Study Guide

Big Little Lies Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Madeline has PMS. The PMS didn't start until her late 30s, and now it's hit her with a vengeance.
Everything annoys her. Her kids are annoying. Ed is being annoyingly happy.
At least the first day of kindergarten is shaping up to be beautiful. The sunshine is bright, the kids are all so beautiful and…oh, wait. There's Nathan, Madeline's ex-husband.
Never mind. The first day of kindergarten is also annoying.
Nathan and Bonnie come up to Ed and Madeline.
Bonnie is annoyingly earnest, and talking about what a special bond Abigail has with Bonnie's mom.
Nathan forgets Madeline's younger children's names, and then says that it's his first first day of kindergarten.
No it's not, Madeline reminds him. Our older daughter, Abigail? She also went to kindergarten.
Jane shows up, and Madeline is happy to see her.
Well, "happy" is a relative term. She's not annoyed by Jane's presence, at least.
But something does make her annoyed: the fact that Ziggy isn't invited to Amadella's birthday.
She's livid. (She's also pretty pleased to have something to be righteously angry about.)
Renata is chatting with Celeste when Madeline comes marching up.
Madeline tells Renata that Chloe can't come to Amadella's birthday, since Ziggy wasn't invited.
In the world of Pirriwee Prep, this is a declaration of war.

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