Cheers! To the Freaking Weekend

(Bender: Book One)

Cheers! To the Freaking Weekend tells the story of a group of teens trying to grow up and learn about love and life with little adult supervision and lots of drinking. The story focuses on the trials and tribulations of the Brickview students: Louie Bray, Maxine Pearce, Samuel Ward, Maya Stokes, Nicholas Tran, Leighton Mills, Joseph Clark and Francis Pugh. Although not the same age as the Brickview students, Louie's younger sister Isabella Bray still has a strong connection to the main group.

Sam tries to be everyone's friend and usually ends up on the short end of the stick. He is mostly manipulated by his best friend Louie, whose girlfriend Maxine he is in love with. Louie is one to try anything once, including every girl he meets. He manipulates not only Sam and Maxine but anyone else who will let him. Francis is just looking to lose his virginity, and though he is a Muslim, it rarely stops him from partying excessively. Gay and popular friend Joey is along for the ride, while trying to pursue his dream of being a writer and photographer in the city. Maya, an eccentric basket-case, is in love with Sam, who overlooks her time and time again. Straight-laced Leigh wants to focus on her musical ambitions. And their happy-go-lucky friend, Nico, is a fucking firecracker!

Having become friends before the story begins, the plot deals with the group's transition into adulthood, along with confronting issues such as romantic relationships, familial bonds, substance abuse, religion vs. sexuality, health problems, pregnancy, and losing someone...