Summary

The story begins in 1982 in an unspecified American town. Sarah and David are 14-year-old freshmen at the Citywide Academy for the Performing Arts (CAPA), which is located in their unnamed hometown. CAPA is a performing arts high school with selective admission. On the first day of school, the imperious theater arts teacher Mr. Kingsley has the freshmen do a trust exercise in which they must communicate without words in a dark room. During the exercise, someone briefly grabs Sarah’s breasts, but Sarah does not say anything. Early in the school year, Sarah and David become attracted to each other and begin dating. One day in class, Kingsley implies to the students that he is gay, and they are shocked and surprised, but not offended. Sarah and David are not virgins, and they begin dating and having sex with each other. In the fall...