a dystopian parallel universe whre people are defined as 'noughts and crosses'.
crosses (black people) are more superior to the noughts (white people) meaning they have more social privilege, respect and rights. noughts typically working in service rolls for crosses.
callums is nought and sephy is a cross. callums mom (maggie) works for sephys mom (jasmine) and their friendships blooms, but when maggie gets fired by jasmine, this stops sephy and callum from seeing eachother.
callums get offered an opportunity to move to sephys school, considering noughts and crosses are separated in schools. this enlightens sephy and callum that they might find a way of being together.
when callums gets transferred to sephys school he is immediately finding it hard to handle the bullying and discrimination, however sephy stands up for him, causing her to get attacked.
whilst everything at school is going horrible for callum, his home life doesnt get any better. lynny (callums sister) is convinced she's a cross and after an argument with her parents, she comes to the realisation that she is a nought and takes her own life.