After her mom dies, seventeen-year-old Chloe Ryder gathers the courage to run away from home. There's nothing keeping her in Idaho, no reason left to be forced to live with her abhorrent step-father. She buys a one-way bus ticket to Flagstaff, Arizona to start a new life. But nothing goes as planned. Finding her first job is harder than it looks and she quickly runs out of money, forcing her to go hungry and live on the streets. With her future in mind, she decides to enroll in a local high school. As if her life wasn't messy enough, she soon finds herself developing feelings for Bones, the school's bad boy, who's intent on distracting Chloe and keeping her from focusing on her ultimate goal: college and eventually becoming a professional artist. And then there's Damien, a cute older guy who loves art as much as she does and wants to see her succeed. But making it in the real world is tough, especially for someone who comes from a family who has never set foot in college. Chloe has a chance at realizing her wildest dreams if she can dig deep and find the needed courage, perseverance and self-love.