Turner hates this town. About 150 people total live here, and he hates it, he knows all the other kids his age, and he's done with all of them. None of them share in his desire to learn more about the outside world, so he gave up. Then a new family moved in, which never happened in the town, ever, and the family has a kid his age, 17. School is out for the summer, but Turner is determined to get to know this kid, setting out one morning to swing by the house and introduce himself to them. The house is the old Abbit family house, which was emptied after the family moved out, but the new family has taken over the house, flowers on the front porch and plants lining the house when Turner walks up to the door and rings the doorbell, standing nervously on the porch, waiting for someone to answer the door.