Gossip. Peer pressure. Bizarre love. Addiction. Heartbreak. Loss. Everybody has to deal with these issues at some point, but not everybody handles them in the same way. What if you were an excited high school boy who's about to go on his first date, but you knew deep down something's a bit off? What if you were a degenerate gambling addict who can't find a redeeming thing about yourself, and yet you meet a kind old woman who believes there's good in everybody? And what if you were somebody who thrived on neighborhood gossip, and were confronted by the very person who was the subject of your wild tales? IN DECLINE is a short story collection about people trying to get by the best way they can, for better or worse. Whether it's children or adults, in these nine stories everybody is faced with tough choices and ugly truths about love, life, and the ugliness within themselves.