The tragic aftermath of a high school shooting leaves Deanna Cartwright seriously wounded and nine others dead. Detective Martin Van Zandt is assigned the unenviable task of finding someone to hold responsible. His attention settles on Alicia Browning, a troubled outsider considered both the key witness and a possible suspect. Worlds collide when Alicia's high school principal compels her to pay a reluctant visit on the still-hospitalized Deanna. United by their traumatic experience, the two young women form an unlikely friendship--one that will be tested by depression, despair, and the growing weight of the police investigation.