Admittedly, it's hard to imagine a school and a community that thrives based on the cross-country program at the high school. It's not hard to believe that sisters that close in age are as competitive as Stella and Ellie are, and they certainly seem to be facing the inherent dangers of being a teenager - rivalries, sneaking around, cliques, new classmates, etc. The missing girls from the past add an underlying current to regular petty problems.