A short-story collection featuring tales of obsessive teachers and distraught parents, technology run amok and technology to the rescue, and clashes between conservatives and liberals. Race, sex, religion are fair game.

At sixteen, Wendy Redbird Dancing flies her freak flag high; she's a scary-smart white girl with a hippie mom, a missing father, and a rarefied Michael Jackson obsession. It doesn't help that her mother just uprooted them yet again, this time from California to North Carolina. Now Wendy has to survive a new school and fight bullies who rule this Southern roost. But one black girl reaches out-Tanay-and she and Wendy forge a friendship to help her fight back. Her mother's new boyfriend, Shaye, turns out to be decent-not the usual sleaze, but instead, a charming and attractive guy. As he gains her trust, Wendy's crush ignites, and her hopes for a stable future soar. When Shaye starts flirting, Wendy is flattered but confused. When things take a terrible turn, she must go underground, waiting for the day she can escape to London for Jackson's final tour. All seems lost when the King of Pop dies. But Wendy suddenly hears his ethereal voice, offering guidance and sending her west. Is St. Michael now the only one she can trust? Lyn Fairchild Hawks's debut novel melds modern teen life with a parable of betrayal and trust, sharing the light and the dark of human relationships.