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The Juvey squad car leaves the driveith Starkey locked in the backseat behind a bulletproof barrier Mouthpiece drives while Lady-Lips flips through a fat file folder Starkey can’t iine his life could have that much data

"It says here you scored in the top ten percentile in your early childhood exaust "What a waste"

"Not really," says Lady-Lips "Plenty of folks will get the benefit of your sives him an unpleasant chill, but he tries not to show it "Love the lip graft, dude," Starkey says "What’s the deal? Did your wife tell you she’d rather be kissed by a woman?"

Mouthpiece sh lip service," says Starkey "You boys hungry? Because I could go for a ht about now Some In-N-Out? Whaddaya say?"

No answer from the front seat Not that he expects one, but it’s always fun to mess with law enforcement and see how et ticked off, he wins What’s that story about the Akron AWOL? What did he always say? Oh yeah "Nice socks" Siant, but it always underure of false authority

The Akron AWOL--now there was an Unwind! Sure, he died in the attack on Happy Jack Harvest Cas for the kind of notoriety that Connor Lassiter has In fact, Starkey i by his side, appreciating his thoughts and his every action--not just approving, but guiding Starkey’s hands as he wriggles his handcuffs down to his left shoe--just low enough to fish out the knife fro The knife he’s saved for special occasions like this

"Coht about now," says Lady-Lips

"Excellent," says Starkey "There’s one up ahead on the left Order me a Double-Double, Animal Style, and Animal fries, too, because, hey--I’m an animal"

He is ah Starkey feels like the estion was not all that subliminal Still, he is in control of the Juvey-copsor at least he thinks he is until they orderfor him

"Hey! What’s the deal?" He pounds his shoulder against the glass that separates their world from his

"They’ll feed you at harvest camp," says Lady-Lips

Only now does it hit holass doesn’t just separate him from the cops--it’s a barrier between him and any part of the outside world He will never taste his favorite foods again Never visit his favorite places At least not as Mason Starkey Suddenly he feels like hurling up everything he’s eaten, backdated to six days postconception

The night shift cashier at the drive-throughis a girl Starkey knows from his last school As he sees her, a whole mess of emotions toy with his brain He could just lurk in the shadows of the backseat, hoping not to be seen, but that would oing down, then it will be in flames that everyone o to the proh the thick glass barrier

Amanda squints in his direction, and when she realizes who it is, she turns up her nose as if she’s srill

"Not in this life, Starkey"

"Why not?"

"A, you’re a sophomore, and B, you’re a loser in the back of a police car And anyway, don’t they have their own prom at the alternative school?"

Could she possibly be any denser? "Uh, as you can see, I’ve graduated"

"Pipe down," says Mouthpiece, "or I’ll unwind you right into the burgers"

Finally Aets it, and suddenly she becomes a little sheepish "Oh! Oh, I’m sorry, Starkey I’ Mason Starkey can’t stand "Sorry for what? You and your friends wouldn’t give me the time of day before, but now you’re sorry for me? Save it"

"I’m sorry I hs in exasperation and gives up, handing Lady-Lips a bag of food "Do you need ketchup?"

"No, we’re good"

"Hey, Amanda!" Starkey shouts as they drive away "If you really want to do so, will you? Tell them I’m just like the Akron AWOL"

"I will, Starkey," she says "I pro

Twentyinto the back alley of county lockup No one goes in the front way, least of all the Unwinds The county jail has a juvenile wing, and in the back of the juvey wing is a special box within a box where they hold Unwinds awaiting transport Starkey’s been in regular juvey enough to know that once you’re in the Unwind holding cell, that’s it End of story Even death row inht security

But he’s not there yet He’s still here, in the car, waiting to be transferred inside Right here is where the hull of this little ship of fools is thinnest, and if he’s going to sink their plans, it has to happen between the car and the back door of the county jail As they prepare for his "perp walk," he thinks about his chances of breaking free--because as ht, so has he, and he’sis, even his daydreams are fatalistic; in every anxiety-filled fantasy, he always loses, gets tranq’d, and wakes up on an operating table Sure, they say they don’t unwind you right away, but Starkey doesn’t believe it No one really knohat goes on in the harvest camps, and those who find out aren’t exactly around to share the experience