At 16, Stacy Evans dropped out of high school in the hopes of moving on with his life. But four years later, he's stuck in an abusive relationship with Lamar, a "friend with benefits," and works long hours at a dead-end job just to get by.<br><br>Then his mother enrolls him in a program to earn his GED. There he meets Darian, a woodshop teacher who is everything Stacy's friends are not -- smart, successful ... and who seems to take a personal interest in helping Stacy turn his life around. The two develop a rapport that keeps Stacy after school just to spend extra time with him. In intimate moments alone, they grow closer than just student and teacher.<br><br>On the right track for once, Stacy has a chance to choose between his troublesome past and a promising future with Darian. But his jealous friends won't let him go so easily.

Stepping Up to the Plate

Nodding, Stacy walked around the car, keeping it between himself and Lamar. If his friend knew? If he even suspected? Holy hell. To Lamar, Ange said, “You don’t know. Look at it.”


“The paint’s scraped,” Lamar muttered.


“Lookat it,” Ange reasoned. “The framework’s dirty, bugs and shit and who knows what else all up in there. The paint’s beginning to fleck away. This didn’t just happen.”


Coming up around the back of the car, Stacy tapped Colin’s seat. “Let me in,” he whispered. Colin leaned forward and popped the seat release, then folded over as Stacy climbed in behind him. When he started to say something, Stacy said, “Shh. I want to hear.”


But there wasn’t much else said. Lamar picked at the scar for a few more minutes while Ange assured him it must’ve happened at the shop. Then they got in the car, Ange climbing over Colin to sit beside Stacy and Lamar muttering under his breath, “I’m gonna hurt someone. Oh Christ, I’m gonna kill them. I swear it.”


Chapter 55