The Teacher

Eve thinks about how bad her birthday has been. First, Nate turned her down for sex, and then she had an awkward call with her parents. She hasn’t spoken to them except on holidays in years. Eve reflects on how she should have listened to her parents and never married Nate.

Addie is aware that she smells. She’s also mortified that her wet clothes are ruining everything inside her backpack. She arrives at Mr. Bennett’s class seconds before the bell. He pulls her aside and asks if she’s okay, and then he gives her a pass to leave school early. Addie leaves the school and heads to Kenzie’s house.

Addie stands outside Kenzie’s house, thinking of breaking in with the key she stole from Kenzie’s backpack, but she decides not to. Instead, she goes home, where her mother confronts her over the clothes she is wearing. When her mother reminds her that they are supposed to go to the cemetery to visit her father’s grave, Addie refuses. Addie will never understand how her mother can continue to love a man who was always drunk and violently abusive. Addie’s mother surprises her by agreeing not to go to the cemetery, but she suggests that they go out to dinner instead.

Eve dresses nicely for a dinner out with Nate and is disappointed when he decides to go to a local Italian restaurant rather than the fancier place she suggested. On the drive to the restaurant, Eve reflects on the lack of conversation she and Nate share, recalling how they once lay in the park while he read poetry to her. She thinks that maybe she’ll suggest they do that again. She also decides to end the affair with Jay. However, when they arrive at the restaurant, they argue over where to park. Nate notices Addie dining with her mother and tells Eve what a great poet she is. Eve warns him to be careful because of what Art Tuttle told her. Nate tells her that Art was a creep. Eve recalls how Art told her he was only trying to help Addie because she’d recently lost her father, but she also remembers that he couldn’t explain what Addie was doing sneaking around his house the night Addie was arrested for trespassing in his yard. Nate grows irritated as Eve continues to warn him about Addie even though Eve is trying to protect him.

Addie spends her entire meal staring at Mr. Bennett across the restaurant, to the point that her mother calls her attention to the fact that she hasn’t eaten her food. Addie excuses herself to go to the bathroom. Mr. Bennett joins the line for the bathroom. He asks Addie what happened to her at school that day. Addie tells him what Kenzie did without using names. Mr. Bennett tells Addie that he assigned the class the analysis of a poem they discussed in class, but since she wasn’t there, he wants her to write a revenge letter to the bullies who stole her clothes instead.

When Eve and Nate return home, Nate feigns exhaustion, so Eve sends him up to bed. Eve gets a message on Snapflash telling her that there’s a gift waiting at the door. Eve finds a shoebox that holds a pair of Sam Edelman sling pumps. As Eve goes to try them on, she hears a noise outside. She opens the door, expecting to see Jay, but no one is there.

Someone has cut the lock on Addie’s locker and sprayed shaving cream on everything. Kenzie and her friends approach Addie, making jokes about how the shaving cream will help when Addie finally shaves her legs. They laugh, and a crowd gathers. Mrs. Bennett comes and demands to know what is happening. Addie refuses to say who put the shaving cream in her locker. Mrs. Bennett sends the other students away and instructs Addie to clean up the mess. Hudson comes over and attempts to help, but Addie sends him away, feeling that his help would only cause Kenzie to bully Addie more.

As Addie cleans up her locker, she reflects on the incident that caused her and Hudson to stop being friends. Hudson was at her house studying in her bedroom the way they had done dozens of times over the years. He tutored her in math, and she helped him with English. However, on this particular day, Addie’s father was drunk and belligerent, accusing Hudson of acting inappropriately with Addie in her bedroom. They began to fight in the hallway, and Mr. Severson pushed Hudson. Addie shoved her father, causing him to fall down the stairs. When Addie and Hudson realized Mr. Severson was dead, Addie insisted, over Hudson’s objections, that they flee to Hudson’s house rather than call the police. They waited there until Addie’s mother came home and found her father. Hudson struggled with what happened and stopped speaking to Addie because of it.

Addie is cleaning up her locker when Mr. Bennett finds her. He helps her finish and then offers her a ride home because of the rain. Addie initially refuses because Mr. Tuttle used to give her rides home, and the school used the rides as proof of Mr. Tuttle’s supposed inappropriate relationship. However, Mr. Bennett assures her that he won’t get in trouble, and Addie reluctantly agrees.

Mr. Bennett escorts Addie to his car. As they head to her house, Mr. Bennett asks if the person behind the shaving cream is the same one who ruined her clothes in gym. He says he’s sorry that she is being treated this way and tells her to stand up for herself. She insists she can’t because her bully has a posse. Mr. Bennett agrees that high school can suck and refers to his own difficult experience because he was a 16-year-old boy who liked to write poetry. Addie asks about the first poem he wrote, and he describes a poem he wrote for his mother when he was six. Addie feels like she is on a date when Mr. Bennett drops her off at her house.

