Jo Matthews was that girl in high school — popular, loud, captain of the dance team, always in the spotlight. But now? She's 25, back in her small Southern hometown, working late shifts as a waitress, dodging questions about why she dropped out of law school four years ago, and trying to stay invisible in a place where everyone remembers who she used to be.

Jo's life took a left turn when her mother got sick, and everything she had planned — Harvard, activism, changing the world — fell apart. Now, she’s stuck somewhere between who she was and who she wants to be. On the outside, she's sarcastic, chill, and unbothered. But inside, she’s battling imposter syndrome, grief, generational pressure, and the constant question: “Am I still allowed to want more?”

Through weed-fueled self-talks, awkward run-ins with old friends (and exes), and late-night LSAT prep she keeps a secret, Jo’s journey is quiet, funny, complicated, and real. It’s about trying again when no one’s watching. It’s about being smart but stuck. Loud but lonely. And most of all, Black, brilliant, and just trying to breathe.

This is not a coming-of-age story — it’s a coming-back story.
And Jo Matthews is just getting started.