Angel

Fifteen-year-old honor student Molly Stewart attends a private preparatory school in the Los Angeles area in the daytime. At night, she transforms herself into "Angel", a leather mini-skirted, high-heeled street teenage prostitute who works Hollywood Boulevard. Angel has a "street family" consisting of aging film cowboy Kit Carson, street performer Yoyo Charlie, drag performer Mae, fellow prostitutes Crystal and Lana, and her landlady, eccentric painter Solly Mosler. The street's dangers increase as a necrophiliac serial killer who has no name begins to stalk and murder prostitutes. Los Angeles Police Lt. Andrews is assigned to the case, but finds no leads. Tragedy strikes Angel's group of friends when Crystal becomes a victim. The next day at school, Molly is confronted by teacher Patricia Allen, who is concerned about Molly's lack of extracurricular activities. Molly explains that her mother was paralyzed by a stroke and she has to head home immediately after school every day to care for her. Lt. Andrews advises the prostitutes to work in pairs. Angel teams up with Lana. Lana takes a potential client to a motel room that she and Angel share. Later that night, when Angel arrives at the room with a client of her own, she finds Lana's body in the shower. Angel gives the police a description of the suspect and a composite sketch is made. The killer is brought in for a lineup and Angel recognizes him, but he shoots his way out of the police station and escapes. Andrews takes Molly home to speak with her parents, but discovers that Molly's father left nine years earlier and her mother abandoned her three years earlier. Molly maintains the pretense of a mother at home so that she will not be sent to a foster home. She is convinced that her father will return someday. She has paid her rent, school tuition and living expenses through prostitution since she was 12. Despite Andrews' warnings to stay off the street, Angel/Molly purchases a pistol and returns to work. Her masquerade falls apart that night when some classmates recognize her on the street. Word spreads through the students at her school and soon everyone knows that Molly spends her evenings as a Hollywood prostitute. The next day, Ms. Allen visits Molly's apartment and insists on meeting her mother. Mae pretends to be Molly's mother, but Allen is not fooled. Mae is still at the apartment when the killer shows up later. They fight, and he stabs Mae, leaving her fatally wounded. Solly discovers Mae and the two share a tender moment of friendship before Mae succumbs to her wounds. Andrews and Molly return to her apartment and find Mae's body. Molly heads out on the streets with Solly's handgun to avenge Mae and Andrews goes after her. After a fight and chase, Carson (whom Lt. Andrews reached out to so they could team up and find Angel in time) gets the drop on the killer and shoots him in the chest, killing him. Molly, Andrews, and a wounded Carson walk off together.