Protagonist and narrator Peter Hatcher’s summer begins with two pieces of horrible news, both of which involve his longtime rival, Sheila Tubman. The first announcement comes from Peter’s five-year-old brother Fudge, who on top of suddenly calling his older brother “Pete” also tells him that he has plans to marry Sheila. Peter pretends to faint, falling to the floor in shock and horror. When his mother comes in and tells him that the family will be spending three weeks at a vacation house in Maine—right next door to Sheila’s family—Peter faints again. Fudge spells the word “Maine,” showing off his increasing skill. All the while, his one-year-old sister Tootsie dances around his feet.

Peter and his family go out for supper at a restaurant called Tico Taco, and Peter is vocal about how much he dreads spending three weeks with Sheila. Peter’s mother insists that Sheila has matured since finishing sixth grade (like Peter), but Peter isn’t open to it at all. He thinks Sheila has cooties, which sparks Fudge’s curiosity about the meaning of the word. In his irritation, he gets angry at Fudge for calling him Pete again and calls Fudge by his real name: Farley.