Prologue

Sen

June 2017

This time, it was going to stick. That's what my dad told me when he dropped me off yesterday. Even though I wasn't so sure about it, I wanted to make him proud. Wasn't that what every thirteen-year-old boy wanted? How I felt about it didn't really matter.

It didn't matter that I was scared out of my mind when he told me where I was going or when we pulled up to this place. It didn't matter that the woman who checked me in looked at me like I was fresh meat for the cauldron of camp chili. More than anything, it didn't matter that I wanted nothing to do with this place. It was for him and for my mom. I could do this for them because they thought it would help. Apparently, that was what I needed.

When they told me about this place, I thought it was a joke. Who knew something like this still existed? It probably shouldn't and in some states, I was pretty sure it wasn't even allowed. This was Texas, though. They'd driven me from our home in Colorado because, "This place has the best conversion rates in the country."

Super.

"Hey, man."

Ripped out of my thoughts, I turned to find a guy standing on the dock beside me. I couldn't help but look him up and down quickly, even though I was sure it could get me in trouble. He was probably a couple of years older than me, with more defined arm muscles and a broader chest. Maybe he was a jock. That was a manly thing, which was why Dad already had me lined up to start football during freshman year. It was only a couple of months away.

"Hey," I replied before clearing my throat.

"I'm Travis. What's your name?" He took a seat beside me and I watched his feet sink into the water.

"Sen," I said. "Yeah, it's short for something, but we should probably save that for our third conversation so that you can decide if you like me first."

His laugh was musical. It made my stomach constrict and I worried I might actually throw up in the lake. That couldn't be good for the fish.

Manly or not, sports didn't seem to have kept this guy out of here. Maybe he was a plant put here to test us. What were the consequences of screwing up? It couldn't be that bad. This was 2017, after all. Backwards ass Texas or not, they couldn't abuse you in these places.

Right?

Wrong.

I never should've talked to Travis. I really shouldn't have drawn attention to myself at all. Camp Dumont was a nightmare, but it did its job. So, I guess they were right. It was the best in the country.

Now, I could be normal. I could make my dad proud. I'd go into my freshman year just like every other guy. Proud. Confident. A girl on my arm at every dance and a smile on my face.

Straight.