It depicts the story of a seventeen-year-old African American boy named Andrew "Andy" Jackson, who feels deeply guilty for inadvertently causing his best friend Robert "Rob" Washington's death through drunk driving.

[3] Andy Jackson, a seventeen-year-old student, just won a basketball game at Hazelwood High School, and he and his friends Robbie Washington, Tyrone Mills, and B.J.

He starts talking to Dr. Carrothers, a psychologist, but it becomes clear he's hiding his true feelings about what happened as he is pretending he's fine.

His mother and Monty walk in on his body, while various people at school spread their condolences; students write him letters, Tyrone is unable to forget the night Rob died, Gerald shows anger about the suicide, Rhonda is curious if Andy was considering how suicide would affect his family, and Keisha is horrified that Andy died and her desire came true.

Modes used in the book include diary entries, personal essays, letters, notes, newspaper articles, teacher conversations, and morning school announcements.