This Time Around

In 8th grade, Melissa is a shy, geeky girl with a huge crush on Drew. Her missing notebook, with doodles of their names, is handed to the school reception and soon falls into Drew's circle. They decide to play a prank by leaving a note in Melissa's locker supposedly from Drew, telling her to come up to him at lunch and wait to be asked out.

Drew and the popular group finalize the prank, planning to make Melissa think Drew will ask her out. The note is presented as the chance for Melissa to be noticed, with the plan hinging on a lunch-time interaction. The moment is staged to maximize embarrassment.

Melissa approaches Drew during lunch, hopeful for a real confession. Instead, he and his friends reveal the note was a joke told to humiliate her in front of the entire school. The humiliation is crushing, and she tears away from the cafeteria in tears.

The humiliation prompts Melissa and her best friend Gabby to transfer to a Catholic high school, away from Drew and the junior high crowd. They seek a new start without the memory of the prank looming over them. The move marks the end of Melissa's junior high era.

Ten years later, Melissa has become a confident executive in a public relations firm. She still guards her trust, shaped by past hurt. Her firm is hired to work on Drew Hesler's new restaurant project, pulling her back into his orbit.

Gabby convinces Melissa to use the restaurant project as a way to get revenge on Drew by making him fall in love and then break his heart. Melissa agrees, and they begin to plot to turn the situation into something personal.

Drew starts pursuing Melissa, following the plan but showing genuine charm. He asks her out and they share a romantic date at his new restaurant before it officially opens. The chemistry hints at something real beyond the scheme.

During the date, Cara Cabot arrives and asks Drew to reconsider their ten-year relationship. Drew reveals he recently broke up with Cara, but Cara begs for another chance and Drew declines. The interruption complicates the budding romance between Melissa and Drew.

The next day, Drew surprises Melissa at her office and asks her to shop for flowers together, signaling that their connection is growing beyond the professional veneer. They share a lighter, more personal moment as they deepen their bond.

Melissa visits Drew's restaurant only to be confronted by Cara, who lies that she and Drew are getting back together. The false rumor leaves Melissa disappointed and skeptical. Gabby nudges her to end the professional relationship, intensifying the emotional confusion.

Cara confronts Drew with the junior-high nickname 'Pissy Missy,' hoping to drive a wedge between them. Drew feels guilty about the past and heads to Melissa's apartment to talk things through. The visit tests their tension and growing attraction.

Gabby recognizes that their scheme has hurt Melissa and Drew more than helped. She calls Melissa back and invites her to join Drew's grand opening that night, hoping to salvage the situation. The plan shifts from revenge to reconciliation.

Melissa arrives at Drew's restaurant for the grand opening. The two reconcile as he toasts her for her hard work, and they share a kiss, sealing their evolving relationship in front of friends and the crowd. Hope replaces the earlier hurt as their romance finally blooms.