Haunted. Terrified. Alone. Those three words seem to be the only emotions that seventeen year old Gabriel Adams knows how to feel. At the age of thirteen, when other boys were chasing after pretty girls and playing in the dirt, Gabriel had been kidnapped and molested. Now, several years later, Gabriel still can't return to the normal life he'd lived before the Incident. He's terrified of the dark, and even the daytime gives him anxiety attacks. Gabriel hates being touched. A simple brush against him will set him off into spasms while panic quickly takes over his mind. It seems as if nothing will relieve Gabriel from the constricting, painful claws of the man who'd done him harm, and Gabriel is becoming desperate. That's when Evan Ricci steps in. Evan, a stubborn yet surprisingly selfless teenager, moves to the small, quiet town of Clydesdale Heights. When Evan sees a small, awkward blond haired boy carrying pop boxes across the street while he's bringing moving boxes into the new house, he decides to help him. Things don't go exactly as planned, though, and their relationship begins with a rather rough start. The two eventually learn to bond, and Evan helps Gabriel learn to deal with the psychological consequences of being molested, which eventually blooms into an understanding so deep they can't imagine themselves with anyone but the other. A hint of infatuation sparks up, but not quite yet will the love blossom out like most. Their love will take time. And lots of patience and persistence, too.

John is the new kid, with everything that comes with that title; awkwardness, shyness, and attempts to make friends. Except all of this is made even worse with the fact that he's deaf. Dave is your stereotypical resident coolkid. Except he's not. He's a huge nerd, but most people find him intimidating, what with his shades and the fact that he doesn't talk to anyone. Or rather, that he can't talk to anyone, being mute. The two get paired together and form a close bond quite quickly, to the surprise of most of the school, but to none of their friends'. ((I really suck at descriptions. Also, updates for this aren't set, so be prepared for longish waits between chapters or several at a time.))