Hayley is not your typical teenager. She's been living on the road with her father, an Iraq War veteran with severe PTSD. On the road, her street knowledge serves Hayley well, but when her father decides to settle down she's required to attend Belmont High where she's constantly getting in trouble. She resents the false authority of her teachers and the docile attitude of her classmates, so she defies authority at every turn, winding up in detention a lot. Meanwhile Hayley is always paranoid about her father, who takes poor care of himself and repeatedly gets into trouble with drugs, friends, and depression.
Hayley is preoccupied with real world problems, the primary source of her resentment of the kids at school, which makes her unapproachable. Nevertheless Finn breaks through to her because he understands that Hayley's situation is different. Through good times and rough times he remains her loyal friend and helps whenever possible. Although he doesn't understand her experience, Finn cares.
When Trish, Hayley's step-mom arrives, she brings more chaos. Hayley despises this woman, blaming her in part for her father's poor mental health. They barely survive living in the same house. When Hayley wakes up one morning to find her dad unresponsive, she calls 911 and enlists Trish's help to clean up. Her dad is fine, but he's more depressed than ever. On Christmas he decides to kill himself, leaving Hayley a note. With Finn's help, Hayley reaches her dad in time and persuades him to hold out for her. Almost instantly the snowy ground beneath them falls and they're both injured but alive. By the time she graduates school, Hayley has been in the hospital for a while. She anticipates happier times, but she bitterly parts ways with Finn, thanking him for all of his love.
