Free Breaking Point by Lesley Choyce Page A

caught inside people’s houses when I was ripping them off.
    I always got away.
    Well, not always.
    But here, now, with everyone staring at me, where the hell was I going to run to?
    That’s when I saw her. She was staring at me. But not like the others. They all had some kind of smirk or goofy smile. She looked like she felt sorry for me. Her eyes were fixed on me, and when I made eye contact, I couldn’t look away. Her long dark hair was wet, and it was clinging to the sides of her face, framing it. And the way she was looking at me made me feel like she knew who I was. Really knew me. Who was this girl?
    That’s when the big guy walked over to me. “If you want some dry clothes, follow me.”
    I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t stand there all day. I wanted to talk to that girl, but that wasn’t going to work in front of all the others. So I followed the dude.
    â€œI’m Chris,” he said as he led me out of the dining hall and down a hallway. “You’ll be seeing a lot of me. I’m not exactly going to be your best friend. But I’m not a total pain in the ass either.”
    He pointed to a storage room, and I saw the clothes hanging up on racks. I walked in. Chris didn’t follow. “Just come back and join us when you’ve found some stuff that fits.”
    I found a hoodie and some pants and somebody’s old running shoes that fit. I cursed myself again for ending up here. For getting caught. For getting that lousy judge who decided to make things hard on me instead of just giving me the usual slap on the wrist. Everything sucked big-time. I wanted to scream.
    So I did.
    A few seconds later, Chris poked his head back in the room, although he didn’t seem particularly concerned. “Guess this isn’t the happiest day of your life?”
    â€œI’ve had worse,” I said.
    â€œI’ve been where you are. I know it feels like shit.”
    â€œAnd this is supposed to cheer me up?”
    â€œNot at all. Just wanted you to know. Come have something to eat. Food used to be crap here. But it’s improved.”
    So I followed him back to the hall, but when I got there, the girls were all gone. She wasn’t there. Chris led me to the food counter and handed me a tray. When I got my food and sat down at the closest table, two guys at the table started laughing. I wanted to scream for a second time.
    But I didn’t. I pretended they weren’t there. I decided to think about something, anything that would keep me from losing it. So I pictured her face. Her eyes. I wondered how I was going to get to meet this girl.

Chapter Two
    I kept to myself that first day and tried to keep my head down. The rain pounded on the metal roof through the night, and then it suddenly stopped at around 3:00 AM . I was lying there on my bunk thinking that I didn’t deserve this. I’d screwed up and got caught. I’d spent time at Walkerton before, where I’d learned more tricks of the trade from other kids there. Then I’d gone back home and used what I’d learned. Breaking and entering. It’s a skill like any other one. Even with security systems, it was usually a piece of cake. What I hadn’t factored in was unmarked, silent video surveillance.
    In the morning the sun was out. By 8:30, twelve of us were standing on the shoreline of the inlet wearing life jackets or pfds—personal flotation devices. In front of each of us was a sea kayak. Chris handed me a two-bladed paddle and pointed to the red kayak in front of me. I looked at it and then out at the water. I have to admit, I liked what I saw—blue, sparkling and beautiful.
    Chris gave this big boring lecture about safety, and I didn’t pay much attention. I kept thinking about the girl. And then we were finally on the water. I was snug inside the kayak with the spray skirt, the piece of rubber meant to keep water out, tight around my waist. It