At the Haldwell School for Boarding and Day Students,
there are five factions.
The factions are realistic about the need
for the student body to engage in their vices
and are pragmatic in facilitating them.
The first rule that they live by is that of not being a rat.
And the only consequences they’re concerned with
are the ones that they impose themselves.
The Sea, run by Tarit,
is comprised of teachers’ pets
who have gone rogue for petty cash.
They’ll help you cheat your way through anything for the right price.
The Skins, led by Amber,
deal in anything you can gamble on:
football in the fall, basketball in the winter,
softball every spring.
The Bobbys, led by Bobby, of course,
are responsible for every illegal party that’s ever been thrown
in a dorm basement after lights out.
The Prefects are the ones who keep the administration
blissfully unaware of the student body’s ongoings.
Current senior Prefect, Thomas Richard Thomas.
Two Tom for short.
The Spades deal in the most classic of vices:
booze, pills, powders, fun.
Led by Selah, with Maxxie at her side,
they will push you past your limit
so that you know what your limit is.
They consider this a kindness.
But this story isn’t about the factions.
Not really.
It’s about her, Selah Summers,
and what she must do in order to ensure her legacy,
seeing as it’s the spring semester of her senior year
and she has no one to pass her power down to.
- You know what, it’s reckless. - It’s harmless.
- I don’t care. No. - You don’t care.
The heads have been riding our asses all year.
- What if they come after prom? - It’s Banton.
I’m telling you, he’s cracking the whip ’cause he’s got some complex
about making a name for himself.
You know, separating himself from...
I mean, if he’s so insecure, he shouldn’t have come here.
I-I assume that they’re hiring at Pence, right?
- Seriously. - Why aren’t we doing balloons?
Balloons are harmless.
Balloons aren’t harmless.
They’ll start going off, it’s all, like, bang-bang-bang.
Next thing you know, one of us gets slammed to the floor
-’cause they think we’ve got a bomb. -Exactly.
-But sure, let’s do balloons. -Whatever, Tarit.
Water is memorable.
Water is legendary.
-So, let’s do water. -Water.
I wonder what Teela would want.
Okay, Bobby, if you got something to say, then say it. Come on.
Oh, I do, I have, and I will.
-That doesn’t even make sense. -Don’t you dare tell me I don’t make any sense
when you’re the whole goddamn reason we’re in this situation.
-- Order, order. Secretary calls us to order.
We all agreed at the end of winter term
that the topic of Teela should be put to rest.
Correct?
-I remember. -We all signed the memo.
-I mean, do we need a reminder? -Bobby does.
Yes?
Great.
Now let’s put it to a vote. Any objections?
All in favor of the water proposal for senior prank.
Honestly, it’s no surprise you can’t find anyone
to pass your reign off to, Selah.
The Bobbys will happily take over your racket
after this bootleg faction folds.
Okay. Bobby, it’s just so funny to me
that you really believe after all these years
you could do what I do for even a second of your life.
Priceless, honestly.
Isn’t it?
I don’t trust her.
She’s Bobby.
Not trusting her is part of the game.
What if she tries to poach June to get back at us for Teela?
Or Mooks?
Or Reggie.
-She could have Reggie. -Hey.
We’re running out of time, Maxxie.
I know. I know.
It can be quite difficult, can’t it?
Entering a new place in the midst of things.
Not just because of your age, of course.
Uh, you know, even I experienced a feeling of...
being a touch overwhelmed in my new position here.
But we do persevere, don’t we?
Yes, we do.
Well, I’m on the newspaper.
That’s right. I did see that.
Yes, extracurriculars are imperative
to a well-rounded Haldwell experience.
Definitely harder than my old school, but...
Well, it wouldn’t be worth the money otherwise, would it?
But your scholarship...
...your scholarship seems
to handle a hefty portion of that cost, doesn’t it?
Um, yes.
It does.
And socially?
Socially?
That’s right. How are you adjusting socially?
Selah, you got a phone call.
It’s your mom.
How was calculus?
Well, I got a 93, and, um, on my other test, I...
What happened to the other seven points?
We-We had a game the night before,
and, uh, we... everybody hung out afterwards.
I also had, like, an AP bio test, and...
I mean, but I got higher on the last one, so...
Mom?
The older you get, the more like your father you sound.
Always with the excuses.
Dad wasn’t like that.
I knew him for much longer than you did, Selah.
Hey.
They make the new kids take our photos ’cause...
they don’t take us seriously.
That’s a mistake the whole world makes.
They never take the girls seriously.
So it’s like this.
When you’re 17 and when you’re a girl,
you’ve got the whole world telling you
what to do with your body.
Your mom tells you, change your dress, it’s too fast,
too short, too shiny.
The school tells you,
cover your shoulders, cover your legs,
because they can’t tell boys to keep it in their pants?
And boys...
...they’re the worst.
They tell you they’ll only like you if you look impossible.
