Chloe Green is upset because Shara Wheeler is missing after senior prom at which she kissed Chloe in the school elevator. Chloe finds a spare key to Shara’s house and enters. She investigates Shara’s room and finds nothing out of the ordinary. However, she finds a barely used vanilla- and mint-scented lip gloss. She remembers the aroma of vanilla and mint from Shara’s kiss.

While Chloe is still there, Shara’s next-door neighbor, Rory Heron, breaks into the room through the window. From a note addressed to Rory, Chloe finds that Shara also kissed him. A peculiar code, peach100304 is included in the note, and it adds, “P.S.S. Tell Smith to check the drafts. Chloe should have the rest” (8).

Chloe tells Rory that she has also kissed Shara. When Chloe and Rory hear the front door open, they jump through the window and escape down the ladder Rory used.

The first interchapter comprises a note Chloe passed to her best friend, Georgia, following the kiss. The note reveals that Chloe finds Shara attractive and that Shara smells like lilacs. It also indicates that Chloe is unaware of Shara’s motive and believes Shara to be exhibiting “mean straight girl behavior” and messing with her (13).