When Jay helps Eve try on a pair of Calvin Klein pumps that she can’t afford, he expresses regret that he can’t buy them for her. Eve says that she wants to leave Nate, and Jay encourages her. She knows that she and Jay cannot be together either. Even as she thinks about it, Jay’s phone rings, and she hears a baby crying in the background. They agree to meet again the following week. Jay walks Eve to her car and kisses her when they get there before sending her home to her husband.

Today is the math midterm, but Addie is struggling in the class. Although she studied, she doesn’t feel confident that she can pass the test. She wants a tutor but knows her mom can’t afford one. As the test begins, Addie realizes that she can see the answers on another student’s paper. She copies a few of his answers, just enough to pass. She’s never cheated before but is desperate to pass this class. As Addie leaves the class, Kenzie accuses her of cheating. Kenzie threatens to tell Mrs. Bennett if Addie doesn’t lick the floor in Mr. Bennett’s class.

Addie doesn’t lick the floor in Mr. Bennett’s class even though Kenzie keeps urging her with looks. Mr. Bennett is discussing a Robert Frost poem when a student enters the room with a note for Addie. Mr. Bennett reads the note but doesn’t pass it on until the end of class. The note asks Addie to go to Mrs. Bennett’s classroom. Mr. Bennett asks what is going on, but Addie feigns ignorance even though she suspects that Kenzie told Mrs. Bennett that Addie cheated on the test. When Addie arrives in Mrs. Bennett’s class, Mrs. Bennett tells her that she knows she cheated and that she will be taking Addie to the principal’s office in the morning. Addie is angry with Kenzie and vows revenge.

Nate is waiting for Eve when she returns home and offers to order in for dinner even though he usually dislikes spending money on takeout. Nate seduces Eve. Afterward, Nate asks about the note Eve sent to his class for Addie. Eve explains how she saw Addie cheating on the midterm. Eve tells him that she’s going to turn Addie into the principal the following day. Nate suggests that Eve go easy on Addie; she could give her a zero on the test and encourage Addie to get tutoring. Eve reluctantly agrees. Nate gets up to shower. Eve receives a message from Jay wondering if he will see her the following day. Eve reflects on the ways Nate has been an inattentive husband and decides to continue with Jay a while longer. She sends him a message assuring him that she will be there.

Addie goes to Kenzie’s house after school, aware that Kenzie has cheerleading practice and that her parents both work outside the home. She rings the doorbell before using the key to enter. She takes off her shoes and makes her way upstairs. She checks out the bathroom, where she finds a prescription for anti-nausea pills written for Kenzie’s brother. She goes into Kenzie’s bedroom and finds a love note in the desk drawer that she assumes is from Hudson. Addie breaks a ceramic bird that was on the desk and is surprised that it doesn’t make her feel any better. She goes to the closet and begins going through Kenzie’s clothes. She considers stealing a few things, assuming that Kenzie won’t notice because her closet is so large. Then she hears a noise downstairs.

Addie thinks that someone has come home and that she is about to be caught. She hesitates, tosses the keys into a corner of the closet, and then quietly makes her way downstairs. When she reenters the kitchen, she discovers a cat that has knocked over a pitcher of water. Addie grabs her shoes and flees.

After sixth period, Eve tells Addie that she has decided not to go to the principal. Instead, she will give Addie a zero for the midterm and the names of several inexpensive tutors. Eve promises that if Addie brings up her grade at the end of the semester, Eve will drop the midterm grade. Addie is grateful.

After the Reflections meeting, Mr. Bennett asks Addie to stay for a minute. He reveals that he knows Addie cheated on the test and asks what his wife did about it. He admits that he talked to Eve and asked her to go easy on Addie. Grateful, Addie hugs Mr. Bennett, and when he hugs her back, she realizes that he has an erection. Mr. Bennett apologizes, telling Addie that he hasn’t felt connected to his wife for a long time, but he feels a connection to Addie. However, he claims that it is inappropriate and asks her to leave. Addie leaves, but she goes back. Mr. Bennett says that he can’t resist her even though he’s tried. They kiss. He tells her they can’t be together in the classroom. She takes him to an old darkroom that the school no longer uses. He demands that Addie call him Nate, or Nathaniel, when they are alone together. Addie decides that she likes the sound of “Nathaniel” and “Adeline.” They kiss again.

They kiss for almost an hour before Nate drives Addie home. He holds her hand and tells her that she’s his soulmate. He says that he’s begun writing poetry again and that Eve never liked his poetry. He claims that Eve is practical and doesn’t like his artistic side. Nate insists that Addie not tell anyone about their relationship because it could endanger his career. Addie promises.

Nate comes home while Eve is grading papers. He suggests that they make love, but Eve turns him down because she has a date with Jay that night. Nate becomes angry and locks himself in the bedroom.