Angela Delvecchio, coming from a rather poor family, moves into the rich town Montevista. She admires Stacy, leader of the most prestigeous clique of her high school. Angela wants to be accepted and seeks Stacy's friendship. But when she defends outsider Monica against Stacy, she becomes Stacy's target herself. Mocked, she stabs Stacy with a kitchen's knife. The trial becomes a sensation.
A female writer of popular thrillers decides that it is time to kill off one of her characters, a serial killer who has appeared in many of her recent books. Soon afterward, she finds herself pursued by a copy-cat serial killer.