Stevie Walters is still grieving over the death of his father -- killed by a drunk driver two years ago. His mum is still an emotional mess, and at school the other kids avoid him -- he's the short, geeky kid with the tragic past.
Then he meets Goody Pryne. Goody is smart, big, abrasive bully. Her parents are divorced and she tiptoes around her bitter mother at home, but at school she's larger than life, full of pent-up anger and bristling energy. Goody and Stevie become friends. She's mean to Stevie, puts him down, even punches him hard enough that his mum takes him to the hospital, but he is drawn into her orbit. Goody always tells him the truth about himself.But she won't talk about herself,especially about her relationship to Josie, her former best friend.At the same time Stevie finds himself drawn to Tsula, Josie's best friend.
But when Goody and Josie's relationship comes to a crisis, Stevie must decide where his loyalties lie -- to look after himself and be popular with his new friends, or stay true to Goody.