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 could threaten to destroy the true friendship she's found. When the police start to question the students to solve the crime, Scarlet just doesn't know how much she can take. It might be the words of Maya Angelou that make a world of difference.

Will she be able to find her courage and turn her daddy in?