“I know you’ll miss him when he goes, but you’ll still have me.”

Teddy grumbled and shook his head. He looked pointedly at Rory, then to Ollie.

“Not in the same way,” Ollie laughed, “but all I’m saying is, enjoy Sebastian, and yeah, you’ll miss him once he goes, but you’ll still have me, you’ve got me for your whole eight years.”

The knife of guilt twisted a little more, and Rory grimaced. “Yeah…”

“You don’t look very happy about that.”

“No, I am… I—I stink, I need a shower that’s all.”

Ollie wrinkled his nose. “I can’t smell you … wait, I get it…”

“Get what?”

“Sebastian will still be in there…go get him, tiger.”

Rory forced a smile and rushed out of the gym. He didn’t glance towards the showers, but went straight back to the wing and slammed the cell door. It bounced back, and he only just avoided it when it swung at him.

Rory braced himself over the sink and looked in the mirror. He didn’t like the liar looking back at him.

Chapter Thirteen

Rory peeked over Ollie’s shoulder. “Show off.”

Ollie laughed and attempted to hide what he was drawing. “I’m sorry that I’ve progressed from stickmen, but you haven’t.”

Rory flapped his sheet of paper. “My stickman battle is epic.”

“It’s childish.”

“I wasn’t an art kind of kid. And you said you failed at everything at school, clearly a lie.”

“Everything except art.”

“Where you’re like a mini Picasso.”

“When I was drawing, or painting … or just creating, it made me feel good, and all of my troubles were gone, just for a little bit.”

Rory swallowed, then gestured to Ollie’s picture. “You’re really good.”

“Thanks … do you think Teddy will like it?”

Ollie gestured to the front of the classroom. Sebastian and Teddy were sitting together, lounging in their seats as Mrs. Mason waited for the room to settle.

“I think he’ll love it.”

“I’m gonna ask Mrs. Mason if I can give it to him after class, I hope it’ll make up for the maggots.”

Mrs. Mason cleared her throat, but it had no effect on the chatter. They only fell silent when one of the guards yelled at them from the back. Pauly sat a few tables away. Rory ignored his stare, and focused on Mrs. Mason.

“Thank you,” she said. “This will be our last day on these pencil sketches.”

“Thank Christ for that.” Rory muttered.

“Have you volunteered to show your piece to the class?”

Rory’s cheeks flamed. “No.”

“Stand up and show us.”

“No, thanks.”

Ollie snatched his piece of paper and stood up. “Here it is.”

“I hate you,” Rory mumbled.

Mrs. Mason frowned. “And can you explain your piece?”

Rory shrugged. “It’s nothing, doodles, a stickman battle.”