Volume 2). Preceding the very first chapter of the series is a short prelude which establishes Tory's overanalytic attitude and motivation, with Chapter 1 leaping a time span of 347 days. In contrast to the prelude which looks back a full year, there is an epilogue at the end of Chapter 18 which takes a glance into the future for the main characters. Several chapter headings and pages not directly linked to the storyline make use of monochromatic versions of Off Beat illustrations that Quick has produced independent of her work on the manga. Plot Off Beats story begins with Tory's first encounter with Colin. While out running errands, he catches Colin and Dr. Garrets as they move in across the street. Almost a year later, Tory convinces his mother to pull him from public school and send him to St. Peter's, where he expects to be more academically challenged. This is, however, merely an orchestration to get closer to Colin, who also happens to attend the same institution. While Tory generally has an over-active imagination, Colin truly has secrets to conceal. After bribing Paul into tracking down a license plate number for him, Tory discovers that Colin and his guardian are somehow connected to something known as the "Gaia Project," which may or may not be responsible for episodes of sickness that the boy experiences. Behind the guise of a student council member, Tory offers peer tutoring sessions to students whose conduct is below what is considered acceptable, thereby dragging Colin into his scheme along with his newfound friend, Mandy. As their study sessions grow more frequent, Colin starts to treat Tory more like a friend. The boys pursue private outings, but their closeness indirectly results in Tory running into trouble with his mother, Paul, and Mandy, though they are ultimately reconciled when Tory admits to errors on his part. Paul's hard drive is mysteriously hacked, but key bits of information concerning the Gaia Project manage to be salvaged. In order to investigate just how much he has unearthed about the Project, Colin steals one of Tory's journals while dining at the Blake household. Puzzled as to why he is drawn to Tory, Colin attempts to determine whether or not Tory has "attunement" after collapsing in a café, then proceeds to voice his own suspicions regarding the other's intentions in returning his journal. Volume 2 ends with Colin hitting