Sara de Waard is an author and screenwriter of Métis descent and is currently in the process of exploring her family’s heritage. "Follow Missy as she navigates PTSD, high school and Luke, her very first crush."- Sara de Waard.

Missy’s sweet sixteenth is just around the corner, but her last three birthdays haven’t exactly been cause for celebration. Her beloved little brother died when she turned thirteen and now birthdays are just painful reminders of the void in their lives. If only she had walked him to school that morning, like she was supposed to ...

To add fuel to the fire, Missy’s mom was arrested just before she could blow out the candles on her fifteenth birthday. To escape her guilt and her father’s alcohol-induced rages, Missy volunteers at a nearby store where she busies herself to shut out the feelings that her therapist seems to be pushing her to feel.

But then Missy meets Luke — a new classmate she cannot stop thinking about. Luke understands what she is going through more than anybody, but will Missy ever be able to let him in?