The hero is Paco Jones, a biracial Mexican kid with few friends. He's recently transferred from his old junior high to a private school, and because he's the poor new kid, he soon finds himself the least popular. It doesn't help that he sports "a big nose, an unflattering birthmark, pigeon-toed feet and hairy arms," all of them fodder for teasing. He's jeered at during lunch, called Paco Taco, and ridiculed for being different. So what hope is there for him when he falls for Naomi Fox, a popular girl already involved with a popular guy? Through dumb luck and a few clever moves, Paco soon finds himself on center stage amidst a twisted middle school mess.