Addie looks forward to her first meeting of Reflections, the poetry magazine, two days after Mr. Bennett invited her. The invitation gives Addie a rare sense of hope, but it does not change the reality that she has been eating lunch alone every day since school started.

As Addie sits by herself in the cafeteria, she reflects on how completely other students have rejected her because of what happened with Mr. Tuttle. Addie lies to her mother and pretends school is improving, but internally she believes her classmates blame her and may never stop avoiding her.

During lunch, Addie tries to study trigonometry because she is falling behind. Without Mr. Tuttle tutoring her, Addie feels close to failing math, and she knows Mrs. Bennett is not giving her the same extra help he once did. Her academic fear adds to her sense of isolation.

Kenzie Montgomery approaches with Bella and several other girls and orders Addie to give up her table. When Addie hesitates, Kenzie grabs Addie’s lunch tray and Bella takes her textbook, threatening to throw Addie’s things away. Hudson Jankowski steps in and mildly questions why Addie must move, but he does not truly stand with her and instead suggests Kenzie use another table.

Hudson’s weak defense hurts Addie because it confirms that he no longer considers himself her friend. Rather than endure more humiliation, Addie takes back her math book, leaves her lunch behind, and walks out of the cafeteria fighting tears. The encounter shows that Addie remains socially powerless despite the small hope offered by the poetry magazine.