Boredom at the Junior Prom leads to a dare that leads to a kiss between two seventeen year old boys. Being gay in rural Georgia is no picnic. As circumstances force them together, Mark and Blake uncover truths about themselves, embarking on a daring relationship. But they’ve got one major strike against them already—Mark is unwilling to come out about his sexuality, and Blake doesn’t want to live in a closet. Can they fan the flames of their relationship, or will it sputter and die?

Nothing is easy and nothing is written in stone… not even love. Trouble is brewing in Paradise, as Mark moves away from Blake and toward Todd. How can love survive when fear gets in the way? Things become complicated as Todd encourages Mark to spend time with him, going behind Blake’s back. It’s a good thing Blake has Clay to fall back on, to be his rock as Mark slips further away from him. The real test of their relationship is going to be the Homecoming Dance. But first there’s the matter of the class rings…

In the aftermath of the Homecoming Dance, a great rift has grown between Mark and Blake, one that was begun with the refusal of a dance. New alliances are strengthened and old ones reinforced. Mark makes his choice and moves out of the Davis home, back to George’s house… and Todd. Clay does his best to give Blake what he needs, even if it entails staying with Mark. Todd’s mother steps in to nurse George back to health, and that bond only deepens. Will Mark do what he just told Blake he couldn’t, and give Todd his ring? Will Clay show Blake that he’s the better man? And will new student Taylor Andrews throw a monkey wrench into Mark’s plans for Todd? Who will survive the aftermath, and what will the new alliances be?

In the wake of the Halloween lock-in, a rift has opened up among the friends, brought about by Mark’s inability to be honest with them, as well as himself. Todd reaches out to Blake and Clay, and a stronger friendship is formed. Mark misses his boyfriend, but even more so when a new student named Taylor arrives on the scene, and it appears that Taylor and Todd might be more than just friends. Clay’s about to turn eighteen and his father is throwing a party—one he fully intends to wriggle out of, until Travis invites all his friends and he’s caught. An uninvited guest brings out a side of Clay nobody knew existed, one that threatens to shake up the peace of New Liberty. Not telling the truth has its own consequences!

Thanksgiving’s harmony turns out to be just the lull before the storm, as relationships begin to fall apart, beginning with Violet and Dylan. The presence of Clay’s mother, Brandi Wine, in New Liberty, is quickly becoming a bone of contention between the four boys. Mark and Todd don’t think she’s so bad, while Clay and Blake want nothing to do with her or her cockamamie reality show. A family crisis draws Todd and his mother to Atlanta, and when they return, the news isn’t good, and decisions must be made. Blake and Clay face their own crisis when big mouths callously reveal secrets not meant to be shared. Todd’s relationship with Taylor has grown, despite the revelation that she is transgendered. But her psyche is fragile, and unable to bear the weight of Todd’s censure when he decides to withdraw his support. The aftermath of his words will shatter everyone’s world. Sometimes you have to agree to disagree, and go your separate ways.