“It was recent. The main yard isn’t that far from my place. You can see it from one of the windows. The boys go to their windows to look when the women exercise, and the women go to the window when boys exercise. I heard the jeering and went to look. He’s recognizable from a distance.”

“I don’t have a view of the yard from my place,” Rain said.

“You draw the shittiest hands in life,” Cryptid said.

“I guess. I’m as red blooded as anyone, but I feel like I’d watch for five minutes and then get bored.”

“Five minutes is long enough for most,” Cryptid said.

“Maybe for you,” Tristan said.

I rolled my eyes.

Lookout looked from me to the boys. “Oh. SO gross.”

“Yes,” Ashley said, tilting her head Lookout’s way in a conspiratorial way. “Keep this in mind when you’re older and interested in your first boys.”

“In my defense and in defense of my gender, I’m not part of this,” Rain said. “This is those two.”

“It’s standard teenager talk,” Cryptid said.

“Everything’s fair game, so long as nobody’s uncomfortable,” Capricorn added.

“Okay,” Lookout said.

“Um. Sorry, I’m feeling a bit awkward. Can we just go back to talking shop?” Sveta asked. When eyes turned her way, she shrugged as best as she was able.

“Okay,” Cryptid said. “Sure.”

“Thank you,” Sveta said. “Where were we? Crystalclear?”

“Crystalclear,” Capricorn confirmed. “From the good guy side in the community center attack. You’ve talked to him, Victoria?”

“Yeah. Fume Hood and Tempera didn’t mention him going to prison,” I said.

“Maybe they don’t know,” Ashley said.

“Probable. He doesn’t seem like the criminal type.”

“Spooky, that you never really know what your teammates are like,” Sveta said. “Do you think he’d talk if you reached out?”

“I can try,” I said.

“I thought he seemed out of place, he’s a contact of yours, and from what little I saw, he was talking with others. A lot. That’s not always easy,” Ashley said. “Guards weren’t really pulling him away, I think because he’s got a past record as a hero. He seemed like a good person to ask.”

“How does that work?” Capricorn asked. “Talking to others. There’s talking across the balconies, right?”

“At yard time, four buildings with sixteen people get out at the same times,” Rain said. “We get split up into areas. There’s a weights cage, a basketball court with one hoop, two people allowed at a time, but you can’t play with someone if you’ve had any altercations.”

“The basketball hoop is the Queen’s court,” Ashley said. “Top woman on this side of the prison, Llorona, gets the court and nobody argues if they want to have a good stay. She invites different people every day.”