 Clarence is a new boy in school, recently arrived in New York from the rural south. Angel is already there, Hispanic and proud of it. Clarence has dyslexia, a reading difficulty; Angel is hyperactive; both disturb their class and are punished by exile out of the classroom to the hallway. They meet, talk, share experiences and hopes. Angel s activity is translated into teaching Clarence to read, and together they build a school friendship that transcends race and ethnicity and the lack of understanding of themselves by the system.