Kylie is approaching her 13th birthday, and she hates her appearance, comparing herself to Antonia’s effortless beauty and confidence. Kylie’s only friend is a boy named Gideon. Sally dislikes Gideon but appreciates that Kylie can be herself with him. Sally is popular and respected for her reliability and kindness; now, she works as an administrative assistant at a high school. She strives to believe she has created the life she wanted. As the semester comes to a close, Sally finds herself increasingly on edge. She checks up on Antonia’s new summer job, which Antonia finds mortifying. Antonia enjoys the attention she gets from others and plans to become an actress. One evening, Sally sees and hears several omens of change, including a ring around the moon. At night, she wakes suddenly and goes downstairs to find Gillian waiting for her. Sally thinks about a harsh letter she sent Gillian recently and is relieved Gillian hasn’t seen it.

Gillian is nervous and confesses that her boyfriend, Jimmy, is in the back seat of her car, dead. She reflects on her aversion to being back near where she grew up and her relationship with Jimmy. They were going to begin a new life together in New York, because Jimmy had been responsible for the deaths of some teenagers who bought drugs from him.