53 pages • 1 hour read
This Is Our Story
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Chapters 22-24
Chapter 22 Summary
The River Point Boys are taken to be photographed, fingerprinted, and booked into jail. Waiting around the courthouse in hopes of seeing Shep, Kate gets a text from Reagan. She tells Kate that all four boys have posted bail. Shep’s parents put up their property as collateral while the other boys’ parents simply wrote checks. Since they posted bail, they don’t have to stay in jail but can be released until the trial.
Finally, Shep, Henry, John Michael, and Logan come by. Mr. Perkins, Grant’s father, shouts at Shep, accusing him of killing Grant. Shep denies the accusation: “I swear to you, I didn’t shoot Grant. He was my friend” (234). Kate witnesses the altercation from afar. She still can’t interact with Shep openly. He catches sight of her, however, and gives her a small nod. It’s the most they can do for now.
John Michael’s narration concludes the chapter. He meets with Henry and Logan at a new spot, for privacy. The other boys are wondering how the murder got pinned on Shep, not knowing the role that John Michael played in influencing Lindsey’s testimony. John Michael uses his manipulative tactics to influence his friends, telling them “Maybe Shep wasn’t who we thought he was” (236). He reiterates the need for them to keep their mouths shut and stick together, in order to save themselves. After the meeting, he checks the glove box of his car. The pills he has saved for Lindsey are there. He’s convinced that she won’t hold up under questioning in an actual trial. Apparently he plants to harm her before then.
Chapter 23 Summary
After leaving the courthouse, Kate and Reagan retreat to Kate’s house. Kate explains to Reagan why she’s so upset about Shep’s charges. She admits that she’s been seeing Shep privately, and explains how Lindsey’s testimony changed.
After Reagan leaves, Kate and Shep talk on the phone. Even though she’s not supposed to tell him, Kate tells him that Lindsey was the girl who testified and said it was him. Shep is devastated and confused by the news, uncertain of why Lindsey would say this.
Kate goes to Shep’s house to see him and comfort him. They discuss Lindsey. They conclude that whoever sent the threatening photos to Kate and Shep also likely got to Lindsey. Shep theorizes (correctly) that this person will likely try to get the others to turn on him. The two reaffirm their commitment to one another and their desire to get through this as a team.
Leaving Shep’s, Kate is cornered by Logan. Instead of the Tahoe, he’s driving a strange truck. Logan is convinced that Kate was there spying on Shep and calls Shep to come out. He’s surprised to learn that Shep already knew Kate was there—and quickly realizes that Shep and Kate have a romantic connection. She and Logan get in an altercation, and she threatens him. She realizes that going to Shep’s was a mistake and that this incident increase the likelihood that the other boys will turn on Shep.
The point of view shift’s back to John Michael. He’s already planning how he will ensure that Shep takes the blame for the murder, thinking of how he’ll plant some rumors at school. He wonders whether Shep is confused by the fact that the blame fell on him or whether he knows: “Maybe he understands he lost the protection he had when he was our brother” (246).
Chapter 24 Summary
Kate shows up at school the next day and learns that the River Point Boys are there as well. Shep has been ostracized from the group, however, and clearly stands apart from Logan, Henry, and John Michael. Already, rumors about Shep are flying—stories like he was in love with Grant and Grant rebuffed his advances, which is why Shep shot him.
The school is also buzzing because the promiscuous photos of Bree and the other two St. Bart’s girls has been reposted and is making the rounds on the internet again. In the media arts room with her friends, Kate notices something in the photo. First, the photo was taken from above, a height higher than a normal person could reach. The photo has been cropped close so it centers on just the girls’ bodies and no telltale surroundings. However, a tiny scrap of fabric is evident at one edge of the photo, with a small, swirl-like design.
Chapters 22-24 Analysis
This Is Our Story has two central mysteries: the question of who Grant’s killer is and the question of who took (and leaked) the promiscuous photos of Bree Holder and the other two St. Bart’s girls. The fact that this subplot is raised again in Chapter 24 signals that these two mysteries are intertwined. Kate will solve both cases with a single discovery made at River Point. It’s Kate’s detailed eye for visual images, evidenced yet again in Chapter 24 when she concludes the photo of Bree and the girls was taken from above, that will solve these mysteries.
As the book heads towards its climax, Kate comes closer to solving the mystery of Grant’s murder. Mystery-driven thrillers often start with a large pool of suspects and then narrow this pool down. The narrative sticks to this model. Shep was initially a suspect, alongside all the other River Point Boys, but has by now been ruled out. Logan also seemed to be a likely culprit. He was in trouble with gambling bookies; Grant cheated him in terms of paying his debts; and Kate saw Mark collecting money from someone in a black Tahoe right after he dressed up as “dead” Grant at the football game. Kate’s run-in with Logan in Chapter 23 seems to rule him out, however. Logan apparently has no idea that Shep and Kate have a romantic relationship. The person who has been threatening them—the murderer, John Michael—does know about their connection. With Logan suddenly cut out from the pool of suspects, two people are left to consider: John Michael and Henry.
The theme of privilege and the unfair advantages it confers on people is again seen as the River Point Boys’ legal proceedings unfold. Shep’s bail was set at $750,000 while Henry’s, John Michael’s, and Logan’s bails were set at $200,000 each. Kate wasn’t sure that the families, wealthy as they are, could come up with that much cash on the spot. The fact that Shep’s family put up their property as collateral while the other boys’ parents simply wrote checks is significant. Their wealth allows the boys to get out of jail on bail. A person without these means would be stuck in jail.
The fact that the boys then have the audacity to show up at school the next day also speaks to their sense of entitlement. Some parents of the other schoolchildren even speak to the principle, demanding that the boys not be allowed to return to school. Their lawyers are on hand, however, and note that, because they’ve only been charged and not convicted, they are allowed to be on the premises. Again, their privilege is evident. Not every person would have the money for such lawyers. A less fortunate individual might end up missing school and losing the opportunity for an education.
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