Lena Bessoltseva, Kristina Orbakayte, is a quiet pupil who becomes the target of relentless bullying at a rural school. The torment pushes her to run toward the river, where her grandfather, Nikolay Bessoltsev, [Yuriy Nikulin], steps in to rescue her and bring her home. Through a series of flashbacks, Lena slowly reveals the motive behind the cruelty, painting a portrait of a village where friendships are fickle and the social order is fragile.
On entering a new classroom, Lena earns the nickname "scarecrow" after a clumsy fall. She dares to like the class's most popular boy, upsetting the established pecking order. The class hero Dima Somov, [Mitya Yegorov], sparks admiration but also tension, while Shmakova, [Anna Tolmachyova], who was once favored by the hero, must move to another desk. The shifting balance is watched by Mironova [Kseniya Filippova] and Marina - Motya [Marina Martanova], among others, as the social fabric of the class begins to fray.
As spring break approaches, the students plan a trip to Moscow, but the group decides to skip a literature lesson and go to a movie instead. Somov grows uneasy and confesses to the teacher that the class ran off. As punishment, the trip to Moscow is canceled. A tougher girl nicknamed "Iron Tack" suspects a betrayal and investigates. To save Somov, Lena takes the blame and claims she betrayed the class, triggering a tense chase through the village as Lena endures pressure while Somov promises to tell the truth but cannot.
After recounting the full story to her grandfather, Lena cuts her hair at the village beauty shop and then shows up at Somov's birthday party with a shaved head. She delivers a pointed critique of many classmates and dramatically reveals her new look, announcing that she will leave the village behind.
Back at school, Lena returns to find Somov has finally confessed and is standing at the edge of a window, threatening to jump. She talks him down, and several students commend Lena for her grit and for staying strong rather than fleeing.
The film builds to a ceremonial turn: Lena's grandfather donates his home and a priceless collection of paintings by a famous artist who once lived in the village, and the home will become a museum. The grandfather arrives with a wrapped painting for the class. When the cloth is removed, it reveals a young woman who bears a striking resemblance to Lena in her short-haired look. The revelation leaves the children humbled, and one student writes on the chalkboard: "Scarecrow, forgive us."
