'When your breath becomes faint
When your heart seems but quaint
You'll know that touch of blue lips
Upon bottle tips
They say love is so pure
Yet it isn't the cure
For a soul that's lost in your eyes'
You've heard it all before. The rebellious teenager who sings in a band and struggles with the woes of teen drama. They fight with their girlfriend and have a spat with their parents, and then it is all wrapped up by the end in a nice little bow.
This isn't that kind of story.
Clay Hudson is eighteen and is on the right course to go to the university his parents have chosen for him since he emerged from the womb. He has a girlfriend, Kaylee, and somewhere lost in that mix are his best friends: Fletcher who is ready to kick some ass with him, even if Clay is somewhat of a teacher's pet, and Chelsea, who is fighting her own battle, wanting to reclaim the friendship Clay's broken. Clay has pushed them from his life in favour of a night of wild highs and alcohol-fuelled adventures. The thing is, that life is a series of false thrills, and in the end, these adrenaline deceptions are distracting Clay from the things that truly matter in his life.
Since he was little, Clay has dreamt of entertaining a crowd, singing his soul's notes to an audience that would love the pure bliss and magic that comes from music. But school is ending soon, his friends are almost lost to him, and Clay realises his life is a fanciful nightmare.
With the weight of expectation crushing down on him, his dad's illness, and the feelings he harbours for Fletcher springing forth after a long period of burial, Clay has to cast aside the shackles of his superficial life and rediscover what inspires him in life, and who truly matters.
Sounds pretty usual, right? But then again, No one ever said finding balance, the pure note Clay seeks would ever be easy.
-Contains coarse language, some sexual content and scenes of an upsetting nature.
"When something terrible happens to someone, everyone feels sorry for you at first, they take your hand and cry fake tears and say how 'special' you are, how strong you are. But after a while they forget...Then they don't see a person anymore they just see this terrible thing and think you're terrible because of it...It's like a little switch that goes off in people's heads: one minute everyone is your friend and they care oh-so much, then, when things die down, they become terrified of you. You'd be surprised to see what fear can make someone do."
Justin Ivanov has never led much of a normal life, but when his sister passes away, his entire world falls apart. Trapped in an abusive relationship and in a school where everyone is scared of him, Justin continues to deteriorate, pinning all his hope on his confused best friend, Ben Fulton. He struggles to keep his family together without them finding out the hidden secret of his sexuality. But the more he fails, the closer he gets to losing himself forever.
Ben Fulton doesn't understand what depression is. He doesn't understand why people have it or how to fix it. But when the sudden death of his best friend's sister leaves him feeling empty, he comes too close to comfort with just what depression can make someone do. Trying to sort out his own emotions, sexuality, and future out, Ben also has to balance trying to save Justin. But the more he tries, the more his feelings grow for his best friend, and the closer Justin gets to destroying himself.