A sophomore in high school, Sander is a quiet momma's boy who carefully helps when his mother goes door to door with Jehovah's Witness pamphlets to save people's souls. Sander is devoted to both his mother and his faith, and he struggles with his seemingly uncontrollable sexual desires. A man who answers the door of a random house during the summer invites Sander and his mother inside. It turns out that a schoolmate of Sander's, Clara, lives there, and Sander leaves the house mortified.
To Sander's surprise, Clara shows up at Fellowship the next Wednesday, dressed in uncharacteristically modest clothing. She asks Sander to join her on a walk the next week, and he agrees. After Sander deflects his mother's offer to chaperone, the two set off on their walk. Clara seems genuinely interested in Sander's faith, and asks him questions while he desperately tries not to think about her body. This repeats the next week, and Sander clumsily makes a move on her, which she rejects. This mistake haunts Sander, who believes his mother must suspect him of inappropriate behavior, even though he hasn't confided in her. At Fellowship the next week, Clara's father shows up to take Clara away. Clara is reluctant, but there is nothing Sander or his mother can do. A week later, Clara's house is vacant, and Sander and his mother continue on and hand out pamphlets door to door.