After a rough sophomore year that landed him in a juvenile correction center, senior Paul
Jones is looking ahead toward a bright future, even as he feels his best friend Adam start to
slowly slip away. Paul’s girlfriend, Jasmine Marvin, is in the running for valedictorian of her
high school class. But she’ll have to study hard amid the challenges at home. Like her
brother being out late on the streets every night to try to keep their family safe.
For newcomer Mikala Kalani, the pressures are even more intense. Her mother, so in love
with a man who is abusing Mikala, turns a blind eye to Mikala’s pain. So, Mikala decides to
leave her home. Believing it will be harder for her stepdad to find her in a big bustling city,
she gets on a bus to Manor City. But there are dangers here she didn’t take into account,
especially being homeless in a place she knows nothing about.
When Mikala arrives, she meets a man named Walter at The Salvation Army. He tells her
about Monarch House, a temporary residence for homeless teens to get some help and try to
make a new start. Little does she know who else she is going to meet: Mateo Marvin,
Jasmine’s brother and a leader of a street gang. Mikala realizes she can envision a future
with Mateo, but only if he can find a way out of the gang in time.
