Part 1, Chapter 1 Summary

When Halley's best friend Scarlett calls her in the middle of the night while Halley is at camp, Halley can tell immediately from her voice that something is wrong. Scarlett tells Halley that Scarlett's boyfriend, Michael Sherwood, died in a motorcycle accident that afternoon, and she asks Halley to come home. Halley knows it is hard for Scarlett, who has never been the needy one, to even ask for her help, and Halley tells her that she is on her way. Michael is the only boy that Scarlett has ever loved. He grew up in Lakeview, the same neighborhood as Halley and Scarlett.

Scarlett and Halley first meet when they are eleven, when Scarlett and her mother move next door to Halley's family. Although Halley is a quiet girl who has had a hard time making friends, she and Scarlett immediately...