A teenage runaway named Sheila, portrayed by Jennifer Clay, finds herself hitchhiking along Interstate 605 in the Greater Los Angeles Area. She is picked up by a woman traveling with her toddler. Their journey is abruptly halted by a flat tire, leading them to a telephone booth situated at the edge of an abandoned housing district. Tragically, while the mother is occupied on the phone, a stray dog attacks and kills the toddler.
Simultaneously, another teen runaway, Evan Johnson, played by Bill Coyne, escapes from his suburban home, where he suffers under the controlling presence of his alcoholic, divorced mother. His adventure leads him to a punk rock concert, where he becomes a target for illicit drugs slipped into his drink by concertgoer D.I. Keef (Grant Miner). Chaos ensues when a female attendee is assaulted by rowdy punks, prompting a desperate escape.
Evan then crosses paths with Jack Diddley, portrayed by Chris Pedersen, who offers him shelter at “T.R. House,” a haven for misfits in the same desolate neighborhood. During their travels, they pick up Joe Schmo (played by Wade Walston), who initially hesitates to join the house due to its unusual practices, such as branding residents with the initials T.R., which stands for “The Rejected.” However, Joe ultimately accepts the brand after grappling with the complexities of his father's homosexuality and his father's new relationship.
As the story unfolds, tensions rise within the community. The next day, men from a group called "Citizens Against Crime" patrol the area, including Jim Tripplett (Lee Frederick) and Bob Skokes (Jeff Prettyman), seeking revenge by shooting at the wild dogs that roam freely after the recent tragedy involving the toddler. The T.R. kids, including Razzle (Flea) and Skinner (Timothy O'Brien), confront these men, yet the scenario is diffused by Jack's stepfather, a police officer named Bill Rennard (Donald Allen).
In a desperate bid to survive, Jack, Evan, and Skinner raid suburban garages for food, inciting further animosity from Jim and Bob. Evan, learning that his mother has been arrested for drunk driving, retrieves his younger brother, Ethan (Andrew Pece), from a foster home and brings him to T.R. House, where Sheila gives him a trendy mohawk. Amidst this sense of community, Sheila reveals her painful history of abuse to Joe.
At a T.S.O.L. concert, the group finds themselves embroiled in a brawl defending Skinner, leading to a grim outcome when the assailants stab a security guard and frame the T.R. kids for the crime. Following this, a local meeting erupts with accusations against the police for their perceived lack of action against the teens’ behavior. Bill confronts the teens and urges them to steer clear of more trouble, but soon the conflict escalates as Jim and Bob violently invade T.R. House, resulting in a harrowing assault on Sheila.
This tragic series of events culminates in the discovery of Sheila's lifeless body after an overdose of drugs, plunging the teenagers into despair. They attempt to return her remains to her parents, but tensions boil over at the funeral, revealing the deep scars of abuse and leading to violence that lands Sheila's father in the hospital.
At a Vandals concert, Bill arrives, warning the kids that they need to vacate T.R. House to evade the escalating conflict with the Citizens Against Crime. Ignoring his pleas, they choose to stay, yet the situation spirals further into chaos when Ethan is accidentally killed by Jim and Bob's car, leaving a grief-stricken Evan cradling his brother’s lifeless body. The series of unfortunate events illustrates the harsh realities faced by these struggling youths, woven with themes of survival, loss, and the complexities of their intertwined lives.
