Tyrone's Betrayal

"Not again," Tyrone thinks as loud, angry voices wake him up in the middle of the night. Looking down at his parents from the stairway, Tyrone can tell that his father has had too much to drink. Drinking and fighting are nothing new, but this time, Tyrone's dad leaves and doesn't come back. As the weeks pass and they don't hear from him, Tyrone's anger at his father's desertion finds an outlet through violent eruptions at school. Life at home is no better as his mother begins working a night job to pay the bills. She expects Tyrone, the eldest, to be the "man of the house," a responsibility Tyrone doesn't want. Instead of taking care of his younger siblings he starts partying with older kids, skipping school, and sneaking home in the early morning hours. But when his younger brother is caught stealing candy at the corner store, Tyrone realizes that he will have to take on the responsibility whether he wants to or not. Settling in to his new role as the head of the household, Tyrone is furious when he learns that his father wants to come home. He just doesn't understand how his mother can forgive his father so easily. And how can she believe his promises to change and quit drinking? With the help of his friends and counselor Dr. Martinez, Tyrone begins to deal with his feelings of anger and betrayal as the son of an alcoholic, absentee father. But will he ever accomplish his dreams of going to college and becoming an engineer? Tyrone's Betrayal is the seventh novel in Gloria Velasquez's popular Roosevelt High School series, which features a multiracial group of teenaged students who must individually confront social and cultural issues (such as violence, sexuality, and prejudice) that young adults face today.