At sixteen, Francine Valhalla's head is filled with student council meetings, SAT words, and the tantalizing possibility that she might escape her type-A life for a while with a summer trip to Europe. Over-scheduled and always on her game, Franny and her dad are planning Ivy League acceptance, and nothing gets in the way of that. Neither of them suspects when he drops her off at the 5th Street Rec Center on a sunny April afternoon that it might be the last time they see each other. But within moments disaster strikes. Franny is trapped in the Rec Center's basement with 7 other teens, among them an enigmatic street kid who calls himself Smash.

Smash is tall, charming, and the only one who keeps his cool when it seems like the whole world is falling apart. Franny finds it hard to believe that he's not scared, but Smash isn't fazed. Trapped for five days, the teens form a tight bond, looking to Smash to make the decisions that will save them. For Franny, Smash isn't like anyone she's ever met before. She almost can't help but fall for him.

Although rescued, the teens are unable to locate their families and are taken to a temporary emergency shelter, dubbed Camp Freedom. With all the chaos and confusion, Smash is the one thing that serves as a distraction for Franny. Except that something about Camp Freedom changes him. Instead of being the guy with the killer grin that gives her serious butterflies, he pulls back, giving tantalizing hints about a troubled past.

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