February Waters is nine years old when she stabs herself in the ear with a pencil in the middle of a math class in frustration over the taunting she receives from her classmates about her name. Years later, February thinks about the incident as she looks out over the quad of River Valley School for the Deaf, where she is headmistress. February is worried because two of her students, Austin Workman and Eliot Quinn, were reported as missing.

February meets with Superintendent Swall to figure out their next steps. When they are in the middle of assessing the situation, they are interrupted by Mr. Serrano, Charlie’s Serrano’s father. Mr. Serrano reports that Charlie is also missing. Upon learning this news, February excuses herself to vomit.

The following chapters address events that occur six months prior to the events of Chapter 1.

The summer before her sophomore year, Charlie’s parents file for divorce. As a result of the separation, Charlie’s father earns full custody of his daughter, who is Deaf. Almost immediately following the separation, he signs himself and Charlie up for ASL classes and enrolls her at River Valley School for the Deaf. Two weeks before the semester begins, Charlie and her parents meet with February, who encourages Charlie to immerse herself into the school and the community.