“You’ve still got time to turn it around, to win. It’s like chess, you could be down to your last piece, but it’s not over until it’s taken.”

“My last piece has already been taken. The board’s empty, my opponent just doesn’t realize it yet.”

Chapter Sixteen

“The last time I did papier-mâché was when I was ten.” Rory muttered.

Ollie snorted. “It’s better than sitting in the wing and doing nothing.”

“True. All I do is think about the mess of my life, and it’s depressing.”

“Well you’re fun this morning…”

Mrs. Mason clapped her hands for everyone’s attention, yet again no one listened, and it was the deep boom of the guard’s voice that shut them all up.

“Those that started last week, come and collect your balloons from the front.”

Ollie bolted out of his chair in a flash. He got his balloon, half covered in newspaper, and hurried back to his seat.

“I mean, you’ll need to blow up a bigger balloon than this one.”

“Why?” Rory asked.

“Your head’s massive.”

Rory pinched Ollie’s thigh, and he jumped out of his chair. “Asshole.”

“Surely there’s easier ways of making masks, you know … card and string.”

“Anyone can do that.”

“But slapping newspaper on a balloon is harder somehow?”

Ollie laughed. “It takes longer. Anything to eat away at time.”

“I guess…”

Mrs. Mason started handing out bowls of paste. “Sebastian, can you mix up some more?”

He nodded and went to the front of the class. Rory noticed the bandana wearing inmates were all staring his way, never letting Sebastian out of their sights. he tried to push the worry aside, but he felt the tension in the air. Something was brewing.

Rory wrinkled his nose at the bowl passed to him. “Looks like algae.”

“That reminds me—I beat Green at pool yesterday.”

“Yeah?”

Ollie nodded. “Jack says I’m getting good.”

“You’ve only been playing for a week.”

“Endlessly playing, at any opportunity.” Ollie corrected. “And Teddy’s teaching me poker, so I’ll be kicking your ass at that, too.”

“What about chess?”

Ollie groaned. “No, thanks, but maybe in a few years’ time I’ll change my mind.”

Rory didn’t say anything back, and Ollie grinned, and a soft laugh left his lips. “The way I see it, is I can either sit around, thinking about how my life turned to shit, or I can keep as busy as possible, and not think about it.”

Rory lowered his head. “Still no replies?”

“None. My brother doesn’t want to see me, and I don’t blame him. Maybe when I get out of here, he’ll give me the chance to explain.”

Mrs. Mason walked between the tables, handing out newspapers. She grinned at Ollie, and Ollie grinned back.

“Such a teacher’s pet.”