Principal Nichols lectures Nate at length about the green beans, but all Nate can focus on is how uncomfortable his chair is. It does not help that Nate has heard similar speeches from Principal Nichols. Nate even created a comic detailing the lecture. Principal Nichols describes the event in detail, compares Nate to Ellen, and discusses Nate’s potential. Then, he gives Nate detention. This lecture causes Nate to be late for gym, where Nate thinks he might finally surpass all others, a hope that is dashed immediately when Nate sees they have a substitute teacher, Coach John. Nate tries to sneak into the locker room, but Coach John spots him immediately. He yells at Nate for tardiness and hustles him to the locker room.

In the locker room, Nate notices that he has dried green beans around his mouth; he washes them off but gets water all over the front of his gym shorts. Nate cannot go to the gym like this. He imagines everyone making fun of him. In desperation, Nate frantically searches through lockers and the lost and found for another pair of gym shorts. Coach John yells at him to hurry up when Nate spies a pair of shorts peeking out of a gym bag.