When misfit scholarship student Riley Monroe arrives at the elite Hawthorne Academy in the fall of 1998, she’s determined to lay low and get through senior year unnoticed. But when she’s drawn into the orbit of an eccentric history teacher, Mr. Calloway, and a group of rebellious students who meet in secret to discuss art, music, and life’s big questions, Riley starts to unravel her own identity. As the group’s casual defiance turns into real rebellion against the school’s rigid traditions, tensions rise, friendships fracture, and Riley is forced to choose between who she was and who she wants to become. A bittersweet coming-of-age story about self-discovery, belonging, and the cost of truly being yourself.
