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Ben Manibag, the protagonist, is a typical honor student. He does well in his classes, volunteers outside of school, and even has a part-time job. However, Ben is bored with his life and sometimes goes with his friends Virgil Hu and Han to rip off electronics from the local store for extra cash. Ben rehearses words for the SAT (a new word often appears on the screen to indicate that the next chapter is beginning) and practices shooting free throws in an attempt to break the all-time record.

Ben tries out for the basketball team and he makes it, but he is restricted to being a bench player. Then, student newspaper editor Daric Loo interviews Ben and asks him how it feels to be a token minority on the team and a victim of affirmative action. Ben refuses to believe it, but Daric writes the article anyway. Daric's article results in a mass demonstration by the Asian students in the school, who protest at the game and continue to do so until Ben gets to play. Though this works for the first game, Ben is so embarrassed by the affair that he quits the team soon afterward. Later, at Ben's job, Ben angrily asks Daric why he wrote the article. Daric counters by asking Ben why he left the team. Upon hearing Ben's answer, Daric offers a proposition to Ben: he hands him a copy of an exam, and asks him to solve it as a cheat sheet and hand-deliver it for $50. Ben pockets the copy and initially throws it away, but then reconsiders and types the cheat sheet. Later, he brings Han and Virgil into the business, and the four begin to profit richly.

Ben also begins to fall for Stephanie Vandergosh, an Asian teenager adopted by Caucasian parents. Stephanie mostly has Caucasian friends. Ben works with Stephanie as a lab partner and a study partner, and later becomes her friend. However, Stephanie is currently dating the rich, charming Steve Choe. Steve immediately discovers Ben's crush on Stephanie, and tells Ben he may take her to the Winter Formal. Ben, confused, informs Steve that that is his job as her boyfriend, only to be shocked when Stephanie confronts him later and tells him that Steve informed her that he was taking her to the formal. Confused, angry, and jealous, Ben leaves in a huff.

Ben, Virgil, and Han all try out for the United States Academic Decathlon team (Aca-Dec), the presumed cream of the crop of high school associations. All three make it, thanks to Daric's position as the team captain, and practices begin at Daric's home, where it is assumed that he lives alone. These practices usually involve large amounts of drinking to help calm their nerves at competition. This strategy doesn't work well, as they are beaten in their first competition.

During a break at a competition, Ben and company discover that Steve is cheating on Stephanie with another girl. Ben confronts Steve later, telling him that Stephanie deserves to be treated better. Then, during one of Ben's basketball practices (which the entire group has begun going to), Daric cockily announces that he has a date with Stephanie (which later turns out to be a double date). After the date is over, Daric and the group proceed to drink heavily, then head to a party, where several jocks from the school are. Things get rough quickly when some of the jocks make racist jokes and Virgil and Ben are assaulted until Daric pulls out a handgun and pistol whips the offending student. News of the fight soon spreads across the school, and the group gains notoriety (along with amusing rumors of their affiliation with a Hong Kong crime family.) Their schemes become more and more daring and lucrative. They branch off from their cheat sheet scams and begin to deal in drugs, stolen electronics, and other unlawful activities.

Later, Steve calls Ben to purchase drugs from him, and then asks him to accompany him for a bit. Then, Steve tells Ben that he should be happy with what he has in his life, but that he feels strangled by the expectations asked of him. He states that he envies Ben's freedom to choose his own path, for his own is already planned out for him.

Ben, by this time, has developed a nasty cocaine habit, which he stops when he awakens one morning soaked in his own blood. During a volunteer activity the next day, Ben announces he's out of the group, upon which Daric agrees to leave as well. Han and Virgil decide to continue, though Han only does so reluctantly. They then present him with a birthday present, an automatic pistol.

Ben begins to rebuild his life, studying hard again, redoubling his efforts in volunteer work, and even managing to patch things up with Stephanie. The two begin spending more time with each other, and Ben even takes her to the basketball court to show her how to shoot. Stephanie also reveals a wild side that Ben never saw when she steals a CD the two were marveling at earlier.

