Summary

In Chapter 1, Helen Zhang, a good student, is at her sister, Michelle’s, funeral with her parents. Her mother is crying a lot, and her father is not crying at all. During the service, she notices the popular Grant Shepard come in. He hit Michelle with his car when she ran in front of him while under the influence of drugs. People pity Grant for his part in the situation, knowing that Michelle had suicidal tendencies. Helen thinks only ego could have made Grant think it was okay to come to the service, and Helen tells him that her mother wishes him to leave. Helen thinks about how the confrontation probably made her sister happy.

Chapter 2 opens thirteen years in the future when Helen learns that she will be going to Hollywood to work on the screenplay for the Ivy Papers, Helen...