Cover

Splash_Page

Looming above Zach Ramsey’s hometown of Blaine are the smokestacks of the truck assembly plant, the greasy lifeblood of this Detroit suburb. Surrounded by drunks, broken marriages, and factory rats living in fear of the pink slip, Zach is getting the hell out of town after graduation. But first, he’s going to enjoy the summer before senior year.

Getting smashed with his best friend Tank and falling in love for the first time, Zach’s having a blast until he uncovers dark secrets that shake his faith in everyone—including Tank, a wrestler whose violent mood swings betray a shocking habit.

As he gets pulled deeper into an ugly scandal, Zach is faced with the toughest decision of his life—one that will prove just what kind of adult he’s destined to be.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

Many people have helped make this dream come true.

First, I need to thank Michelle Andelman for taking a chance and saying yes. You never gave up on me, and for that I’ll always be grateful. Also, I owe a huge thanks to Jen Rofe for taking the reins and handling the transition so flawlessly. I appreciate your efforts more than you know.

I am indebted to the incredible team at Flux, especially former editor Andrew Karre, who went to bat for me at a time when I thought Zach’s story might never get told. Additionally, I’d like to thank current editor Brian Farrey. Your numerous suggestions have made this book what it is. Also, thanks to Sandy Sullivan, whose attention to detail is simply amazing. I also need to thank Lisa Novak for designing such a wonderful cover. It was as if you were reading my mind.

Finally, I owe everything to my wife, Lisa.

She knows why.

For anybody who knows there’s more out there.

September

Chapter_1

1

If I have any advice after everything that’s happened it’s this: never fall for your best friend’s twin sister, especially when her brother is an overprotective psycho who also happens to be a three-time state champion wrestler. Such a concoction is nothing but a recipe for pain, trust me on that. I know this because I recently committed the blunder identified above, yet somehow—and this is the part I’m still trying to figure out—I’m alive to talk about it. It’s a miracle, really, that I’m breathing on my own at this moment and not hooked up to some freaky medical contraption.

Anyway, it’s true to say that my story, the story of seventeen-year-old Zach Ramsey, is a tale loaded with all the drama, action, love, and betrayal that have been in my life the past few months. I mean, I’ve witnessed some really insane stuff lately, which, of course, is the reason I’m writing this sentence right now. And I’ve never written anything in my life outside of schoolwork.