On top of all the changes coming to her life, Stevie finds her free-spirited teenage cousin, Naomi, is going to come live with them, her aunt and uncle hoping Stevie and her parents can rein Naomi in and stop her from hanging around with the Black Panthers, a "bad" crowd in their eyes. Naomi, though, has already met a member of the Black Panther, and makes Stevie promise to keep her secret. Meanwhile, her own parents' arguments have become more frequent and more divisive, and as Stevie grows up and has to deal with becoming more mature, she knows she has to do something to keep her fmaily in one piece.