Raised in Freefall

In the fall of 1997, Layla arrives in Portland, Oregon. This move is her family's sixth attempt at a fresh start. Layla copes with the turbulence by drawing inward. Working a part-time job, she meets John, an awkward and socially ostracized senior at her school. Out of his passion for science and space exploration, they form a strange sort of friendship. Layla struggles to balance the growing friendship with her ingrained habits of hiding. As she delves further into John's strange, kind world, the contrasts to her own tumultuous life become harder to bridge. Layla must learn to confront the chaos, to trust in the friendships she's formed, and to seek her own solid ground.