Left motherless by tragedy and abandoned by his father, high school senior Seth McArdle has been put under enormous pressure to support his little sisters. At school, he endures the daily bullying of the football team. When he fights back, he's singled out for punishment, assigned to an after-school work detail under the supervision of a reserved groundskeeper, Abel. Much to his surprise, Seth discovers that Abel may be the only one who truly understands his struggles.