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1-Page Summary of Before I Fall
Overall Summary
In a prologue, Samantha Kingston says that she didn’t see her life flash before her eyes when she died. She saw only one person: Vicky Hallinan, a girl Lindsay used to bully in elementary school. Lindsay was driving the car and Samantha died in the crash with her friends Elody and Ally. The narrator regrets not saying goodbye to his parents earlier that morning because he was busy worrying about Cupid Day at school instead of thinking about them or other people close to him who might miss him if he were gone.
It is Valentine’s Day and Sam is ready to lose her virginity. She gets into a car with Lindsay, who drives her to school. The girls pick up Elody on the way, and they talk about how excited Sam is for tonight—she plans on having sex with Rob Cokran, one of the most popular boys in school. Elody gives Sam a condom as she says that she would never let her best friend die a virgin.
During Cupid Day (a holiday for freshmen), students give roses with notes attached to one another. The number of roses you get is supposed to indicate how popular you are, and the note on Sam’s rose from Rob doesn’t say much. In calculus class, she flirts with her teacher Mr. Daimler, who was a student at this school when he was younger. Later in the day, Kent McFuller gives her a rose after they used to be friends back in elementary school and they shared their first kiss together as well. After Lindsay texts Sam that she wants to go to Kent’s party that evening, Sam agrees too because it’ll be fun if everyone else goes too.
At lunch, Sam and Lindsay sit with their friends Elody and Ally at their usual table. Rob comes over to talk to Sam, but she is nervous because of what he did last night. She wonders if she should break up with him or not; it’s hard for her to make a decision about that. Juliet Sykes enters the cafeteria, and Lindsay begins singing “Psycho Killer” by the Talking Heads while making stabbing motions with a fake knife towards Juliet—this has been happening every day since fifth grade when they had gone on a Girl Scout trip together, after which Lindsay started hating Juliet intensely. The girls have always been mean to Juliet ever since then—Lindsay gave her the nickname “Mellow Yellow” after she peed in her sleeping bag on that trip, and has hated Juliet ever since then.
After lunch, Lindsay and Sam cut class to go get ice cream at TCBY. On the way, they pass a Chinese restaurant where the school’s bad boy Alex Liment and slut Anna Cartullo are eating together despite Alex having a girlfriend named Bridget McGuire. They harass them for a bit before going for their yogurt. When they return to school, they spot Alex and Anna again—this time arguing in secret behind the tennis courts while Lindsay smokes a cigarette. Ms. Winters is approaching but Sam and Lindsay don’t warn them that she’s coming instead making an escape themselves as well after remembering when they became friends after playing a cruel prank on someone at a pool party by throwing tampons and pads at her because she was menstruating.
After school, Sam joins Lindsay and Elody at Ally’s house. They get ready for a party and drink shots of vodka until it’s time to leave for Kent’s. At the party, Sam flirts with Rob and drinks with her friends. She promises herself that she’ll always remember this night. At the height of the evening, Juliet Sykes walks into the party. She goes straight for Lindsay, Sam, Ally, and Elody and calls them all “bitches” to their faces. Ally pours her drink on Juliet; soon everyone else gathered around her is doing the same thing as well. Sam pushes Juliet toward the door; she leaves humiliated after seeing what happened to her face in a mirror by one of the bathrooms there at Kent’s place. Meanwhile, Kent has seen everything—as Sam hustles out of room looking for Rob, he intercepts her ; berates her for being so cruel towards Juliet. When Sam finds Rob, she realizes that he is too drunk to have sex with him/her. She leaves dejectedly with Lindsay, Ally, & Elody. As they drive home, they listen music & smoke cigarettes while driving along road when suddenly Lindsay screams word which can’t be understood by anyone including narrator (Sam) but before we could understand what happens next car flies off road killing all four girls instantly burning down car instantly killing our protagonist who experiences moment full heat sound & pain before dying moments later
