Topic > American History with their old lifestyle and are ready to leave it behind. Derek accompanies Danny to school the next morning and explains that they may be in danger because of the decision they made, which hurt some of their old gang members that night. So Derek drops Danny off at school. In the Contemporary Justice Review article, they explain the ending of the film as: “Danny, carefree and newly reformed, is shot to death in the bathroom by the lousy boy he blew smoke at at the beginning of the film. We hear him say, 'Hate is baggage – it's not worth it'” (Finley 229). The last quote Danny says shows how both he and Derek have changed over the course of the film. They both learned in different ways that "Hate is baggage and it's not worth it." Although Derek is extremely upset by his brother's death, it's safe to say that he was at least proud that he died not out of hate but as a new person. Just like the old Derek was gone and new again