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> Even more flashing emergency vehicles were arriving, each one attempting to pull Javi’s attention away. His teachers always said he could never focus on anything important and got distracted way too easily, but in Javi’s defence, literally anything was more interesting than math. It was a lot easier to ignore the chaotic wailing and disco lights here than it was to ignore the clouds out the classroom window, simply because Lanny and Officer Sohmers were putting on such a show. The police officer could honestly sell tickets to his face, because watching him go through the emotions as he put it all together was something else. 
> 
> Deep down, Javi felt that old, familiar spark glow. That feeling he had only ever had whenever he pulled off a job for his old gang. A feeling he hadn’t had in well over a year and had thought for most of that year that he’d never have it again. The feeling of [i]pride[/i] – of having done something well, for a change.
> 
> That spark withered under the officer’s stony stare and sputtered out completely at his heavy words. Javi dropped his gaze and shrank back a little in his seat, his mouth feeling suddenly dry. This was what he was supposed to be here to avoid. It was supposed to be a new start in a new town where the police and teachers and social workers didn’t already have predetermined conceptions about him and he was far from the people in his old life who might influence him. That’s what they’d promised him when they discussed early release. Somehow Javi had messed up his fresh start within about five minutes. 
> 
> Of course he had. It might be a new town with new faces, but it was still the same Javier who messed everything up. 
> 
> Lanny made a passing jibe at the policeman and shot off, briefly pinning Javi to his seat. He had no idea this hunk of junk could even accelerate that fast. The blonde Russian, who hadn’t messed anything up at all and so hadn’t had [i]his[/i] spark of pride extinguished, grinned animatedly. Javi adjusted himself quickly, not wanting to look like Sohmers’ words had gotten to him. He did sit up a little taller in his seat when he realised Lanny’s words weren’t just self-congratulatory, but also overtly praising what Javi had done, and wanting to now how he did it.
> 
> “I like, had to improvise and all on account of having no prep time, man.” He couldn’t resist a pointed look in the driver’s direction. “So like, I was watching the road and this police car comes up…”
> 
> As he relayed the story, his personal misgivings melted away and his voice became more animated as he noticed Lanny was actively listening. When was the last time Javi had talked and an adult had just listened, instead of trying to ‘read between the lines’ or ‘understand his behaviour’ or whatever other psychoanalytical bullshit was trendy that week? Javi found himself dragging the story out a little by relaying the verbal back-and-forth in detail instead of simply summarising it, buoyed by every minor expression in his listener’s face. 
> 
> “…And then you rolled up,” he concluded, “And like, you could see him like, figuring it all out then. Cops, man. Dumb as fuck. If I had prep time, he’d’ve been walking away clueless.”