Nikki O'neill

The Pack Nikki O'neill

Fifteen-year-old Erin Angelica Delessandri is a typical high school cheerleader except for one thing: in addition to the normal pressures of being a teenager, she is a child living in an alcoholic family. At home, she's the target of her father's alcoholic rage and is always on edge, never knowing when the yelling will start. Her father's harsh treatment also leads Erin to harbor the vague notion that she's "irresponsible" and "worthless". At school Erin gets caught up in the party scene with a crew called "The Pack". She becomes romantically involved with an older Pack member named Dwane. After Dwane is accused of a gang-related murder, Erin's brother Joey, who is also a member of The Pack, forbids Erin from seeing Dwane. But the evidence suggests that it's Joey, not Dwane, who pulled the trigger. While the drama unfolds at school, Erin's family disintegrates before her eyes. Her mom, upset at the prospect of a failed marriage, becomes depressed and withdrawn. And Erin's little sisters share a secret-a killer secret that must be exposed and dealt with before someone dies.