High school track star, Brick Thompson is the kid who gets left behind at the end of high school. While every one goes off to college, he has to stay in his small boring town where time stops, to take care of his sick father. He can't help but feel as if his life ended when he didn't get accepted to LSU for the fall. That is until, Shelly Coleman comes to town. She's a quirky ray of sunshine from St. Louis who thinks life begins at its darkest moments. She seeks Brick out and teaches him that there is pain in growing and beauty in growth.