How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Alex was frightened. This was a bully far worse than any he had met in school, and there had been some. (5.9)
Boris is also an intimidating figure, but he doesn't have a warm-and-fuzzy interior like Peter. To be honest, Alex is probably right to be frightened of this surly fellow, as Boris ends up betraying the group in the cruelest possible way.
Quote #8
And yet, this had become something he was familiar with. He didn't know what was out there in the streets. Worse, he feared he did now. (6.1)
Though Alex was scared of Peter and his lost boys at first, he eventually comes to trust them like best friends. So why would he give that up to take his chances on the streets? After all, based on everything that Peter says, the other gangs make the Baker's Band look like the cast of Sesame Street.
Quote #9
Kostia posted himself outside while Alex, his heart beating fast in his chest, accompanied Ivan into the shop. (6.15)
Understandably, Alex gets the jitters right before he takes part in his first theft, though this is a far cry from the abject terror he felt just days before. If anything, it's the support of Peter and his posse that allows Alex to grow some courage.