Achieving his life-long goal of escaping the wrong side of the tracks, Will thought his life would be perfect once he began at Rawley Academy, but trying to reconcile his new life with his old ties tests his growing friendship with Scout. Scout and Bella test the waters of their own newly platonic relationship and the end of their love affair, but Scout's jealousy over an admirer leads to a bloody brawl. Meanwhile, Hamilton and Jake work though their own weird moments and find a common ground of friendship.

The feminine balance is thrown off with the arrival of Paige Bennett, a beautiful, sophisticated new student at Rawley Girls Academy who Bella likes in spite of herself. Paige is unabashedly in romantic pursuit of Scout, whom she's known since they were kids, and may be successful at turning his head away from his forbidden love. Meanwhile, Will has a run-in with a trouble-making upperclassman, Ryder Forrest that lands him in deep trouble with Finn, and Hamilton and Jake find themselves in a confusing competition over a girl.

The approaching Rawley Summer Cotillion inspires Will to approach the girl of his dreams, Caroline Busse, but when she already has a date for the dance, he invites Bella to go with him, although both their eyes are distracted by others. Meanwhile, Scout tries to make the most of his evening with Paige, and Hamilton and Jake reveal secrets in an intimate moment.

Will finds himself in the enviable position of poetry tutor to the girl of his dreams, Caroline Busse, but his nightmare begins when he learns that an obnoxious upperclassman, Ryder, also has his eyes on the prize. Meanwhile, the surprise of a lifetime comes for Bella on her 16th birthday, and rumors fly about Hamilton and Jake's clandestine love affair.

With the last day of Rawley Summer Session comes bad news for Will, who learns that the funds for his scholarship have been withdrawn, and Bella, who must fight against the sale of her family's gas station and home. The gang hits the road with Bella, determined to find her mother, who after ten years of silence is the one person who can save the station. On the journey, after running into car trouble, Bella, Will, Hamilton, Jake, Scout and Sean find themselves stuck in a cabin overnight, where tempers collide between all. Bella's eventual meeting with her mother opens up possible truths to the past, while Jake's true identity finally comes to light.