Reed Lindgren, an only child raised on private jets and tailored suits, gets shipped off to Hollow Bay High after an argument with his father. On his first day, under a monsoon sky, he stumbles into Lawson Griffin — a lanky, sarcastic local who scares off debt collectors with an old rolling pin and a smile that shouldn't be so disarming. Reed thinks Lawson's poor. Lawson thinks Reed is an entitled joke. Reed decides to “save” him a little — coffees, late-night burritos, covering fees — and Lawson, stubborn and bruised, lets him. But when Reed discovers the truth — the late-night flyers, the needle mark, the reasons Lawson sacrifices his body for cash — charity turns complicated. Reed’s money can buy comfort, but can it buy dignity? And when a petty school feud becomes a public bet on academic ability, the two boys learn their power more deeply: not just to change each other’s circumstances, but to change hearts. A messy, sweet, and sometimes sharp YA BL — campus rivalries, fake-outs, family pressure, and slow-burning warmth — where rescue is mutual, pride is stubborn, and love is the hardest kindness to accept.

22 Chapters