Lockdown Chapter 2 Summary

  • Reese is telling Mr. Cintron about his day at the nursing home. He says it was fine.
  • Mr. Cintron is all like, you should really try to stay out of jail in the future. And Reese is like, yeah, I know.
  • Reese seems to trust Mr. Cintron. But then again probably anyone would seem awesome next to Mr. Pugh.
  • It's the next morning, and it's time for breakfast. Everyone's gossiping, and Reese hears that Diego, another inmate, is planning to beat up Toon, who is just twelve-years-old. (Almost everyone else is around fifteen.) It's a prison gang initiation rite or something.
  • Back in his quarters, Reese checks to make sure everything's in order. He tries to keep things tidy so he gets good marks.
  • Time for school.
  • Reese runs through what all his classmates are in for. Play shot someone; Diego's in for breaking and entering; Kat stabbed someone; Leon's a shoplifter who punched a guard; Toon didn't obey his parents.
  • Reese reflects that there's no way Toon wants to be in a prison gang—he's a super scrawny nerd. He does not think the fight with Diego will go well.
  • School's boring, but Reese tries to listen because he wants to get ahead in life. Seems like he's a model inmate so far.
  • Lunchtime. Reese asks Diego why he wants to beat up Toon, and Diego's a total jerk about it.
  • Play observes that Diego wants to fight Toon because he knows he can win. He's joking, but Reese thinks that's the truth—he thinks Diego's trying to establish a reputation.
  • Reese seems pretty worried about Toon. He's really fond of the little guy.
  • Reese tells us he can fight when he has to. He learned from his brother, Willis, who was a boxer until he got shot.
  • We also learn that Reese's dad beats him and his brother. Understandably, Reese hates his guts.
  • Back at school, Reese observes how much Toon likes school. It's weird because he knows that out in the real world, Toon got in trouble for skipping school.
  • Group time. Some guy who used to be a drug dealer is trying to give a motivational speech, but his audience isn't feeling too motivated.
  • After group, a new inmate arrives: Cobo. Rumor has it he belongs to a prison gang. He's only stopping through Progress for a few days on his way to a more serious facility.
  • After dinner, Mr. Cintron tells Reese he has a letter. It's from Reese's little sister, Icy, but she's not on the approved list of Reese's correspondents.
  • Reese is so moved he's about to cry. Mr. Cintron takes him to his office, where Reese explains that he has a special relationship with his sister.
  • Mr. Cintron says he'll add Icy to Reese's list. He seems like a good ally. Reese pockets the letter for later.