Gretel, the daughter of the vice principal of the high school, is considering marrying a farmer. Her dad is against this. Though he disliked the troublemakers who drove their hotrods around the fairgrounds after school, he was also wary of these working boys who floated in and out of various schools. Gretel has fallen for a boy named Karl though, who has particular idiosyncrasies that made him stand out to her while he skates below everyone else's notice. She falls in love with him when she sees him kill an injured bird to put it out of his misery rather than try and save it. Thinking about mercy-killing animals makes Gretel consider her mother's invalidity and how humans can't just be put out of their misery too. Gretel finds an injured rabbit and determines it must be put out of its misery. She calls Karl to come do it for her. When he sees the rabbit he immediately picks it up and snaps its neck. When her mom takes a turn for the worse, Gretel goes to Karl's parent's farm to see him. In their life together, later on, Gretel tries to leave Karl, who talks down to her when she wants things to change. Their future mirrors that of their parents and they live in unhappiness.