Melissa's father drowns while saving her life. She stands over his fresh grave, heartbroken. Yet she also feels betrayed. How could he leave me like this? She's torn between sadness and anger. She's only eleven. Hal, Melissa's kid brother, narrates the story. People don't know what to make of Hal. They say he isn't right in the head, that maybe he's autistic, or even, cruelly, "retarded." Hal realizes he's different. To him it's odd that no one else can hear people's thoughts, and odd how others struggle to learn lessons of life that he's always known. But Hal is perhaps the world's greatest underachiever. He's intelligent, yet speaks aloud in gibberish. He thinks of his special-education classes as "all of the fun with none of the responsibility." He makes a hobby of behaving oddly, just to see people's reactions. And woe be to adults who show intolerance-he gives what they expect, but takes it up a notch (into Jim Carrey territory). Hal is content in the life he has contrived, and wishes Melissa could find contentment as well. But once in a while his heart aches when he realizes how alone he can feel, even amongst loved ones. To not feel so lonely; so different-this is Hal's great internal wish. Hal cries at his father's funeral, but realizes his pressing concern is for Melissa's future. He knows lives have been ruined over less. Will he be able to help her? A year passes. Melissa's trips to detention hall allow her time to decide that it's her fault her dad drowned. Obviously, causing your dad's death means you're cursed. And if you're cursed, you don't have to try. Why bother? You'll probably just die anyway. Hal dislikes her underachieving attitude but what can he say? His is worse! Melissa's behavior leans towards ADD; she's in trouble constantly. Mom signs Melissa up for gymnastics. Melissa enjoys the sport, and, to Mom's great relief, it uses up a lot of her excess energy. Hal, overactive as well, also ends up at the gym. But gymnastics is no panacea; though less frequently, Melissa still has flashes of anger and trouble in school. A new coach, Bo, arrives and takes over Melissa's team. Hal can tell from the girls' thoughts that Bo is a hunk. Zen-like philosophies pervade Bo's unconventional teachings. He's a fair, yet strict coach. And for some reason, Hal cannot hear Bo's thoughts. Very peculiar, Hal thinks. Melissa is enthralled with Bo and wants to learn, yet remains at odds with herself. Her rebellious streak is by now so ingrained that she rejects any authority, even Bo's. Bo makes a few inroads into her tough shell, and attempts to explain a higher state of consciousness, which he calls "the glow"-that feeling of satisfaction that comes from immersion in high levels of art, whether a beautiful scene in nature, a touching melody, or even a well-executed gymnastics routine. Hal, excited, has felt this sensation before! Melissa, cynical and unimpressed, asks Bo if he's a flower child, or if his parents did a lot of drugs. An eccentric, scarred old Russian, Mr. Purvis, or "The Purv" as the kids call him, lives on the way to the gym. Purv is selling a junker of a pickup, which Hal decides to climb onto one day. Usually nobody can sneak up on Hal (he hears their thoughts), but Purv surprises Hal, lifting him from the truck. He tells Hal, "I know your game, little one." Hal, shocked, listens for explanatory thoughts, but finds that he can hear none of Purv's thoughts whatsoever. Melissa must decide what kind of young woman she will become. Someone who sees the good in the world and uses her abilities? Or someone who gives up and gives in to the wrong crowd and their dangerous habits? She learns that things aren't always what they seem, nor are people always who they appear to be on the surface. On her journey, there are thugs, bullies, victories, disappointments, good times and lessons about sports, which happen to be lessons about life.