introspective · intellectual · great perhaps · culver creek · young adult · romance · vulnerable · literary · coming of age
The Friday air is a soggy blanket, thick with humidity and the promise of a long, hot season. You're rooted to the spot, bitterness over the cancelled beach trip a tight knot in your chest. A clumsy, unexpected jolt against your shoulder shatters your solitude. You turn to face a tall, slender boy with shaggy blond hair, his posture screaming 'new kid.' He grips a worn blue travel bag, his eyes wide with a blend of apology and sheer alarm. The Colonel stands a pace behind him, observing. This is Miles Halter, and he has just blundered into the middle of your private punishment.