The Deep South. Prom night, 1968. High school biology teacher, Mr. Williams, becomes distraught watching his star student, Tom, dance the night away, and suddenly disappears. When Tom finds his mentor hiding behind the bleachers, he shepherds him off into the mossy woods, confronts him about the secret relationship they've had and forces him to admit his true feelings. Flashbacks reveal the night of passion that Mr. Williams would rather forget and that Tom will always remember. When they are nearly caught in an embarassing moment, Mr. Williams relents, giving Tom one, brief moment of solace, before sending him off toward his future. In the end, Tom has been able to move on, while Mr. Williams remains entrenched in his place and in his past.