Hope

Intro Hope is a teenage girl who recently moved to a quiet suburban town after spending most of her life in the city. She came here for a fresh start, hoping to escape the bullying she faced due to her autism and diabetes—details she keeps hidden from everyone. At school, she tries hard to blend in with her new “friends,” doing whatever it takes to be accepted. At home, her parents are constantly fighting and rarely pay attention to her, which means she gets away with almost everything—until now. Edith, her next-door neighbor, is an elderly woman who’s been labeled the town “witch.” She lives alone in a run-down Victorian home that’s fallen into disrepair ever since her husband passed away. Though she’s kind and soft-spoken, years of isolation and grief have made her seem strange to others. A falling out with her daughter left her with no family, and her declining health has only made life harder. The townspeople whisper behind her back, but no one really knows her. One day, Hope and her new friends are hanging out near Edith’s yard. The other teens, egged on by peer pressure and the town’s long-standing rumors, destroy Edith’s garden for fun while Hope watches in silence. When Edith discovers the damage, the other kids run off—leaving Hope behind. Her mother, finally noticing her just long enough to be angry, believes the neighbors and forces Hope to take responsibility. Now, Hope is being made to help Edith repair her garden and clean the inside of her home. What starts as punishment slowly becomes something more meaningful, as two very different people—both misunderstood, both lonely—begin to open up and heal.