Addie stays after school cleaning shaving cream out of her vandalized locker with paper towels. As she works, she thinks about how much easier it would have been with Hudson beside her and remembers that sending him away after what happened between them nearly a year earlier still hurts.

In the flashback, Hudson is at Addie's house studying when Addie's drunk father comes home yelling. When he finds Hudson in Addie's room, he calls Addie a slut and accuses Hudson of taking advantage of her. Hudson finally stands up for Addie, and the confrontation escalates until Addie's father shoves Hudson. Addie shoves her father back without realizing how close he is to the stairs, and he falls down them, apparently dying from the impact.

Hudson panics and wants to call for help, but Addie refuses because she does not want them blamed. She drags Hudson out through the back door and gets him to stay quiet while they hide in his room. Later, Addie's mother finds the body, and the death is treated as a drunken accident. Although they avoid suspicion, Hudson is traumatized and never forgives Addie, cutting her off afterward. Addie explains that losing Hudson left her isolated, hurt her schoolwork, and made Arthur Tuttle's kindness feel especially important to her.

Back in the present, Addie finishes cleaning just as Mr. Bennett finds her at the locker. Unlike Eve earlier, Nate Bennett responds with sympathy, helps her remove the remaining shaving cream, and figures out how to restack her damp books so they can dry. When he sees the rain outside, he offers Addie a ride home. Addie hesitates because of the trouble caused by Arthur Tuttle driving her before, but Nate insists it is harmless, and she finally accepts, convincing herself nothing bad will happen.