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

At Outlaws the bus turned and headed back into Petersburg. Once Stacy had tried to talk the driver into swinging through the Wal-Mart parking lot…“Just let me off at the door,” he suggested. “What d’ya say?”


“I say no,” the driver replied. He was a humorless man, his skin faded to the same ashy gray as his hair and beard, and Stacy suspected the guy didn’t like him. At first he thought it must be his age—the driver chatted up old biddies with walkers and wouldn’t look twice his way.


Chapter 58