Charlie Cunningham begs her mom, Amber, to let her switch from her small private school to a public high school, wanting to prove to her (and to herself) that she's changed since being kicked out of school last year. Growing up without any luxuries, Amber works overtime as a doctor in order to give Charlie the finer things in life. It's also her way of making up for her divorce two years ago, and she worries that Charlie blames herself for the separation. Amber is concerned Charlie will return to her old ways, falling into the wrong crowd and getting mixed up in drugs and alcohol, but she reluctantly agrees. The new school starts off well; Charlie receives good grades and praise from her teachers and joins the robotics team - until she falls in with the wrong crowd, starts abusing synthetic weed, and becomes a shell of her former self.