The boys are planning an escape. They’re determined to break out of prison, but they don’t consider the frightening consequences of an attempt to make a run for it. When Tarvis arrives at Alpha Juvenile Correctional Center, he ignites the plan that Jesse, the ring leader, has been cooking up. He’s got the time line and the contacts. Rick is on shiv-making detail, and Julius is the fire that fuels their hate. As the plan rolls out, their teacher, Caroline McBride, knows something is up, but she doesn’t know what. The air is tense. At odds with the cruel deputy staff, she and William Bonner, the counselor—and her lover—hear the rumblings, but they can’t stop the inevitable. The big Friday blow up. The four finally escape, but freedom is as elusive as a dream.