It's the 90s and racism is still an issue. When a mysterious black boy gets transferred to Madison High in Charlottesville, Virginia, Tara seems to take a special interest in him. He's a loner with no friends and an unknown background. But that doesn't stop the community from painting him to be a criminal. Everyone has told Tara to stay away from him. To focus on her own problems before she decides to get involved in someone else's. But there's something about him that she can't quite figure out. What's so interesting about him? Why is he all she thinks about? Tara faces a series of obstacles: High School drama, rumors, heart break, and the almighty question, "Life or Death?" Only to find that at the end of the story, nobody wins.