Unplugged

Meanwhile, Jett is adjusting to life at the camp. He still isn’t happy, but he grudgingly participates in the activities. After ziplining with Matt one day, Jett wanders off and notices Grace and Tyrell sneaking food into a shed at the back of the Oasis property. They explain the situation with Needles, who immediately tries to bite Jett’s finger too. Brooklynne arrives with more vegetarian fare, but Needles wants none of it. The campmates are at a loss because they can’t even use Google to find out what kind of lizard Needles is. When a moth flutters into the shed, Needles tries to catch it, so everyone concludes that he must like to eat bugs.

Tyrell and Jett manage to trap a large palmetto bug under a paper cup. Grace notices their activities but refuses to kill an insect to feed Needles. Jett pragmatically steps on the cup and crushes the bug. When the three campmates feed the bug to Needles, he seems quite happy with his meal. That afternoon, Tyrell goes to collect his family’s mail and drops off a letter for Jett from his mother, who runs a global charity called Orthodontists Without Borders. However, Jett seems more interested in the love letter that Tyrell is carrying from his sister’s boyfriend. Sister Sarah exchanges multiple letters each day with her boyfriend, Landon.

Jett suggests steaming the letter open using the hot spring. Inside is a message written in what looks like code but is really text shorthand. Jett decides to add a few more codes to the end of the letter. Tyrell thinks that deciphering the meaning will drive Sarah crazy, but maybe she won’t have time to pick on her little brother. The two boys then re-seal the letter. Later that day, Tyrell joins the rest of Team Lizard in the shed to compare notes about Needles. So far, the lizard won’t eat any plant food; he is strictly carnivorous. Brooklynne suggests they take a trip to Hedge Apple, a tiny town about two miles upriver. She knows where the staff boat is hidden.

Jett tells Magnus that the four friends are going to take a nature hike so that no one will question their disappearance. Brooklynne leads them to the secret location of the staff boat and miraculously produces the ignition key needed to start the engine. Everyone wonders how she knows so much about the camp’s operation. Jett thinks, “Brooklynne always has a lot of inside info, but she’s pretty short on details about how all the seeing and knowing happens” (123).

When they arrive in the tiny town of Hedge Apple, the group heads to a greasy spoon diner and orders a variety of meat dishes from the menu. Grace is once again offended that her campmates are so eager to eat fried chicken and barbecue ribs. They pack all the leftovers to bring back to Needles. On the way to the dock, the group notices a huge mansion on the outskirts of town, and everyone wonders who would live in such a place. Jett thinks, “Plunk this place anywhere in Silicon Valley, and it would still be one of the biggest homes there!” (128).

Back at camp, Team Lizard tries feeding Needles, and he gobbles down the fried chicken. He then eats every variety of lunch meat they offer him, but his favorite is raw hamburger. After feeding Needles, the campmates sneak into the cafeteria for their own dinners, and nobody notices that they were gone. Jett is surprised to note that Matt seems to be mellowing out at the Oasis.

The narrative now shifts to Brandon. He begins by cataloging all the reasons why he hates Jett. One day, he notices Jett discarding a candy wrapper near the hot spring and confronts him about it because outside food is strictly forbidden. Jett denies having eaten the treat. Later that afternoon, Brandon sees Jett sneaking through the woods and follows him. He soon discovers Jett and Grace with Needles. Brandon threatens to tell Magnus, but Jett bribes him to stay quiet by promising him three candy bars per day.

Brooklynne has remained a mystery to most of the other campmates because she is careful not to let them see which cabin is hers. She has been coming to the Oasis since she was a small child but rarely involves herself with the activities of the other guests. She doesn’t particularly care for the programs offered at the retreat center and spends most of her time wandering around alone. Brooklynne says that she likes Tyrell but believes that Grace is judging her. She is also slightly afraid of Jett because he’s smart and might figure out her secret. He already doesn’t believe that she accidentally knew where to find the boat key. When she learns that Jett needs to make another run to Hedge Apple to get Brandon’s bribe candy, she agrees to go with him.

Jett insists that Brooklynne needs to get another boat key made for the rest of Team Lizard to share. After visiting the hardware store to get the duplicate key, the two eat at a local barbecue restaurant. The waitress tells them that the big mansion at the end of town is owned by a rich man named Snapper. Nobody has gotten a good look at him because he drives quickly through town in a flashy sports car. Although Snapper is rarely at his residence, he has some muscular men working for him who guard the place. Snapper and his house remain a mystery to the locals.

Jett tells of an unexpected improvement in his fortunes. Brandon’s friend Armando grows suspicious when he notices that Jett is supplying Brandon with candy bars. Jett offers to source more candy at $5 per bar. Armando agrees, and soon Jett has a lucrative side business supplying all the kids in camp with candy.

Since his father cut off his access to the company credit cards, Jett needs cash to help feed Needles. Matt discovers Jett’s stash of candy in their cabin refrigerator but doesn’t try to take the goodies away. Instead, he gives Jett a speech about the benefits of the Oasis that sounds suspiciously like something Magnus would say. Jett doesn’t know what’s come over Matt.