Reed is expecting a lot from the New Year at Easton. After the drama of her first year, it's hard to imagine how this year could be any worse. Reed's boyfriend, Josh, is loving and trustworthy. Josh also knows what Reed went through in the previous year. He went through a lot too, when his roommate, and Reed's boyfriend, Thomas, was murdered by a girl in Billings. Reed started the last year not knowing anyone. She was elected to be a part of Billings, the most sought after dorm, where all the coolest girls lived. She was put through hazing by the girls there, but she was proud to have made it into the cool girls circle. Then, Ariana tried to kill her and killed Thomas.

This year, Reed knows everyone. She is still in Billings. She is full of hope. Reed quickly realizes that some girls want the traditions of Billings to continue. Cheyenne has elected herself the leader of Billings. Reed goes along with Cheyenne's plans, until they involve hazing new girls. A new headmaster has done away with the Billings tradition of a sorority. Billings girls will no longer be able to choose who gets into Billings. Cheyenne decides to go on with the hazing in circle. The six girls that the headmaster placed in Billings will have to prove they are worthy of being there. Reed watches as Cheyenne becomes more and more obsessed with pushing certain girls out. A war breaks out in Billings between Cheyenne and Reed. With the other girls caught up in the middle. Cheyenne is willing to go to great lengths to make life difficult for anyone who disagrees with her.

When Cheyenne seduces Reed's boyfriend Josh, it seems like she can go no lower. But Cheyenne's cruelty continues. Eventually the headmaster finds out what has been going on in Billings. He interrogates the girls, Reed refuse to rat out Cheyenne despite everything. Someone tells on Cheyenne and she is expelled. Cheyenne is so upset at the idea of leaving that she kills herself. That's when Reed realizes that Cheyenne drugged Josh in order to get him to sleep with her.

Cheyenne pretends to give in to Reed and allow all the girls to join Billings. They hold an initiation ceremony, but Cheyenne tricked them. She inducts only the girls that she likes. In the middle of the ceremony the new headmaster comes in. One of the girls tells the headmaster that Cheyenne was the leader and she gets expelled.

The night before Cheyenne is supposed to leave, she takes commits suicide by taken prescription pills. When Reed sees the pills, she recognizes the ones that Josh described earlier. Reed also finds an email that Cheyenne wrote before she died, blaming Reed for her death. Noelle Lange, the most powerful girl from Easton the year before, and a friend to Reed show up at the end of the book. She seems to know everything that has gone on in Billings.