This chapter summary describes events at the high school. The football team is called to the principal's office after an incident of vandalism. Jay provides an alibi that he was watching a movie but thinks the principal knows he was involved. Jay wants to talk to Haroon to find out if his family was hurt and what the police said. The police threaten Haroon about the vandalism, making him seem guilty. Haroon is happy for standing up for himself while Jay is miserable about his involvement. Haroon would choose his conscience over his friends. He reacts calmly to Jay's confession and suggests making amends.

1. BIFOCAL
CHAPTERS 26 & 27
JANUARY 2020
M. RIDDELL

2. 1. WHAT ANNOUNCEMENT IS HEARD AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE CHAPTER?
• THE MEMBERS OF THE FOOTBALL TEAM WERE CALLED TO THE OFFICE.

3. 2. WHAT IS JAY’S ALIBI?
• HE WAS WATCHING A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET AT JAMES'S HOUSE WITH
SOME OF THE FOOTBALL TEAM.

4. 3. WHY DOES JAY THINK THE PRINCIPAL IS RIGHT
INSIDE HIS HEAD?
• THE PRINCIPAL KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED AND HOW JAY GOT CAUGHT
UP IN THE MOMENT AND FELT HE COULDN’T SAY NO
TO THE REST OF THE TEAM.

5. 4. WHY DOES JAY WANT TO TALK TO
HAROON? WOULD YOU TALK TO HAROON?
WHY?
• FIRSTLY, JAY WANTS TO KNOW IF ANYONE IN HAROON'S FAMILY WAS HURT
LAST NIGHT?
• SECONDLY, WHAT HAD THE POLICE TOLD HAROON? DID THEY HAVE ANY
CLUES? DID HAROON SEE ANYTHING?
• WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

6. 5. HOW DO THE POLICE THREATEN
HAROON?
• THE POLICE TELL HAROON THAT IF HE DOESN’T GIVE THEM ANY INFORMATION
ON THE VANDALISM OF BROWN TOWN, THE BOMB THREATS, OR THE
VANDALISM OF HIS OWN HOUSE THAT THEY’LL ASSUME HE MUST BE A PART OF
IT OR THAT HE MUST BE PROTECTING SOMEONE INVOLVED, MAKING HIM AS
GUILTY AS THAT PERSON.

7. 6. WHY IS HAROON HAPPY AND JAY
MISERABLE?
• HAROON IS HAPPY BECAUSE HE FINALLY STOOD UP FOR HIMSELF.
• JAY IS MISERABLE BECAUSE OF HIS TRIP TO THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE AND THE
FACT THAT HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE VANDALISM.

8. 7. IF HAROON HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN HIS
CONSCIENCE AND HIS FRIENDS, WHAT
WOULD BE HIS CHOICE? WHY DO YOU THINK
THAT?
• HAROON WOULD PROBABLY GO WITH HIS CONSCIENCE.
• HE HAS DONE THIS BEFORE IN THE NOVEL WHEN HE WENT TO SEE AZEEM AT
THE COURTHOUSE EVEN THOUGH HIS PARENTS DIDN’T WANT HIM TO GO.
• HAROON FEELS THINGS DEEPLY AND HE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH
HIMSELF IF HE KNEW SOMETHING, FOR SURE, AND SOMEONE GOT HURT.

9. 8. HOW DOES HAROON REACT TO JAY’S
CONFESSION? IS THIS SURPRISING? EXPLAIN
WHY OR WHY NOT?
• HAROON IS VERY CALM.
• HE WANTS TO KNOW WHY THEY CHOSE HIS HOUSE TO VANDALIZE?
• HAROON ALSO WANTS TO KNOW IF JAY WOULD HAVE STOPPED HIS FRIENDS
FROM VANDALIZING HAROON’S HOUSE IF JAY HAD KNOWN WHOSE HOUSE IT
WAS?
• HAROON DOESN’T GET MAD OR SUGGEST THEY TELL THE PRINCIPAL. HE WANTS
THE ANGER AND HATRED TO END.
• THIS IS NOT SURPRISING WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HAROON’S OVERALL
CHARACTER. HE DOESN’T REACT ANGRILY IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT VERY
OFTEN.
• FINALLY, HE SUGGESTS THAT JAY CAN MAKE AMENDS BY HELPING TO CLEAN UP