Eighteen-year-old Willis Pierce is both a loner and a dreamer. His days are filled with little else other than working in a factory and running. As he runs, he dreams of meeting the "right" girl and of becoming a champion runner. At the beginning of the novel, it seems neither dream is likely to become reality, because both dreams, in order to come true, would require that he interact with other people. However, he does not see himself as someone who avoids others, but as someone who is simply more comfortable being alone. With other people, he is always on guard. Still, he persists in dreaming that someday all this will change; the perfect girl will be his, and adoring fans will cheer him as he runs.

Another side of Willis's character is shown when Willis, while running one day, finds a small injured...