Dean was known as the tough guy at school. He always wore tight shirts that showed off his muscles. He always pushed the skinny kids at school. He always treated the teachers like they didn't matter. He never did his homework. He got in a lot of fights. People were afraid of him, and Dean loved it.
Dean's world turned upside down when his brother passed away. He still went to class. His English teacher was talking about Shakespeare, whom Dean's brother admired. Hearing about Shakespeare reminded Dean of his own brother. His eyes started to water. He didn't want anyone to see him cry. He got up from his desk. "Dean, you can't get up while I am teaching," Mr. Chen said.
Everyone stared at Dean. Everyone could see the tears in his eyes. They laughed at him. Dean ran out of the classroom. Mr. Chen followed him and sat down with him. "Dean, it's okay to cry. Something tragic happened. Go ahead and cry." Dean put his head on Mr. Chen's shoulder and cried out loud. It was the first time he cried in front of someone. It was the first time he didn't act tough.
