This story is about a group of neighborhood kids growing up, and how they experience different problems and episodes in their lives.

The story takes place on Detroit's Westside in an area known as the Boston/Edison Historic District.

It was a nice summer day when the old brown Ford station wagon filled with the Gray family pulled up in front of the big house that stood on the corner of Edison and Third.

Mr. and Mrs. Gray with their five kids piled out of the station wagon. The kids excitedly ran up to the door of their new home. Mr. Gray led Mrs. Gray to the door, but before he could open the door even half-way, the kids burst through running in all directions. That is, everyone but ten year old Tyra.

Mrs. Gray could tell that Tyra wasn't too happy about leaving her friends and starting over in a new neighborhood and school, so she sat Tyra down on the porch to have a mother to daughter talk. Mrs. Gray was pretty good when it came down to talking with her children.

"What's wrong" Mrs. Gray asked Tyra? "Nothing", said Tyra. "Yes there is, I know you're going to miss your old friends, aren't you?" Mrs. Gray asked.

Tyra didn't say anything. "You'll see them again" said mom. Tyra said sadly, "Trudy said that I was moving too far away and would never see her again." Mom said, "Well guess what? Trudy doesn't know what she's talking about, because this weekend we're going to surprise her when we drive over to the old neighborhood to pick her and a few more of your friends up to have a sleep over."

Tyra's face lit up. She asked "They can come over here ma?" Mrs. Gray said "All we have to do is go and get them." "That's right ma, I wasn't thinking about that." Mom said, "I know. So the next time you get sad and worried about something you'll talk to me right?" Tyra smiled and said, "Ok ma." Mrs. Gray said "Come on, let's go in the house and see your new bed room."

A year has passed and the kids are well off into school. Eight year old Ronny, Tyra, and their little Six year old brother Calvin went to the same elementary school. Fourteen year old Tony and twelve year old Cherry went to middle school.

One day on the way home from school Ronny, Calvin, Tyra and a few other kids took the short cut through the alley. Suddenly Calvin sees a big pile of trash move. Calvin said "Something's in that pile of garbage over there." Their friend, Nine year old Kenny, said "That's not Garbage; that's Rag pile." "Rag pile?" Said Ronny and Tyra. "Yeah, he's the neighborhood bum. He lives there in those pile of rags." "Why does he live in the alley?" Tyra asked. Kenny said, "Because he's crazy, never talks, and doesn't have a real home."

Some other kids were coming down the alley and started laughing and throwing trash at the pile of rags. Kenny started laughing. Ronny said, "Man that's not funny." Kenny said "They're always doing that to him." Ronny said "So. My dad always says when you see somebody doing something wrong you better get away from them. You don't do it just because they did it."

Ronny felt sorry for Rag pile, and from that day on he always gave the man in the pile of rags whatever he had left over from his lunch. One day after school Ronny's mom noticed that something had been bothering him.

"What's wrong Ronny?" Ronny said "Nothing." "I'm your mom and I know when something's wrong so come on tell me" his mother said. Ronny said "It's this boy at school who's always teasing me." "Just don't pay him any attention" said Ronny's mom. "Words can't hurt you. You just do your school work." Ronny's father told him the same thing.

The boy kept teasing Ronny, and the teasing turned into touching, then bullying, and that made Ronny want to stop going to school.

What should Ronny do?

A. Get someone to beat the boy up?

B. Tell someone like an adult or teacher?

C. C. Not go to school?

D. D. Get his big brother Tony?

Explanation: The first thing Ronny should do is go to his parents, and if he doesn't have that kind of relationship with his parents then he should find some other adult like an aunt, uncle or teacher.

Sometimes moms and dads can make the mistake of not paying enough attention. Or don't take things as serious as they should. Maybe something else could be on their mind, so don't give up on them. If they don't take things serious enough then go to a teacher or principal, but be sure to let the parents know that you had to go to a teacher, and that things could have really turned bad. I'm sure that the parents will realize that things must have been more serious than they thought. Ronny could have went to his big brother Tony, but Ronny was a thinker. He knew by going to get his brother he could cause him to get into trouble, or hurt. Ronny had to make a choice between being called a snitch, or keeping his brother out of trouble, and maybe getting hurt. Never let what people say change the decisions that you make that you know are right. The ones that know you and care about you know what kind of person you are. Family should always come first.

B. is the best answer.

A boy at school, named Eric, likes Cherry. He's always trying to talk to her. Eric has a very jealous girlfriend, named Annie, who's going around school telling people that she's going to beat Cherry up and put it on Twitter. Cherry's Brother Tony found out but Cherry said that she wasn't worried about it and for him not to worry either. But Tony did worry about it. As Tony was walking home from school, taking the usual shortcut, he stopped to give Rag Pile his lunch leftovers, just like his brother Ronny did.

Tony walked over and handed Rag Pile a half of sandwich from his lunch bag. As he turned to walk away he heard a voice say, "Thank you." Tony, surprised, said "You could talk all the time!" "Yes" Rag Pile said. Tony asked "Well why don't you ever talk?" Rag Pile said he didn't enjoy talking to people nowadays, but said he could tell there was something special about Tony the first day he saw him. Tony wanted to know why Rag Pile felt that Tony was special. Rag Pile said Tony was special because of his feelings for others. Rag Pile said "We don't have enough of that nowadays, and I can tell that you feel more for others than you sometimes feel for yourself. I can also tell that something is bothering you. Would you like to tell me about it?" Tony, giving it some thought, said "Uummm, I guess so." Rag pile pushed a can out so Tony could sit down. Tony said "It's not me, it's my sister." Tony explained that the boy who liked his sister had a jealous girlfriend who saw him talking to Cherry. Now the jealous girlfriend was placing on Twittter that she wanted to come over to our house to fight Cherry. Cherry feels she can beat the girl, but doesn't want to get kicked out of school, or in trouble with our parents.

Rag Pile asked "Well, what did your parents say?" Tony said "We can't go running to our parents all of the time like a little tattel-tell. Besides, our parents will just say, you better not be out there fighting."

"I don't think so" said Rag pile, "you kids need to understand. That's part of what your parents are for, to teach you and show you how to deal with anything you don't know or understand. You have to trust them; they love you and are only going to tell you what's right. Family comes first. You have to trust them before you trust anyone else. Are you going to listen to what kids say? Or are you going to listen to family? Everything you and your sister go through...