Jennifer Shaw is not having a good start to her freshman year in high school. Her dad walked out and her mom is struggling to make ends meet. Jennifer’s stuck taking care of her little brother, which she doesn’t mind, but she can’t seem to get along with her mom. She’s normally a good student, but after skipping school, she’s badly behind and now failing algebra. To make matters even worse, she let her friend Sammy talk her into helping him steal from an old lady, and now she’s the one who got caught and is on her way to court.