In 1986, Holly Hensley is a senior in the local Corpus Christi high school, and Josh is a freshman. Holly has been his next-door neighbor for years, save the two years that her dad was transferred to Florida, and they rented out their house to a deacon. Holly and Josh walk to school together most days. He thinks she is beautiful and interesting, despite the rumors about her and Julio grinding in public and about her and one of the teachers at the high school. Josh's parents think that Holly is trouble. Josh's best friend from elementary school is Matt, and the two went through an army phase together where they read _Soldier of Fortune _magazines and liked to play with guns. Since Josh is embarrassed by that obsession now, he offers his duffel of warfare stuff to Matt. When his dad walks into his room one night, Josh thinks Matt is at the door, but his dad tells Josh that he needs to feed and take out the Hensley's dog. Holly's three-year-old brother Sam is in the hospital. His mother left a pot of boiling water on the stove, and Sam dropped it all over the front of his body. The little boy is in a coma. At school, rumors go around about what has happened to Sam. Josh gets into a physical fight with Matt when he insults Holly and her family. Josh feeds the Hensley's dog. The family does not return for weeks. They travel to Houston to get Sam better care. Josh starts snooping around the Hensley's house and enters Holly's room each day with his flashlight, never opening any drawers but looking at the pictures she has up and making calls on her bedroom telephone. One night, Josh is snooping through Holly's room when he realizes Holly is there. She has come home to go back to school before she misses too much that she has to repeat the grade, though Sam is still in the hospital. She and Josh begin talking, and Josh comes to a realization. He asks Holly if Sam is her son, if that's why her family went away to Florida for two years. She does not answer but tells Josh to come to her, and they take off each other's clothes. They lie in an embrace, and Holly says she just wants Sam to be okay.