Clare is desperate to escape, and struggling to fit in.
She loses herself in creative writing and art, but entering into high school and meeting Sherry opens a whole new world for her. Sherry has no qualms about making up stories about the rest of the student body; she even includes the faculty in her imaginative tales.
Mr. CZ, the assistant principal who Clare has dubbed Smiley, takes on a starring role. Sherry creates every detail from failed marriages to abuse of his fictional kids and Clare eats it up. It’s the exact thing she needs to distract her from her own troubles. Claiming to be a good friend of the assistant principal, Sherry is determined to get Clare in the same room with the man, but the ever-shy Clare manages to avoid every attempt.
As Sherry’s lies continue to mount, her relationship with Clare becomes increasingly unstable. Breaking apart the friendship is hard on Clare, but she knows it’s for the best. Feeling more alone than ever, she’s desperate for a connection and the approval only an authority figure can give her.
She finds that authority figure in Mr. CZ, but like everyone else in her life, betrayal is only one moment away.