Months later, school has finished and Connell arrives at Trinity College, Dublin. He has found a room in a house-share and meets his new housemate Niall. Despite his efforts, he feels out of place and struggles to articulate himself when surrounded by his eloquent and wealthy peers. Connell reluctantly accepts a party invite from new classmate Gareth. Feeling intimidated by the fashionable crowd in attendance, Gareth offers to introduce him to someone else he knows from Sligo and so he comes face-to-face with an unexpected guest.