How does Bryon feel about fights and beating people up in That Was Then, This is Now?

In the beginning of the book, Bryon is very nonchalant
about beating people up; he likes fights, and thinks they are exciting, and nothing more
than a fact of life. He says,

readability="9">

"...there were still gang fights around here and
social-club rumbles, and things like Shepard's jumping M&M happened every day. I
didn't mind it much, unless I was the one getting mugged. I liked
fights."

Bryon begins to
think about his attitude towards fighting, as well as other things, however, when
M&M, whom he and Mark have just rescued from some thugs, becomes irate when
Bryon and Mark consider jumping a another guy on the street just because he is black.
M&M emotionally points out the paradox
between

readability="6">

"rescu(ing) (M&M) from some guys who were
going to beat (him) up because (he's) different...and now (Bryon and Mark are) going to
beat up someone because he's different from (them)" (Chapter
1).

For now, Bryon just
shrugs off M&M's abhorrence of senseless violence, excusing the boy because
"M&M was only a kid, just turned thirteen," but as the story progresses, the
truth of what M&M says begins to make sense to him. Bryon's views change as he
matures and begins to think about his actions and the world around him, and therein lies
the central conflict of the narrative - Bryon develops a moral conscience and begins to
grow up, while Mark does not.