13-Year-Old Vincent has grown up in violent surroundings -- his own family. After the latest round in the family feud, where his stepfather beat him and his mother, Vincent decides to call the police but is taken to a youth center unintentionally, while Child Welfare makes a determination in the matter.
Because of his troubled home life, Vincent tends to uncontrolled outbursts of violence, and no one is safe from them -- including the director of the youth center, whom he lashes out at for attempting to break up an altercation between himself and one of the other boys. Then he meets his roommate, Tobias, known to the others at the center as "Butterfly," a diffident, introverted young boy about Vincent's age who collects butterflies in an attempt to cope with the death of his parents in an automobile accident.
Vincent becomes curious about the butterfly boy and tries to empathize, and, step by step, he gains the friendship of Butterfly. But one day Vincent's mother reappears to tell him that he will not be leaving the youth center, as her and his stepfather have reconciled their differences, but he is not wanted at home anymore.
Vincent is stunned. All his feelings of rage and hurt are taken out on his defenseless roommate, Butterfly...
Because of his troubled home life, Vincent tends to uncontrolled outbursts of violence, and no one is safe from them -- including the director of the youth center, whom he lashes out at for attempting to break up an altercation between himself and one of the other boys. Then he meets his roommate, Tobias, known to the others at the center as "Butterfly," a diffident, introverted young boy about Vincent's age who collects butterflies in an attempt to cope with the death of his parents in an automobile accident.
Vincent becomes curious about the butterfly boy and tries to empathize, and, step by step, he gains the friendship of Butterfly. But one day Vincent's mother reappears to tell him that he will not be leaving the youth center, as her and his stepfather have reconciled their differences, but he is not wanted at home anymore.
Vincent is stunned. All his feelings of rage and hurt are taken out on his defenseless roommate, Butterfly...
