 Picked on and tortured as a young boy for being sick and weak, Jason Miller has since come into his own. Jason, feeling the need to prove himself to gain friends, uses his intellect to always hang around. He follows his now best friend Erik Felsted, strong, arrogant, and popular from birth on the exterior, but very insecure nonetheless, to Richland Prep School, a Post Graduate school to get students ready for college after High School. Even at Richland, Jason, hoping for a fresh start and a chance to get back into Stanford, is still an outcast and is in desperate need to prove himself. The seemingly opposite pair enroll into a Criminal Psychology class together and through a series of Fredrich Neitzche assignments, conclude that if teamed up, they, with Jason s intellect and Erik s popularity and strength, have all of the components to be the ultimate "Superman." After one particular bizarre assignment, which has the students pick someone from the class itself and write a paper on how they would commit the perfect murder, the pair decides that they are tired of not being in control and want to carry out their thoughts for real. The make a solid pact and swear to finish out what they are about to begin, no matter what. After narrowing down the selection, they ultimately choose Kathryn Sharpe, the student that they know the least about. This would cut down on the guilty conscious feelings which they learned is where so many murders go wrong. Kathryn is a student who began Richland the same semester as Jason and Erik, right after her Mother was killed in a violent automobile accident. She is very plain and average and seemingly weak. Jason and Erik conclude that it would be Erik that would get to know her and gain her trust since women can not seem to resist his charm. Erik, balancing his football and academic career is not used to be denied by women. Erik is distraught after being repeatedly rejected by this weak girl. The challenge is now on. As Jason is dealing with a domineering father and dying mother himself, Erik eventually persuades Kathryn to go out with him. He continues to get to know her as Jason continues to create "The Consummate Procedure" (The Perfect Plan). Problems arise as Erik realizes that Kathryn is not exactly who they thought she was. He begins to truly fall for her, something that he has never actually done before. Jason, determined to finish what he has begun, threatens to reveal some surprising dirt from Erik s past which would ruin him. As this time bomb continues to tick down to the deadline, Erik becomes torn on what he should do: prove his superiority and save his own reputation or blow the lid on the entire thing risking his own personal demise. No one is who they seem to be on the exterior as the underlying theme about never underestimating anyone becomes truly apparent.