So you’ve got all these people telling you
how to wear your skin, making you feel like
whatever you want is the wrong, slutty thing.
And then you’ve got Spirit Squad.
You know who decides our uniforms?
We do.
You know who choreographs our routines?
We do.
We tell you how short our skirts will be,
how high and tight our tucks will reign,
how spread out we make our eagles.
I mean, if you got a problem with it, well,
honestly, that’s... that’s your problem.
Because we do it for ourselves,
for our control over our bodies.
’Cause when you’re 17...
you’ve got to grab onto that control
wherever you can and hold tight for dear life,
’cause they always try and take it from you, don’t they?
They always try and break you down when you’re 17.
Come on! Come on, come on, where you going?
Slow down! We just want to talk!
Where you going?
Cooper!
Just give us what you owe us, Coop.
Yeah. I’m gonna go ahead and assume this covers it.
Look, I get it. I... I-I’m done.
I swear. You’ve got it.
It’s more than the debt.
It’s the principle of the matter.
It’s the situation that you’ve put us in.
-We just, uh... -Got to leave a message.
Ah, we got to leave a message, Coop.
Wait. Selah, I swear. I promise...
I told you, sir, I fell.
You fell?
Yes, sir, down the north stairwell,
yesterday afternoon.
You fell down the north stairwell.
Yes, sir, I did.
Lot of students falling down the north stairwell these days, huh?
I-I wouldn’t know anything about that, sir.
If you say so.
Maybe the school should invest in
some of that stuff that makes stairs less slippery.
Get out of here.
Today, please.
Selah.
Lulu?
The Skins are with y’all no matter what.
The Bobbys are bullshit, and everyone knows it.
Thank you.
Yo.
Hey.
Oh, these are dope.
Much better than last year.
-And the year before that. -True.
Yeah, the new girl took ’em.
Day student.
Paloma Davis.
-Oh. -She’s cute.
You say everybody’s cute.
She’s cute.
Who’s this?
Uh, she’s JV. Her name is Nuri.
Hey, are Two Tom and Morgan R. still going out?
Or did they break up, or am I just making this up?
Uh, no, yeah, they’re still together.
They even applied to the same schools,
which is kind of extra, but whatever.
Why?
Mm.
Is she single?
-Who, Bobby? -What?
No.
Her.
Ah.
Hey.
I like your photographs.
Thanks.
Do you have any more? Can I see ’em?
Yeah. Yeah.
Um...
Right.
-There’s a few. -Thanks.
You know, I don’t, um...
I really like that one.
I didn’t know you were taking it.
Those are usually the best ones, though.
Yeah.
Hey, um, are you busy right now?
Um... no.
Can I buy your eye for an hour?
--What class is this for again?
I told you... Modern Socialization in the Surveillance Era.
It’s like art meets social studies.
Hmm.
Never heard of it.
Yeah, you’re new. No one’s expecting you to memorize the course catalog.
So, what’s your project on?
It’s about how someone’s always watching.
But you never know who or why or when,
so it’s best to assume it’s always happening.
Bobby and Two Tom, they’re in my group.
They know we’re here. It’s fine.
So, how’s the transition been for you?
What transition?
You know, from the real world to this one.
Um, it’s been okay.
I mean, a bit of a culture shock.
Oh, yeah, you’ll get used to it.
Just got to find where you fit in, you know?
Dig your own groove.
You may be a cog in the machine that is Haldwell,
but at least you get to choose the cog you want to be.
And what kind of cog are you?
How much do I owe you for the hour?
-Oh, God, don’t worry about it. -All right.
Really, it’s nothing.
It’s not nothing. Value your time, P.
It’s the only thing we’ve really got that’s worth anything at all.
But, uh, thanks for the freebie.
I owe you one.
I can’t believe you had her take pictures of me.
Why don’t we just talk about the senior prank?
Like, why... I’m not talking to you, Maxxie. I am not talking to you!
Okay, you seem really upset right now.
-I’m not... I’m not upset. -You just seem really angry.
-You’re just so full of shit. -Okay, so then why are you...
Doesn’t it drive you crazy
that you can’t pick what song plays next?
Uh, not really.
I mean, the right song always plays.
Mm, that’s very Zen of you.
You want to hear it?
Hey, um, listen, do you have to get home?
Uh, soon, I should. Lot of homework.
I’ll sign you in to my dorm for study hall. You should stay.
Something very, very, very exciting is going down tonight,
and I want to offer you the chance to be
the only non-senior to witness it.
Really? Why?
Does it matter?
Did you and Maxxie ever used to...
Oh, never.
Really?
Maxxie is not my type.
What is your type?
I don’t have one.
Everybody has a type.
Not everyone has a type. I don’t do that.
Do what?
Like, like, dating and sex and, like, making out.
I don’t... I don’t do it.
Never?
-I never wanted to. -Hmm.
Have you ever, like, done that stuff?
Uh...
yeah, a few times.
I don’t know.
