Seventeen-year-old Rachel Sandler's world is turned upside down when word spreads through her upper middle class community that her neighbor Jason, a popular athlete who died an untimely death, was an IV drug user. After receiving a mysterious email that claims Jason was HIV-positive, Rachel becomes concerned she may be infected as well since she had unprotected sex with him. In an attempt to learn more about the disease, Rachel is urged to visit the local AIDS clinic by her new substitute teacher, Sari Williams. Upon Rachel's visit, she is administered a rapid AIDS test, but she panics and leaves before learning the test results. When Sari breaks the news to Rachel that her rapid test came back positive, Rachel, at first, turns to her boyfriend. His response is overwhelmingly negative, blaming her for possibly spreading it to him. In tears, Rachel confides her fears to Sari, who reveals that she has secretly been living with HIV for over seven years. While both wish to keep their privacy, they soon find out that gossip, just like disease, can spread quickly.