The novel opens with a flashback to the summer of high school, when Tommo and his friends were hanging out at the beach. Tommo asks his mom where he got the bag he's been eyeing. She tells him that it was stolen from a friend, and that it belonged to a girl named Safie, who is a member of Tommo's swim team. The narrator then describes Safie's appearance, her skin, and the fact that she's wearing a tan that Tommo thinks is "your normal color" . He says he'll try to find a girl like Safie. Safie is a swim team member, and he thinks she'll be a good match for Tommo. He also says that he likes Safie because she knows exactly what she wants, but he doesn't like "girls who of your own." He tells his mom that he heard that kiley blew off Safie over a bag, and Safie could have gotten some of her "who really cares" from her friend. He's not sure if this is a way of getting attention from kiley, or if it's just a way to get back at Tommo for kissing him.