Twelve-year-old Casey is shocked to discover that she has been suddenly and inexplicably abandoned by her stepmother, Sylvia--her last living adult relative. Determined to make it on her own, Casey doesn`t reveal her situation to anyone and struggles to find a way to get money to pay the rent and buy food. When Casey`s situation is discovered by Paulie, the foster son of her building`s superintendent, he comes up with a dangerous plan to help Casey procure funds--a robbery.