Nothing serious, though, like sex or anything.
How come?
I don’t know. I guess I just...
haven’t found the right person or whatever.
That’s the thing... like...
I don’t think I’m waiting for some right person.
I just don’t think I’m interested in the thing itself.
Yeah?
Yeah, like, I don’t know.
I see girls crying in the bathroom,
and it’s like, why bother?
Why not just do things that keep you from crying in bathrooms?
Look, come here.
Here you go.
Thanks.
Close your eyes.
You’re ready.
- Selah. - Bobby.
She’s not a senior.
Who are you gonna tell?
-- No, no. Put that one here.
There’s some space over there.
Put it, put it down.
- Selah. Selah, grab this one. - Yeah.
I had this little roach, right? The tiniest thing.
Now, I could either be selfish and smoke it
or give it to this guy I knew.
So I said, "Here you go." And he grabs the little roach,
and I promise you, he ate the shit.
And then it’s...
one, two, three, four, five, six.
Little extra. Watch.
-Okay. One, two, three, go! -Oh, that’s some bullshit.
Oh, you stupid.
I still beat you, though.
How is that fair?
Oh, don’t even play.
Oh, it’s lava.
I’m afraid of heights in the first place.
-I don’t even know how I got myself up here. -Selah got you.
You want to see a dead body?
-Congratulations. -Do you want to race? Do you want to race?
Okay, Maxxie, you wait on that side.
You saw what Reggie was wearing this morning?
- No. - You want some?
-A cardigan. -Hmm?
Oh, yes.
She has this particular essence about her that just makes me
want to show her all that she’s capable of.
You only like her because she reminds you of you.
She is nothing like me.
Not you now, but back then?
Like, way back then, yeah. She’s too new.
She doesn’t even know how the world works yet.
If she doesn’t know, then I’ll teach her.
You’ll teach her?
Yes. My gut says Paloma.
Your gut is never wrong.
Tomorrow, then?
Tomorrow.
I’ll bring the ledger.
"Paloma Davis, my love, meet us after class
for a good old-fashioned blowing off of steam.
3:15 by the ivy wall.
Heart, Selah Summers."
Who’s this? This Peter?
- That’s Janet. - Janet?
Okay, yeah.
Zack. Okay. He must have a final coming up.
That would make sense.
No.
I think we’re running low on the eight balls, by the way.
This is Jelly Bean Gumdrop White Witch.
I got the dirtiest look from Banton today.
And that’s for, uh, Sharice.
That left eye.
-He catching me, there’s not even the right eye. -Yeah.
It’s just a left eye.
- Staring. - I don’t care.
It doesn’t even make sense.
This is Bobby.
- And that is for Zack. - We’re at 500.
This is for the blue and yellow.
Her ten-dollar usual.
This is Reggie. This is Mooks.
They help us with our rounds.
And this is June.
She helps us during our busy times.
Spring term is the busiest.
- I want to replace those. - I think we should.
Fridays are for larger orders that come up, like booze for after-prom,
the amount of Adderall requests we get for AP exams.
For that, we deal with peddlers in Fishtown.
Hmm. Where’s that?
The seediest of seedy places, about an hour northeast of here, in Philly.
You never go to Fishtown alone.
-There’s a fox in your penthouse, Selah. -What?
-A fox in the hole. -Tarit.
You’ve got a rat in the foxhole.
A rat? No. No way.
Not after sophomore year.
There’s been rumblings of it.
Hearsay. Rumors.
Can’t be the best faction without enemies, now, can you?
Oh, Tarit, you think we’re the best?
Neutrality, Selah.
Come by HQ before the games on Wednesday.
-Who’s the snitch? -Nobody knows.
The Sea is working on smoking ’em out,
but, um, from what I’ve heard,
your boy Maxxie’s getting sloppy.
Okay, okay.
Maxxie.
Guess what.
-What? -I just heard from Tarit
that there may or may not be a rat in the system.
What?
No, not since sophomore year. Nobody would’ve...
I know. I... That’s what I said.
- But he says... - Maxxie!
Max. Max.
Yeah.
He wants to talk next week before games.
- Talk before games. - Okay, cool.
- What? - You’ve got gunk on your face.
-I do? -Yeah.
I mean, shit, it’s the only face I got.
Look, I’ll see you, okay?
-All right, see you. -Okay.
Yeah, Nuri seems nice.
She’s okay.
I liked the other one better, Farrah.
She goes to Pence. Other than that, she’s great.
This one...
Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow night, yeah?
Tomorrow night?
What’s tomorrow night?
Selah?
Yo, who is this? Put me down!
Knock it off!
Oh, my God.
I thought I lost you.
I’m always here.
Campus Safety has been spotted!
Hmm.
Halston Dorm, second floor. Selah speaking.
Good morning, Mom.
- Hi, baby, we’re home! - Hey.
Oh, there she is.
Okay, I’m going to go grab the kids from soccer.
