Will, seeking to meet single mothers, pretends to be a single father and joins a support group called SPAT (Single Parents Alone Together). There he meets Marcus and his suicidal mother Fiona. An unlikely friendship develops between Will and Marcus, with Will helping Marcus fit in better at school by buying him cool sneakers and introducing him to music like Nirvana.

Marcus hopes Will can become his mother's boyfriend to help her depression. Meanwhile, Will falls for a single mother named Rachel but has to keep up the charade of being a father to impress her. As their friendship deepens, Will and Marcus essentially swap roles - Will becomes more responsible and mature, while Marcus gains confidence and embraces his youth by befriending a rebellious girl named Ellie.

The novel culminates with all the characters converging at a police station after Marcus and Ellie get arrested for vandalism. In the end, Will realizes Marcus has grown up and will be okay, marking the completion of their intertwined coming-of-age journeys.

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