Seventeen years after she was born to a prison inmate, Deja agrees to raise her newest half-sister for the first six months, until their mother's next release, but despite the help of friends and relatives and a support program at school, caring for a baby proves to be a monumental task.

Maverick feels strongly about family ties, making choices he feels necessary to help support his mom while his King father serves time, and leave him literally holding his son in a doctor's waiting room after he gets paternity test results back and his babymomma ghosts. Now the child he's raising is impacting the lives of his family and his girlfriend, and the gang life he led to support them all financially could leave them all bearing his responsibilities...

"Carli and Rex have an immediate connection, an understanding that must mean first love, but family secrets, disappointments--and basketball, which holds center stage in both their lives--all create complications"--

Determined to get a girlfriend, nerdy Rashawn asks the dream character for the power of "attraction detection."

"There's always been a hole in Gio's life. Not because he's into both guys and girls. Not because his father has some drinking issues. Not because his friends are always bringing him their drama. No, the hole in Gio's life takes the shape of his birth mom, who left Gio, his brother, and his father when Gio was nine years old. For eight years, he never heard a word from her . . . and now, just as he's started to get his life together, she's back."--...

Crushing on transfer student Delia, Darren, the host of the Dillie D in the Place to Be podcast, must make a decision when his anonymous submission for her theme song contest becomes the frontrunner.

Seven-year-old Layla divulges many things that make her happy, especially her family and their community garden.