Charming as a Verb

Henri visits his uncle Lion at work. Lion listens to Henri’s frustrations but reminds Henri of his privilege. Lion tells Henri that “You, my dear handsome nephew, are a privileged little punk who goes to bed with a full stomach every night because his father fixes toilets and drags leaky trash bags all day” (273). Lion defends Jacques, explaining to Henri that Jacques kicked Lion out the apartment because he worried that Lion would be a bad moral influence on Henri. Lion takes Jacques’s side, emphasizing to Henri that Henri is the one who made a mistake, and that Jacques has every right to be angry with him.

Henri goes to Chantale’s apartment to return her key and apologize to her. She insists on knowing what exactly he is apologizing for. She invites him inside. Chantale tells Henri that on their flight to Switzerland, Corinne convinced her mother to break professional protocol and write a recommendation on Henri’s behalf to Columbia. When Chantale sent a second email recommending Henri to the Dean of Admissions, Henri’s fraud was exposed. Henri tells Chantale that he loves Corinne. Chantale tells Henri that she’s tried to make sure Columbia does not tell Henri’s other schools he applied to about the email; she does not want Henri’s entire life to be ruined with this one mistake. Chantale gives Henri a copy of the letter of recommendation she sent on his behalf.

Ming incessantly texts Henri that he is outside his apartment building. Finally, Henri lets him inside the apartment, figuring he’s already hit rock bottom and he has nothing left to lose. Rather than be put off by the signs of Henri’s poverty, Ming is thrilled to be in Henri’s space. Ming explains that Corinne reached out to him, telling him what happened. Ming has no judgement for Henri; he's only concerned that Henri is having a bad day.

Jacques finds Henri on one of his dog walks. Henri apologizes to his father. Jacques accepts the apology and also apologizes. He assures Henri that Henri is not a trophy to him; he loves him no matter what and only wants the best for him. They both come to the understanding that they do not fully understand the other’s lived realities. Jacques admits that he’s impressed by his wife’s and his son’s ability to seek their dreams. He tells Henri that he went to visit Lion as well, and Lion helped him see his own errors in the fight with Henri. When Henri brings up leaving New York, his father encourages him to pursue McGill.

Henri is suspended from FATE for one week and must attend a mandatory ethics seminar for two weeks in the summer. Columbia agrees not to contact Henri’s other schools.

The debate tournament’s final is hosted by FATE. FATE loses the tournament, but Henri comforts a forlorn Greg by saying they should be proud they got so far. Many people show up for the tournament: most of the senior class, Henri’s parents, even Lion. Henri only wants to see Corinne, who has been ignoring all of his overtures of apology. After the debate, Corinne shows up.

Corinne and Henri talk about their relationship. Henri apologizes again, and Corinne accepts his apology. She concedes that although she wouldn’t do what he did, she understands the pressures of getting in college. Corinne does not, however, think they should get back together. She’s concerned that they do not know how to be boyfriend and girlfriend in close proximity, much less with the distance of college. Henri agrees to maintain a friendship with Corinne, but he is crushed because he still loves her.

Henri gets his phone back after being grounded. He checks his email and finds a letter of acceptance from McGill University.

Henri is on a long train ride out of Montreal. He alternates between his course work and an application for an internship with Nike. He gets off the train in Saratoga Springs and meets Corinne at a Haitian bakery. Saratoga Springs is halfway between Montreal and Princeton, so it is the spot they meet in on a regular basis. They remained friends throughout freshman year and eventually got back together. They smile together, knowing that the statistical likelihood of their relationship is low, but they are happy.