In rural Scioto County, Ohio, Mike Harrison was the 'Pied Piper' of Central High School. On the surface, he was leading the idyllic life for a high school senior. He was the most popular kid in school. The boys all wanted to be his best friend, while the girls all wanted to be his girlfriend. He was the star of the football team and in line for a scholarship to The Ohio State University. He drove a nice car. His lifelong best friend, honor student, Mary Bryant, was also his girlfriend. His father was a successful businessman.Underneath, his life was much more complicated. His mother was dead. His war-scarred father was distant. He was an only child, spending much of his time home alone, a mile from his closest neighbor, listening to rock 'n' roll and baseball games, and worrying that Mary and her parents had his life planned for him. Yet, he coped until a transfer student, Tony Duvardo, threatened his status on the football field, and competed with him for Mary's affection. Raging hormones and another transfer student, Norma West, sent his life into a downward spiral, leading to betrayal, murder, and family tragedy. His hope for redemption lay with his grandfather, the mysterious Sophie Reese, and a road trip to the wast coast with Norma in search of his real father.