Plot summary

Alex Gregory is a 16-year-old boy who, one night while his mom was on a date because his dad ran off with his third-grade teacher then decided to get drunk and he took his mom's car to pay his father a visit. The next thing he knows is that he hit a $500 lawn gnome and puked on a police officer. To pay back the $500, Alex has to do 100 hours of community service at a nursing home. He is assigned to an elderly man who has the ability to make a volunteer worker run home in tears. Alex is frustrated by Sol, but the judge will not change his assignment.

Alex's best friend Laurie is a beautiful martial arts master. After meeting her, Sol thinks Alex should have a relationship with her. He constantly teases Alex by calling Laurie his wife several times throughout the book. Sol's comments about Laurie makes Alex realize his feelings for her.

One day, Alex decides to play his guitar for Sol and they start to bond; everything is going great between them. Sol even teaches him some valuable lessons, for he was once a successful guitar player. Alex has benefit concerts with Steven and Annette (from Sonnenblick's first book Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie

Drum, Girls & Dangerous Pie is a book aimed at children and young teenagers, and was the 2004 debut novel from author Jordan Sonnenblick, originally published by DayBlue Insights and later by Scholastic...

) to give the residents something to look forward to in their boring lives. When Alex attends his school dance, Sol is rushed to the hospital, and Alex goes to see him. Sol ends up dying in the hospital, but not before he gives Alex a vintage guitar of his. Toward the end of the book, it is learned that the judge is Sol's "big shot lawyer daughter."