Fifteen-year-old Darius Rogers and his high-school sweetheart, Tisha Banks, live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They are known for being two of the brightest students in their class, and also for being inseparable; to see one of them is to see both of them. That is, until Darius loses his father due to an itchy-fingered carjacker.
In a city that houses a multitude of small gangs, Darius is informed by some neighborhood thugs that they know who's responsible for killing his father. That brings a glimmer of hope to Dariushis father's killer could be brought to justice. But as with most things, that information comes with a price; Darius must join their gang before they will tell him the person's name.
Darius feels that he has no choice but to join so that he and his family can have closure. But Darius is unaware that when he tries to close one door of sorrow and pain, another one opens.
Darius knows that his girlfriend, Tisha, doesn't approve of him joining a gang, and if he joins, their relationship will surely end. But before Darius can commit to the gang, through no fault of his own, his relationship with Tisha could already be over.