The Juvie Three by Gordon Korman Page B

that the car is filled with stolen goods and Reuben’s gang of crooks.
    Yes, things are crazy and getting crazier. But life has to be faced.
    â€œHey, you!” bawls a voice beside him. “Get out of there before I call a cop!”
    Gecko steps down to the pavement. “There was a kid here who wanted to steal your truck,” he tells the angry driver. “I chased him away.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
    Sometimes being totally screwed can set you free.
    Strange but true, Arjay reflects as he walks down Lexington Avenue. When Gecko brought home the news that Healy’s memory was gone, it seemed like the end of the world.
    It was Terence who said, “Look at the bright side. When we thought he was coming back, we were slaves to that. Not anymore.”
    They’re still going to school, and community service, and attending group therapy. The only difference is that it’s no longer temporary.
    Welcome to the new normal.
    True, sooner or later, someone is going to check on them. The big question is when. It could be tomorrow; it could be months from now. As long as the school reports to Social Services stay positive; as long as there are no complaints from people like Jerry or Dr. Avery; as long as Ms. Vaughn’s heavy caseload keeps her away from East Ninety-seventh Street, they just might be able to keep this going.
    And as long as they stay afloat, there’s a chance that something might save them. Arjay can’t imagine what that could be. But it definitely won’t happen if they’re sitting in jail.
    It reminds him of a story he studied in middle school. A condemned man staves off his execution by promising that, in a single year, he can teach the king’s favorite horse to talk. Someone asks why he would make such a ridiculous bargain.
    He replies, “A year is a long time. I may die. Or the king may die. Or the horse may die. Or the horse may talk.”
    Freedom equals possibility. The horse may talk.
    Arjay has been locked up for so long, he barely remembers having a choice about what to do with his time. He has to get a life—literally. He walks with Gecko as far as Yorkville Medical Center, where the kid starts babbling about someone named Roxanne.
    â€œHold up.” Arjay grabs him by the sleeve. “Who’s Roxanne?”
    Gecko hems and haws, but the embarrassed flush in his cheeks is as good as a lie detector test.
    â€œYou’ve been going to the hospital to keep an eye on Healy, and you wound up with a girlfriend ?” Arjay demands.
    â€œNo!” Gecko defends himself. “At least, I don’t think so. But you should see this girl, Arjay. You can’t not like her. She’s just a volunteer, but when she’s on the ward, the whole place practically revolves around her. I mean, the seventh floor might as well just shut down if she ever stops going.…”
    Arjay tunes him out. Well, that explains why Gecko hasn’t been complaining about his countless jaunts to visit John Doe. A girlfriend! Even if it’s an innocent crush, it’s still dangerous. The more people who get to know them, the greater the chance that unwanted attention might fall upon their lives. In the scrutiny department, they can withstand exactly none.
    He sighs. The increased risk is another part of their new reality. This isn’t a couple-of-days kind of thing anymore. They can’t stay locked in the apartment 24/7. God knows Terence isn’t letting their situation cramp his style. He’s already off on his own, looking for trouble. Arjay has no doubt he’ll find it.
    â€œListen, Terence,” Arjay told him, “I know what you consider a big night, and I’m not going to try to talk you out of it. But be careful! It’s all our butts on the line, not just yours! And remember, if you get arrested, it means you read To Kill a Mockingbird for nothing!” He grins, recalling the look of horror on Terence’s face.
    He sends