On a cold afternoon with snow on the ground, the high-school band is practicing for the last football game when they hear shots. Flash back to a few weeks earlier: high-school student Arthur is bussing at a restaurant where Barb and Arthur's former babysitter Annie are servers. Annie is separated from her husband Glenn, who is on the wagon, starting a new job, praying to Jesus, and trying to prove that he has his balance back so he can see their small daughter Tara more often. Annie's seeing someone else, Arthur's parents have just separated, and Arthur is attracted to Lila, a new student at the high school. It's a small town--people's lives cross.