I think part of it is I always remembered people better who were from the New England area and were incarcerated in Springfield (mainly because the accent and certain references reminded me of home a little).
It was definitely about playing the game. I copped out from Springfield as soon as I got the first chance (before you came in). Had to wait till 3rd phase, because being an out-of-towner meant I had to live with another oldcomer all the time. Finally my "host brother" got some kinda of setback, leaving me as the only oldcomer in his house. Jumped out the window late at night with the newcomer, made it all the way back home to Boston and eventually some genuinely concerned friends talked me into turning myself in, convinced that if I told my parents what was REALLY going on in there, they'd never put me back in. WRONGGG!! They brought me right back (right before you came in). I don't specifically remember how they managed to get me all the way back there, but the whole time I knew that I would just do it again and never come back. I sat on front row for a couple of weeks, not motivating, getting spit on in reviews, etc... Until someone mentioned the BOSTON branch opening up soon! Boy, all of a sudden I was Straight Boy again, because I figured that would provide me a much easier trip back home so I could leave again more conveniently. And it did. And I stayed away for two years until I turned 18. Two years of solid paranoia. Saw a couple of people from Straight during that time, too, at malls and things, but by then my hair was longish and bleached, I had a mustache and almost always wore sunglasses. God I must have looked ridiculous. But hey, it was the 80s.
Sorry to ramble on your thread!
