Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks

An occupant of Marston Street, Jasmine is a young girl struggling with the separation of her parents and navigating school with sickle cell anemia. She is best friends with TJ Jumper, a charismatic and confident young man. Jasmine is more cautious than TJ and relies on TJ for both comic relief and support. Jasmine has just returned from a long absence from school due to her illness. She feels the pressure to make up the overwhelming amount of work she has missed. TJ and Jasmine engage in playful banter yet care for each other deeply. They have been friends since they were six years old and make fun of each other in a lighthearted manner. Jasmine values her strength and resilience in the face of her diagnosis. The two come together to understand each other’s perspectives and demonstrate the power of true friendship.

TJ moved to Marston Street at the age of six. As the only two children in their neighborhood, TJ and Jasmine became best friends. Full of confidence, TJ is unafraid to take up the spotlight and “talked with his body like an old street hustler trying to convince people that stolen goods are a steal” (10). As Jasmine’s confidante, he loves to make Jasmine laugh.