Maggie, a retired teacher, looks back on her time teaching in Minnesota in 1984. On one important day, Maggie came into her classroom to discover that the long-beloved pet, a 40-year-old turtle, has passed away. During the day, while Maggie and her students hold a funeral for the turtle, Maggie reflects on several students who she has never been able to forget, especially a female student named Jenna Gupta. Jenna is a troubled child who often disrupts class and bullies her other classmates. Maggie learns that Jenna comes from an unstable home, with a mother who steals and manipulates, and a father who ignores her. At the end of the day, Jenna confesses to Maggie that she was the one who killed the turtle by pouring windex into turtles tank after being dared to by another male student. Maggie promises Jenna that she will not tell anyone, but instead does, hoping that this incident will finally prove to the school and to Jenna's parents that Jenna needs help. Still, looking back, Maggie is unsure of if her betrayal could have been more damaging to Jenna in the end.