It's the first day of the new term at Roundview College and time to meet a brand new set of sixteen year olds. Best friends Freddie, JJ and Cook's world collides with Effy's when Cook pulls off a practical joke at the expense of Jim Stonem. Cook finds a reason to turn up at College – he's pursuing Effy. Freddie and JJ are equally smitten.

It's Cook's 17th birthday. Half the college have been invited to his Uncle Keith's pub to witness a night Cook believes will go down in history. The girls get bored quickly and are about to leave when Freddie gets a phone call from his sister Karen. She's at her best friend Kayleigh's engagement party and wants drugs. The night takes a new turn…

Thomas arrives in the UK from Congo alone. His family are due to join him in a few days – he must find somewhere for them to live so he moves into an abandoned flat on an estate. He encounters hostile locals, but proves his worth when he takes down some kids who attack an Asian shopkeeper.

The first and only boy Pandora's ever fancied has been deported before she's got beyond first base. But her lovesickness has to take a backseat when the Jim/Anthea/Steve love triangle is blown open. Pandora persuades Effy to come to her pyjama party sleepover, even though all Effy wants to do is get fucked up.

Freddie's the black sheep of his family. His big sister Karen's reached the final of a TV talent show to find a new member of girl group Da Sexxbombz. Freddie despises her lust for celebrity but is emotionally blackmailed into upholding the story she and her Dad are spinning about their dead mother, all to look good in front of the cameras and increase her chances of success.

Naomi thinks she's got her world worked out. She's controlling Emily's affections by keeping her at arms length, enjoying the flattering attention of her inspiring politics teacher Keiran, and dismissing Cook as a misogynist pig. She can also see what a joke her mum is and scoffs at her pathetic, hippy ways.

Poor JJ. Everything's gone pear-shaped since Effy came between his two best friends and split apart his friendship group. He furiously attempted to map out the problem in an epic flow chart but it maddened him and he trashed his bedroom, But it does yield a chance meeting with Emily. Fuelled by a shared desire to emotionally assert what they want from their friends, they set off to Freddie's.

Effy's lost her mojo. Mindless sex with Cook no longer satisfies her and things in the Stonem household are becoming intolerable. She resolves to confront her feelings for Freddie but finds him ensconced with Katie. Katie relishes the power she gets being Freddie's girlfriend and puts Effy in her place.

Katie is too humiliated from the incident in the woods to leave the house. Emily pulls off her Katie disguise to all but Naomi when she does her sister's exam in place of her. Fuelled by the sexual tension between them, they bunk off for a bunk up and in the rosy afterglow, Emily asks Naomi to be her Princess Charming and take her to college ball.

Outlaws Cook and Effy are running wild, clinging to each other and blocking out the rest of the world by getting totally off their faces. They arrive in Nowheresville, he believes that this is the place to have Effy all to himself. Cook is nervous about seeing his Dad again and Effy glimpses his vulnerable side. But when Cook senior parades his ‘prodigal son' to all at the local pub.