Before You Can Fly

In 1988, being different can be dangerous. No one knows this better than fifteen-year-old Clayton Wheeler. He's too tall, too awkward, and carrying a secret that could ruin him. At school he's a target. At home, his stepfather makes everything much worse. His only escape—and his greatest joy—is the comic books he creates with his two best friends, imagining worlds where heroes like them finally win.

Then Derek, the childhood best friend Clayton thought he'd lost forever, moves back to town. He used to be an outsider like Clayton. Now Derek is confident, cool, and already a rising star of Redfield High's football team. They shouldn't click. Yet the connection between them flares back to life, powerful and risky in ways neither of them expected.

What begins between them becomes a secret that could cost Clayton everything. To survive, he must decide if hiding who he is will keep him safe—or break him before he ever has the chance to fly.