Oh, wait a minute.
Will you pass these out, please?
I forgot to drop them off.
Oh, these look delicious.
-Yeah. -They’re going to love ’em.
-Okay. -Bye.
-See you in a bit. -All right.
See you, kiddo.
The head of admissions called me to make sure that you were receiving their mail.
Imagine my surprise.
Did you think I wasn’t gonna find out you were ignoring them?
I just wanted some more time to think about it.
What’s there to think about?
I don’t know.
I don’t know, I just thought maybe...
When I was much younger than you,
my mother told me a story.
Peel that.
At the bank of a river stood a scorpion
who found herself in desperate need of crossing.
Below her, in the water, there was a frog.
She asked the frog,
"Will you please carry me across the river?"
The frog refused.
He said, "If I put you on my back, if I carry you across,
if I trust you, you will sting me."
And the scorpion balked at this and said,
"If I sting you, we’ll both drown."
The frog considers this truth, acquiesces.
Throws her on his back, and off they went.
Well, you can imagine what happened next.
Halfway across the river, the scorpion stings the frog.
And as the frog sinks to his death,
he asks, "Why did you do this?
Now we’ll both drown."
And the scorpion replied, "I can’t help it."
"It’s my nature."
Redwood will be good for you.
It’ll put you in your place.
It will keep you safe...
from yourself.
Something has to.
Okay.
Closer together... your heads.
There you go.
How’s it going, B?
Closed for cleaning.
What is going on in there?
Well, since you asked, not so great, actually.
This morning, one of my guys went to pick up a gram,
but instead of Maxxie, some kid was there... Mookie?
-It’s Mooks. -Mooks. Okay, yeah.
Some kid named Mooks shows up and pulls two eight balls out of his backpack.
Two eight balls, Selah.
In the middle of center campus.
Well, if Mooks showed up instead of Maxxie,
I’m sure that was previously arranged,
and if Mooks showed up with two eights,
then I can only assume it was a mistake on your part
and the Spades were paid for as much.
Yeah... no.
Too risky.
That’s not the business we’re in.
Left it with Mookie.
Mooks.
We’d like a refund on our order.
Just until you guys get things squared away on your end.
Straighten out your operation, if that’s all right.
Check your ledger if you don’t believe me.
Maxxie has our ledger, as you know.
Oh, right.
Silly me.
I forget you do things a little different.
Double-check your orders before you send requests.
Bobby is so extra.
To hell with her.
You know you don’t have to be perfect?
Not all the time.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
You’re late.
Thanks for meeting me here today.
Spring term, busy semester, as you well know.
-Of course. -Per usual,
where there’s a rat, we shine a light.
Wait, him?
He’s a Prefect, isn’t he?
Wait, a Prefect would do this?
He’s only a sophomore.
He’s a goddamn baby Prefect.
Word is that the whole lot of them are in cahoots with the Bobbys.
- I’d bet it was the senior prank that set ’em off. - No, it wasn’t.
Yeah, they don’t have anything against us. It’s just rumors.
They can’t give the heads anything that matters, at least.
Well, do you think it might have something to do with Teela?
Look, I’m just the messenger.
And why aren’t you more?
Why aren’t you interested
in helping us keep some semblance of peace?
I’m getting you that name.
Because you’re right, we’re friends,
and I’ll be damned if I let a friend go down by the hands of a rat.
-No one deserves that. -Do they know you’re helping us?
Of course not. But they know if ever there was a war again
whose side we’ll likely fall on.
Bobby said that?
I mean, are-are you sure?
Because, I mean, there’s no way.
That doesn’t sound right.
Yeah, well, I had to shell out for it anyway.
She seemed sure.
Can you check the ledger? I want to know if I owe Bobby any money
before I see her at dinner tonight.
What did he mean by that... Tarit... by "war"?
Sophomore year was a rough time.
Let’s not revisit it.
Plus, we all signed the treaty, so...
the rest is history.
Uh, yeah, I-I don’t have it on me right now.
It’s in the room.
I was looking through some stuff before breakfast.
So I can get it to you guys tomorrow.
Uh, and I-I have to go, but I’ll see you guys later, all right?
That was weird, yeah?
Why do you think he’s doing it?
I mean, do you even know this kid?
I mean, maybe he’s just jealous. Who knows?
Do you think I should ask somebody to prom?
I don’t know, is it weird if I go alone?
- Can I even go alone... - "Hey.
I’m hearing weird rumblings about the Bobbys and y’all.
All okay? Amber B."
What about Tarit? What’s his...
Paloma, God, can you just shut up for a second? I need to think.
Does this really seem like a moment where I want to gossip about prom?
I mean, I get that you’re stressed about this,
but that doesn’t mean you get to take it out on the rest of us.
I wouldn’t have to take it out on you
if you were subtracting from my stress and not adding to it.
I’m not trying to add to it.
I was just talking, and you snapped.
