Fort Lauderdale 1980

Steven, like every other eighth grader, only wanted school to be over and summer to come. Until the school counselor came in and told them his classmate, Shpresa, died in an auto accident linked to drug abuse. Everything changed that day. Steven started hearing Shpresa whispering warnings to him, as if her spirit had attached herself to him, resting on his shoulders.

Ignoring Shpresa's whispered warnings, Steven decides to help a friend steal from another friend, and he discovers how a single bad choice can cascade into a tragedy that threatens his future...

...The Sprout is a drug rehabilitation center with a dark reputation. It's the one place Steven is desperate not to be sent. Now caught between worlds, he navigates his difficult family as he secretly helps a friend and builds a new life in high school. If Steven can't move beyond his past mistakes and steer clear of his vengeful sister, who seems bent on getting him sent into The Sprout, his story might end tragically, too.