Dear Martin

Justyce spends the night at the house of his best friend, Manny. At around three o’clock in the morning, he gets a phone call that Melo Taylor, his ex-girlfriend, is drunk and trying to drive home. Manny thinks that Melo is "'the worst thing that ever happened' to Jus" (4) and won't drive Justyce to go get her. However, Justyce cares about Melo and walks the mile to her, despite the "judgment all over […] Manny's face" (3). When Justyce sees Melo, she is slumped against her Mercedes Benz, visibly drunk. She struggles to right herself and hits her face against the car door. As Justyce tries to help, Melo resists him. He considers leaving her there and calling her parents, but he worries that she'll be too vulnerable, and it doesn't seem right.

As Justyce lowers her into the car, he hears a police car approach. He is pulled from the car and slammed against the hood. Officer Castillo, who "looks like a regular white dude" (8), handcuffs him immediately and "shoves him to the ground" (7). Justyce tries to explain, but Castillo hits him in the face and tells Justyce that he knew he was trouble when he saw him "walking down the road with that goddamn hood on" (8).