In a school massacre, a troubled boy appears at a music lesson, killing the teacher instantly and spraying bullets at the teenage pupils. One girl, Celeste, refuses to be cowed and unsuccessfully tries to talk the shooter down, whose shot catches her in the neck. The incident, however, has unexpected outcome. Recuperating in hospital, Celeste practices music with her sister Eleanor and, at a vigil for the victims, she offers a raw, plaintive, self-penned song. It immediately captures the nation’s mood and Celeste is thrown into show business at the age of 14.