“I've got work to do, see you guys later. Don't get into trouble now that you've got some free time," Ethan tells me in that scolding tone that I love, and then it's just Jack and Harry left.
We grab a bench under a tree in the patio. My muscles are sore, and the wind is drying the sweat on my skin. It feels good.
"What does he mean he's got work?" I ask Jack, who’s also just sitting and admiring the view of the leaves against the blue of the sky.
"He does some admin tasks around here, as a leader. Being a goody-two-shoes is a full-time job, apparently. I wouldn’t want it, despite the perks," Jack says and stretches his legs out in front of him, enjoying the sun. “It’s basically being a free staff member, getting paid in having the right to walk down the hallway without anyone on your back. Not worth it.”
“That’s why he has an office,” I say. Jack nods. Honestly, I think I'd like an office to fuck around in whenever I want. "What about Miles? Why can’t he ever be with us?”
Jack flicks a dead leaf off the bench. "He's got detention today, too. Poor bastard's probably scrubbing toilets or something."
"When's he getting out of it?" I ask. Jack looks at me kind of pitifully, and that throws me off.
"What?" I press, leaning forward on the bench. They’re both still covered in sweat. Harry is facing forward, elbows resting on his thighs, not saying anything. Jack sighs and rubs the back of his neck.
"It's just that... Miles never gets out of detention. He's got like, permanent detention. His sentence is different from ours.No rec time, no weekends off, nothing. Every single day for him is just work and punishment. I've been here three years, and I've never once seen him get a break. Not even on Christmas. That's just how it is for him."
"Why? That sounds like fucking hell," I say, stunned. Harry and Jack exchange looks.
"Jack's here 'cause he liked to party too hard, and got into drugs, and I tried to hack a bank, it didn’t work out," Harry says. I raise my eyebrows at him; he always talks about cryptos and stuff I can hardly follow. "You're here for some minor screw-up, too, I'm guessing. No one’s here because they're hardcore criminals. But Miles, he actually blinded a guy. He should be in prison, but they figured he's got mental issues, so they sent him here instead," Harry says and shrugs, like he's talking about the weather.
My eyebrows shoot up, my mouth hanging open. I'm not sure what to say next.
"But he's not a bad guy, Liam," Jack adds, probably noticing my shocked expression. "The other kid attacked him first. It’s just that he lost control. Ended up stabbing the guy in the eye with a knife. But you don’t need to be scared of him or anything. He's been here for years, almost as long as Ethan and me, and he’s never messed up. He’s a good friend. That other kid was older and his stepmom’s son. Kept bullying him, beating him up, and even worse. His dad and stepmom never did a thing. So, when the kid came at him... well, you know the rest. They tried to label him as a psychopath, but he's not. Don’t be weird about it."
"I won’t," I say, feeling kinda sorry for Miles. If he isn’t bothering me, I’m not one to judge. “What about Ethan?” I ask, my voice lower now, the question tumbling out before I can stop it. I want to sound casual, but even I can hear the curiosity in it. I think that they might make fun of me for it, theyprobably know I have a crush on Ethan.
For a second, neither Jack nor Harry answers. Jack looks almost cautious, cautious the way a parent about to explain death to a kid would be. Harry just shrugs, as if to say, ‘your turn.’
“Ethan’s story is even more fucked up than Miles’,” Jack says. He rubs his hands together and looks at the ground. I can’t tell if he’s trying to build suspense or if he’s actually nervous to talk about it, like it might summon Ethan to scold us for gossiping.
Harry leans back, arms folded, mouth twisted in a little frown. “I’m not even a fan of the guy, but I feel bad for him,” he admits. “He didn’t do anything to deserve being here.”
I look between them, my heart rate picking up because I know what passes for ‘sad’ in this place is probably nuclear in the outside world. “What do you mean?” I press.
Jack chews on his lip, thinking, then sighs. “Ethan’s the only person I know who actually doesn’t belong here. He’s completely clean.”
Harry nods, but there’s something like frustration on his face, like he wishes Ethan were a little less clean. “He’d kick your ass for even talking about it, by the way,” he says, not joking.
“But why is he here? For real?” I ask, because I don’t get it. “If he’s so good, why did they send him?”
"His parents are terrible people. Drank a lot and fought all the time. His dad would try to hit his mom, but she once pulled a gun on both his dad and Ethan, threatening to kill them. And despite it all, they’d make up and continue their toxic cycle, even doing sexual stuff in front of Ethan. They’re the ones who should be locked up. But one day, Ethan tried to break up one of their fights and got in the middle of it. His dad called thecops and claimed Ethan was trying to assault them both, and his mom backed up that story. But it wasn’t true," Jack says. "So, they sent him here, to keep him out of actual jail."
"Man, that's messed up," I say. The thought of losing your whole life, and it not even being your fault, hits hard. It makes sense why I don’t see Ethan as a criminal. He isn’t one. I feel really sorry for him.
Jack nods. “He never talks about it. But he told me before. Back when it was only him and me. Then, Miles came, and then Harry. Now you.”
I nod. We’re quiet for a long moment, just watching the sun and the leaves.
Finally, Jack says, “Just treat him like a normal person. Don’t baby him, don’t pity him. He’ll warm up to you if he wants to. Actually, both Miles and him will.”
"So, it makes sense why he's so into that career path he wants; he doesn’t want anyone else to go through what he did," I say. Jack nods again.
"He wants to prove that he can have a future out of here, despite what has been done to him. But, to be honest, if it were me, I wouldn't want to help anyone. I'd want revenge, at least," Harry says with a grin.
I don’t know what I’d do, but I for sure wouldn’t be as good as Ethan is.
Chapter 11. Ethan
