The first chapter, “Party Time,” supplies the background information we need about Brent Bishop. He attends the Monfort School, a private school in the Chicago area. He and his parents recently moved here from Atlanta. He doesn’t seem to have much of a relationship with them. Nor does he seem to have many outside interests, other than to play video games and to try to do his best to fit in with the in-crowd at school. He’s moved enough times that he knows how to gauge what appearances are important to his newest classmates. He wants to leave a good impression. Unfortunately, he’s also got a temper and is quick to come to confrontation, anger, and striking out. This tendency gets him into trouble at the party and leads him to drive away in fury and frustration.