What happens when you meet your soulmate at the wrong place and time? Devastated by her boyfriend's move to California and attempted suicide, and under the manipulative suppression of her mother, seventeen-year-old Marissa Belknapp starts her senior year of high school with little hope. But when she meets Nick Smith, the young new art teacher at St. Mary's Catholic High School, her world is completely turned around. Enchanted by his looks and eccentric ways, Marissa obsesses over how she can get to know him better. Their friendship quickly turns into a secret romance; which soon leads to a tug of war between bliss and insanity, honesty and deception as they attempt to hide their love from everyone around them. Even though Nick risks losing his job, career or serving jail time, they cannot manage staying away from one another. In their moments of crazy obsession, Marissa and Nick strive to discover the meaning of spirituality, selfless love and the search for self. As she discovers her own womanhood, Marissa finds the path to true freedom.