I-I can’t do this right now. The world is screwing us over,
and you really want to fight about my tone of voice?
Found it.
Where’s Sels?
She just left.
Well, where’d she go?
Tell the truth. You mixed up Bobby’s order, didn’t you?
Uh... well, no, not-not completely.
It-It was a misunderstanding.
What?
I just think you should be more careful, is all.
Careful?
You think I should be more careful?
You’ve been doing this for what, half a semester?
You really want to tell me how to do my job?
It’s just that Selah’s under a lot of stress right now,
so I don’t see why we should add to it.
Selah has stress?
So, what, did Selah invent having stress?
This is high school. It’s Haldwell. We’re all stressed.
Well, for someone who’s supposed to be her best friend, I just think you fell off...
Why don’t you let the weight of Selah
rest on your shoulders for most of your life,
and we’ll talk about falling off.
I wouldn’t. I won’t.
You will.
Actually, no, you’re right.
You won’t.
Because you’re not her friend.
You’re not.
You’re some little girl who likes to run around
doing things for a gold star from Selah.
You’re wrong.
So, you think you know Selah better than me?
You’re just jealous.
Yeah, maybe.
I don’t know.
But at least I know Selah.
At least I know I’m not some entry-level trainee
and that if something happens between us,
she’ll always come back for me.
Can you say the same?
Hmm.
"Selah, Selah, Selah.
I’m hiding this in your desk while you get changed.
Today was a very, very, very good day.
Heart, P."
I was a bitch.
Yeah. You were.
And...
I’m sorry.
Thanks for that.
It’s just that things can get so exhausting.
What?
Like, all of it.
Well, that’s what I’m here for.
Right?
To make it a little less so?
I know.
I’m glad I met you.
I don’t know what I would do without you.
You’d die, probably.
Definitely. Definitely die.
Immediately perish.
-Oh, immediately. -Definitely.
Yo.
-Hey. -Hey.
I wanted to apologize for the other day in the library.
Oh. It’s fine.
Really.
I mean... no, I mean, I-I was out of it.
Just... really stressed.
Spring term, you know?
I’m really sorry.
It’s okay, but thanks.
Yeah, no problem.
Hey, uh, do you think maybe you could tell Selah
that I’m gonna be a little late tonight?
Just, like, 15 minutes late.
Nuri has this presentation thing.
Yeah. Yeah, I’ll tell her.
Oh.
All right, cool.
Yeah.
Thanks.
I see your cards.
Do you have any gum?
Come on.
We don’t need him.
Tarit says they left him in the wings.
Do they know what he has on us?
It’s got to be the ledger.
It always comes back to the ledger.
What’s the play this semester?
Macbeth.
-Where did you get this? -Selah, I swear, it was... it was just a joke.
Someone told someone who told someone who told, uh, Jessie,
who told me where Max would be hanging out with Nuri.
And everybody knows Maxxie always has the ledger on him,
and-and the Bobbys and the Prefects thought that we could,
you know, get-get you to make a trade.
Just a trade, uh... It was just a joke.
I-I know it looks like we were gonna rat, Selah, but I...
Maxxie?
No.
No, it’s... No.
Not possible. It’s-it-it...
It’s obviously fake.
This isn’t... This is the ledger.
Paloma.
All right.
You know what needs doing.
But...
I mean, we should wait for Maxxie, shouldn’t we?
I mean, we... we need to figure out what’s going on.
Maxxie?
You still think we need Maxxie?
I mean, we know what they were planning, so...
- Look. - I...
If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to.
But if you don’t do it now,
you’re only putting off the inevitable.
What do you think makes what we do possible?
Trusting people to keep their mouths shut?
Trusting people to love us, to want us to succeed?
Please.
It’s better to put the fear of God in their souls, Paloma,
better to have them fear your goddamn sneakers
walking towards them on the concrete
than to let them think that their actions don’t have consequences.
This is what it means to have power.
This is what you have to do to keep it.
Just listen to your gut. That is all I’m asking you to do.
What if my gut says this just isn’t right?
Well, then your gut is fucking wrong.
So, what?
What is it that you’re afraid of, hmm?
You’ve come all this way just to flake?
You’ve come all this way just to run away?
What is it, Paloma? What is it? Tell me. Hmm?
You’re afraid of doing something that matters? Is that what you’re telling me?
That you are just like the rest of them?
You’re not special.
You’re just another kid who’s afraid to get their hands dirty
for the greater good.
For the good of our friendship.
Is that it?
Paloma.
I-I didn’t realize it would hurt this bad.
You’ll get used to it. I swear.
You grow calluses. It’ll hurt a little.
But geez, P,
talk about leaving a message.
Look, you’re fine.
Better?
Yo.
Yo... I’ll be right back.
-Oh. Okay. -Hey.
Hey, I-I tried calling when I got back
to the dorms last night. How-how’d it go?
I’m sorry I missed it, all right?
Uh, N-Nuri had a presentation.
-There was a reception after. -Mm.
