While living in Santa Barbara and attending a private school, Maria's life was comfortably boring. Then her sister died, her father lost his job, and the whole family was forced to start over. When they move to the barrio in East L.A. to live with Maria's grandma Maria recovers her roots and becomes empowered. She can't continue hiding that she is a lesbian when she meets Natalia, a grumpy chola who smells like sugar and turns Maria's life upside down.