"If I Could Change the World"
- Gerald writes an essay for English class about what he would do to change the word.
- At the top of his list? Getting rid of five-dollar bills, peanut butter, and Band-Aids. Um, okay…
- Let's start with the peanut butter: When he was a little kid, his mom would always make him peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but now that she's gone, the peanut butter doesn't seem so good anymore.
- Next up? The Band-Aids. This might seem like a weird one, but when Gerald explains that it's because they only come in "skin color"—and this looks nothing like his skin—it makes sense.
- (And remember: He's the one whose stepdad beats him, so he's covering up cuts and bruises with Band-Aids that stand out against his darker skin all the time.)
- Finally, he'd stop five-dollar bills, because that's what his stepdad uses to get high or drunk, right before he smacks Gerald around.
- Plus, Andy and Robbie got the beers with a five-dollar bill, so from where Gerald's sitting, they're always trouble.