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The story Look Both Ways, was written by Jason Reynolds. This book is made up of many different short stories based on some tough middle school years. In the stories "Water Booger Bears", "The Low Cuts Strike Again", and "Five Things Easier", they all represent friendship and hardship in some way. Friendship can help you overcome hard obstacles when you have great friends by your side.

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Friendship is demonstrated in the story "5 Things Easier".

Kenzi is very short for his age and his best friend Simeon is very large and gives off a "don't mess with me", Kind of vibe so people tend to stay on Simeons good side. In the story it explains, Kenzi is too short to walk in the halls by himself without getting a black eye due to peoples elbows being in his direct line of sight, so Simeon, Kenzi's best friend, would carry him on his back. This is proven when they say this in the story. "Squatting just enough for Kenzi to get a running start to jump onto his back." (Pg.100) This shows that friendship can help you even in some of the oddest ways. Would you let your best friend jump on your back and walk around in the halls all because of how much you care for your friend?

Another story that reflects friendship is "Water Booger Bears". In this story Jasmine is very sick with a disease called Sickle Cell Anemia. She had a flare up that had her in the hospital missing lots of work and feeling very tired everyday. TJ , Jasmines best friend , made Jasmine feel special while she was sick. He would bringing her the classwork and making her feel happy when she was weak. He would even bring games to play or come just to distract the whole family with some crazy stories! In the text it shows, "TJ, who would show up , crack some jokes , break some ice, and leave some empty chip bags next to jasmines bed." (Pg.9) TJ shows his support for Jasmine when she needs it most by bringing in everything to make her as successful as she can be. This shows a true friend that will help you through anything.

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Bit helped John John when he was being bullied for his unique hair. Jason Reynolds writes "That was the last time John John came out of treys mouth before bits fist was in his mouth. " (Pg.24) This is showing us that Bit is small but mighty and will do anything to help defend his friends. This shows bit being a good friend and helping out even if its not a huge deal. Bit also has a hard life himself though and I believe this is partly why Bit sticks up for his friends so much. Bits mom has cancer again and so they are tight on money and that has been causing Bit to steal. Overall I think that Bit is a great friend who truly cares and looks out for his friends.

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Lots of friendships have there little inside jokes or there special handshakes or a funny saying. Well in the story "Water Booger Bears" TJ and Jasmines Symbol of friendship are empty wrappers, Otherwise known as trash. They then stick them in each others lockers,backpacks and bedrooms. They like to call these friendship flags. These friendship flags show that the other cares or is thinking about them. So in the story when Jasmine comes back to school for the first time and opens her locker to a pile of trash she doesn't think of it as a bad thing instead she is super happy. Jasmine says "....next to the thirty in my locker".(Pg..9) In this quote she is referring to the friendship flags in the sense that they are everywhere. TJ wanted to show her that even while she was gone he was still thinking about her.

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In todays world I believe that Look Both Ways By Jason Reynolds captures what many middle school and highschool students go through such as, bullying and hard friendships. Although with the right group of people around you to help and support you along the way there can be a very different outcome.

In the story "Water Booger Bears" I can relate to how TJ or Jasmines family members are feeling because my grandpa was sick for a very long time and was so ill that it was impossible for him to come watch any of his grandkids sports or activities but somehow he would always make us feel loved and understood.