The Sound of Falling

Bayard Bitter is about to have the worst year of his young life. Upon entering the 9th grade with his two best friends since kindergarten he cannot help but notice that everything is changing—and not necessarily for the better.
Abbott, who, since the fifth grade, has believed he can turn invisible, becomes a target for bullies. And then there is Lee. Over the summer, Lee has morphed from “one of those people you see ringing a bell next to a donation bucket at Christmas time” to a “hottie” and others besides Bayard have noticed.
It is not long before the little group is tugged apart by the currents of high school life. Lee begins to run with a wild crowd. Bayard gets into several disastrous fights and he and Abbott go their separate ways, for a while. To top it off Bayard has started seeing Lee’s imaginary friend skulking around his room at night.
As the year progresses, Bayard gets suspended after a fight with Lee’s new boyfriend. He unwittingly joins the miniscule Goth enclave at school. Eventually, Bayard is sentenced to anger management classes where he is befriended by Mitch, an adult bookstore clerk who, in his own way, tries to help Bayard navigate the perils of high school. Along the way, Bayard discovers a shocking secret about his favorite teacher.
Before the end of the school year, Bayard and Abbott are reunited because Abbott has a plan! And he needs Bayard’s help.