First Marking Period (through page 14) Summary

It's Melinda Sordino's first day of high school. She boards the school bus with a stomachache and a sense of fear. Her friends from middle school glare at her and she finds a seat by herself. Soon, she's the only person on the bus sitting alone. Arriving at Merryweather High, she is herded into the auditorium with the other ninth graders. As she looks around, Melinda privately gives names to all the groups of students-Jocks, Country Clubbers, Suffering Artists, Goths, Cheerleaders and so on. Melinda is all by herself, outcast.

Melinda's ex-friends-Nicole, Ivy, Rachel-are drawn to different groups. None of them is speaking to Melinda anymore. Melinda hears a bunch of kids laughing and knows they're laughing at her. She turns around to see her ex-best friend, Rachel, among them. Rachel mouths the words "I...