Episode Report Card Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Let's Spend The Night Together
By Niki | Season 1 | Episode 2 | Aired on 09.27.1999
Over at the high school, Eli sneaks up behind Jennifer in the hallway and throws his arms around her waist. You remember, the one you can fit your hands around? The temperature drops about ten degrees, and Jennifer walks away. As he follows her, she tosses some attitude over her shoulder, telling him to ask Grace Manning what the matter is.
Meanwhile, back at the Manning house, the comedy of phone errors is just getting underway. Lily picks up the cordless, but Grace's voice comes over the line, snapping that she's on the phone. Lily tells her that she needs to use it, and Grace tells her that she needs to go bra shopping that night. Lily answers that she doesn't need any more bras, since she has seven of them. Zoe overhears Lily mention bra shopping and pipes up that she needs a bra, too. Apparently, her nine-year-old frame has been busting out in ways no one else can see. She proceeds to beg for a bra, but Lily shoots her down decisively. Zoe doesn't mind. She skips away singing, "I'm getting a bra-a! I'm getting a bra-a!" We hear Grace ask Lily if she's still "seeing that dad." "Get off the phone!" Lily barks by way of reply.
Cut to Rick pacing the length of his little galley, phone in hand. Jessie walks in to rummage through the fridge, and Rick asks whether she's picked up the phone in the past hour. Jessie's wise to him immediately, asking, "Is the mom calling?" With a wide grin she asks, "Are you calling the mom?" He's already finished dialing and gets a busy signal.
Cut to Zoe sitting on her bed with a big white bra strapped on over her shirt. She's telling someone on the phone that her "mom said [she] could get a bra." Grace walks past the room at that moment and spots Zoe sporting her undergarment. She rushes in, ordering Zoe to take it off, and Zoe shoots past her, squealing down the hallway with Grace in hot pursuit. They nearly flatten Lily, but she has enough presence of mind to reach out and pluck the phone from Zoe's hand as she screams by. She dials and we hear four long, lonely, unanswered rings.
Cut to Eli on the phone at Rick's. Jennifer's mother is relaying the message that she doesn't want to speak with him. Beep. Eli insists it's important, and the woman says she'll try again. Beep. The mother returns and says it's still no go. Eli hangs up, looks at the phone for a second, and then scrambles to catch the waiting call. D'oh! Dial tone.
Lily calls out to the girls that they're going to go bra shopping after all. Nothing like a little torture to make you forget your pain.