The Program

At dinner, Sloane tells her parents that she made a friend named Lacey. Sloane’s mother does not ask questions about Lacey, but looks away, which Sloane finds strange. At the Wellness Center, Lacey introduces Sloane to her boyfriend, Evan, and their friend, Liam. Lacey tells her that Liam is not a returner, but he is not depressed. Liam asks her about what happened in The Program. This makes Sloane uncomfortable, but Liam says he knew Evan before The Program, and he is curious about what happens in the facilities. Sloane goes outside because Liam’s questions make her feel self-conscious. Liam follows her outside and apologizes. He says that he thought she would come back like a zombie. Sloane wonders if Liam knew her before The Program and starts crying. Liam snaps at her, telling her to pull herself together because if they see her upset, they will send them both to The Program. Another boy walking down the hallway tells Liam to not be rude, and Liam tells the boy—named James—to stay out of it. Liam tells James that he can have Sloane, but James says that he does not want her. Liam tells him that he forgot that neither of them remembers, and then he walks away. Sloane thanks James for intervening, but James tells her not to cry or they will send her back to The Program.

After Sloane pulls herself together, she goes inside and asks Kevin to take her home. Kevin tells her that Realm asked him to look after her. Kevin explains that he can take Sloane to Realm in a few weeks, which makes Sloane happy.

The next day, Lacey apologizes for Liam’s behavior. She tells Sloane that things can be difficult for people who are not returners because they remember more. Throughout the day, Sloane cannot help but stare at James during class. She does not know why, but she feels drawn to him. Lacey notices Sloane’s interest and tells her that James is known for being a problem. Sloane feels like she is on the verge of a memory but cannot form the thoughts. Lacey lowers her voice and warns Sloane that The Program always watches them, even when they think they are not looking. Lacey tells her that she tried asking her parents about her past, but they got nervous. She worried they would send her back to The Program, so she stopped asking. Lacey says it feels unfair that other people remember things about them that they cannot remember.

When Sloane gets home, she asks her mother if she dated anyone before she went into The Program. Her mother says that Sloane had casual boyfriends, but no one that she was serious about. Sloane asks about James, but her mother pretends not to know anything about him. Sloane’s mother tells her to stop focusing on the past, but Sloane tries to explain that she feels confused because she cannot remember anything. She worries that The Program did not only take bad memories, but good ones too. Sloane asks about Brady’s death, but Sloane’s mother gets mad at her for bringing up the past.

Later, Sloane’s mother comes into her room and apologizes for snapping at her. Sloane’s mother asks Sloane to stop talking about Brady, which Sloane feels is unfair. The next day, Sloane continues staring at James during class, particularly the white scars on his arm. James makes Sloane laugh, and the teacher makes Sloane sit in the front, away from James. Afterward, Kevin asks her if she knows James. When Sloane says that she does not, Kevin relaxes and warns her about James, telling her that he is destructive.

At school, Lacey tells Sloane that she heard that there are areas of the world where they are containing the epidemic. Lacey warns Sloane to stay away from James because hanging out with him could get her flagged. At the end of the day, Sloane looks for Kevin, but she cannot find him. James pulls up next to her in his car and offers to drive her home. Sloane tells James that Kevin told her not to hang out with him, and she wonders if she will get in trouble. As they drive, Sloane asks him why he offered her a ride home, and James says he does not know, but that it felt right at the moment. James said he felt the same feeling when he saw Liam yelling at her, and he wishes he knew why he feels protective of her. James drops her off at her house. After exiting, she turns around to see James wiping away a tear.

At lunch the next day, James stares at Sloane. Lacey gives Sloane a fake hall pass that she uses to skip class, which Sloane decides to use later in the day. Sloane tells Kevin that she has a session with her therapist, and she goes to the football field for some space. James catches up with her on the field, and takes her hand, and apologizes to her for his behavior the day before. As Sloane pulls away from James, he slips and falls in the mud. Sloane then falls into the mud next to him, and they laugh together. They throw mud at each other, and Sloane feels happy. Afterward, James drives Sloane home and thanks her for a good day. When Sloane’s mother sees her getting out of the car, she warns Sloane about James.

The next morning, Kevin says that he heard that she was with James the day before. Kevin tells her that she cannot see James anymore or there will be repercussions. After class, Sloane goes to the bathroom and checks her phone. She sees a text from James, who asks if she wants to skip class again. Sloane does not know how he got her number, and although she wants to go with him, she tells him that she will need to do it another day.

After dinner, Sloane lays on her bed thinking about James. She hears her parents arguing downstairs, and she knows that it is about her. Sloane gets up to tell them to stop when she suddenly feels extreme pain in her head. She falls to the ground as a memory of a slit in her mattress comes to her. Sloane lifts her mattress and finds the hole in it; she pulls out a purple ring and a picture of Brady and James.