The book I have is a FollettBound hardcover. Other copies with this ISBN number may be paperback. Peter bolts up in bed, his heart racing. He yanks the sheets from the lower half of his body, glaring at his useless legs. Why does everyone think he can help them when he can't even help himself? An image rises in Peter's mind, one that's never far away. An image of the moment when he lost his right to live, but not his life. He knows it's time to make a choice -- a major one.
Meena has told her parents everything about Steven, and she and Peter plan to go out to see a movie. T.J. Gets mad at Reed and leaves, and Reed's mother gets mad at him, too. Meena wants to kiss Peter but can't yet bring herself to do that.
Jeremy returns home, but things get off to a rocky start. Peter looks at some old photos, and we learn that some kid named Harris is involved in whatever happened involving the seven friends some years earlier. We also learn that, whatever it is that happened, it happened on December 7th, which is Peter's birthday.
Jeremy and his father seem to be getting along well. Peter finds out he'll never walk again. Meena decides to organize a birthday party for Peter, which will be at his house, and she flashes back to whatever happened in the past.
Peter has become so depressed that he plans to commit suicide on his birthday by shooting himself. Meena finds out Steven has been arrested for her rape.
Other things happen, and the group decides to hold a birthday party for Peter. There's a lot of tenseness, and we find out exactly what happened. The series, fortunately, has a really good ending.
SO GOOD! I wish more people would read this series. Even if it is a bit dated, it's extremely diverse and tackles a plethora of topics that need to be discussed more.