Gene, a junior high school student, is constantly harassed, ridiculed, and left feeling like the world would be better off without him. Trying to conceal his embarrassment, he inadvertently drags his best friends Melissa and Sandy into a rapidly growing and dangerous situation. The kids try to handle things themselves until the violence increases, and they have to get the school and their parents involved. Police, the state laws, and school procedures turn things upside down when one of them goes missing, but they all come together in the search as more drama unfolds.