15-year-old Tereska lives in a dreary house with her parents. Her father, a petty patrolman, is an alcoholic. Mother bears the situation silently, hoping that at least Tereska will manage to lead a better life some day, because the girl is artistically gifted and dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Her mother supports her and enables her to go to a tailoring school.
The sheltered, shy girl has difficulties at first to be accepted by the other schoolgirls. Her only friend is Eddy, paralyzed and a drinker, who allows her to put out cigarettes on his numb legs or hit them with an iron bar.
Finally Tereska befriends her classmate Renata who is self-assured, a tramp, smokes, drinks and isn't too choosey about the boys. Under her influence Tereska starts to skip tailoring classes. Now she prefers hanging around in shopping centers, stealing in the supermarket and coming home late, if at all. Her parents are helpless. Tereska however starts to lose herself in a spiral of violence.