Gordy couldn't be more unhappy about moving back to his hometown of College Hill, where everybody knows his family's troubled history. In North Carolina, Gordy's life had finally seemed to be on the right track. But in College Hill, Gordy and his sister, June, move into a cramped apartment with their brother Stu and his new family. The principal at Gordy's school immediately has it in for him, his old pals encourage him to cause trouble, and his one-time nemesis, Elizabeth, hates him more than ever. It seems to Gordy as though the whole world is against him. Will he slip back into his old trouble-making ways for good, or will he be able to keep growing into the successful person he was striving to become? Family Drama: After their grandmother’s death, Gordy and his sister June are forced to move into a tiny apartment with their older brother Stu, testing family bonds and old wounds. Enemies to Lovers: His one-time nemesis, Elizabeth, seems to hate him more than ever. But beneath the insults and pranks, an unexpected first crush begins to form. Bad Boy with a Good Heart: With old friends pushing him toward trouble and a principal who expects the worst, Gordy must fight his own reputation to become the person he wants to be. Post-War Historical Fiction: Set in a small Maryland town in the years after WWII, this realistic story captures a classic American childhood full of streetcars, school dances, and finding your place in the world.