While being punished for writing a controversial article in her high school paper, Serena Albright is befriended by the enigmatic loner Brodie Wiles. Serena witnesses the first time that
Brodie meets Lance Royal, who is secretly rehearsing to compete in The Showdown, the biggest dance contest of the year. Immediately, Serena is drawn into their world, inspired by the love she
recognizes between them.
Through her close friendship with Brodie and Lance, Serena finds comfort for the grief and guilt she feels over the brutal death of her older brother, the victim of a hate crime. Frustrated
that her deep-in-denial parents spend endless hours in front of the television and refuse to acknowledge the death of their son, Serena accepts the challenge to have a face-to-face meeting
with the boy who killed her brother.