Evan has family problems. He has a special-needs brother whom he adores and clueless parents. His senior class writing assignment is overdue because he ended up in the hospital. The reason why involves his new classmate, Jamison, and the realisation that he is almost certainly gay.<br><br>Jamison has his own issues. His mom died of cancer and he misses her, but at least his dad is supportive. Things are looking up now that Evan is in the picture.<br><br>Christmas is a bust for Evan. Jamison and his dad fly off to see relatives, leaving Evan alone with his dysfunctional parents and ill brother, but at least an intriguing new girl has moved in next door. New Year's Eve looks promising until Evan's parents tag him to babysit his brother while they party. When tragedy strikes that night, who will be there for Evan? With family problems keeping him and Jamison apart, can a death bring them back together?

Free Falling

I did CPR and all that shit, I knew it by heart, and I called 911 and I have no recollection of how I managed both at the same time, so I’ve second guessed myself ever since. I knew he was gone before I even started, after that last noise he’d made had died out…I knew he was gone. But I did what I was supposed to do anyhow, because you have to. And I didn’t want it to be true. I didn’t.


The hardest thing I have ever done was call my parents on their one night out, to tell them to rush to the hospital. The EMTs were keeping him alive until they got there, not that I told them that because after all nobody had really said that. All the people cleared out in a rush, putting him on the gurney, beating his chest as I collapsed with fatigue (how could they keep on going like that?), and as soon as they were all out of the room, I started to cry, even as I reached for my phone to make that call.


Chapter 16