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At semester's end, Cedric has easily passed all of his courses, but the victory seems shallow having opted for less than challenging classes. Home for a month over Christmas, he at first welcomes the familiarity of his room and family. As the days proceed, however, he experiences a rather dull tension, drifting through uneventful days and nights. He returns to a sparsely-attended alumni day at Ballou, speaks briefly to several teachers, and realizes that all around him is decay and the grim reality of violence, low expectations, and burned out adults. This part of his life is gone forever, and he knows he will never again visit this dismal place.

Latisha and Cedric have corresponded, and he takes her to Scripture Cathedral, where she has an epiphany and is "saved." She has had difficulty at UDC and will only...