Chapter 24: Graduation Day at the Dealership

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The chapter opens on graduation morning with Chloe, Rory, and Shara getting ready at Rory’s house. Smith joins them, and they share a lighthearted moment—Rory gives Smith a dogwood blossom, and Shara pins flowers into Smith’s hair, transforming him into a “god of the forest.” The group drives to the dealership across from Willowgrove, where Summer’s parents have lent the lot for an alternate graduation. Brooklyn assigns tasks to everyone, including setting up chairs, a balloon arch, and signs. Chloe’s mothers arrive with a truckload of surprise items: a box of official-looking diplomas, courtesy of Mr. Truman, who accessed the school on weekends. Chloe’s mom presents her with her own diploma, embossed with the Willowgrove crest.

Rory performs “Pomp and Circumstance” on his Flying V, and then Mr. Truman calls Chloe to the mic as valedictorian. She pulls a sweaty sheet of paper from her bra and delivers a speech that she wrote the night before. In it, she acknowledges her past anger toward Willowgrove but explains that the past month—starting with Shara’s kiss—changed her perspective. She thanks her friends, acknowledges the survival many students endure, and declares that high school matters because of the moments when people show up for each other. She ends by addressing Shara directly, saying she has done her best work because of Shara.

After the ceremony, as everyone takes photos, Smith asks Shara what the church board plans to do about her father, Principal Wheeler. Shara says they’re trying to buy silence and keep the story local. Smith uses his charm to tip off a TV news crew, giving them a tip about Wheeler. The reporters race to the Willowgrove auditorium, where Principal Wheeler is confronted with microphones. Shara watches and says, “Well, bless his heart.” The chapter closes with a note from Chloe’s mom that she left on Chloe’s first day of school, now burned in a pile.

Key Events

Rory, Smith, Chloe, and Shara get ready together at Rory’s house; Shara pins flowers into Smith’s hair.
The group drives to the dealership lot for the alternate graduation ceremony.
Chloe’s mothers arrive with a truckload of actual diplomas, obtained with help from Mr. Truman.
Chloe delivers her valedictorian speech, rewriting it from scratch to focus on love and community rather than anger.
Smith learns from Shara that Principal Wheeler’s scandal is being suppressed locally, so he tips off a news crew.
The TV reporters race to the Willowgrove auditorium and confront Principal Wheeler as graduates leave.
The chapter ends with a note from Chloe’s mom—a burned message from Chloe’s first day of school, affirming her support.

Character Development

Chloe Green: Evolves from a competitive, angry outsider to someone who values connection and vulnerability. Her speech reveals that she no longer sees herself as separate from Alabama; she openly acknowledges her love for Shara and her friends.
Shara Wheeler: Shows her playful, caring side by helping Smith with his hair and standing by Chloe. She also demonstrates strategic patience, trusting that the truth about her father will come out.
Smith Parker: Uses his quarterback instincts to engineer a media ambush. His loyalty to Shara and his understanding of publicity make him a key ally.
Rory and Smith: Their relationship is openly affectionate; Rory climbs out a window to get more flowers, and Smith accepts them joyfully. Their rivalry has fully transformed into partnership.
Chloe’s moms: Support Chloe unconditionally, showing up with diplomas and encouragement. Their presence reinforces Chloe’s sense of belonging.
Mr. Truman: Goes beyond his role as a teacher to obtain the diplomas, demonstrating his belief in the students.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Actually Evidenced Here

Alternate graduation as resistance: The dealership lot becomes a space where students reclaim their ceremony, rejecting Willowgrove’s official event. It symbolizes community solidarity and the power of creating one’s own traditions.
Flowers and rebirth: The dogwood and crepe myrtle blossoms in Smith’s hair represent a natural, unapologetic beauty. They contrast with Willowgrove’s rigid, floral-free dress code and suggest growth from the students’ own environment.
Survival and carrying weight: Chloe’s speech directly addresses the “heavy” burden of survival in an unwelcoming school, a theme that reappears throughout the novel.
“Bless his heart” as weapon: Shara’s final line uses the Southern phrase ironically, signaling her triumph over her father’s hypocrisy.
The burned note: Chloe’s mom’s old note—”Show them you’re not someone to fuck with”—is physically destroyed, suggesting Chloe has moved beyond needing that fierce armor.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is the emotional climax of the novel. Chloe’s valedictorian speech synthesizes her character arc: she transforms from a girl who saw Willowgrove as an enemy to someone who recognizes the worth of her community. The alternate graduation is the symbolic payoff of the month-long scavenger hunt and the friendships it forged. Smith’s cunning tip-off ensures that Shara’s father will face public accountability, tying up the main conflict. The chapter celebrates every major character’s growth and closes with Chloe’s mother’s note, underlining the familial love that supports Chloe’s journey.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Chloe decide to scrap her earlier drafts of the valedictorian speech, and what does her final version reveal about her growth?
Chloe realizes that her initial drafts were written for “a different place with different people.” After the past month, she understands that Willowgrove is more complex than she thought, and that anger alone doesn’t capture the truth. Her final speech emphasizes connection, vulnerability, and the small acts of kindness that make high school meaningful, showing she has moved beyond isolation.

2. How does Smith’s act of tipping off the news crew reflect his character and the larger theme of using one’s skills for justice?
Smith has always been a strategist—a quarterback who plans five steps ahead. Here he applies that talent to social justice, understanding that the story about Principal Wheeler must escape False Beach to have any effect. He uses his charm and existing relationships with the media to expose the truth, proving that leadership can serve a moral purpose.

3. What does the burned note from Chloe’s mom symbolize in the context of the chapter?
The note, which says “Show them you’re not someone to fuck with,” represents the defensive toughness Chloe relied on when she first arrived in False Beach. By placing it in the “burn pile,” the author suggests that Chloe no longer needs that armor. She has found a different kind of strength through love and community, so the old survival strategy can be let go.