The Teacher

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. Addie is upset and sends Nate a message over Snapflash asking why he didn’t enter her poem. He promises to explain when they meet. In the darkroom, Nate tells Addie that Lotus went to the principal and complained, so he had to send in Lotus’s poem. Once again, Nate expresses his affection for Addie, even quoting her favorite poem, “Annabel Lee.” They have sex while Addie dreams of being with Nate in a proper bed. She imagines that things would be much easier if Mrs. Bennett weren’t around.

Addie is eating alone in the cafeteria when Kenzie knocks her food on the floor. Addie was reading Nate’s poem. Kenzie sees it and demands to know who wrote it, but Addie lies and says she copied it from a book. Addie cleans up the mess and goes to buy more food before the bell. She doesn’t have enough money for the turkey sandwich she picked, but Hudson comes over and pays for it. Addie thanks him and offers to pay him back. Hudson tries to talk to her, but the bell rings. Addie rushes to class, but the moment she sits down, Mrs. Bennett makes her throw away the sandwich. Once again, Addie reflects on how much easier life would be without Mrs. Bennett.

Eve and Nate host Shelby and her husband for dinner. The evening turns miserable for Eve as Shelby goes on and on about her three-year-old while her husband pours affection over her. As Shelby leaves, she asks Eve about her attempts to get pregnant. Shelby suggests that Eve visit a fertility doctor, but Eve knows she isn’t pregnant because of the infrequency of sex with Nate. After Shelby and her husband leave, Eve walks the trash to the curb. She thinks she hears something and becomes convinced that someone is watching her. Eve sees a human shadow near the bushes. She runs inside and looks out the window. She’s shocked to see Addie Severson run across her lawn.

Eve tells Nate what she saw, but Nate doubts it was Addie. Eve insists that she has to go to the principal about it the following day. Nate argues against it, claiming that Addie has already had enough trouble and he doesn’t want to cause more. As Eve continues to insist that she has to go to the principal, Nate initiates sex, suggesting they try to have a baby.

Addie regrets going to the Bennett home. She thinks about the night she went to the Tuttle house. She wasn’t sure why she did it and didn’t think anything was wrong with it at the time. But then a neighbor called the police, and she was arrested. The next day, the principal asked her if Mr. Tuttle ever touched her. Addie hesitated in her answer because Mr. Tuttle once touched her shoulder, and she could see that the principal either thought she was lying or thought she had an affair with Mr. Tuttle. Addie is relieved that no one saw her at the Bennett home. The next day, she gets a message from Nate telling her that he knows she was there. He says that the principal is going to talk to her and that she should deny everything. Nate reminds her that his life is in her hands. Therefore, when Addie goes in to speak to the principal, she denies being outside the Bennett house even though Eve is there and insists that she saw Addie.

At lunch, Lotus joins Addie at her table, but Addie refuses to sit with her. Addie accuses Lotus of being two-faced and lying about the poem Nate submitted to the Massachusetts poetry contest. Lotus insists that she never went to the principal and that it was all Nate’s choice. Addie doesn’t believe her but decides to talk to Nate anyway. He hasn’t been answering her messages on Snapflash, so she goes to his classroom and finds him having lunch at his desk. Addie apologizes for going to his house even as Nate reminds her again how dangerous it is for them to be connected to each other. Addie begins to cry, and Nate softens, reminding her that she is his soulmate. Addie asks to see Nate later that day, but he tells her that they have to cool it for a while. Addie pulls him in for a kiss, and to her surprise, Nate gives her the most passionate kiss he’s ever given her. Nate promises to tell her when it will be safe to see each other again and then sends her away. Addie thinks again that it would be best if Eve were out of the way.

Over lunch, Eve talks to Shelby about Addie showing up outside her house. Shelby hears the story and wonders why Eve would assume Addie was there for Eve. After Shelby suggests that Addie was there to see Nate, Eve seeks out Nate to discuss the possibility with him. However, when she arrives outside his classroom, she can see him talking to Addie. Eve is bothered when she sees that Addie is crying and Nate is holding her hand. Eve continues to watch through the window and is shocked when she sees Nate passionately kiss Addie.

Eve’s first instinct is to confront Nate and Addie. However, she realizes that exposing Nate would result in a scandal that would wreck her career as well as Nate’s. Eve also realizes that Addie is only 16 and not responsible for the affair. Eve takes a picture and goes to her own classroom. Rather than teach the planned lesson, Eve assigns a page of problems for the students and spends the hour trying to decide what to do. Eve messages Jay and asks to see him. He isn’t closing the shoe store that night but agrees to meet her somewhere else. Eve believes that Jay can help her figure things out.

