Gill, a smart but awkward boy, and Bobby, a thoughtful but tough girl in the midst of an existential crisis, meet when she defends him against a crowd of bullies. Although Bobby assumes that their relationship will end there, the two are soon paired on a class history project. Bobby is less than thrilled when her parents invite her quirky classmate over to dinner to get to know him. But as Bobby and Gill form an odd-couple friendship, she learns patience and sensitivity from him, and he reaches out from behind the protective shell he's created for himself. But when an unforeseen event happens, and Gill is faced with the loss of his first real friend, his patience and equanimity are pushed to the breaking point.