A brief prologue introduces Charlie Spring, the protagonist, a 14-year-old boy with dark, curly hair. He meets up with Ben, the boy he has been seeing, so they can kiss before class. Charlie does not seem overly interested in Ben. It is the beginning of January at the Truham Grammar School for Boys, and Charlie is in a new vertical class arrangement for registration. His teacher there, Mr. Lange, is friendly and outgoing. He seats Charlie next to Nicholas (Nick) Nelson, a tall, muscular, blonde-haired boy who is a year older than Charlie, and the novel begins as the two look at each other with curiosity. Fall leaves circle through the expository pages, indicating that a big change is in the air.

Charlie and Nick say hi to each other. On his way home from school, Charlie notices Nick’s smile as Nick and his friends walk nearby, but Charlie says nothing. Nick always seems to be smiling and says hi to Charlie each morning, but Charlie is shy and thinks Nick must be bullying him or playing some kind of prank. He worries that Nick assumes he is “just going to hit on him or something” (14).