While Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield are getting ready for their first day of high school so are other new students. El Carro High was crushed in the Earthquake that hit the area. Half the students are going to Sweet Valley and the other half are going to Big Mesa.
They are not pleased especially not Conner McDermott he hates the idea of being associated with a school with such a ridiculous name. So he decides to wear his rattiest clothes. Meanwhile another El Carro alum is thinking about how unfair it is to her she was captain of her cheerleading squad and now everything is different and if their is one thing Melissa Fox hates it's Change! Conner walks through the school disoriented especially when he see's the fountain in the courtyard. He's only happy when he see's his best friend Tia Rameriz. He tell's her about the barbie twins he just run into.
Liz is excited abut the writing class she's taking until Conner makes her look like and idiot. She get's really pissed. Meanwhile Jessica does some heavy flirting with Melissa's Boyfriend Will. Jess even starts to imagine a future with Will in it. After Liz gives the job of Fashion editor to a sophomore Lila lashes out at her in the middle of dinner. That makes Mrs. Wakefield decide that it is a good idea for Liz to move out since Lila and her cannot get along.
She goes to live with a sophomore she just met named Meghan Sandborn. Meanwhile Jess finds out from Tia that the Will she likes has a girlfriend she lashes out at Will than she talks about Will and his girlfriend and how they are losers. She doesn't realize that she talked about them right in front of Melissa.
When Liz and Jess arrive the school dance Jess is determined to forget all bout Will. Suddenly though no one wants to talk to her except to make fun of her. Jessica realizes that the girl she was talking in front of was Melissa and that Melissa was Will's girlfriend. She runs out of the gym. Liz goes to her new home a bit disappointed that she didn't see Will. When she enters the bathroom however she see's Conner in just a towel. Turns out that Conner and Meghan are brother and sister. The book ends with Will realizing that he said a lot of things about Jessica that he shouldn't have. =(