Jus's big toes
"'Come on over here and sit down.'
In all honesty, I didn't want to. Sit down is Mama-code for 'spit it out,' and I woulda preferred to get my big toes shot off than talk about the stuff I was trying to escape" (34).
The image of Jus's big toes getting shot off appears at the beginning of a conversation between Jus and Mama that Jus recounts in his second letter to Martin. In this moment, Jus feels weighed down by the violence around him—the violence that was committed against Shemar Carson, the violence that Quank Banks was arrested for, and the violence that Officer Castillo committed against Jus himself. Fittingly, this image is a violent one that brings a sharp picture of bodily harm to the reader's mind. It evokes the mental anguish that Jus feels throughout his coming-of-age. He does not want to have to feel, or face these things—he would much rather "escape"—but he has no choice, because they are the realities of his existence.
Jus avoiding the question
"'We're just good friends,' he says to the air. 'Debate partners. You know what I mean'" (56).
This image gives us an indication of Jus's feelings as he talks to Melo in the cafeteria at the end of Chapter 6. In this scene, SJ has just given Jus a huge congratulatory hug to celebrate the fact that he got into Yale. Melo watches their interaction and asks Jus if they are a thing. Jus tells Melo that they are just friends, but his body language—looking up at the air instead of Melo's eyes—reveals to the reader that he is lying.
Jus's Curtains
"Justyce peers around the room. There's sunlight streaming through the pieces of tissue paper Braselton Preparatory Academy calls curtains. The thought of it makes his head throb again" (98).
This image appears right after Doc has woken Jus up the night after Blake's birthday party. Jus is hungover and discovers to his embarrassment that he has fallen asleep below his desk with his pants around his shins. The image of the sunlight streaming into his room gives Jus an indication of how much time has passed since the party. It also highlights Jus's hungover state, since the sight of the sunlight makes his headache worse.
The Rivers's Dining Room
"When Jus steps inside and the fragrance of chicken cacciatore assaults his senses, he's one hundred percent sure he doesn't wanna be here. He doesn't wanna sit down at the antique oak table to eat from the 'special-occasion' dishes Dr. Rivers has taken from her china cabinet" (133).
This image is paired with Jus's emotions as he attends dinner at Manny's parents' house after Manny has died. Jus takes in Manny's dining room—the smell of the chicken cacciatore, the sight of the antique oak table and the 'special-occasion' china, and he feels dread at being in this situation. It is certainly a terrible moment for everyone involved—they are meeting to commemorate the fact that Tison has been indicted, but they would all much rather for Manny to be alive. This moment is alienating and uncomfortable for Jus, who has spent so many hours in Manny's house in the past. However, he knows that "it wasn't the house that felt like a second home to him." Rather, "it was Manny" (133). The images in this passage coalesce with Jus's emotional state to give us an evocative portrait of the Rivers's dining room in this moment.
