Romiette and Julio opens with a short, italicized chapter that recounts 16-year-old Romiette “Romi” Cappelle’s recurring nightmare about being underwater. She feels alone until she hears a voice calling her name. It is then when she wakes up and, upset by the nightmare, struggles to fall back asleep; it is only 3:00 a.m. Romi reaches for her journal, a gift she just received for Christmas, and opens it to record her first entry.

In her lengthy first entry, Romiette “Romi” Cappelle introduces herself, an African American high school junior, as well as her father (a local television news reporter) and mother (the owner of a high-end boutique specializing in African artifacts). Romi writes about her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as her likes (environmentally safe products, chili, and macadamia nut cookies) and dislikes (picky people, watermelon, and chocolate). She writes about her fear of water and the fact that she never learned to swim. She writes that she has never had a boyfriend but dreams of meeting a boy who is thoughtful, creative, and artistic.