The Juvie Three

Gecko, Arjay, and Terence are doing their community service. While Terence cleans the streets, he wrestles with his guilt over Healy. He takes a break and is accosted by DeAndre. To make up for missing their meeting, DeAndre demands that Terence tells him what he knows about the electronics store they planned on hitting together, and DeAndre and his friends go alone. Terence doesn’t care for this plan, but he recognizes that it’s his best shot at a peaceful resolution.

At home, the boys are making every effort to maintain the illusion that Healy is still living there. They find their relationship with the neighbor Mrs. Liebowitz slowly thawing. Gecko continues to visit Healy at the hospital and spends time with Roxanne, who tells him that she’s trying to give back to the community because her father, who is very wealthy, does nothing. Still thinking that Gecko is a volunteer, she reminds him not to get too attached to the patients.

Arjay is sitting in the cafeteria when the music teacher, Mr. Cantor, brings him an electric guitar. The teacher once again asks Arjay to join the school band and confesses that he knows Arjay is in a group home. He offers to call and discuss it with Healy. Arjay panics and begs the teacher not to call him. Mr. Cantor agrees, but he asks him to come for music lessons during his lunch hour instead.

The boys continue going to counseling, doing their homework, and keeping the place clean in case of inspection. The next time they arrive at the B.I.D., the electronics store is sealed off. Terence feels an intense despair that his plan should have gone perfectly without him. But the next morning at school, DeAndre slips a new iPod into Terence’s pocket as a thank you.

Gecko is working at the hospital and enjoying spending more time with Roxanne. He’s been talking to Healy, telling him about school and his life. His grades are getting better because he doesn’t want any slip ups to alert Ms. Vaughn to the fact that Healy is missing. It’s during one of these conversations that Healy suddenly wakes up. Gecko runs over and begins to apologize, but very quickly he realizes that Healy doesn’t know who he is. He doesn’t even remember his own name.

Roxanne, nurses, and doctors begin to flood the room. Healy is beginning to panic and doesn’t remember anything. Gecko feels overwhelmed and steps outside; Roxanne follows, and they share a kiss. Roxanne returns to work and Gecko, scared and confused, leaves the hospital.

Outside, Gecko sees an idling UPS truck and jumps in, preparing to steal it. Immediately he knows he can no longer be the person he was, and he needs to face the problems that are in front of him. When the UPS driver returns, Gecko tells him that he chased away someone who had wanted to steal the vehicle.

Walking down the street, Arjay and Gecko reflect on their new situation. The boys continue keeping up the illusion that everything is as it should be. Arjay walks Gecko to the hospital, and Gecko begins talking about Roxanne. Arjay deduces that Roxanne is Gecko’s girlfriend and worries that they’ll be exposed. After Gecko leaves, Arjay takes the subway downtown and goes to a music club called the “Green Zone,” chosen because there’s no entry fee—money is becoming tight.

Inside, Arjay listens to three bands play, watching the guitar players and comparing their style to his lessons with Mr. Cantor: “Arjay inhales the experience, loving it as only a newbie can” (119). The music awakens a desire in Arjay to play on stage himself. Once outside, he sees a “Guitarist Wanted” flyer and takes a strip with the contact number. Immediately, he runs into Casey, whose alternative style fits into the crowd perfectly. He deflects her questions about why he’s out late on his own, and Casey agrees to keep his secret.

Healy is growing increasingly frustrated with his condition. The doctors explain that he still has basic awareness of things like language and motor function, which is a hopeful sign. Healy alleviates his boredom by watching the romance play out between Gecko and Roxanne, who deny that anything is going on between them. Out of sight, however, Gecko enjoys kissing Roxanne in the hospital laundry room and returning to his practice of not thinking, although neither one completely distracts him from his guilt.

At home, Arjay helps Mrs. Liebowitz repair her kitchen sink, deflecting her question about Healy’s whereabouts. He receives a phone call from the person behind the guitarist ad, who asks him to come meet. Mrs. Liebowitz looks out the window to see Arjay running down the street with his guitar.

Arjay meets the three band members, who are “pale and death-camp skinny” (131), the opposite of Arjay. He plays a few guitar chords, experiencing it through the distorted, amplified speakers. Arjay is thrilled: “it sounds like rock and roll” (132).