Morgan's father has lost his company, so the family moves from Connecticut to an apartment in the San Fernando Valley. Morgan has grown up in the shadow of his high-achieving older brother and seems to have a knack for getting into trouble. He also has a stubborn streak, so when he finds himself attracted to Frankie, the girlfriend of the leader of a local gang of youthful thugs, he can't stop himself from pushing her for a relationship. The thug thinks of Frankie as his property and sees the cool, urbane Morgan as dead meat. Is this a struggle to the death?