Chapter Fifteen: Brynn — Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes
⚠️ 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
On Saturday evening, Brynn, Nadia, Mason, and Ellie play Ping-Pong in Brynn's basement while waiting to attend a party at Charlotte Holbrook's house. The conversation turns to Mr. Solomon's unsettling remark that Will Larkin “got what he deserved.” Ellie suggests that maybe the group didn't know Mr. Larkin as well as they think, but Brynn insists everyone at Saint Ambrose loved him. Uncle Nick, who is also preparing for a party, cautions Brynn not to put Will on a pedestal. He reveals that Will sometimes argued with parents during after-school homework help, and he recalls seeing Laura Delgado (Shane's mom) storm out of the school more than once. Uncle Nick speculates that the media attention might be reopening old wounds, then quickly changes the subject.
The group arrives at Charlotte's enormous, contemporary-style house around 8:30 p.m., having intentionally delayed their arrival to seem too busy to show up early. The party is crowded, with most girls dressed in cocktail dresses. Abby Liu greets them warmly and directs them to the kitchen. Brynn finds Charlotte there, wearing a shimmering bronze dress and serving punch. Charlotte mentions that Tripp is having a bad night and that he tends to drink too much when something upsets him—specifically referencing Mr. Solomon's comment. She also mentions that Tripp is pursuing a scholarship with a big community service requirement, though she dismisses the committee work as a terrible idea.
Brynn searches for Tripp and finds him outside, sitting on a stone pillar, drunk and holding a nearly empty bottle of whiskey. He jumps down, landing safely, and they talk. Tripp apologizes for something he said in eighth grade, explaining that he needed Brynn to hate him and that he never hated her—not then, not now. Before he can elaborate further, Shane arrives and leads Tripp away, telling Brynn that Tripp's having a bad night and that she shouldn't take anything he says too seriously.
Key Events
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Ping-Pong conversation: Brynn shares Mr. Solomon's comment with her friends, sparking debate about Will Larkin's true character.
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Uncle Nick's revelation: He recalls Will arguing with parents, including Laura Delgado storming out, and warns Brynn not to idealize Will.
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Arrival at Charlotte's party: The group arrives late to a crowded, dressy gathering at Charlotte's mansion.
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Charlotte's honesty: She admits that seeing what happened back then “doesn't leave you” and explains Tripp's drinking as a coping mechanism.
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Scholarship mention: Charlotte reveals Tripp is pursuing a scholarship with a community service requirement, hinting at his precarious home life.
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Tripp's confession: Drunk on a stone pillar, Tripp apologizes for his eighth-grade lie, saying he needed Brynn to hate him and never actually hated her.
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Shane's intervention: Shane arrives, dismisses the conversation as meaningless, and steers Tripp away.
Character Development
Brynn continues to wrestle with the tension between her reporter instincts and her empathy. When Charlotte admits that the trauma of the past never leaves you, Brynn feels ashamed for pushing her into honesty, noting that she sometimes gets so deep into reporter mode that she forgets she's dealing with real people. Later, standing with Tripp, she realizes she can't offer up his pain as a sound bite for Carly's story. This marks a significant shift: Brynn is learning to prioritize human connection over journalistic ambition.
Tripp reveals a vulnerable side that contradicts his earlier anger. His confession that he needed Brynn to hate him—and that he never hated her—suggests his eighth-grade cruelty was a protective lie, not genuine malice. His drunken state and Charlotte's explanation that he drinks when something sets him off paint a picture of a young man struggling with unresolved trauma.
Charlotte shows unexpected depth. Though she initially seems dismissive of Brynn's questions, she admits that the past doesn't leave you and that everyone has their own way of dealing. Her comment about the scholarship—and her assumption that Brynn knows nothing about it—highlights the class divide between them.
Uncle Nick serves as a grounding voice, reminding Brynn that Will Larkin was human and capable of conflict. His recollection of Laura Delgado storming out adds a new layer to the mystery.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Reporter mode vs. empathy: Brynn's internal conflict is central. She catches herself treating people as sources rather than individuals, and her decision not to share Tripp's confession with Carly shows growth.
Trauma and coping mechanisms: Charlotte's remark that the past “doesn't leave you” and Tripp's drinking illustrate how characters cope with shared trauma in different ways.
Secrets and lies: Tripp's eighth-grade lie—told to push Brynn away—mirrors the larger secrets surrounding Will Larkin's death. The chapter reinforces that lies can be protective as well as destructive.
Class disparity: Charlotte's mansion, her casual dismissal of scholarships, and Tripp's need for a scholarship highlight the economic divide among the students.
Memory and reputation: Uncle Nick's warning not to put Will on a pedestal, combined with Ellie's suggestion that the group didn't know him as well as they thought, challenges the idealized memory of Mr. Larkin.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter deepens the mystery by complicating the portrait of Will Larkin. Uncle Nick's revelation that Will argued with parents—including Laura Delgado—suggests there were sides to him the students never saw. The mention of Laura Delgado is particularly significant, as it ties Shane's family more directly to Will's past.
The chapter also humanizes Tripp. His drunken confession that he needed Brynn to hate him reframes his eighth-grade cruelty as a protective act, not genuine malice. This revelation raises questions about what Tripp was protecting—himself, Brynn, or someone else—and sets up future revelations.
Finally, Brynn's decision not to share Tripp's pain with Carly marks a turning point in her character. She is beginning to choose empathy over ambition, which will likely shape her choices as the investigation continues.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Uncle Nick caution Brynn not to put Will Larkin on a pedestal, and what evidence does he offer?
Uncle Nick warns Brynn that Will was only human and could “get into it” with people. He recalls hearing Will argue with parents during after-school homework help, sometimes escalating into shouting matches. He specifically remembers Laura Delgado storming out more than once, suggesting Will had a confrontational side that the students never witnessed.
2. What does Tripp's confession reveal about his eighth-grade behavior toward Brynn?
Tripp admits that his cruel comment in eighth grade was a lie. He explains that he needed Brynn to hate him, implying that pushing her away was a deliberate act of protection. He insists he never hated her—not then and not now—which reframes his behavior as self-sacrificing rather than malicious.
3. How does Brynn's internal conflict about reporting on Tripp reflect her character growth?
Brynn initially approaches Tripp as reconnaissance for Carly's story, but she realizes she can't offer up his pain as a sound bite. This moment shows her moving away from pure reporter mode and toward genuine empathy. It suggests that her investigation is becoming personal, and that she is learning to value people over stories.
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