It was, I mean...
Paloma told you, though, right?
Um, sh-she told you I might not make it, right?
Yeah, yeah, it’s no big deal.
-We handled it. -Yeah?
-Yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s fine. -Ah...
Oh, um, I won’t be able to make it this afternoon.
You know, that thing for the Skins.
Yeah, I-I know I said I could. I’m sorry.
Oh.
But it’s in... it’s in Fishtown.
Yeah, I know. I’m sorry.
Look, I got an AP bio test, and I’m super underprepared,
and I’m just stressed out.
Oh, all right. I mean, we can... we can reschedule it.
Mm, no. Bummer. Look, we need it for this weekend.
We made that order months ago, and after that hiccup with the Bobbys,
we’ve really got to come through on this one.
Okay. Um, you-you think me and Paloma...
Nope.
Paloma’s busy.
Newspaper stuff, you know?
Look, you should... you should leave now
before it gets late.
Just-Just gonna have to go to this one alone.
Good luck.
You got to talk to him.
Imagine if the heads had gotten those pages.
I know. I know.
When he gets here, I’ll handle it, but...
I don’t know, I just need some time away from him.
Distance never hurt anybody.
What’s that?
My mom got it for me.
That’s sweet.
Do you like it?
What are you doing?
Are you... Selah. Selah.
Hey. Hey, Selah.
Hey, hey, hey. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, okay?
Selah.
It’s okay.
Just breathe.
Sorry.
No, no. Look at me. Look at me.
You have nothing to apologize for.
It’s okay.
Maxxie!
What happened to you?
Who did this to you?
Where were you?
How could you miss this?
How could you let this happen?
It’s not like I did it on purpose, Selah.
That’s worse. How do you not see that that’s worse?
I mean...
we’ve got all these people coming for us,
and I can’t trust my own faction?
My own brother?
-Selah. -No.
No.
But that’s you now, right?
You sneak around.
You don’t answer your phone. You miss appointments.
You lie. You don’t concentrate.
You can’t concentrate.
I made a mistake!
What don’t you understand, Selah?
You think I don’t know you?
Huh?
You think I haven’t seen you mess up?
No.
No, I don’t get distracted.
You almost cost me everything because of some girl.
-You don’t even know her. -It’s not a...
You don’t even give her a chance.
It’s not about her, Max.
It’s about you.
You can’t stand the idea of anyone giving someone something you can’t give them.
You can’t stand the idea that somebody might be
better than you
or as pretty as you or as nice as you or as...
worthy of attention as you.
You can’t.
Not with me, not with Bobby, not with Nuri.
Not with Teela.
Especially not with Teela.
No.
You know what?
It’s nothing personal. It’s just business.
You’re done.
So let’s not make this deeper than what it is.
You’re out.
-Hey, Selah. -Hi.
How you doing?
Hey.
What’s happening with her?
- Oh, there she is. Ah! - Ugh, so dramatic.
Hey, Selah.
There is a power
among certain factions of the student body
that has been wielded for far too long
without any concern, frankly, for the safety of our community.
And I do fear, therefore,
that the student body itself has failed you.
I mean, what is it that you owe one another, exactly?
Illicit substances?
The occasional party after lights out?
Cheating on the very exams that have been designed
to further your understanding of the wider world around you?
I don’t think so.
No. Of course not.
I mean, you’re the best of the best.
So we have an expectation that you are gonna bring out
the best in each other and not waste yourselves.
Maybe not waste all of your talent,
maybe not squander all of your potential on...
childish games.
Do better.
I mean, be better.
Because we’ve actually been there.
We know better.
There is a very large, very real world
outside of this bubble you call the Haldwell School.
And that world, make no mistake,
severe actions, well, they beget severe consequences.
Therefore, after a very thorough review by the board of trustees,
it has been determined that this year’s junior/senior prom...
well, that’s been called off.
Canceled.
I share in your disappointment... I truly do...
that there are a few that have chosen to ruin it for the many.
"Factions, 5:00 p.m., fields."
And you know who you are.
Everybody here knows me. They know us, the Bobbys.
"Keep the drama on the stage."
That’s our motto.
So, when I say I charge the Spades
for reckless endangerment of our livelihoods,
I trust you know I’m not saying it lightly.
There’s no ambiguity here, and it’s ’cause of you.
You and your lack of control.
You and what you did to Teela.
You made her take the fall. You put her there and walked away.
The heads are after us ’cause of you.
All of this is because of you.
Because of me?
Who else do you think he was talking about?
More like because you thought you could get someone to rat.
-There’s no proof of that. -Th-That evidence
-is circumstantial, at best. -He confessed.
Who knows how he got the ledger after this year of mistakes?
We don’t make mistakes.
If you don’t make mistakes, then where’s Maxxie?
Fair point.
Senior spring is ruined.
Oh, stop being so dramatic. It’s a dance. We have a million of them.
This is prom, Selah.
