How does Rowdy change during the course of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian?

Rowdy--as his name implies--is outwardly a
rough-and-tumble kid who has a rough exterior because he deals with the daily abuse of
his alcoholic father.  But even though Rowdy is rough on the outside, Junior knows that
he has a soft inner spot which is revealed when he does the things he loves such as
reading comic books.  When Junior tells him that he is going to leave the school in
Wellpinit to attend Reardan, Rowdy feels betrayed and tries to shut Junior out of his
life.  He cannot see the benefits of Junior leaving to go to another school.  Junior is
a stable entity in Rowdy's life, and Rowdy does not want to lose Junior.  However, as
the novel progresses, Rowdy starts to see past his own needs and begins to come to an
understanding of why Junior has made the decision to switch schools.  In the end, the
two boys become friends again.