On the coast of California, just north of Laguna Beach, lies the oceanfront paradise of Newport Beach where the latest batch of high school seniors are just about ready to graduate and looking forward to a summer of fun and sun. The first of the Newport Harbor gang we meet is Chrissy, who's planning a weekend in Palm Springs with all of her friends and, unfortunately, her super-strict parents.

As Chrissy and her friend Sasha head out to play tennis, Sasha realizes that, since the school year is winding down, this might be the last time they hit the court together. But their sadness is fleeting and the conversation quickly segues to boys -- well, one boy specifically, Crissy's longtime crush, Clay. Chrissy admits that they are only friends and have never kissed or anything like that. When Chrissy asks Sasha if she thinks Allie, another girl from school, is interested in Clay, Sasha immediately answers yes.

Over at Allie's house, the queen bee is sunbathing and skimming through the latest tabloids with her close friend Samantha. The girls gossip about celebrities and eventually the conversation turns to boys, and Clay's name quickly comes up. Allie tells Samantha that Clay definitely has boyfriend potential but wonders what kind of relationship he has with Chrissy.

Later that afternoon, Clay, the man that seems to be on all the girls' minds, is at the beach with his friend Grant hitting some waves. After their surf session, the guys talk about prospective cuties they might hook-up with later in the evening. When Chrissy's name comes up, Clay admits that he is unsure if he's interested in dating her. Grant says he doesn't want to be tied down; he just wants to play the field.

For dinner, the Newport Harbor gang meets up at a local hibachi restaurant. While Clay helps Chrissy out with her chopstick skills, there's some obvious tension between rivals Grant and Chase. Allie quickly extinguishes the fire between the boys while Clay and Chrissy race to see who can successfully use their chopsticks first. Their competition is cut short when Chrissy receives a call from her father, who's worried about where she is. Chrissy calms him down and assures him she is just having dinner with some friends. After listening in on the conversation, everyone is awkwardly silent until Clay breaks the ice by asking Chrissy if she has a curfew. The answer, of course, is yes. So while they're talking about that, Allie leans over and whispers to Grant that she's got a secret crush on Clay.

The Newport Harborers get ready to head to Palm Springs. When Chrissy tries to convince her father not to come, he insists she needs some parental supervision to insure that things do not swing out of control.

As soon as Grant and Clay arrive in Palm Springs they head to the links for a game of golf. When Grant brings up the possibility of Clay hooking up with Chrissy, Clay is a bit hesitant, saying that she's nice but shy. Meanwhile, at the hotel, Chase and the girls are partying in the pool. When Chase goes over to hug Allie, Sasha whispers to Chrissy that she thinks Allie wants to horde all the guys to herself.

Then everyone meets up for Samantha's birthday dinner. Once Clay and Grant show up fashionably late, Chase begins to seriously flirt with Chrissy. After awhile it becomes apparent that Chase's flirting is intended to make Allie jealous, and he is successful as she leaves the table. But the flirting is cut short when Chrissy's father calls to check up on her.

After dinner, Clay and Chrissy leave together while everyone else continues to celebrate Samantha's birthday. Linked arm in arm, Chrissy and Clay arrive at her hotel room and head straight for the balcony to talk. As Chrissy begins to move closer to Clay, her phone rings -- again. When Chrissy reveals where she is to her father, he tells her she must leave because she's not supposed to be alone with any boys. Clay and Chrissy go out to the hallway where Chrissy's parents meet them