Mark's first day of grade six goes awry when a family of bullies take a special interest in making his life miserable. But when Mark stands up for himself and takes a shot at one of the bullies – a young girl named Fox – he learns that words can hurt a lot more than fists.

Mark fears being forced to play the cello will make him a social pariah. But when his cello is taken by a gang of bullies, Fox begrudgingly comes to his rescue. Meanwhile, Pop and Sister Rose take a stroll down memory lane when it's revealed they used to be an item.