Seventeen-year-old Margot McClain used to be witty, talented, and popular, but ever since a certain incident, she's used her smart mouth like an insect-repellent to keep boys off her. That's about to change. When lost-looking new kid John Smith enrolls at her school, Margot mocks his fake-sounding name. Then she learns "John Smith" is the name the authorities gave him. He can't remember his own--or anything else about his past. His plight weakens her resistance. She offers to be his confidant as he grapples with bad dreams and shards of painful and ugly memories. As those memories return, they reveal two different sides of his persona: a bleak outer shell and a sensitive inner core. His history catches up with him when a trashy former girlfriend shows up with two thugs. They demand he help them rob the bookstore where he works, or they'll tell the cops where he lives. Why would the cops be interested? "Don't you remember? You killed your mom's boyfriend."
