In this story told from the viewpoint of a young middle school black student living in Chicago’s Cabrini Green housing project illustrates the power of adult role models. Cashay struggles to deal with the terrible events that have happened to her. A younger sister has just been killed in a drive by shooting, and her pregnant mother addresses her grief by going back on drugs. Eventually she is paired up with a volunteer tutor who is as different from her as can be – a white, wealthy stock broker with issues of her own. Together they help each other come to see themselves in new ways.