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Chapter 2 l Sam’s Turn “I suppose we might as well go in,” Sam sighed, shuffling his basketball back and forth. The three young men stood outside a door that led into the Women’s Crisis Center in a wing of the hospital. None of them was anxious to start this sentence. They felt that every teenager had swiped kids’ candy or something like it at some time. So why should they get into such bad trouble for it just because they got caught? “Do you really plan to go in there?” Justin asked. “Yes, I do,” Sam replied. “My parents said unless I can show I am making progress on fulfilling my sentence there will be no more basketball.” “What’s it with you and basketball?” Justin asked. “When basketball season comes you play the Houdini act and we never see you again until it’s over.” “Basketball is my ticket out of here,” Sam answered. Tom and Justin knew what Sam meant. Sam’s dad had worked at the local lumber mill for years, but about a year ago it had closed down. 7