Miriam, Derek, Ian, and Jenny are overachieving high school students doing everything by the book. Straight A's, sports, yearbook, band, and - when coursework allows - planning and executing elaborate murders.
At 38, Thomas is at a crossroads in his life. His parents are nonstop guilt-inducers, his ex-wife is always on his back, and his son is far from inspirational. Thomas himself is almost too intellectual to survive daily life. The attentions of a straightforward English teacher seem to be a way out.