In the chaos surrounding an `80's alumni dance at the high school, Haley's birthday is forgotten, Jamie is left home alone, and Nathan and Clay are stranded 200 miles from Tree Hill. Meanwhile, Brooke's appearance at the dance with Alexander forces Julian to relive his dorky adolescence in an episode dedicated to the memory of John Hughes.

Nathan tries to help Haley and Jamie confront Lydia's seemingly hopeless situation, while Brooke and Julian navigate their volatile relationship in the midst of a hectic movie shoot. Meanwhile, Clay and Quinn spend some time apart, and Miranda tries to prove to Grubbs that she's the right person to produce his album.