By the time she enters high school, Meredith and her brother Matthew are fully disengaged from their mother. Meredith no longer has hope that she can have a normal relationship with her mother, whom she now considers a roommate.

On a trip to Grandpa’s hives in Big Sur, Meredith realizes that, after nearly a decade of living with her grandparents, she can identify the role of each of the bees she sees on a hive. She notices a field bee—tasked with finding sources of food for the hive—moving in an erratic way. Grandpa explains that the bee is dancing to communicate directions to the rest of the hive. He explains that scout bees—those responsible for finding new homes for the hive—also dance to direct other scouts to future hive sites. The other scout bees choose between the potential sites by joining the dance of the bee who identified the spot they like best. Meredith is impressed by the democracy and planning demonstrated by scout bees.

When Grandpa asks about Meredith’s plans for her future, she realizes that she has not thought beyond high school graduation. Grandpa encourages her to attend college, and she throws herself into her classes and after-school activities in order to improve her applications.