The Other Wes Moore: Chapter 5        

The chapter started off with the author Wes mother finding out that Wes was being put on academic and disciplinary probation because of his bad grades, absence from classes, and helping with a smoke bomb incident. One day, Shani came crying to her mother, saying that Wes had punched her in the mouth. Even though it was only an accident. Wes knew his mother would be upset and was expecting her to yell at him, but he was shocked when she came to his room quietly and slaped him across the face. She then made the decision to send him to military school. Wes was entered into Valley Forge as a new student, and displayed an aggressive attitude to make it seem like he was ready to take on anything. Wes tried to run away four times within the first four days of being their. Wes' s squad leader, Sergeant Austin gives him a map to the train station saying that if Wes didn’t want to be there, they didn’t either. That same night, Wes packed his belongings and snuck out of the school in the middle of the night. He followed the map, which leads him through the unfamiliar. Wes got lost and scared and broke down crying. At that moment, Sergeant Austin emerges with the rest of the squad revealing that it was all just a trick. They return to the school building, and he was sent to Colonel Batt’s office. Even though plebes weren’t allowed to call their homes until a month, Colonel Batt made an exception knowing that Wes wouldn’t make it through without it. Wes calls home and begs his mother to let him come home, but she says that Wes had to give the place a chance. In order for Wes to be able to go to Valley Forge, his mother had to ask every family member and friend for money, but she still came up short. Wes’ grandparents gave her the rest of the money to help pay for the first year. The next day Wes sees Colonel Batt talking with one of the men that brought Wes back to the school the night before. Colonel Batt told Wes that the man wanted to speak with him. Wes felt the respect that was commanded by this man, little did Wes know that his mother asked this man named  Captain Hill, to look after and mentor him. Meanwhile the other Wes, is attending a high school with his god brother, in West Baltimore. To entertain themselves, they would flirt with girls on the long bus rides to school. One day, Wes met this girl named Alicia, and the soon become very close. Two months later, Alicia informs Wes that she's pregnant. Although Wes didn’t know how much teenage parenthood could affect him. Wes told Tony about his situation, Tony found it  it funny. Wes's mom had their baby brother a year ago, Tony and his girlfriend just had a baby boy, and now Wes and Alicia were about to have a baby. Wes would now have a brother, nephew, and son that would be about the same age. Tony promises not to tell their mother, but he lets the news slip at their brother’s 1st birthday party. She was silent at first, and of course  not surprised by the situation. Even though Alicia was pregnant, Wes still met other girls. Eventually, he continued to see one girl in particular that was in Baltimore often because of her cousin. One night, he was walking her home, and outside his house, a man named Ray showed up and began to yell at her for being with someone else. Wes turned around to walk back inside, and was grabbed by him and beat up. Wes managed to escape, but was so mad that he rushed inside to grab his gun. The loud situation causes a crowd to form outside, and one of Wes’ friends grabs his gun and helps Wes chase Ray down. They began to shoot at Ray and eventually, they hit him. Wes returns home and slams the door in the girls face. His mother, now wide awake, demands an explanation of what just happened, but Wes storms past her and into the bathroom. Wes soon got arrested. He was put into the police car as the police get information from the witnesses. A few minutes later, the police left with Wes.

So far the book is very different from the book Outliers because they are both getting into trouble and not thinking about why they are about to do.