Kirby has spent half the day looking all over the Bay for Mali. He didn’t show up for his surfing class, leaving her to deal with the confusion left by his absence. When he finally shows up, he’s incredibly vague and evasive about where he’s been, and Kirby’s furious.
Worried, Kirby asks if the River Boys are hassling Mali again. Mali doesn’t respond, brushing her off and telling her to take his next class.
Kirby is unsuccessful in getting Mali to open up, but Tane has a bit more luck. Mali expresses his guilt about being in the fight and his subsequent involvement in the River Boys case – he was questioned for murder. Tane tries to console his friend, telling him that he can move on from this point. But how? Mali is troubled and admits that he barely recognises himself anymore.
Meanwhile, now it’s John’s turn to try to intervene in Irene’s downward spiral. He turns up at her place, trying to ask her about the AA meeting she was meant to go to, but Irene pushes him away. She’s in denial and claims that because she’s drinking out in the open and not in secret like she did in the past, she doesn’t have a problem.
In fact, Irene has a bright idea: she’s going to invite all their friends around tonight so she can show them how fine she is.
Leah, Justin, Marilyn and John arrive at Irene’s later that night – and they’re all not sure what to expect. Irene immediately gets to it, taking out a bottle of wine and pouring them all drinks. John makes an excuse while she’s seemingly occupied and snoops around in the kitchen, but Irene catches him red-handed. Irene tells John that she knows exactly what he was trying to find, and prompts him to sit down.
Irene makes a speech, thanking her friends for being there for her, and makes a toast to honesty and speaking one’s truth. This tips John over the edge. He declares that Irene is lying to everyone, especially herself, and he’s not going to sit here and be an enabler. He gets up and storms off in the middle of the dinner party, leaving his friends in shocked silence.