Scarlet Burnes just witnessed her daddy hit a bicyclist who goes careening down the embankment right into Cottonmouth Creek. Regardless of her pleas, her daddy won't turn around. Instead, he threatens her because he doesn't have any plans to go back to jail, and Scarlet doesn't want to go away either. On the first day of fifth-grade, Scarlet has hope she's finally met a friend since she's now Blue Key to the new girl, Cricket. What she soon discovers...