Billy Young's older brother could die at any moment. Thirteen-year-old Billy must find him. They haven't talked since their parents kicked Paul out three years ago. Billy's parents disapproved of Paul and now disapprove of Billy. Billy is not getting the best grades in school for one thing. His parents suspect he's up to no good. Billy especially hates his English class except for Jenna, the classmate he secretly has a crush on. But with his parents not talking about Paul or his exact whereabouts several hundred miles away, Billy makes a run for it across the state line to go find and be with Paul before it's too late, and before his parents send him to boarding school far away from Jenna, the girl he wants to marry someday.