Since freshman year, Daisy Bonnet has focused on the one thing she can control—her grades—after a botched pixie cut cements her status as a high school misfit. Entering sophomore year, she craves something more than marching band and books, like maybe, finally, landing her first kiss.

Daisy’s longtime crush and academic rival seems like the obvious choice. He’s smart, confident, and just flirtatious enough to keep her hoping. Then there’s Bennett Wright, an easygoing freshman who actually makes Daisy comfortable in her own skin. What starts as a friendship becomes something she can’t ignore.

But dating an underclassman would be a social death wish, and Daisy is already on thin ice. Torn between what she wants and what she thinks she should want, Daisy must decide whether to hold out for the version of love that looks right on paper or risk her reputation for something that feels real.