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M&M using drugs in that was then this is now. in chapter 3 he starts smoking marijuana.
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M&M using acid and having a bad trip off it
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Mark starts dealing drugs, and Bryon turns him in after a friend overdoses towards the end of the book.
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Mark and Bryon struggle to negotiate their social situation. Bryon's ex-girlfriend starts a fight, and members of rival gangs harass M&M, a friend of Mark and Bryon's.
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Bryon and Mark often hustle pool in Charlie's Bar. Their families are poor, and Bryon's mother is in the hospital. Their financial troubles often lead to violence