17-year-old Anthony "Spoon" Witherspoon is returning to Harlem after 7 months at an exclusive prep school. He never wanted to leave the city in the first place - especially not to walk the hallowed halls of a mostly white New England school. But now that Spoon is back home, he realizes how much he's come to rely on his prep-school friends and routine. And the one thing he's looking forward to most - seeing his girlfriend, Gabi - brings him the greatest shock. When he left, Gabi was a vibrant, bright young poet; now, she's a thin, wasted drug addict. Can Spoon help her find her way again?