The Summary:

Belleview Heights is hardly a remarkable town. It's large enough to appear on most local maps, but small enough that it's practically unknown to all but the residents and the residents of neighboring towns. This year, however, is going to be anything but unremarkable. Eight high school seniors with their own problems, stories, secrets, and struggles come together, and only one thing is certain: this is going to be an explosive year.

The Characters:

Paul is a famous musician. He's sold countless records, and won more awards than anyone could ever need, but to him, the money and fame are merely annoyances. They are simply downsides to sharing music with those who really need it. Through his dark and tragic childhood, music became his only solace, and he knows better than anyone what music can to do during bad times. Now, music has become his life, and he's become an extremely dedicated musician. As his fame and popularity steadily grow, so does his desire to escape it all. That's how he finds himself in a small town, with the plan to finish high school in a public school, after a year of private tutoring. But after being in the world of his own music for a year, the sudden return back to the real world reveals the same darkness he tried to escape.

Dawn is often described as cheerful, girly, and bubbly, or as shallow, annoying, and too talkative, depending on who you ask. She's pretty, popular, and has a wardrobe full of designer clothes. She loves famous musician Paul Shinji and his music, but while she seems like an airhead mindlessly following whatever's trending and popular at the time, her reasons for loving Paul Shinji's music are far from that. Because beneath her masterfully crafted facade of a perfect life is a pile of deep, dark secrets. She's doing everything she can to hide them, but she's not sure how much longer she can last. Especially with the police closing in.

Gary is in big trouble. Last year, he didn't pay much attention in school. Which in itself wasn't a big deal, because Gary had a bunch of other things going on his life last year, so his grandfather understands and is fine with it. Unfortunately, his teachers aren't so understanding, so he finds himself with almost-failing grades. While he scraped through by the skin of his teeth, thanks to a ton of luck on multiple choice exams, this year, he doesn't know what he's doing because he didn't pay attention last year. With the fear of actually failing this year staring him in the face, he finds hope in actually passing in the form of Leaf Greene, an old friend who offers to tutor him. Soon, however, he discovers that Leaf might need his help more than he needs hers.

Misty is about to have twelve years of athletic pay off. She's a committed competitive swimmer who has recently been winning plenty of regional swim competitions, and, as a result, has received what she has always dreamed of: an invitation to compete in the World International Swimming Championships. As she prepares for her chance to truly shine, she realizes that she has another dream, one that is much more personal. And only one can come true.

Drew is confused. He know that he likes May. A lot. But after being scarred from a past relationship, he's not sure if he's ready for more romance, now or ever. That's not his only problem. May also seems oddly distant. Drew doesn't know why, but it's just making him more and more confused. He doesn't know what to do. He needs to do something, however, before it's too late.

Leaf is scared. Right now, her mind is a terrifying place, and it scares even herself. Checking her email isn't helping, either. She slowly starts moving towards darker thoughts, and all her efforts to distract herself are in vain. She's powerless against her own mind. She tries to internalize everything to prevent bothering anyone, but she may just destroy herself in the process.

Ash is an aspiring musician. He may be goofy and slightly immature at times, but there is one thing that he's serious about: music. He dreams of going far in the industry, like his musical idol, Paul Shinji, but his single mother is struggling to make enough money for the both of them, so Ash does all he can to help, shoving his passion for music into a backseat. Finally, he has a chance to get a golden ticket straight into the industry, but his chance is slipping away. Quickly.