It’s wild that they’re doing this. I mean, this is America.
No. It’s not America when you’re on school property.
It’s the United States of Haldwell.
- Let’s just focus here. - It needed to be said.
What’s the point in having a council
if we just let the Spades... if we just let Selah
sit at the center of chaos with no repercussions?
All right, you know what? The question isn’t: Who’s going to let me?
Who’s gonna stop me? -I will stop you! You’re so full of it.
No, you can’t just do whatever you want.
So what?
So fucking what?
Who do they think they are,
taking something you’ve all been looking forward to
since seventh grade?
I mean, you know what this is?
This is them telling us we have no power here.
So, you know what I say?
Fuck that.
They want to tell us we don’t have the power?
Let them fall on their asses
watching us take that power back.
And what, pray tell, did you have in mind?
Let ’em cancel prom.
We’ll throw our own.
Can we do that?
Can we?
The Bobbys and the Prefects have found a clearing in the woods that’s ideal.
It’s perfect.
It’s a bit of a trek, but it’s off school property...
Two Tom checked... so it’s out of their jurisdiction.
Tarit and the Sea have agreed to trade
one end-of-year essay to every student
who lets us use their car for lighting and power.
The Skins, you’ll be in charge of sign-outs.
Every boarding student that wants in needs to be accounted for.
I don’t care where you send them,
but just make sure they suddenly have an urge
to visit their third cousin twice removed
in Philadelphia the night of prom.
And the Spades will deliver on party favors.
Mm-hmm. Yep.
Yeah.
If you need any help, let us know.
This only works if we do it together.
This only works if we trust each other.
But if it works, well, new world order, you know?
Talk about leaving a message.
Bobby?
Paloma.
Are you coming to the show tonight?
Probably not. We’re a bit backed up on drop-offs since...
Spring cleaning?
Is that what y’all are calling it?
I’m sorry. It’s not funny.
I liked Maxxie.
Do they ever talk about her?
The girl who came before you?
Her name was Teela.
She was a Bobby, but they convinced her she’d be better off as a Spade.
Might have mentioned that.
She didn’t work out.
Might have mentioned that too.
-Wasn’t anyone’s fault but her own, so... -Is that what she told you?
-That’s what they say. -Are you serious?
It was her fault?
Car crashes into the goalposts on the field with Teela driving
even though she’d only just passed her permit?
Out of her mind on acid even though she’d never used before,
and it’s nobody’s fault but her own?
Selah’s always going on about how nobody rats, but...
what’s the difference between a snitch
and the girl who sets up her friend to take the fall
in front of the heads?
What happened to her?
Expelled.
Unceremoniously.
For drugs found on her person and damage to school property.
She got sent back to Seattle in the middle of her junior year.
I mean, that... that’s not Selah’s fault.
Nothing’s ever Selah’s fault.
Everything’s "for the greater good."
I’ve got to get going.
I have a couple more drop-offs
on the other side of campus, so...
You’re good at this, Paloma.
We all think so... all the factions.
Thanks.
Don’t let her tell you otherwise, yeah?
Hey, Nuri.
Good job today. Really smooth.
Thanks, Selah.
I have to tell Maxxie.
When did you take this?
Hmm?
Do you often hang out with the Bobbys in the theater?
Oh, that. No.
No, I was just making a drop.
A drop with a photo shoot?
I didn’t realize you were giving such great service now.
It was just a good shot, so I took it.
They call it a vanity for a reason.
She is so vain.
She’s all right.
She’s not the enemy, Selah.
Then who is?
Sometimes there just isn’t one.
She, um...
she mentioned something I meant to ask you about.
Hmm. She did?
Some girl named Teela?
Yeah. Teela.
What’d she say?
Just that she was a Bobby, then a Spade.
Yes.
I didn’t know people could switch up like that.
People can do whatever they want.
Was she good?
I mean, she was good enough for a Bobby, not for the Spades.
What happened?
Didn’t Bobby tell you?
Said there was a car crash.
Well, then that’s what happened.
She got expelled?
She did.
You two were close, weren’t you?
Close-ish.
I mean, she was always there, right over my shoulder.
I mean, at first, it was fine, yeah, but...
I don’t know, I didn’t understand what she wanted from me,
but I knew she wanted something.
Like when you’re not sure if someone’s in love with you
or they just really want to be you.
Yeah, like that.
Look, Teela was reckless. Her eyes were bigger than her stomach.
She wanted to take over
before knowing what taking over entailed.
Right, but... but what did she do?
Does it matter?
I mean, she flew too close to the sun, and her wings melted.
And who’s the sun in that scenario?
"Who’s the sun?"
These are the things you’re gonna have to handle, Paloma.
The hard things, the things no one wants to decide.
I get that.
I really, really do.
But...
sometimes I’m gonna handle things
a little differently than you might have.
And I think that’s okay.
I think it’s fine.
It’s just different, is all.
"Different."
Yeah.
