Susan McConnell dreams of getting out of her hometown, far away from the red dust storms.

On the way into school, Susan helps a classmate, David Ruggles, gather his notebook papers that have billowed in the wind. David gives up on the papers, a homework assignment for Mr. Griffin’s class. They walk all the way to school together and Susan is buoyed by her proximity to David, the handsome and popular senior class president.

Susan’s first class of the day is English Literature and Composition with Mr. Griffin, a notoriously difficult teacher. As Susan hands in her assignment about writing a final song for Hamlet character Ophelia, and athlete Jeff Garrett asks Mr. Griffin for an extension. Mr. Griffin makes fun of the request and says he has no problem holding students back from graduation. Jeff mutters that Mr. Griffin is the type of man a person would like to kill.

At lunch, Jeff’s friend Mark brings up killing Mr. Griffin. Jeff said it out of anger, but Mark presents the idea to Jeff seriously, making him doubt whether Mark is joking. Their friend