The Teacher

During a meeting of the Reflections staff, Lotus criticizes Addie’s new poem for being too sappy. Addie is annoyed because it is a love poem she wrote about Nate. Lotus asks Addie to go get some pizza, but Addie makes up an excuse and goes to the darkroom to wait for Nate. They’ve been meeting after the Reflections meetings for a few weeks, mostly just kissing and talking about poetry. They’ve also begun using Snapflash to communicate privately. Nate joins her, showing her a poem he wrote for her. It’s a sweet poem about a young woman giving life to a man again. Nate claims that he thinks about Addie all the time. They have sex, and it’s Addie’s first time.

Addie is in English class thinking about how her relationship with Nate has changed since they began having sex. Now, instead of talking, they have sex. He has also stopped looking at her in class because he worries that someone will figure out what is happening between them. An announcement comes over the intercom announcing that Caseham High School won the Massachusetts poetry award. Addie thinks that they will say her name as the winner, but they say Lotus’s name instead.