What happens at the nd of Crash by Jerry Spinelli?

Crash begins to change in subtle but significant ways—he makes awkward but genuine attempts to comfort his upset younger sister, defends Penn from Mike's increasingly cruel pranks, and uses his own sneaker money to buy paints for his mother. The change becomes truly evident when he allows Penn to take the much vied-for position on the track team; it is a monumental moment in which he finally seems to make peace with him, having realized how much he relates to Penn.