When You Were Everything

Cleo sneaks out of school through a side door and gets on the train. She doesn’t text her dad to tell him that she is coming to his work. When she arrives, he is surprised to see her and immediately notices that she is upset. She tells him about the rumor she heard and demands to know if this is the reason why he left Chisholm and moved out. He insists that he didn’t have a relationship with a student; he and Naomi split up because they thought it would be the best course of action. Cleo doesn’t know what to believe and decides to talk to her mom, too.

She takes the train home and calls Naomi at work, then starts crying when her mom comes to the phone. Through her tears, Cleo tells Naomi about the rumor. Naomi reveals that Cliff “had an affair with Ms. Novak” (307), which is why he left Chisholm and why the marriage is over. She promises to talk more about it when she gets home.

Cleo paces around the house, thinking about everything that her parents have told her. Her phone rings, interrupting her thoughts. Sydney and Willa are worried about her and want to meet up. Cleo agrees to let them come over. They sit with Cleo and talk to her about what happened with Layla, Sloane, the rumor, and Cleo’s parents. Sydney and Willa express their understanding and ask if they can prove the rumor false. Cleo realizes what she has to do.

After Sydney and Willa leave, Cleo locks herself in her room so that she can think about what to do next. She calls the diner to say that she won’t be able to come in for her shift. When Naomi gets home, she and Cleo talk about Cliff’s affair. Naomi explains that he and Ms. Novak had an emotional relationship, but Cliff is now in love with Ms. Novak. Cleo questions this and tries to understand. Listening to her mom, she realizes that she has always seen her dad as the hero. Afterwards, Dom texts Cleo, asking her to let him know that she is okay. Suddenly eager to make amends, Cleo texts him and her other friends.

Cleo is not sure what to do with herself when winter break starts. She is still adjusting to her dad’s absence and is trying to work on her relationship with her mom. She gets a text from Jase while wandering around the city. He invites her to a party at his house, but she decides to spend the day alone. She loves New York at Christmastime and enjoys going from one place to the next by herself. She stops at a department store and buys a new snow globe, then takes it outside and watches the park through the glass.

Cleo runs into Sloane, who makes mean comments. Cleo demands to know why Sloane hates her so much. Then she realizes Layla is there, too. Layla gets upset, revealing that she applied and got accepted into London's Young Actors Summer School. She is crying as she tells Cleo, and Cleo runs away, feeling overwhelmed.

It starts to rain as Cleo gets off the train, so she is completely soaked when she reaches Dolly’s. Lolly says that Dom isn’t there but suggests that Cleo go to the apartment and talk to him. Dom opens the door and invites Cleo inside. He puts her clothes in the dryer for her. They talk, apologize, and make amends. Cleo feels overwhelmed by being so close to him. Her mind races with thoughts of Jase, Sydney, Willa, Layla, Cliff, Naomi, and Ms. Novak. She wonders if Dom is the one she can trust.

In Dom’s room, Cleo and Dom talk about Shakespeare and why they like his plays. Then they talk about beauty, human nature, and truth. They start to kiss, and the power goes out. They grope around for candles between kisses.

Cleo receives texts from Sydney about Sloane. She dismisses the messages and continues talking with Dom. He shares more about his past, telling Cleo about who he was when he was little, and his relationships with his grandparents and parents. He also explains why he loves The Secret Garden and outlines the lessons that the story taught him about himself and his life. Cleo shares more about her relationship with Gigi. They continue chatting, exchanging ideas, and playing cards.

Cleo continues to think about her night with Dom and all of the things they talked about. She realizes that she cannot control “what’s happened with [her] parents, or anything that Sloane and Layla have said or done” (351), but she can write to Ms. Novak. In the email, she asks Ms. Novak to come out with the truth about her relationship with her dad in order to clear his name. She also asks if she can stop tutoring Layla and instead perform a monologue that she has written in order to earn extra credit.

On the way to school, Cleo tells Sydney about what happened between her and Dom. Then Dom appears behind her. They break away from Sydney and discuss their relationship, deciding that they are now dating. At school, Layla talks to Cleo about her paper and thanks her for her help, but Cleo responds curtly. After homeroom, Cleo panics about attending Ms. Novak’s class and texts her mom. Naomi gives her permission to go to the library instead. She bumps into Ms. Novak later, and Ms. Novak asks to talk to her. She thanks her for the email and promises to resolve the issue on her and her family’s behalf. She also agrees to let Cleo perform the monologue instead of tutoring Layla.

Cleo and Dom meet in the library and kiss in the stacks before going to Dolly’s. Then Cleo tells Dom the truth about her parents’ divorce and her dad’s affair. Dom listens and is understanding. He encourages her to talk to her dad to sort through her feelings. Then Dom reveals his plan to host an open-mic night at Dolly’s to raise money for the diner. Cleo loves the idea and promises to participate.

Cleo and her friends go to a jazz club together. Cleo notices that Willa is flirting with another girl and asks Sydney how she feels about it. Sydney admits that she is jealous because she still has feelings for Willa. Cleo encourages her to tell her the truth. She then gets distracted by messages from her dad, but her friends comfort her. After the show, Cleo leaves but goes back inside when she realizes she forgot her gloves. She accidentally sees Sydney and Willa kissing and feels happy for them.

Cleo talks to her dad when she gets to his place. He tries to explain everything that happened between him and her mom and between him and Ms. Novak. He admits that he loves Ms. Novak but isn’t sure if they should pursue a relationship because she is Cleo’s teacher. Cleo still feels upset, but she forgives Cliff. Afterwards, Cleo texts Dom about her conversation with her dad.

Cleo goes to the diner for the open-mic night. The space is filled with friends and classmates. Cleo works as a hostess as the night gets underway. Then, after Valeria sings a song, Cleo gets ready to recite her monologue. Dom encourages her before she goes on stage and reminds her she can do it. Cleo goes to the front of the diner and recites what she prepared. She describes her relationship with Layla and how it has changed in recent months. She makes eye contact with Layla a few times while talking. Afterwards, she feels better about everything. Then Layla gets up and sings a song that implies that she is saying goodbye. She keeps her eyes on Cleo the whole time.