This teen drama follows high-school senior David Wakefield, a talented runner who is set on leading his track-and-field team to victory. As David continues to hone his running skills, he carries on a romance with his pretty sweetheart, Alice Baker, and struggles with other issues that come with the transition to adulthood. Also factoring into David's life is the Vietnam War, with the draft fully underway and young men being regularly called into service.

Valerie's prosecutor mom is trying to put away Adam, an alleged serial killer on trial for murdering six women. But he's so charming that the teenage Valerie just can't believe he really did it, and soon they begin sending each other letters. Adam is caught up in a jailbreak and ends up on the run.