Chapter One: Plot Summary, Character Introductions, and Key Themes
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Chapter One opens on Quinn's first day of junior year at Laurelburg High School in February. She's being dropped off by her grandmother, who has dressed up for the occasion and insists on taking first-day-of-school photos in the parking lot. Quinn is mortified—she's a new student and doesn't want to draw attention to herself. Her fifteen-year-old brother Andrew abandons her, dashing toward the school building before Grandma can rope him into the photo session.
Grandma first approaches a group of athletes gathered around a red car, but they laugh and ignore her. Undeterred, she drives on and spots a group of five students who look more approachable. One of them—a boy Quinn privately nicknames Picture Boy—agrees to take the photos. He has light brown hair, blue eyes, and a friendly grin, and he flirts with Quinn briefly while photographing her and Grandma. Among the group, Quinn notices a South Asian girl wearing sparkly green d20 earrings, which gives her hope that she might find fellow gamers at this school.
After the photo session, Grandma asks Picture Boy to look out for her nervous granddaughter, which only deepens Quinn's embarrassment. Picture Boy mentions he'll look for her in French first period, but Quinn is in pre-calc, so they don't cross paths. Over the next several days, Quinn fails to spot Picture Boy in any of her classes. She spends her days moving silently from class to class, struggling with coursework that doesn't line up with what she was learning at her old school.
Quinn reflects on why the move to Laurelburg was actually a relief. At her old school, her friend group imploded and she became the outcast, enduring whispers and smirks from her ex-best friends, including a friend named Paige. Being new is rough, but it's better than being the target of that kind of social cruelty.
By the end of her third day, Quinn is desperate to make friends. She stops at a club bulletin board but finds nothing interesting among Chess Club, Robotics, Drama, and Future Farmers of America. Then Kashvi—the girl with the d20 earrings—approaches her. They bond quickly over their shared love of Dungeons & Dragons. Kashvi mentions her twin brother and that their group is looking for a new player. She invites Quinn to a trial run, warning that the group is intense and that most people don't last long. Quinn accepts eagerly, hoping that Picture Boy might be part of the group.
Key Events
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Quinn arrives at Laurelburg High School for her first day of junior year, dropped off by her grandmother who insists on parking-lot photos.
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Andrew escapes the photo session, leaving Quinn alone with Grandma's enthusiasm.
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A group of athletes refuses to take the photo; a second group of five students agrees.
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Picture Boy takes the photos and flirts with Quinn; Grandma asks him to look out for her.
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Quinn spends several lonely days unable to find Picture Boy in her classes.
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Quinn reflects on being the outcast at her old school after her friend group imploded.
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On day three, Kashvi approaches Quinn at the club bulletin board.
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They bond over D&D; Kashvi invites Quinn to a trial run with her group, warning it's intense.
Character Development
Quinn is introduced as socially anxious but self-aware. She's a new student who dreads attention, yet she's also hopeful about starting over. Her internal voice reveals a mix of humor and vulnerability—she jokes about wanting a dimension door escape but also genuinely wants to find her people. Her love of D&D is a core part of her identity, and she's willing to take a social risk by revealing it to Kashvi. Her backstory of being the outcast at her old school explains her loneliness and her cautious optimism about making new friends.
Grandma is a vivid presence. She's elegant, dressed in colorful blousy tops and floral scarfs, and she's unapologetically social, talking to anyone. Her enthusiasm for her grandchildren is genuine—she's making up for lost time after they moved closer to her. She's also a source of comic embarrassment for Quinn, but her warmth is clear.
Andrew is Quinn's fifteen-year-old brother, who provides comic relief by abandoning her at the first opportunity. He's glued to his phone and clearly not interested in being part of Grandma's photo ritual.
Picture Boy is introduced as a charming, flirtatious presence. He's observant, kind enough to take the photos, and playful in his banter. He's also a potential romantic interest, though Quinn doesn't even know his name yet.
Kashvi is instantly likable—effortlessly cool with her tie-dye shirt, nose ring, and dice earrings. She's welcoming and perceptive, noticing Quinn's discomfort and reaching out. Her warning about the group being intense hints at deeper dynamics to come.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Starting over and new beginnings. Quinn's move to Laurelburg is framed as both a fresh start and a source of anxiety. She's hopeful about reinventing herself but also aware that her social awkwardness follows her.
Family embarrassment vs. family love. Grandma's photo session is mortifying for Quinn, but it also demonstrates genuine care. The tension between wanting independence and appreciating family support is central to the chapter.
Gamer identity and belonging. The d20 earrings are a symbol of shared identity. Quinn spots them and immediately feels hope—they signal that she might find people who understand her. D&D becomes a potential bridge to friendship.
Social anxiety and loneliness. Quinn's internal experience of being new—treading silently between classes, pretending to know what's going on—is vividly rendered. Her loneliness is compounded by the loss of her old friend group.
The outcast experience. Quinn's backstory of being the outcast at her old school shapes her current behavior. She's wary of social situations but also relieved to be free of the whispers and smirks.
First impressions and romantic interest. Picture Boy's brief flirtation plants a seed of romantic possibility. Quinn's hope that he might be in the D&D group adds a layer of anticipation.
Why This Chapter Matters
This opening chapter establishes the novel's central tensions: Quinn's desire to belong, her anxiety about starting over, and the promise of a D&D group that might offer both friendship and romance. It introduces the key players—Quinn, Grandma, Andrew, Picture Boy, and Kashvi—and sets up the mystery of Picture Boy's identity. The chapter also establishes Quinn's backstory of social betrayal, which explains her cautious approach to new relationships. The invitation to the D&D group, with its warning that most people don't last, creates immediate narrative momentum and raises questions about what makes this group so intense.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Quinn feel both relieved and anxious about moving to Laurelburg?
Quinn is relieved because the move frees her from the social cruelty she experienced at her old school, where her friend group imploded and she became the outcast. She no longer has to endure whispers and smirks from her ex-best friends. However, she's anxious because being new means starting over socially, and she's aware of her own awkwardness. The move is a fresh start, but it's also a test of whether she can make new friends.
2. What role do the d20 earrings play in the chapter?
The d20 earrings worn by Kashvi are a symbol of shared gamer identity. When Quinn spots them in the parking lot, her hopes lift because they signal that Kashvi might be a fellow D&D player. The earrings become a conversation starter and a bridge to friendship—Quinn mentions them when she and Kashvi meet at the bulletin board, and they bond over their love of the game. The earrings represent the possibility of finding her people in a new school.
3. What does Kashvi's warning about her D&D group suggest about what's to come?
Kashvi warns Quinn that the group is intense and that most people don't last long. This suggests that the group has strong internal dynamics and possibly high expectations for new members. It creates narrative tension and raises questions about what makes the group so demanding—whether it's the gameplay style, the personalities involved, or something else. The warning also makes Quinn's acceptance of the trial run more significant, as she's willing to take a risk despite the caution.
Navigation
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This is the first chapter.