Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussions of physical abuse, graphic violence, and bullying. 

The narrative depends on seeing a person for their present behavior, not their past conduct. The primary conduit for the theme is Trent. Most of the characters dismiss Trent because of his reputation as a bully. Nick shows that Trent isn’t a kind person. He attacks Trent in Part 1, Chapter 1, and in Part 2, Chapter 5, he and Zack almost kill Nick. Though Nick doesn’t tell the police, he doesn’t want to be around Trent. He bemoans having him in his classes, and he complains when Mom agrees to let Trent and Steve use the backyard basketball court. At this point, Nick’s attitude is legitimate. What he sees is Trent’s violent, bullying conduct, and he doesn’t want to be around such a volatile person.

Basketball allows Trent to reconfigure his identity. He plays hard at practice and on Nick’s basketball court. Nick recognizes Trent’s changes, so Nick revises his evaluation of Trent. Instead of avoiding Trent, Nick seeks him out. Nick describes the transformation, “There are moments in your life when you know you’ve got to go in one direction or another.