Valarie Edwards is a seventeen-year-old girl who suffers from an anxiety issue so severe that she is afraid of everything. She's afraid of birds, stomachaches, using the oven, and talking to people. This has caused her to live a lonely life, one that she feels she was doomed for. One day, a new kid in school, who also happens to be her nearest neighbor, takes her seat in class, forcing her to speak up for herself and ask for it back. The kid, David, is cool, but now he wants to talk to Valarie and get to know her. Valarie realizes that she's in trouble; she doesn't know how to talk to people. Yet David is kind, and something about him makes her feel comfortable. The two quickly become friends, and Valarie no longer feels the need to avoid him. One day she learns about something horrible in his past and is afraid that their relationship is jeopardized, but just as he helped her with her issues, she resolves to help him in return.