Plot

CalebSinclaireissittinginadiner,sulkingandsmokingacigarette.Hebeginstobreakdown,butcomposeshimselfwhenheseeshisyoungerbrotherPeter,acollegestudentonThanksgivingbreakwhomCalebisgivingaridehome,arrive.Peterhasfoundanewgirlfriend,EmmaGainsborough,apsychologymajor,andCalebimmediatelygrillshimfordetails,beginningtoshowanapatheticattitudetowardswomen.EmmaandPetermeteachotherwhileEmmawasoncampusmeetingsomefraternityboys;whilePetersaysshe’sagoodgirlandnothinghappened,PeterimmediatelyperceivesherasawhorewhowascheatingonherboyfriendtobewithPeter.Afterbeingrudetothewaitress,theybothdriveofftoEmma’shousewhoPeterwantstointroduce.Ontheway,Calebrevealshehasn’tmanagedtofallasleepinaweek.TheyarriveatEmma’shouse;althoughshecomesoffasasweetgirl,Calebisimmediatelyantagonistictoherandsmokesinthecar,eventhoughPetersaysshedoesn’tit.Calebhowever,keepshiseyesonEmmawhenshe’snotlookinganddropsbothofthemoffathisfatherDonald’shouse.Calebhowever,refusestocomeinsideandcallshisfatherbyhisfirstname;healsotellsEmmathattheyprobablywillneverseeeachotheragain.Donaldcomesoffasawell-meaningpolitefather,consistentlypraisingEmma.Calebmeanwhile,hasbeentryingtosleep,butkeepsgettingimagesofhislastgirlfriend,Hannah,whobehavesandlooksstrikinglysimilartoEmma.HannahhascontinuouslycalledCaleb,whichtortureshim,andtogetheroffhisback,sendsexplicitpicturesofhimselfwithaprostitutenamedSamanthatoherhouse.Caleb,aconstructionworker,arrivesatworkandbelittlesfellowworkerJT,wholooksuptohim.Later,EmmaandPetergobowlingandCaleb,whoistherewiththeotherworkers,secretlywatchesthem.Emmalaterapproacheshimaskingforcigarettes,revealingsheactuallysmokesandit’sPeterwhodoesn’tlikeit.Calebeventuallyobliges;EmmaaskinghimtopromisenottotellthistoPeter,andCalebaskinghertonotrevealhewasthereatalltoPeterorDonald.Thenextday,Caleb’sboss,whohappenstobeJT’suncle,tellshimtobenicetohimbecausehelikeshimsomuch.Caleblaterisatagrocerystore,andrunsintoEmma.Heendsupattackingher,callingherawhore,believingshe’ssleptwiththefratboysatschool,andthreatenshernottohurtPeter,whoheknowsisagoodkid(andavirgin).Momentslaterinthecarhowever,hebreaksdownashamedofhisactionsandgoesbacktoher,beggingherforgivenessandnottotellanyonewhathappened.Confusedandoutraged,Emmapuncheshimandtheybothgoseparateways.Thatnight,Emmasneaksoutforacigarette,andmeetsCalebwhotriedsneakingoverwithacamera.Emmawantsanexplanationonwhathappenedearlieratthegrocerystore:Calebgoesintohisbeliefonwhatheheardaboutheratschool,hisgirlfriendHannahwhocheatedonhim,andhislackofsleep,feelinghimselfinadazebetweensleepandwakefulness,whichhasfurthermuddledhisactionsandbehavior.Calebeventuallyleaves,feelingbetteraftertheseseriesofconfessions.Thenextmorning,DonaldandEmmagojoggingtogether.EmmaasksaboutPeter’smother,andDonaldrevealsthatshediedwhenbothCalebandPeterwereveryyoungand,Diane,cheatedonDonald.Everyonethatheardfeltbetrayed,andwhenshelaterwasdiagnosedwithcancer,no-onecametovisitherinthehospitalthelastfourmonthsofherlife.Atwork,Calebrevealshemanagedtofall-asleepforafewbriefminutesthenightbefore.Later,Donald,PeterandEmmaareoutsidewhenDonaldalmostaccidentlyshootsCaleb,whohassnuckoveragainwithacamera,mistakinghimforaraccoon.Donalddemandsheleaveatonce