- Hazel Grace opens The Fault in Our Stars with a snide comment about how her mother thinks she's depressed.
- Because of her supposed depression, Hazel has to go to a weekly Support Group, which is held in a church basement by an overenthusiastic group leader named Patrick.
- Support Groups are totally not Hazel's thing and she thinks very sarcastic things about the whole process, which includes introducing oneself and plenty of "sharing."
- Hazel has only one friend in Support Group, a kid named Isaac who has eye cancer and sports a glass eye.
- One Wednesday, however, after "kicking-and-screaming" about having to go to Support Group, Hazel goes and finds that there is a new person in attendance.
- Of course, because this is a story about teenagers and their craaaaazy bodies (both in illness and in hormonal fluctuations), the new kid is a hot boy. They stare at each other in hot, hot eye contact until the boy looks away—meaning that Hazel has won this round of the flirty staring contest. Atta girl.
- Isaac introduces himself to the group and says that he has to get eye surgery in a couple weeks and will be totally blind, but that he's glad he has his girlfriend and his friend, Augustus (hot boy).
- Hot boy Augustus finally introduces himself and says that he is seventeen and had some osteosarcoma a year and a half ago, but that he's here to support Isaac today.
- Hazel also introduces herself and says that she is 16 with thyroid cancer and mets in her lungs.
- All this cancer talk has our heads spinning.
- In Support Group, Augustus says that he fears oblivion and Hazel goes on a rant about oblivion that catches his attention.
- Support Group wraps up.
- Afterward, Augustus makes his way over to Hazel and begins a proper conversation.They chat outside for a little bit with Isaac, who goes off to make out with his curvy girlfriend Monica, who he wants to look at for as long as possible before he loses his sight. Romance!
- Augustus tells Hazel that she's beautiful and it's kind of awkward. But then he compares her to Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta. Nice.
- Hazel has never seen that movie, and she says so. Then in a super slick move, Augustus asks Hazel if she'll come over right now to watch a movie with him.
- Hazel's pretty won over by all of Augustus's charming antics, but when he pulls out a cigarette, she's immediately disgusted.
- But wait. He explains himself and says that it's actually a metaphor, since he never ever lights the cigarette.
- A boy who speaks in metaphor? How could our dear heroine resist?
- She runs up to her mom's car and informs her that she will be watching a movie at Augustus Waters's house tonight.