David Levin, the narrator of the book, is the new kid in his school. He gets in a fight with Christopher Hitchcock after being seen going out with his girlfriend, Senna Wales. Jalil, a fellow student, and Senna's half-sister, April O'Brien, appear in the scene, which marks the point where four of the main characters first get together. The next day, early in the morning all four are mysteriously drawn to Senna, who is sitting next to a lake. Suddenly, without a warning all five of them are sucked into a different world which is called Everworld.
