Girl — Bart Bare

After her mother dies, Loren Creek, a precocious 14 year old, flees the foster-care system in Tennessee by moving to North Carolina. With the help of a curmudgeonly mountain man, she manages to evade detection by assuming the identity of a boy. Having studied dance and gymnastics at her mother's insistence, Loren has a lean, muscular appearance, which allows her to easily pass as a boy when she enters high school. She reluctantly becomes the kicker on the school football team and grows popular with boys and girls alike, causing some stressful, confusing, and even dangerous situations.
Meanwhile, Loren's foster-care guardian takes her disappearance personally. He won't give up until he finds her and places her with what he considers a good family. A confrontation is inevitable.