Teenager Chris wouldn't hurt a fly, but he’s got problems with the world anyway: his classmates laugh at him, the girls think he’s fat, and at home his mother doesn’t really understand him. On top of that, a gang of boys attacks him on the street one evening, but he finds help from an unknown guy who jumps out of his car to intervene – and Chris can’t hide his amazement. Even more so because he and the stranger get to talking, and the boy’s embarrassed vulnerability prompts Bobby to invite Chris on a nighttime drive through the town. During stops at various parties and in assorted establishments where they seem to know his guide well, Chris is captivated by Bobby’s confidence and directness toward everyone they meet. Among them is the somewhat unusual Olivia, and Chris senses that his protector is concealing something about her behavior. When he figures it out he realizes that Bobby has been making a somewhat false impression. The roles gradually reverse and Chris begins to understand himself better without ceasing to understand Bobby or liking him.