Okay.
- Aah! Tarit! - I just dropped...
And two Coke please, two Coke, please, two Coke please.
A bigger... a bigger one.
Bigger one, a bigger one. Give me a...
Give me a bigger bottle. Give me a bigger bottle.
-Your singles. -Hey, hey, look...
Those fuckers love their drugs.
Yeah.
How do you feel?
I’m exhausted, excited and nervous.
-Yeah? -I don’t know, I just...
I want everything to be good, you know? Fun.
Yeah.
Sounds like you need a drink.
-A drink? -A drink.
If this was the beginning of the semester
and someone told me I would be going to prom this year,
I probably would have laughed in their face.
I mean, maybe not in their face, but...
You know?
This is just so amazing.
I don’t know. Next year...
Next year’s gonna be even bigger.
I mean, they don’t even know what I can do yet.
I mean, next year is gonna make this year look like a blip.
The Spades are gonna be huge.
The Spades are already grand, though, so...
Oh. Yeah, of course.
Of course. Oh, my God. You know what I meant.
It’s just... This is brilliant.
I mean, it’s kind of magical
the way things are just coming together.
I don’t know.
I guess what I’m trying to say is just that...
I’m excited, I’m happy, I’m nervous.
I don’t know.
I did this.
Can you believe that?
I mean, we did this.
So there’s one shot left, and I think you’ve earned it.
You sure?
Of course.
- Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go. -
Mm.
That’s gross.
-Should we keep going? -Yeah. Yeah.
You okay?
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m fine.
Okay.
Selah, whoo!
This is, like, the best thing that I’ve ever been to.
Where have you been?
We didn’t see you. Where are you going?
I’m just... I’m just getting ready, you guys.
The punch is so strong.
- Really? -It’s so good. - It’s so good.
- No, thank you. - Hey, Paloma.
- I-I’m good, I’m good. - You want a hit?
What is it?
- Does it matter? - Hey, Paloma. Should you?
Yeah. I was just dizzy earlier.
Hey, Paloma, don’t...
Paloma.
Hey.
Stay here. I-I’m gonna get water.
Hi.
-Hey, Selah. -Hey, uh,
nice tux-and-tie combo.
Thanks.
Nuri picked it out for me.
Hey, Max.
If you see Paloma, can you, um, just send her my way?
She had one too many, uh, Button Drops,
and I told her to stay, but when I got back, she was gone.
What do you mean, "one too many Button Drops"?
Remember the ones you ordered?
I-I didn’t want them to go to waste.
How many did she take?
I don’t know. I wasn’t there with her.
I think, like, half of one or something like that.
Oh. Okay. All right, that’s not bad.
- Hey, Max. - What?
How many is, um...
How many would it... w-would be so bad,
in a hypothetical situation? Like...
Come here.
How many did she take, Selah?
Um...
Look, Max, she was talking about me to Bobby...
I mean, Bobby out of all people... and that’s not right.
And-and her head is just getting so big,
and the whole thing with Banton...
Selah, how many did she take?
-Fuck! -Fuck!
Max.
Max, listen. Listen, listen.
You can’t keep doing this, Selah.
Hey, Paloma.
Paloma.
Paloma! Hey, girl.
Come here!
Selah.
Maxxie.
Paloma, are you okay?
Look at me, okay? Do... do you see me?
Just look at me.
I’m right here. Do you see me?
Paloma, are you okay?
Will you say something?
- Paloma. - Paloma.
Say something.
You have to tell her.
Do not tell me what to do.
-If you don’t, I will. -Where do you get off? Where?
Claiming some moral high ground. Where, Max?
-What? Selah, you drugged her! -Max, it is not that fucking...
Who did you drug?
- Not now, Paloma. Max! - Selah!
Tell her the fucking truth!
Who did you drug?
Look, I literally just did it just to keep you humble.
-That is all I did it for. -Keep me humble?
Wh-What are you talking about?
I trusted you, and you were talking to Bobby.
-Paloma, I-I... -Bullshit! Bullshit!
Bullshit. You trusted me?
- Paloma. - I trusted you.
-I thought that you... -Paloma, you’re making a big deal out of this for nothing.
Selah!
- Paloma, stop! - Stop!
Paloma, come back!
Paloma! Paloma, stop!
Paloma! Just stop!
Please slow down!
Paloma!
Paloma! Please!
- Please stop! Please! - Paloma!
- Paloma, look out! Shit! - Paloma, stop!
Fuck!
Paloma!
- Help. - Paloma.
- Paloma! - Selah.
Max, she’s here. She’s here.
Help me lift her. Help me lift her.
Okay, okay.
Good, good.
- Max. - Little more. Pull up.
Help us out. I’ve got you.
Yeah, that’s it, Selah.
Don’t, don’t move.
Just take my jacket, okay?
Breathe. Breathe. You okay?
I’m okay.
Just breathe. Just breathe.
Just breathe, all right?
Selah.