Who is the first game against? How is he treated by the crowd at the first game? How does the team (and coach) react/support him? How does this impact him? -Ben

           Arnold’s first basketball game was against Wellpinit High. That was Arnold’s tribe’s high school. When Arnold walked into the gym everyone went silent. Wellpinit’s team all turned around, everyone except for Rowdy.  “He wanted to play. He didn’t want to turn his back on me. He wanted to kill me face to face” (Alexie, 144). Rowdy is showing his feelings. Even though he isn’t smiling he didn’t turn around. He isn’t so mad that he is done with Arnold, but he still is mad. He laughs on the court, but when he finally gets to the locker room he started crying. His coach told him to use that anger in the game. The issue with that was that was that he didn’t get much playing time. The first time he went on the court someone threw a quarter at his head and Eugene gave him three stitches. The second time Rowdy fouled him and gave him a concussion. Arnold didn’t have much positive to take away from the game, but he had to go to make a statement, and show that he was making a better life for himself.