Hero (Hoover)

Bennett Wilson has the world at his fingertips. One of the top basketball players in New York State, he is destined to lead Mount Vernon High to the state championship for the first time. Many of the nation's top colleges are already reaching out, eager to sign him to their roster. Scholarships are, guaranteed. Still young, Bennett is seduced by the promise of fame and fortune. Yet all is not as it appears. Bennett's life is plagued with strife and conflict. The oldest of three, he has grown up with his single mother in the tough inner city projects of Mount Vernon. Life is hard but Bennett refuses to choose the fast life of the streets. He knows his only ticket to freedom is through basketball and academics. Bennett's dreams come to a screeching halt, when he learns his sick mother has, fallen far behind on her rent, and is, threatened with eviction. He knows he can get easy money on the streets, but at the cost of ruining his future. Will Bennett finally succumb to a life he's avoided and if he does, what will it cost?

Kirby's life changed one memorable afternoon with the murder of his best friend, Bennett. A promising life was, cut short in front of a crowd of hundreds on the steps of Mount Vernon, New York's, City Hall. Kirby had looked up to Bennett for as long as he remembered and losing him changed his life. Lost between dark thoughts of rage, regret and revenge, Kirby struggles with who he is and what he might become. Simon knew he had made mistakes few recovered, from. Although an adversary of Kirby's, watching Bennett's murder and the impact it had on Kirby showed him not only how bad he was, but how good he might become. All he needs is a push in the right direction. Recently released from jail, Simon is determined to make amends and be a better man. Kirby and Simon's paths are destined to clash as each try to find new identities in the wake of their difficult circumstances. Can old hatred be, forgotten to allow the healing to begin?

Kirby's life has come full circle. Ten-years ago, he was on top of the world. His best friend Bennett was one of the top basketball prospects in the nation. Instead of moving on to college, Bennett died. The following years passed in a haze but Kirby's desire to find out why Bennett died has consumed him. Now, Simon, a one-time enemy turned friend, lies on his deathbed after getting close to a resolution and Kirby can do nothing but watch and pray. Sitting in the lonely, hospital room as Simon struggles to survive, Kirby is, confronted by old memories and the ghosts of his past. His mind drifts back to better days when he and Bennett were still young enough to view the world with wide eyes as young lads and then teenagers. With the help of newfound mentor and confidant Ron Polite, Kirby steps back and examines his life, the hard choices and easy solutions and, most importantly, the role friends and family played in his development. Through it all, he is forced to wonder how much more he can take.