Through the course of the book. Barney's feelings towards Mazzo change. At first he sees Mazzo as a perpetually grumpy boy who seems to hate everyone. Barney does realize, however, that Mazzo has reasons to be this way. As Billy puts it, "Mazzo's not the greatest guy in the world. But he's rich and handsome and had everything going for him. He was a star athlete. And now he's . . . [going to die]" (p. 22). On the other hand, Billy and Allie Roon are also going to die, and while they are inevitably sad from time to time, they never act angry and nasty towards others like Mazzo does.
When Barney meets Mazzo's twin sister Cassie, who seems so much nicer than Mazzo, Cassie tells Barney that Mazzo doesn't want her or her mother visiting him, and proposes a deal. "I thought maybe you could become friends. . . . And I figured I could drop in every day or so and you could tell me about him" (p. 102). Barney agrees to it and makes his way into Mazzo's life.
He visits Mazzo often, and just talks and tells jokes, though most of the time Mazzo doesn't respond. Mazzo doesn't seem so mean anymore -- "He never laughed at the jokes, but he never told Barney to shut up, get out, don't come back" (p.106) -- but it is now evident that his disease is worsening. One day, when at a loss for jokes, Barney brings up the topic of cars, and finds a love for cars in Mazzo. Barney then remembers a wooden life-size car he saw in the junkyard next door, and the idea sparks for him to take Mazzo for one "last wild ride" (p. 111) in it.
Barney works hard to get the car, called the "Bumblebee," for Mazzo, fulfilling his inherent need to do things for others. He also manages to tough Mazzo's softer side. One day when the pains from the drugs he was exposed to hit him, Mazzo actually showed concern. Then, Barney realizes Mazzo's reason for being in the experimental center. "I came here to die quicker" (p. 126). Throughout the time, Barney has become friends with Mazzo.
Many other elements are drawn into the story, such as how Cassie's pain occur simultaneously with Mazzo's, Barney's recurring vision of being in a car accident, and several other surprises he learns about himself. The story is well formed, and while the characters are very believable, and the dialogue and situations realistic, the story has a sort of science fiction edge, making it unique and intriguing with enough suspense to make the reader keep reading. The ending is somewhat abrupt, though, especially since the elaborate plot suggests something more. Nonetheless, The Bumblebee Flies Anyway takes readers on a masterful flight they will never forget.