Lawrence 'Champ' Fernley is a 13-year-old boy who lives in his own world and doesn't feel the normal social pressures of his age. While his friends struggle with girls, school and adolescence, Lawrence is more concerned with other planets, aliens and all things science fiction. One night Lawrence wakes up to a note on a rock thrown through his bedroom window. The note is written in an alien language Lawrence recognizes from an original copy of his favorite science fiction comic book. He deciphers the letter which has a startling message: 'Meet me in the woods this Friday night.' Realizing he's been contacted by aliens, Lawrence spends the next few days excitedly preparing for his own personal 'close encounter.'