A teenage girl named Lib at a boarding school wakes up on a special day. She takes stock of how different she is from her roommates. Nydia is beautiful, Marcia is practical and popular, and Terry is rich and in a stable relationship. Lib, however, is in a state of waiting to achieve those qualities. Lib and her roommates scramble to get ready since it is a special day, even though they might not normally care as much about being on time in the mornings. The school has declared a partial holiday to view the eclipse. After breakfast, they clean their room and Lib does some extra cleaning since it is her turn. Lib is thrilled at the prospect of seeing the eclipse, but she keeps that to herself. The girls trek out into the snowy landscape to join the other students and teachers. Lib sees a teacher who has played opposite her as Joseph when she is Mary in a Nativity play. She is reminded of the excitement and mixed feelings of being the star of the show. The girls are given tools to help protect their eyes.

When they see the eclipse, it impacts all of them. The experience is awe-inspiring, but also othering. There are musings if the experience could help one see the wonder in the familiar things. To Lib it it leaves everything dim in comparison. Her world seems surreal and small to her. The girls return to their room and have a snack. Nydia turns on the Victrola, has a cigarette (which they usually keep hidden), and dances with Lib. After a while the world around Lib seems normal again.