Two teenagers, one black and one white, find themselves in a story all too familiar from the news: false accusations, prejudice, racism, police violence. Rashad, a black student, has been accused of a crime and was assaulted by a police officer. Quinn, a white boy who knows both Rashad and the officer, must make a decision that has consequences for an entire small town – and the phrase "Rashad is absent again" takes on a whole new meaning. A topic that couldn't be more relevant in a country that is more divided than ever. The evening news in literary form.