Chapters 9 through 12 Summary

Chapter 9: Valentine's Day arrives. Tupac recovers from his shooting and is sent to prison by a judge, sentenced to up to four and a half years for sexually assaulting a woman, even though the evidence was scanty and contradictory. Tupac's imprisonment has a further numbing effect on the narrator, and she relates it to the arrests of several people around Queens. In May, the narrator as well as Neeka turn twelve.

Chapter 10: The narrative fast-forwards to November, when Tupac is let out of jail early. The families are walking home from church. Jayjones declares that "brothers be hunted," and explains to young twin Emmett that black people can't walk too fast or can't be caught in different neighborhoods, or else the (white) police will harass them. Just like older brother Tash doesn't belong in jail, and just like Tupac didn't belong...