His parents divorce when Chris is ten and his mother falls out with the church. At eleven his stepfather tells him he must work and leave home at 18. The mixed family is troublesome and his mother seeks God. She is saved while Chris works at a Burger King. There he meets Pat, a thrill-seeker who tries car surfing and falls. Chris does CPR but his friend dies. Chris is devastated, seeks counseling that doesn’t help his panic attacks. The first part ends when he prays for salvation with his mother’s pastor.