 by Curtis. Angela made ​​the whole organization of the battle and for his revange, Mark will cut the hair of Angela in the car while she was drunk. Later, when she realizes Mark inappropiate gesture it will have serious consequences.

12- In your opinion, why does Mark know where to hunt for M&M in this chapter?

I think that he knew it because they actually aren't soo different. They each hadn't had a childhood (Mark's parent death and M&M's feel alone by always being criticize), Mark was called the lion because of the different strongnest he had and M&M the hippie because of the different style and hair. Also, Mark already knew this place, he already went to this house because he knew girls that use to date him.

Chapter 5 & 6

6- Were you surprised by Charlie’s death in chapter 5? Why/Why not? In your opinion, what will be the consequences of this death for Bryon and Mark?

I was very surprised by Charlie's death in chapter 5 because I thought he was going to be an important character in the book especially because he worked at the bar, a place that Bryon and Mark used to go on a regular basis. The fact that he tried to save both of the kids but that he died instead, makes me feel even more chocked.  I think that Charlie's death is going to give them more liberty, which isn't necessary a good thing. For instance, they are going to have Charlie's car, which can be dangerous if they don't use it properly. I think Charlie's death is also going to set them apart because Mark is becoming more and more rebellious and if Charlie isn't there anymore, no one can intervene

7- In chapter 6, Cathy and Mark’s relationship evolves. How do they feel about one another? What events prove that?

At the beginning, they were nice with eachother. But everything started to change when Mark hit a guy that bothered Cathy. She wasn't accepting the action he did. They didn't see things the same way, they couldn't stop arguing and their relationship started to be bad and negative.  

8- Chapter 6 ends with M&M running away. What do you think makes M&M choose to do that?

I think that M&M wanted to escape from the world that misunderstands him. Because of his differences, M&M is always being picked on, and he couldn't take it anymore. 

Chapter 3 & 4

1- In chapter 3, many different (sometimes little) events give us some insight about Mark and Bryon’s relationship.
Identify the elements that give us that insight on the boys’ relationship.For each event that you list, explain what it says about their relationship.

Mark didn't double date with Bryon because he already planned something with some guys. It shows that they are slowly starting to be apart from each other.
Bryon and Mark argued about Curtis because Bryon didn't like the guy and then Mark started to tell him that he was only jealous of him because he had once took his girl, in the past. It shows us that they don't always agree with eachother even though they are best friends.

2- After reading chapter 4, explain the relevance and the meaning of the title of the book. Include two quotes from chapter 4 to illustrate your opinion.

That was then, this is now. This tittle explains the relationship between Bryon and Mark. It's going to tell us that they always used to be the best friends in the world but somehow, their relationship is slowing starting to go the opposite way. Mark is changing and Bryon isn't ok with that. "Mark was swearing and in the dim light he didn't even look like Mark. He looked perfectly capable of murder; his only regret was that he had missed."(P.85) Slowly, Bryon is spending more time with Cathy because she understands him more but that doesn't help Bryon and Mark's relationship. "One night he almost lost his temper with me when I told him I was goofing around with Cathy instead of him. It was as if he felt something slipping and was trying to hang on. I couldn't help him; I was trying to hang on myself.

Chapter 1 & 2

1-      In chapter 1, when Mark and Bryon save M&M from Curly Sheppard’s gang and afterwards want to beat up on another innocent by-stander, M&M says:

“You make me sick!  You just rescued me from some guys who were going to beat me up because I’m different from them, and now you’re going to beat up someone because he’s different form you.  You think I’m weird – well, you’re the weird ones.”

·         Discuss difference in Mark and Bryon’s world.  What does it mean and what does it cause? 

In the book, the idea of ​​being different is being rejected, being beaten by those who believe in normality. Once you were not in the same mold as everyone you were beaten. Nobody wanted to be your friend. When you're like everyone else, you were accepted. Often, because They are jealous of you, Because you are special, You have a different skin color, a different financial or social life They Their life (hippies). In the book, Being special means clustering Being rejected and beat. You need to fit in, you can not be different, and it's thought as a mistake. You do not fit; They will try to make you fit by beating you, you stay the more different, the more it'll get worst for you.

·         What does that event enable you to infer or predict about what will happen in the story? 

That there will be a lot of difference between the character and this will be create fight .Mark & Bryon are complicit and they would go fight someone different from them.

2-      In chapter 2, Mike’s story ends with the girl saying “kill the white bastard”.  Why do you think she said that?  Explain from the context.

I think she said that because she was scared and confused, and that maybe it was wrong for her parents to see her daughter with a white boy, even if he helped her and ‘’saved’’ her. I think that she was scared that she would get judged by either her friends or family, and her community, so she made up a story that would make him pay and not her, so she would save herself from being beat. She got so harassed that she didn’t want to be more. And maybe she even wanted to get even, by making him pay instead of the others.

3-      At the end of chapter 2, Mike says:

“I still don’t hate Negroes, least of all Connie.  I mean I can almost see why she did it. Almost.”

Mark later says about Mike:

“That is one stupid guy.  [… ] if anybody ever hurt me like that, I’d hate them for the rest of my life.”

What does that comment allow you to foreshadow about Mark?

Mark and Bryon's world, there are several differences as that between the rich and the poor, between gangs, between the color of skin. This can lead to violence, discrimination etc by knonwing this we can predict that a lot of problems involving fights will appear in the book and maybe later on, it will lead to a fight involving only Mark and Bryon which will have an important impact on both of their lives.  

(foreshadowing is a literary technique. It is when we can predict something that will happen later in the story based on a sentence or an event earlier in the story.
Here, based on the sentence “That is one stupid guy. [… ] if anybody ever hurt me like that, I’d hate them for the rest of my life.” what can you predict for Mark in the future?)