Unwind

Page 15

 

  The big kid is Roland. He had dreams of being a military boeuf but apparently had too much testosterone, or steroids, or a combination of both, leaving him a little too scary even for the military. Like Connor, Roland got into fights at school— although Connor suspected Rolands fights were much, much worse. Thats not what did him in, though. Roland had beaten up his stepfather for beating his mom. The mother took her husbands side, and the stepfather got off with a warning. Roland, on the other hand, was sent to be unwound.

  "Thats so unfair," Risa tells him.

  "Like what happened to you is any fairer?" says Connor.

  Roland fixes his gaze on Connor. Its emotional stone. "You keep talking to her in that tone of voice, maybe shell find herself a new boyfriend. "

  Connor smiles with mocking warmth at him, and glances at the tattoo on his wrist. "I like your dolphin. "

  Roland is not amused. "Its a tiger shark, idiot. "

  Connor makes a mental note never to turn his back on Roland.

  * * *

  Sharks, Connor once read, have a deadly form of claustrophobia. Its not so much a fear of enclosed spaces as it is an inability to exist in them. No one knows why. Some say its the metal in aquariums that throws their equilibrium off. But whatever it is, big sharks dont last long in captivity.

  After a day in Sonias basement, Connor knows how they feel. Risa has the baby to keep her occupied. It requires a huge amount of attention, and although she gripes about the responsibility, Connor can tell shes thankful simply to have something to help pass the hours. Theres a back room to the basement, and Roland insists that Risa have it for herself and the baby. He acts like hes doing it to be kind, but its obvious that hes doing it because he cant stand the babys crying.

  Mai reads. Theres a whole collection of dusty old books in the corner, and Mai always has one in her hand. Roland, having surrendered the back room to Risa, pulls out a shelving unit and sets up his own private residence behind it. He occupies the space like hes had experience with being in a cell. When hes not sitting in his little cell, hes reorganizing the food in the basement into rations. "I take care of the food," he announces. "Now that theres five of us, Ill redivide the rations, and decide who gets what a