a summary from page 1-9

Nancy's story begins on Saturday, April 14th. She is excited about going to a Garth Brooks concert with her friends El, Red, and Dorie. She enjoys the concert enormously and is so excited that she can hardly contain herself. While leaning against a post, she has an asthma attack all alone. No one seems to care until a boy pulls her down the stairs into the foyer. The boy's name is Collin and after Nancy calms down, they begin to talk. Nancy feels surprisingly comfortable. He is eighteen and from South Carolina like she is. He lives on campus and is on scholarship.

They talk about their families. Nancy's parents are divorced and she lives in Phoenix in the summers. Collin's parents were killed in a car crash. Collin grows worried that Aunt Pauline, Nancy's chaperone, has not tried to find her. He then offers to take her home. Nancy's mother and Aunt Pauline are furious.