If I Ever Get Out of Here

Lewis goes home and checks on his bruises. He then goes and shoots some hoops with Innis. From Innis, he is introduced to the fact that teachers can be racist too. Lewis also learns from his cousin one of the reasons Evan hates Native Americans: One day at the grocery store, Evan ran into Innis’ aunt with an empty cart and knocked her down. Her boys ran after Evan and beat him up. At breakfast the next day, Lewis’ mom tells him to wash up, and she discovers his bruises. He rushes out to catch the bus before she can ask too many questions. Back at school, Evan jumps Lewis again. He does his best to defend himself, but Evan is too strong and fast for him. Later, Lewis learns that he has yet another class with Evan, shop class, and that the shop class teacher, Mr. Meyer, seems to have something against him [Lewis]. Fortunately, George is in the class, too, but can’t do much to help Lewis with Evan.

After class, Evan pummels Lewis again. Lewis escapes. Lewis sits with George at lunch, and they talk about the fight. George reiterates how he can’t get caught fighting at school. Lewis mentions that Evan is picking on him because Evan hates Native Americans. George doesn’t buy it, especially when one student, Rob, tells George a different story about how Native Americans are often the bullies when they get together in high school. Lewis knows that some of the kids from the reservation are bullies, and he doesn’t try to argue the point. George tries to come up with an alternative to fighting, but to no avail.

At the end of music class, Evan confronts Lewis again. George intervenes. Evan calls George’s dad a baby-killer. Evan doesn’t hit Lewis with George around, and then he and Stacey escort Lewis to his bus. At home, Lewis’ mom talks to him about the bullying. She asks him why he isn’t fighting back, which causes Lewis to ask her the same question, addressing the fact that her employer, Mrs. D., takes advantage of her. Lewis’ mom slaps him. Lewis makes further comments about his mom and Mrs. D. The beatings at school continue. George does what he can without actually fighting, but it isn’t much. Lewis wonders why no teachers are ever around when Evan is hitting him. 

Miss Ward, the music teacher, brings in her prized synthesizer for the class. She adores the instrument. She lets the students try it out. When it’s Evan’s turn to use it, he plays with a few knobs but quickly grows bored. When he turns to go back to his chair, he “faked a stumble, spilling the coffee into the keyboard” (214). Miss Ward is devastated and leaves the room, crying. Soon thereafter, the vice-principle, Mr. Doyle, walks into the room, demanding to know who ruined the synthesizer and hurt one of his “very dearest friends in this world” (215). No one says anything. The fire alarm sounds, but Mr. Doyle will not allow anyone to leave.

Eventually, Mr. Doyle must let the students leave. Lewis wants to talk to him about Evan bullying him, but won’t tell Mr. Doyle all the other bad things that Evan has been doing, specifically the fact that Evan placed glue on the piano keys, writes hate notes to Miss Ward, and about the synthesizer. Mr. Doyle doesn’t want to hear about anything else. Lewis insists, and therefore, Mr. Doyle escorts Lewis to the office where the secretary is supposed to give him paper to write down his grievance. Lewis misses his bus and must walk home, but the school secretary, Mrs. Tunny, who married a Native American and lives on the reservation, offers him a ride. She also advises Lewis not to tell on Evan. She says that she did not place Lewis’ letter in Mr. Doyle’s box. She advises Lewis not to go through with telling on Evan, and that doing so would only make things worse rather than better. Because of her relationship with the reservation and Native Americans, her advice carries more weight than any other person.

The next day Lewis is called into the office. Mr. Doyle is there and wants to know about the letter Lewis wrote. He has it in front of him. Mr. Doyle tells Lewis that he has made serious accusations. He brings Evan in, something Lewis explicitly stated not to do in his letter. Mr. Doyle makes a comment about how Native Americans can do what they want on the reservation, but in America, a man is entitled to face his accuser. Evan, naturally, denies everything but spilling coffee on the synthesizer, which he maintains was an accident. After the meeting, Evan tries to hit Lewis, but Lewis trips him and leaves school, heading straight for home.

Lewis waits until his mom leaves for work and then calls the school and informs them that he will not return to school until the administration is willing to ensure his safety. Lewis spends the days reading comics, his uncle’s magazines, and listening to music. On the third day, he tells his mom about what’s going on in more detail and his refusal to go back to school. The next day Albert talks to him, telling him that he isn’t allowed to quit school at his age. Albert tells Lewis that they will eventually force him to either go back or to a boarding school. Albert tries to convince Lewis to tough it out, that it will eventually get better, which makes Lewis really upset. He decides on a drastic action. Lewis storms out of the house and goes to a place on the border of the reservation where they build bonfires and hang out. He finds an old bat there where someone had hidden it for possible border altercations. Lewis takes the bat to school: “It was time for a new lesson, a chat in the language of violence” (233).