Ben Smith is suffering through that dark night of the adolescent soul known as freshman year of high school. And he's doing it in Tranten Township, i.e., wrong-side-of-the-tracks America. Now his handsome history teacher/track coach has ignited in Ben his first full-blown case of the puppy love that dare not speak its name. Thanks, God. Thanks very much. If Ben can survive breaking the heart of the girl who loves him...losing his own heart to the charismatic classmate who's introducing Ben to the joys of rebellion and true love...seeing his mother shovel french fries for Ronald McDonald to keep the family's heads above poverty's brackish waters...and pretty much everything about his father....if he can fly in the face of the tantalizing, terrifying world that's knock-knock-knocking on his closet door...well, who the hell knows?