Thirteen-year-old Luke Haggerty tries to familiarize himself with nautical terms as he uses the bathroom on The Phoenix, a schooner docked at the marina in Guam. The Phoenix is about to leave for a month on the open ocean with a crew of inexperienced teenagers—sent there by the courts, medical professionals, or their parents—through a program called “Charting a New Course,” or CNC. The cruel first mate, Radford, pounds on the bathroom door, reminding Luke to close the toilet valve. When Luke asks where his cabin is, Radford, who calls every boy “Archie,” mocks him and points to four narrow bunk beds in the hallway. A teenage boy peers from one of the top bunks and introduces himself as Will Greenfield. Will asks Luke why he is there. Luke remembers the day in court when he was sentenced for “felony possession of a firearm” (7), which had been put in his locker by a supposed friend; however, he replies that he is a convicted felon. Surprised, Will tells Luke that he is only there because he fights with his sister, Lyssa, who is also onboard. Will says Luke will dislike his sister and that he “should have been an only child” (6).