.Atarestaurant,Caleb,PeterandEmmaaretogether.CalebandEmmagetafewmomentsalone,andCalebassuresherthathedoesn’thavefeelingforher.Emmaisjustconfusedbyhisbizarreactions,andCalebendsupkissingher,wantingnowtoseehermore.EmmasaysnothingaboutittoPeter,asCalebdropsthemoff.Hedoeshowever,getafewminutesalonewithPeter,warninghimtowatchEmmacarefully,because“she’slookingatme”.Petersayshe’sinlovewithher,andCaleblaughsandscoffsattheidea,butneverthelesspraiseshisbrother.Calebapologizesforhisideasthatshewasawhoreandsaysthathewantstolookafterhim.WhilePeterandEmmapreparetohaveintercourse,PeterrevealsthatwhatDonaldtoldheristrue,exceptthatCalebwastheonlyonetoactuallyseehismotherbeforeshedied,andCalebandDonaldhaven’tspokentoeachothersincethen.CalebgoestoseeSamantha,andasksherifit’snormaltobeinlovewithaperceivedimageofsomeone,evenifthat’snotwhotheyreallyare(likeningEmmatoHannah).Calebwaitsoutsidethehouseand,sureenough,Emmagoesoutsideforasmoke.Calebtriesapologizingforkissingherandsayshe’lltrynottobotherheranymore.Emmarevealsshe’sactuallylockedoutsidethehouse,andCalebmanagestogetthembothinsidethroughawindow.EmmafallsontopofCaleb,andhetriestokissheragain.Sherebukeshimandaskshimnevertoseeheragain.AsCalebreturnstohiscar,EmmareturnstoPeter,andbeginstohavesex.Atwork,Calebisfeelinglikeheneedsachangeandleaveswork,uncaringifhegetsfired.Atabar,JTasksCalebifhe’shadsexwithEmmayet,andhesaysno,buthewantstoo.Hespotssomemensexuallyharassingawomenandendsupfightingthem,markingachangeinhimandanewoutlookonwomen.KnowingthatEmmaisonlystayingforonemorenight,Calebknowshe’srunningoutoftimetosayordoanythingtoEmma.However,heconfessestoJTthathefeelstornoutofhisneedtotrytoprotectPeter.Meanwhile,Peterhasbeentrying,again,tohavesexwithEmmabutfindshimselfhavingdifficultyandgivesup.CalebdrivesoverthatnighttoseeEmma,andthistime,shedoesn’trebukehimwhenhekissesher,andeventually,enduphavingsextogether.EmmaaskswhyCalebwastheonlyonetoseehismotherbeforeshedied:Herevealshewasjustashurtbyheractionsasanyone,andshutheroutofhislife.However,heeventuallydiscoveredthatDonaldhadactuallybeentheonecheatingonheruntilshefinallyhadenough.CalebnevertoldPeterbecausehewastooyoung.CaleblaughsbecauseheusedtothinkEmmaneverhadsexbefore,untilherexpressionshowsthatsheactuallywasavirginbefore.Heimmediatelygetsuptoleave,remindingherthatPeterisinlovewithher.Onhiswayout,herunsintoDonaldwhodeduceswhathappenedandsayshe’lltellPeter.Calebsaysthathewon’tbecausehe’salsohissonaswell,andcallshimacowardforerasinghimoutofhislifeforfindingoutwhathedid;inthelast8years,he’sonlylivedtwomilesawayfromhishouse,yetheneverattemptedtore-enterhislife.TheybothhidequicklyasPetergoestoEmma’sroom,andCalebsaysthathewon’ttellPeterwhathedid,otherwisehe’lltellhimDonald’ssecretsandhe’lllosebothhissons.PeterandEmmasleeptogether,andheatlast,loseshisvirginitytoher.Thenextmorning,Donalddrivesthemtothetrain-stationbacktoschool.Donaldconfessestothathe’smademistakestoPeter,andthatsometimes,peopleknowwhattheyaredoingiswrongbuttheydoitanyway,becausetherightthingispainful.Onthetrain,PetertellsEmmahelovesher,butitcausesEmmatocry.Thetwoofthemaloneagain,CalebringsDonald’sdoorbellandDonaldinviteshimin,theirrelationshipbeginningtomendatlast.