Episode Report Card Niki: A+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Disoriented
By Niki | Season 3 | Episode 14 | Aired on 03.10.2002
Jessie's curled up in her bedroom, reading Katie's letter. She jumps up when someone knocks on her door, and the letter floats to the floor. Katie emerges at the top of the stairs. Sullen, she says that Eli let her in, and she just wants her sweater back. Jessie tries to find it, and Katie spots her letter on the floor. "You missed the trash," she says. Jessie rushes toward the letter, saying that she wasn't going to throw it away. Katie asks for it back. Jessie is taken aback by the request. Katie chokes out that she humiliated herself enough as it is. Jessie asks how. Katie cries that she shouldn't have written all that stuff, and Jessie tries to convince her that it's okay. Katie says it's not okay; Jessie won't even talk to her now. "I just want to be friends," Jessie pleads, tears streaming. Katie says that's what she wants, too. Jessie says the letter made it seem like Katie wanted more. Katie tells her to forget the letter. Jessie says, "I've just been really --" "Confused. I know," Katie says, stepping toward her. Jessie tells Katie that she's really important. "I am?" Katie asks, hardly daring to believe it. "Yes!" Jessie breathes. Jessie asks if they can still be friends. Katie hugs her, exclaiming, "Yes! Of course! Oh my god!" While they hug, Katie begs Jessie to just throw "the stupid letter away." Jessie freezes as she realizes that she doesn't want to. They pull back to look at one another, and Jessie whispers that she wants to keep the letter forever. Katie smiles faintly, and they stare at each other with an intensity hot enough to sear undies. After a few seconds, they lean in for a kiss. It's one of the softest, most tender and heartfelt first kisses ever, and even my heart's pounding, feeling their nervousness. "Oh my god," Jessie whispers when they stop. "What?" Katie asks. Jessie's face clouds briefly, but then relaxes. "I just, um..." "I know," Katie says. They kiss some more. Boy, would I be pissed if I lived in Lynchburg.
Cut to Grace walking across the school parking lot. Creepitri's egg glides up beside her and slows. Wordlessly, Grace ends up in his car. She stares resolutely out the passenger window, while he tries to break the ice. He tells her that she did a great job with the presentation. Grace says she doesn't care about "the stupid dance" or the Gay/Straight Alliance. She looks at him pointedly. He looks into his lap and whispers that he knows. She chokes, "What else do you know?" He says he knows she took his book, and says it was stupid of him not to just lend it to her, but "the thing is, [they're] not friends." He says that if circumstances were different, he'd love to be friends. He goes on and on and on about what could have been until Grace finally begs him to stop. She asks if Christine is his girlfriend. He admonishes her for asking, then relents and says that Christine was his girlfriend in college. "Oh," Grace says softly, staring at him. He stares back. Hearts flutter. "You'd better get out of the car now," Creepitri warns. "Why?" Grace asks. They stare at one another a few more seconds, and I swear, Creepitri shifts subtly in his seat, like he's about to lean toward her. She senses it and tries to stay calm. Until a tapping at the window nearly sends her out of her skin. She turns to find Lily grinning in at her, blissfully unaware of what was about to happen. Apparently, they've been parked outside Manning Manor this whole time. Creepitri tries to stammer an explanation, but Lily waves it away, thanking him for driving Grace home. Grace flies out of the car, and Creepitri sighs, relieved that his job is safe for one more day.