Charming as a Verb

Corinne and Henri return to New York City officially as boyfriend and girlfriend. Henri hears his father politely dealing with a difficult tenant in their building, Mrs. Cloutier. Mrs. Cloutier yells at Jacques, berates him, and insults him. After, Henri asks his father if he ever gets angry when the tenants speak to him like he is beneath them. Jacques admits that he does, but that it is part of his job, and he can’t let their attitudes get to him.

Henri tells his father about McGill. Jacques says it is good for Henri to have back-ups but reminds him that McGill is not Columbia. Henri pretends not to be that interested in McGill and assures his father that it is just a back-up.

Henri immediately starts feeling nervous about his relationship with Corinne; he and Corinne do not have a lot of time to date, and as they are both graduating high school, they will be split up by moves to different universities very soon. Additionally, Corinne’s mother Chantale is intimidating and protective. Corinne and Henri are reasonable about their relationship and communicate openly about the guidelines they want for it. Corinne reveals that she’s been accepted into her dream school: Princeton University.