Eve meets Jay at a McDonald’s near the shoe store, and he drives them to a quiet neighborhood where they won’t be seen. She cries as she tells him what she saw in Nate’s classroom. Jay is angry, and he initially suggests that Eve kill Nate. Jay tells Eve that she cannot go to the principal because it would ruin both her and Addie’s lives. He suggests that she use the information to force Nate to give her a divorce.

After talking to Jay, Eve goes home and gets drunk. When she hears Nate come home, she confronts him. Eve tells Nate that she knows about his relationship with Addie. Nate initially denies it and then blames Addie, suggesting that she has a crush on him and forced herself on him. Eve calls him out on that, saying that the kiss she saw was not an innocent girl kissing a crush. Finally, Nate asks her if she’s gone to the principal. Eve says that she hasn’t told anyone but that she will if he doesn’t agree to her terms. She tells Nate that she wants a divorce, to which he agrees at once. She asks for the house and tells him to end the relationship with Addie. Nate reluctantly agrees. Finally, she insists that he resign from Caseham High School and never teach children again. Nate balks at this demand, arguing that Addie is an adult under Massachusetts law. He then tells Eve that no one would believe her anyway because she is drunk at six in the evening and obsessed with shoes. Eve reveals that she has a picture of Nate and Addie kissing. Nate goes upstairs to pack.

Addie is at home working on homework when Nate sends her a message telling her that Eve knows. He also tells her that they have to end their relationship and that he must resign from teaching or else Eve will go to the principal. Nate tells Addie that if Eve were to die, they could stay together, and he could keep his job. As Addie contemplates this outcome, her mother comes to her door to remind her that she’s working an overnight shift and is about to leave. Addie’s mother expresses concern in leaving Addie alone, but Addie assures her that she’ll be fine. As soon as her mother is gone, Addie invites Nate over, but he refuses. Addie is frustrated by how unfair the situation is.

Addie soothes her hurt feelings with ice cream, but her thoughts return to what Nate said about Eve dying. Addie thinks about the day her father died and knows that she could never do anything to hurt anyone else. What happened to her father was an accident. She believes that she could talk to Eve and convince her that Addie and Nate are destined to be together.

Eve spends the evening eating ice cream and watching a movie. She is about to fall asleep on the couch when she hears a noise from the kitchen. She thinks she might have imagined it, but then she hears it again. She realizes that she left her phone in the kitchen, so she decides to escape through the front door. However, she hears someone cursing and recognizes Addie’s voice.

Eve recognizes that Addie is as much a victim as she is, and she wants to set the situation right. She goes to speak to Addie, attempting to convince her that Nate has been manipulating her. However, Addie is convinced that she is in love with Nate and that they are destined to be together. When Eve realizes how deeply manipulated Addie is, she suggests that perhaps it would be in everyone’s best interest if Eve went to the principal. Addie becomes enraged and hits Eve on the head with a frying pan.

When Eve’s down on the floor, Addie hits her two more times. When she sees blood, she is shocked and realizes that she might have killed Eve. In a panic, Addie grabs Eve’s phone and calls Nate. When he answers, she tells him that Eve is dead, and he promises to come.

Addie waits for Nate to come, guilt washing over her. When Nate arrives, she tells him what happened. He grabs Eve’s phone and looks through it, finds the photo Eve took of Nate and Addie kissing, and deletes it. Then he tells Addie that they have to bury Eve. Nate convinces Addie that if they don’t get rid of the body, she will go to jail for murder. Addie reluctantly agrees. As Addie goes to find a sheet to wrap Eve in, she convinces herself that Nate has her best interests at heart.

Eve wakes up and finds Nate searching through her phone. She is initially confused because she doesn’t remember what happened, but then it comes back to her in a flash. She asks Nate to call 911. She says that Addie is troubled and that they have to go to the principal in order to get Addie help. Nate begs her not to, but Eve won’t back down. Nate strangles Eve until she passes out again.

Addie finds a set of navy-blue sheets to wrap Eve in and goes back to the kitchen. She notices that Eve has moved and that there are new red marks on her throat. She asks Nate about them, but he brushes her off. Nate encourages Addie to help him wrap Eve in the sheet. When she suggests that they call the police, he again insists that Addie will go to prison for killing Eve. Nate tells her that Eve would have ruined both their lives and laughed about it. He tells her that now they can be together, but they have to dispose of the body. Addie agrees.