Prize Day at Tiffin is all about tradition: The sixth-form boys wear navy blazers with green-and-gold rep ties, the girls wear white dresses and carry lilies of the valley picked from the rock garden by the Back Lot.
Chaplain Laura Rae and Audre run the proceedings; Jesse Eastman is overseas for work once again, so Willow Levy's father, Ari, helps to hand out the diplomas.
For a speaker, Audre has invited Doc Bellamy—who is not only lucid and pithy, but astonishingly brief.
Retirement agrees with him, Audre thinks, though at the reception after the ceremony, he says, "I've heard you had some personnel shake-ups. Might you need me back?"
Audre erupts in startled laughter. "We're looking for history, Doc, sorry. And a new college counselor."
"I still have connections at Dartmouth," Doc Bellamy says.
Audre pats Doc's arm, then goes in search of another piece of rosemary shortbread and a second cup of strawberry lemonade.
Across the room, Audre sees Chef Haz with East; they have their heads bent down as they talk, and then they shake hands.
Audre has been puzzling over how East would have procured alcohol for his so-called bar.
He probably has a fake ID, and who knows how strict the package stores in Haydensboro or Capulet Falls are.
But something about seeing Haz and East together during her spring walk and then again now puts an idea in Audre's head.
When exactly did Haz get his new truck? Should Audre dig in here? Do some investigating?
She should not, she decides. She can live without many people, but Chef Haz isn't one of them.
At the Prize Day ceremony, Charley takes a seat as far away from East as possible, but both times she glances over at him, he's staring at her.
The ceremony is followed by high tea in a tent outside the Manse.
Charley wants to skip it—she has done nothing about packing and her mother is coming to pick her up in the morning—but because Davi is British, she cannot miss a high tea, and she drags Charley along.
While Davi hits the buffet, Charley wanders among the jubilant sixth-formers and their families until she finds Ravenna Rapsicoli. Ravenna's parents are in attendance, along with the brother who goes to Pomfret; Charley hopes that today, at least, is all about Ravenna.
"Congratulations," Charley says. "Thank you for…"
"One hell of a ride?" Ravenna supplies. "You're going to be editor in chief of the Bulletin next year. Don't fuck it up."
"I'll try not to," Charley says, though she's far too addled to think about next year. She can barely handle the next sixty minutes.
Ravenna pulls Charley close. "Remember," she whispers. "Orgasms are always In."
Charley finds Davi over by a display of cheddar tartlets. "I have to pack," she says.
"Okay, we can leave," Davi says. "But we have one stop first."
"Where?"
"The Sink."
Charley sighs. Davi must have fines; she likes to keep library books rather than return them.
But when they get to the Sink, Davi bypasses the circulation desk and heads up the stairs.
A ceremonial goodbye, maybe, to the third-floor bathroom?
Davi hasn't purged in more than two months.
Although Charley is feeling very sorry for herself, she's proud of her friend.
People are resilient, she thinks. They heal.
When Davi reaches the second-floor landing, she turns the corner.
Charley follows cluelessly… and then she gets it. The Senior Sofa.
Turns out, they aren't the only ones with this idea.
Dub Austin is sitting on one arm, Madison J.
is on the other arm, and between them are Taylor on Hakeem's lap and Willow Levy on Royce Stringfellow's lap.
Davi climbs up to sit on the back, and Charley plops down between Royce and Madison.
The sofa isn't particularly comfortable and it definitely has a smell, but Charley feels a sense of pride…
and of belonging. She's a sixth-former now, and these are her people.
She wonders if everyone else is thinking what she's thinking: This is just like Priorities, except…
"Hey."
Charley looks up to see East loping toward them. "Is there room for one more?" His dark hair falls in his eyes, but Charley can feel his gaze on her.
"Course, bro," Hakeem says.
East doesn't move. He's waiting for Charley to answer. Everyone else is waiting for her to answer. She feels Davi's hand, featherlight, on her shoulder.
"Oh, fine, " she says, giving her most convincing eye roll and shifting over a few inches. "You can sit next to me."