Fly is a young Black man leaving home for college in the American South. After his parents drop him off at his dorm, he spends most of the first day in his room, missing orientation, until his RA, Clive, invites him to the hall meeting. Unsure of himself, Fly fears that he will be back home in a week.

He begins his courses, eating lunch with other students from his world religions class. He enjoys talking about religion with them and learning about Judaism. Back in the dorm, Clive keeps questioning Fly about allergies, wondering how Fly was able to get a room to himself. When Clive leaves, a pair of students, Arthur and Suzie, come to Fly's room, inviting him to attend church with them on Sunday.

That Saturday, Fly goes to a party, which causes him to oversleep the following morning, missing the church service. Arthur and Suzie find him afterward and invite him to go next week. The next Sunday, Clive gives his residents, including Fly, a flyer about all the cults on campus, which has Arthur and Suzie's church at the top of the list. Despite this, Fly ends up going to the service, arriving late. He sits next to Arthur and sees Suzie singing in the choir. He thinks he is in love with her. Looking around the church, he notices that most students there are people of color.

Fly develops a relationship with Suzie and begins sleeping with her. He makes an effort at the church and becomes saved. Meanwhile, Clive hypothesizes that Fly must be gay, which is why he got the single room. He warns Fly that Suzie has been known to try to turn gay men straight, which is psychologically damaging. Fly thinks about confronting Suzie about whether she's just sleeping with him because she thinks he's gay, but decides against it.

The next week, Fly finds out his parents are getting a divorce. Upset, he goes home and gets angry with his father, who is leaving his mother. When he goes back to school, he doesn't feel well. He thinks it's heartbreak, but Clive calls health services, who say he has contracted mono. He gets an official doctor's note to skip exams, which saves his grades, and he is able to finish out the semester strong. In the spring, he learns that Suzie is engaged to Arthur.