Scorpions

Scorpions Summary | Plot Summary

Mama is late. Jamal and Sassy fuss at each other as something to do while they worry and wait. Mama has been to the jail to visit her other son, Randy. Randy was involved in a heist, and someone was killed. Randy wants Mama to try and raise five hundred dollars to pay for his appeal. She arrives home tired and distraught because she does not know where she can get that kind of money. The Hicks are poor. The hot water has been turned off and in the small apartment, Jamal must sleep on the sofa so his sister can have the second bedroom. Roaches are in the cereal boxes, and often their only meal is toast. Mama hopes to work extra hours for Mr. Stanton to raise the money. Randy wants Jamal to visit Mack. Mack is a member of the Scorpions and was with Randy when he pulled the heist at the deli. Mama thinks that Jamal must be hanging out with the Scorpions, too. Jamal reassures her that he is not.

School is not a fun place for Jamal, either. He is often late and misses homework, and so he often has to see the principal. The teachers and the principal believe that Jamal is a troublemaker. The class bullies succeed in making it look like Jamal is the instigator. The only time Jamal is happy is when he is drawing. He is thrilled that one of the teachers has asked him to stay after school to paint the set for the seventh grade play. His elation is dashed, however, when he is only asked to open the windows for the paint fumes while everyone else gets to paint. Jamal goes home, fights with Sassy, tries to do his homework and finally leaves to go outside to draw. He knows he is good at that.

Tito comes by, and Jamal asks Tito to go with him to find Mack. Tito does not want to go because Mack will be at the crack house. Yet, he goes because Jamal asks him to go. Mack says that Randy wants Jamal to take over the Scorpions. Mack assures Jamal that he will be behind him, and he gives Jamal a gun. Mack also informs Jamal that the lawyer wants two thousand dollars for the appeal. Where can Jamal get this kind of money? On the way home from school the next day, Jamal stops by the store run by Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez likes Jamal and gives him a job delivering groceries and helping in the store. Jamal likes having a job, but he figures out that it will take a long time to earn enough at the bodega for Randy's appeal.

School proves trouble again when Jamal is bullied into jumping down stairwells. The principal predicts that he will soon expel Jamal. After school, Jamal and Tito go to their favorite place, the boat basin. Here they dream of having their own yachts and sailing away from their troubles. Their dreams give them hope for a better future in a better world.

Back in school, Dwayne, the class bully, harasses Jamal. Dwayne is older and bigger than Jamal, so Jamal knows he cannot win any fight with him. Still, Jamal will not back down. Jamal is badly beaten by Dwayne. Afterwards, he goes home and retrieves Randy's Scorpion jacket from the back closet. He puts it on. He is a Scorpion now.

Jamal, Tito and Mack go to see the Scorpions in their hideout, an old abandoned firehouse. The Scorpions already know that Randy wants Jamal to be the leader. They do not like this set-up. When the gang becomes threatening, Jamal pulls out the gun. The gang backs off, and Jamal and Tito leave the hideout feeling the power of the gun.

When Jamal gets home, he hides the gun under the sofa cushion. Sassy informs her brother that their father, Jevon, has come by. Jamal knows he is visiting only because he needs money. Jamal's mother left her marriage and took the children because Jevon was abusive. He made Jamal's mother cry just like Randy did. Jamal does not like his father to come by.

Back at school. Dwayne relentlessly continues to bully Jamal. Another fight is set up to take place in the storeroom. Jamal convinces Tito to take the gun and put it in the storeroom before the fight. During their confrontation, Dwayne once again beats Jamal brutally. Jamal reaches for the bag with the gun and shows it to Dwayne. Dwayne cowers. Jamal has the power. He leaves the storeroom and keeps going right out of school. As he is walking home, Jamal begins to think about the repercussions of having a gun in school. What if Dwayne tells? Will he be arrested? Jamal suddenly does not feel so elated.

Jamal knows that if Dwayne had pushed him he would have shot the gun. This scares him. He and Tito know that they need to get rid of the gun, but before they do they want to shoot it. They take the gun to the park, shoot it into the air and run home. The next day, Dwayne threatens to tell the police about the gun. Jamal stands up to him and says that if he does, Dwayne will have to face all of the Scorpions.

Tito agrees to keep the gun at his house, but Abuela, his grandmother, finds it. She tells Tito he has to leave and never come back. Tito is devastated. Jamal knows he has to retrieve the gun and get rid of it. It is too much trouble. Jamal likes his job at Mr. Gonzalez' store. It makes him feel good about himself, but it does not last. Once the Scorpions learn that Jamal is working at the bodega, they start coming in and stealing candy. Mr. Gonzalez does not want their kind in his store, so he fires Jamal. Mr. Gonzalez feels badly and warns Jamal about associating with the gang members.

The talk is all over school that Jamal has a gun. The principal calls Jamal to his office. Jamal denies having a gun. The principal suspends Jamal until his mother can come to see him. The principal wants Jamal to take medicine to calm him down. Mama signs the papers, thinking the pills are just vitamins. Jamal keeps Mama from coming to school by agreeing to get the papers signed and taking the medicine. He does not want to make Mama cry.

Randy gets stabbed in jail. Mama spends a lot of time with him. The need for money to get Randy out of jail becomes more urgent. Jamal feels helpless. He cannot win a fight with Dwayne. He cannot win a fight with the Scorpions. He lost his job and cannot get money for Randy. His only hope is that Sassy will not tell Mama about the gun.

Jamal decides that he does not want to be a Scorpion and wants to give the gun back to Mack. Mack still thinks Jamal should lead the gang. He is afraid that if Indian takes over, he will keep all the money for himself. Mack says that if Jamal takes over the gang, he can get money for Randy. Jamal says he will think about it. He wants to talk to Indian. He does not return the gun to Mack. Indian agrees to meet Jamal. Tito comes along but hides in the darkness. The meeting does not go well, and Jamal is beaten. Suddenly, shots ring out, and both of the gang members are lying on the ground. Jamal and Tito run and throw the gun into the trash.

Tito has shot the gun in defense of Jamal. Indian came at Jamal with a knife. Now Angel is dead, and Indian is wounded. The next day, Mack claims to be the shooter, but Jamal knows differently. Tito cannot keep the secret. He tells Abuela, and they go to the police. Tito must go back to Puerto Rico or face criminal charges here. Jamal learns to face bullies without a gun. Their friendship is still intact, but they must face separation and an unknown future.