Straight out of MoVal, a multi-cultural suburb in California, James plays guitar in his room and hides from his emotionally unstable single-father whose fantasy baseball obsession and romantic life render him intolerable. Once tenth grade begins at Vista Christian High School, James is reunited with his unlikely best friend, Abe, a wildchild whose antics draw a lot of negative attention to both he and James, much to the chagrin of their odd, stringent principal, Mr. Durante. Meanwhile, James is preoccupied with trying to impress a cute Latina named Carla, only to find Abes outrageous antics are hurting his chances. Things only get worse for the duo when Principal Durante punishes them by forcing them to perform the weekly chapel assembly.