True Biz

At the bar, Charlie introduces Austin and Eliot to the rest of Slash’s crew. From there they go back to his house, where Slash makes sure none of them have their phones. Charlie, Austin, and Eliot left their phones at school. The group follows Slash to the basement, where he tries to talk logistics with the band. While they are speaking, Eliot becomes nervous and unsure about continuing with the plan. Both Charlie and Austin tell him it is okay if he would rather bow out.

Once a game plan is put in place, Lem tells Eliot to use some electrical tape to change the numbers and letters on his license plate.

The group quickly decides that Austin has the steadiest hands of the group. Slash waves Austin over to him, ready to give him instructions for what to do next. Austin finds Charlie and asks her to interpret for him. He holds two wires together while Slash turns up the flame of a torch.

This chapter takes place just after the book’s first chapter. After she vomits from anxiety, February finds the police and tells them to amend the Amber Alert to include a third student, Charlie. Back outside, she does her best to reassure Mr. Serrano, who is understandably frustrated. She spends the rest of the morning taking calls from parents, journalists, administrators, and law enforcement. Though the police got into the missing students’ phones, they did not uncover anything that would help them figure out where they may be. Henry appears in February’s office at one point, telling her that he and Beth recently told Austin about possibly implanting Skylar, and he knew about the closures.

Needing advice, she goes to Wanda. Together, they try to figure out why Austin, Charlie, and Eliot left. February pulls up a photo of the GPS coordinates she got earlier in the day and tells Wanda to Google the coordinates. They see that at least one of the missing students went to the Gas Can, a venue in East Colson. Wanda suggests she and February go see if they are there before informing the police. 

The beginning of the chapter is a transcript of a YouTube video posted by Gabriella, who tells her followers in a vlog-style video that three of her best friends are missing and asks that they contact her with any information on their whereabouts.

Slash tells the group they will need only a couple of hours to finish the job, but they will need to wait until dark to move again. Charlie draws out a map outlining the route from the house to the plant, as they need to avoid using their phones. Next, she begins sorting out screws and nails into equal sets. When they leave the house, each person carries a pressure cooker and is ready to carry out the mission.

February and Wanda drive to Colson to try to find the students. They go into the Gas Can, where the bartender says they do not serve minors. When they get back in the car, February remembers the way that Charlie’s eyes sparkled when she explained the concept of hot-wiring to her during their last lesson. That leads her to drive to the highway on-ramp until she reaches the Edge Bionics factory, which manufactures components for cochlear implants. They circle the building twice, and just when they are about to head back to school, they spot the students. They are a block ahead, wearing black bandannas over their faces and carrying pressure cookers. February catches up to them and steps onto their path, causing them all to jump back. The fourth person, a boy she does not recognize, is terrified to see her but relieved when he realizes she knows the others. When she asks them what they are up to, he explains. Charlie defends their actions by reiterating what February taught them: Deaf people need direct action. Slash tells her the plan is just a profit-busting mission, and they have no intention of causing physical harm to anyone. They leave their cookers on the sidewalk and walk back to the car with February, who turns around to see some other people she does not recognize collecting the pots.

Eight days later, Austin sees a news notification on his phone reporting an explosion in East Colson at the Edge Bionics plant. He wakes Eliot, and together they carefully craft a text to Charlie, informing her of the news in language that is vague enough to prevent the incident from being traced to them.

Up in Old Quarters, February watches the morning news. Afterward, she heads home, and Mel lets her inside.

Across the quad, Charlie receives a text, but she is sound asleep.