Henry Clark refuse de faire affaire avec un petit escroc Ron. Après un litige impliquant la fille d'Henry, Ron menace de la dénoncer à la police s'il ne lui verse pas de l'argent.
Cynical and intelligent Arnold Mosk, a known drug user, is put into a disciplinary program at his high school meant for the seriously disturbed where he becomes the main target of the psychopathic Doug Van Housen and his gang.