The novel opens the story in the present time, about five or six years after the main action. Rusty James was sitting on the beach when he ran into his old friend, Steve. Rusty James has been bumming around ever since he got out of the reformatory. Steve is on vacation from college and plans to become a secondary school teacher. He invites Rusty James to dinner to catch up on the old days, but Rusty James did not want to talk about the past. Running into Steve made him remember the bad times.

The next chapters take place five or six years earlier. Rusty James is 14 years old and was shooting pool in a bar called Benny’s when a kid named Midget informs him that Biff wants to kill him because of something he said to Biff’s girlfriend. Midget tells Rusty James that Biff wants to meet him in the vacant lot behind the pet store. Steve is Rusty James’ best friend and tries to warn Rusty James about what his brother, Motorcycle Boy, said about gang fights, but Rusty James snaps and tells him that his brother has been gone for two weeks and might not come back. Later that night, Rusty James and his gang arrive at the lot. The fight begins and Rusty James was winning until he hears a familiar voice. He turns around and sees Motorcycle Boy. Biff takes the advantage and slits Rusty James’ side with a knife. Motorcycle Boy takes Biff’s wrist and breaks it. The fight was over.
In the next two days, Rusty James gets expelled from school due to his behavior and Patty breaks up with him because she heard about what he did with another girl. Rusty James spots his brother in a drugstore reading a magazine and walks in there. Motorcycle Boy shows Rusty James a picture of himself that was taken in California. Rusty James wanted to show it to everyone else but Motorcycle Boy did not want him to. Rusty James notices how Motorcycle Boy has been acting weird ever since he came back. That night, Rusty James talks Steve into going out with him and Motorcycle Boy. The three walk downtown, across the bridge , to where the lights were. Motorcycle Boy tells Rusty James that he saw their mom in California. Rusty James was upset that he kept that from him. Later on, Motorcycle Boy was playing pool while Rusty James and Steve watch him. Rusty James closes his eyes for a second. When he opens them, Motorcycle Boy was gone. He pulls Steve and both of them stagger outside the dark street. They walk briskly until they encounter two men with weapons. One of them strikes Rusty James on the head which causes him to black out for a few seconds. Motorcycle Boy pulls him up after battering the two men.
The next day, Rusty James tells Steve that they need to follow Motorcycle Boy for a while. Steve refuses because he has to think about himself too. That was the last time they saw each other. Rusty James spends the rest of the day at Benny’s. Patty walks in and slides into a booth. Smokey, one of Rusty James’ friend, slides in with her. Rusty James finds out that Smokey planned to break them up just so he can have Patty. He later finds Motorcycle Boy in a pet shop gazing at the fish. Rusty James asks him why they were separated in different bowls. Motorcycle Boy says that the fish would kill each other if they were together. The two boys stayed in the pet shop until closing time.
That night, Rusty James follows Motorcycle Boy without him knowing. Motorcycle Boy breaks into the pet shop after it closes and releases all the animals. Rusty James makes a move to stop him but changes his mind. He was scared than he had ever been in his life. He drops his head down the counter and cries. Motorcycle Boy was on his way to the river with the the Siamese fighting fish when the sirens resonated. Rusty James runs out the door and heads to the bridge. Then, he hears gun shots. When the cops turns over Motorcycle Boy, he was smiling and the rumble fish were flipping around him. The cops take Rusty James and throws him against the police car. Rusty James stares at the flashing lights and finds something wrong with it. It was gray when it was supposed to be red and white. Rusty James could not hear his own voice. He tries to shout, but still could not hear anything. He slams both his fists through the police car window and slashes his wrist.
The last chapter is the continuation of the first chapter which is set during the present time on the beach. Steve tells Rusty James that he never went back. He asks Rusty James if he did, and Rusty James says no. Steve tells him that if he wants to go somewhere, he needs to work hard until he gets there. Rusty James stares out at the sea and does not hear Steve talking. He likes the ocean because he knows that there will always be another wave. Steve leaves and waves goodbye. Rusty James waves back. He was not going to meet up with Steve for dinner or anything else. He wanted to start forgetting again.