As for Virgil and Han, Virgil's bragging about the cheat sheet operation becomes so widespread that the district is forced to take action and suspends Han. Before he leaves school grounds, Han finds Virgil and gives him the beating of his life.

The four head to Las Vegas for the National Aca-Dec Championships, where they gamble, get thrown out of a casino, and even have sex with a prostitute (originally purchased for Ben). Things take a turn for the worst when Virgil pulls a gun on her during sex. Han attempts to hit him, only to have the gun turned on him. Han leaves in disgust. This somehow doesn't hurt the team, as they place in first.

Ben and Stephanie go to the formal, at which the two continue to get to know each other. Their attraction deepens, but when it appears that the two are going to kiss, Steve arrives to pick Stephanie up and forces Ben to painfully watch her leave. Steve later approaches Ben at the basketball court and asks him to gather up his group. He says he has an opportunity for the five of them to make some money. Ben initially refuses, partly out of anger about the aftermath of the formal, but later reconsiders and gathers up the crew once again. There, Steve reveals that he is taking the initiative of "breaking the cycle". He wants them to rob his parents, then fence their property. He refers to it as a wake up call.

Daric agrees for the group, but later confides to them that the one in need of a wake up call is Steve. He manages to convince the group to play along until the opportunity arises for betrayal. Steve is meticulous about the planning, and rehearses the plan over and over until he is sure the four have it down.

In late December, the five meet at a mutual friend's party. Ben and Stephanie meet briefly, and Stephanie shows him her new tattoo, but Steve kills the moment by arriving drunk. Steve confides to Ben that he is intending to ask Stephanie to marry him. Daric indicates to Ben that their opportunity has just knocked.

The group meets at Jesus' house, and Ben is left to serve as the lookout while the other three meet with Steve in the garage. The fight begins, but Steve gets the upper hand against Virgil. Virgil drops his pistol, and during the struggle for the weapon, it fires. Ben rushes into the struggle, grabs a bat, and knocks the weapon away. Losing control of himself, his feelings for Stephanie, his jealousy of Steve and his disgust over Steve's infidelity overwhelm him, and he proceeds to beat Steve viciously with the bat.

Initially, the boys think Steve is dead. Jesus comes in and is repulsed at first, but upon receiving $300 (and Steve's wallet), he allows the four to bury the body in his backyard. Then, to the surprise of all, Steve slowly starts to move. Daric quickly soaks a rag in gasoline, tells Virgil to hold Steve steady, and suffocates him.

Later, at a New Year's Eve party, Ben finds Stephanie, who is under the impression that Steve stood her up. As the countdown to midnight begins, Stephanie remarks that neither of them will get kissed at midnight. Shortly thereafter, they kiss each other, after which Stephanie announces she has to talk to Steve. Presumably, it's to break up with him.

During the clean up of the crime scene, Ben and Virgil discuss Ben's impending graduation and the opportunities that await him after high school. Then, a cell phone rings out of nowhere. The two check their own phones, then realize that the sound is coming from underground. Digging quickly, they discover the decomposing body of Steve and his cell phone, and realize that his missed call was from Stephanie.

Unable to handle his role in Steve's murder, Virgil calls Han over to his house on the pretense of watching some brand new pornography, but attempts suicide once he's sure he's not alone. Virgil survives the gunshot wound, but goes into a coma and will most likely suffer brain damage as a result. When Daric panics and questions Ben if Han will reveal their secret, Ben leaves Daric behind on the hospital floor, his final words being "Later, Daric."

Graduation approaches, but Ben is haunted by the experiences that this year in high school has left him with. He later realizes that he is afraid of what will happen next, as his life up to this point had been mapped out for him. Ben goes to the basketball court, where he finds himself unable to take a shot. He leaves, and is walking home when Stephanie, now styling in a brand new Audi convertible (a graduation present) finds him. She picks him up, reflects with him, and says, "You know how you make decisions that lead to other decisions but you don't remember why you made those decisions in the first place." Stephanie and Ben kiss, then drive off to face their unknown future.