Nothing is normal in East Oakland. Belaen's father left her family. She's at risk of not graduating. And Leti, her super-Catholic, nerdy best friend, is pregnant--by the boyfriend she hasn't told her parents about, because he's Black, and her parents are racist. Weighed by a depression she can't seem to shake, Belaen helps Leti, hangs out with an older guy, and cuts a lot of class. She soon realizes, though, that distractions are only temporary. Leti is becoming a mother. Classmates are getting ready for college. But what about Belaen? What future is there for girls like her?