In 1992, lonely David Greenfeld is about the only white kid at Martin Luther King, Jr., Middle School, so he is surprised one day when Marlon Wellings sticks up for him in the cafeteria. Dave and Mar become friends, bonding over their shared nerdiness and fandom for the Celtics' Larry Bird. However, Mar always comes over to Dave's house, so Dave never learns much about Mar's home life--until one day he does, and he realizes how much privilege he has grown up with.