Clarence is a new boy in school, recently arrived in New York from the rural south. Angel is already there, Hispanic and proud of it. Clarence has dyslexia, a reading difficulty; Angel is hyperactive; both disturb their class and are punished by exile out of the classroom to the hallway. They meet, talk, share experiences and hopes. Angel's activity is translated into teaching Clarence to read, and together they build a school friendship that transcends race and ethnicity and the lack of understanding of themselves by the system.