Michael life is stuck between relentless bullying at school and regular beatings at the hands of his stepdad. His life starts to change the night his sister, Sarah, is raped. Michael meets Cameron, a short-tempered local boy who is feared and respected in equal measure by his friends. Like Michael, Cameron is a troubled child with a violent homelife, his own stepfather uses his fists with brutal force. They both find solace in one another and find a place on the ledge of the tower block, where they can talk and watch the world beneath them.

As they grow up, Cameron develops a thirst for violence, fighting in bars and clubs whilst Michael studies, hoping to go to university and move out of the council estate. Cameron’s life is determined by a few poor choices. He meets the leader of a far-right political group, Paul, who poisons Cameron’s mind with racist rhetoric and introduces Cameron to drugs. Drink and drugs become a daily habit for him, helped by Thomas supplying him harder drugs on credit.

The first time Michael and Cameron meet since he left for university, Michael blurts out the story of his sister’s rape at the hands of a Somalian man, which he has kept for a secret for more than 10 years. Cameron secretly decides to help Michael get revenge, motivated by serving justice to a minority. Michael leaves university to become an investment banker and meets Sofia, a young Spanish co-worker. He is successful but still consumed by his depression, which he hides from friends.   

Cameron is arrested for stabbing the man he believed to be Sarah’s rapist. He spends 3 years in prison. Meanwhile, Michael’ life is a success; he marries Sofia and has a number of promotions at work. Cameron leaves prison to find everything has changed. Homeless and alone, he reverts to drink and drugs. He meets with Michael one final time, confessing that he stabbed Sarah’s rapist only for Michael to reveal it was a drug dealer. Cameron reflects on who he is, and with no one to help him and ‘talk him away from the ledge’, he ends his life, alone and afraid between two bins later that evening.

Michael’s mental health deteriorates. He becomes overwhelmed, questioning his existence, wrought with guilt about the death of Cameron. His life is starting to fall apart, everything he knew is now alien. In a moment of frustration, he pushes Sofia to the floor. She leaves him, taking the child with her. Alone with his depression, he also attempts to end his own life but is saved by his brother, William. \t