Page 151 of Switch!
“Are you wearing contacts?”
“No,” Caleb says. He leans to one side and pulls something out of his pocket. My old glasses, except when he puts them on, beige tape is holding them together.
“What happened?”
“It can get rough in here,” Caleb says. “That’s why I don’t wear them unless I have to. People see me and think I’m an easy target. Especially now that they’re taped up. I look like a stereotypical nerd.”
“How’d they break?”
“A couple of guys jumped me.”
I stare at him, aghast. “You’re surrounded by guards. How can that happen?”
“Some of them let it,” Caleb grumbles. “Get too lippy and they’ll look away the next time someone messes with you. Or maybe they arrange it.”
I don’t want that to be true, but I have to admit that the nearest guard doesn’t look too friendly. “How much longer are you here?”
“Until I turn eighteen,” Caleb says. “Then they’re moving me to an adult prison until I’m twenty-one.”
“That’s not fair!”
“Tell me about it.” Caleb glances around and then, in a whisper, he says, “So teach me how to swap bodies like you. That way I can get the fuck out of here.”
“You read my journal,” I say. “It tells you what to do.”
“I tried. It didn’t work. I must have missed something.”
A buzz interrupts us.
“Time’s up!” an officer declares. “Inmates, form a line in front of me. Visitors, please remain seated.”
Caleb sighs. “Come back tomorrow so we can keep talking.”
“Okay.”
I watch him leave, and as the rest of us are escorted back to the reception area, I’m reminded how lucky I was to get in despite not being on the list. If a different officer is working the window tomorrow, one who is more diligent, this might be the last time I see Caleb. Or my old body. I can’t just leave him here. One more day, even another hour, seems unjust considering how I got him into this mess. What can I do though? Testify on his behalf? Nobody would believe my story.
I hope Trixie will have a creative solution. I tell her everything as soon as I’m back in the car. When I’m finished, she looks just as overwhelmed as I feel.
“Think you could teach him to switch bodies with someone?” she asks.
I consider it. “I don’t know. Even if I could, there wouldn’t be a soul left when he leaves my old body. That’s why I never tried swapping after I traded places with Caleb. I was worried it would kill me.”
Trixie makes a face. “I don’t think you’ll like this idea, but Caleb could let your old body die. That way he’ll be like you are now, free to leap to whoever he wants.”
I shake my head. “I’d rather trade places with him. I could return to that body, do my time, and he could go free. I doubt he’ll like that. I miss having a body of my own. He will too. Besides, we can’t expect Jesse to babysit him for the rest of their lives.”
“Speaking of which, did you break the news to him?”
“No. Admitting that I got him killed felt like a bad icebreaker. We’ll save that news for later.”
“Hmm.” Trixie’s eyes move over the building in front of us. Then she laughs. “Maybe it’s time for a good old-fashioned jailbreak.”
I almost laugh too. But then I consider the idea. “If anyone could do it…”
Trixie’s head whips around to look at me. “I was kidding!”
“I’m not.” I start the car and put it in drive. “No matter what it takes, I’m getting him out of there.”
