Two different periods in Mort and Shelly's individual and joint early lives are presented. The first is 1958, and the threat of a nuclear war is ever looming. Mort, living under the roof of his maternal grandparents, his mother and his sister, is expressing the feminine side of himself whenever he can, his mother and sister well aware of his activities. Rose in particular encourages him if only to make him happy, that encouragement on the caveat that his grandfather not find out about playing dress-up. As such, much of Mort's private activities are conducted in the solitude of their bomb shelter. Meanwhile, Shelly is encouraged by her music teacher at school. Shortly thereafter, Shelly, who refuses to talk about it, starts to retreat from activities of any sort. The second is 1967. Mort has been dating Shelly's longtime best friend, Debra, who is now an artist. Upon their first meeting, there is an undeniable attraction between Mort and Shelly. They both have to decide what to do about that attraction taking into account Debra.
—Huggo