Noah is pretty happy at school - he's in a friendly class, he's got a best mate, Jack, and he's one of the youngest to be picked for the school football team. Then a broken leg keeps him off school for several weeks and on his return there's been a mysterious change of atmosphere.

A new boy, Basil, has joined the class and everyone is fascinated by him. The only person who seems to be immune to Basil's charms is class-joke, Bertie, known as Pigface. Try as he might, Noah just can't slip back into his normal place - it seems to have been usurped by Basil. His only choice of partner in class, at lunch, in Games and at break is Pigface.

Forced to sample life as an outsider, Noah has a choice - make a desperate effort to get back into the 'inner circle' or get to see life from Pigface's alternative viewpoint.