BREAKOUT

Ant, age 13, writes his first rock song. The only problem? It contains a certain word that will get him suspended if he sings it at the school talent show. Ant's had a bad day and his song lyrics reflect how pissed off he is at everyone and everything, including insipid cutebot girls, meaningless school assignments, and Fat Class at the local Y. The song—"Gotta Get Out"—goes live thanks to his best friend and fellow Rusty Souls bandmate, Keenan. Ant becomes an insta-hero to everyone at school. Except for the clueless teachers. And his parents (who he imagines as the enemy Nazis in his favorite video game, Liberation Force). What are your rights to free speech when you're just a 13-year-old kid? Emerson captures the frustration of the quintessential 13-year-old boy, too old to be babied but also suffering for his growing pains.