Kevin is looking forward to the visit of an old family friend, Gina, until he discovers his first pimple.

To make up for being rude and insenstive to Winnie, Kevin makes her a Valentine's card, but it is accidently placed in Becky Slater's locker. When Becky finds the card, she thinks Kevin wants her back - setting the two up for a showdown.

Winnie is nervous about starting a new school, so she gets Kevin to promise to think about her every hour on the hour. Kevin finds this promise harder to keep than he thought when he loses his locker to Tony Barbella, is enrolled in shop class and meets a new girl in French class, Madeline.

Kevin's quest to remain cool is shattered when Norma takes a job at his school. He tries to rebel by stealing a hallpass for Tony Barbella, but Norma catches him in the act. When Norma acknowledges him during a fire drill and the other kids laugh, Kevin decides it is time to ask his mother to stop noticing him at school.

As Kevin graduates from Junior High, he wants to believe nothing will change, but he learns that things can and do change when he discovers Paul is going to a private school in the coming year. Winnie is also anxious about the future. And Kevin has to drive Mrs. Heimer to the hospital when she goes into labor.