Hollis is something of a charming slacker and the apple of Victoria's eye. When the novel opens, Hollis is backpacking across Europe, mooching money from his mother from thousands of miles away. Meanwhile, Auden gives in to her insomnia. Neither of her parents seem to notice that their daughter sleeps through the day and spends her nights reading and studying in local all-night coffee shops. Auden considers herself to be unusual until she meets someone with the same problem.
Auden is educated at a private school and highly motivated to achieve. Auden does not have much experience socializing with other young people. This is a direct result of Auden's obsession with grades and school and her innate awkwardness.
Through a series of experiential hiccups, Auden comes face to face with her fears and failings. First, she has an uncomfortable encounter with someone else's boyfriend shortly after arriving in Colby. Then, when she gets a glimpse of what her father's new life is really like, Auden is more than happy to take a job at a small boutique. Her father's wife, Heidi, happens to be the owner of Clementine's.
Her small victory is short-lived, however, when Auden finds out that she is working with the young man's girlfriend. Things eventually turn around for Auden. She subsequently wins the day and the night. Auden's summer in Colby is spent working in the boutique and learning about life and its inconsistencies.
Auden narrates her own story of self-discovery and resolution of things past. She receives a package in the mail from her brother, Hollis.
He now lives in the beach town of Colby, and Auden arrives hopeful that she will finally get some time to spend with her father. But this seems unlikely after Auden realizes her father is spending all of his time working on a new novel. One night, Auden goes down to the Tip, a stretch of beach that is known for being a teenage hang out spot. She meets Jake, a boy that she eventually ends up hooking up with. Auden feels guilty about it the next morning, though, and decides to leave Colby for home.
Early that morning, Auden helps her stepmother, Heidi, get some rest by watching her daughter, Thisbe. The next day, the family went to a restaurant called Last Chance. When they got to the restaurant, they were waiting for Heidi when Eli came by and gave Thisbe her pacifier back. He also helped soothe her down by taking her outside with him while Auden stayed inside with Heidi.
Afterward, she thanked Eli, who left immediately after that. Auden realized instantly what was going on — this must be the kid whose name she accidentally called out during sex! The two adults at dinner start a fight, which they delay finishing so that the family can finish their meal. Auden is used to this routine and waits outside for two hours before returning home when the argument reaches its peak.
She leaves again conflicted about Heidi, who defended her, but returns home late at night to help Heidi get back on track financially. Later on, Auden goes to a party thrown by her coworkers where she runs into Eli again. They learn that they both have nocturnal habits and keep running into each other.
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