Nelson Glassman and Kyle Meeks, best friends for many years, are gay teens at Walt Whitman High School. Kyle becomes romantically involved with basketball jock Jason Carrillo, while Nelson embarks on a strained relationship with Jeremy, who has tested positive for HIV. Jason comes out to his team-mates and endures public scrutiny on television, eventually losing his athletic scholarship. On the homefront, Kyle’s parents desperately want him to attend Princeton, although this would mean leaving Jason behind, while Nelson’s mother also insists that he end his relationship with Jeremy. Throughout these vicissitudes, the young men provide support for one another as graduation approaches.