Cheated on, mistreated and stepped on, the women are holding their breath, waiting for the elusive "good man" to break a string of less-than-stellar lovers. Friends and confidants Vannah, Bernie, Glo and Robin talk it all out, determined to find a better way to breathe.

Still grieving after the murder of her boyfriend, hairdresser Justice writes poetry to deal with the pain of her loss. Unable to get to Oakland to attend a convention because of her broken-down car, Justice gets a lift with her friend, Iesha, and Iesha's postal worker boyfriend, Chicago. Along for the ride is Chicago's co-worker, Lucky, to whom Justice grows close after some initial problems. But is she ready to open her heart again?

KYRIE and SHAKA come from two different worlds. Kyrie insists that no one picks him up directly from his home in East Cleveland and Shaka, who is far more well off, is more than willing to flaunt what he has and throw out money on the newest games and sneakers. Still, they are best friends trying to get through life together. Kyrie struggles to come out to his best friend before leaving for college. Shaka doesn't know how to tell Kyrie that he is moving to a different state. It's a story about humanity, politics, fear, and its consequences, all told from the perspective of two teens in East Cleveland, Ohio.