Episode Report Card Niki: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Experience Is The Teacher
By Niki | Season 3 | Episode 17 | Aired on 03.31.2002
After commercials, we return to Lily and Rick's bedroom. She's huddled up on the bed with her head in her arms, while he's on the phone lying that she's working late. He promises to pass along the message to Lily. He hangs up and relays that there's going to be a meeting the next day with "all of [them]. He'll be there." She doesn't move or say anything. "Look, Lil, I know it's horrible, but we have to. And I'll be there with you, okay? Lil?" She remains unresponsive. He sighs and says they have to be at the principal's office at four o'clock and asks what time her meeting is with the syndicators. "Never mind about that," she says, sounding about a thousand years old.
Fade to Grace, staring sleeplessly at her ceiling. Fade to Rick, rolling over in his sleep and snuggling against a sleepless Lily. Fade back to Grace, still staring sleeplessly at her ceiling. The camera pans past her, to her bedside table, where an unopened letter rests. She reaches for the letter opener.
Cut to the kitchen, a little later. Grace wanders in and finds Lily sitting at the table in her robe, with a marble pound cake and a glass of milk in front of her. Grace asks if she's nervous about the next day. Lily admits, "A little. Are you?" Grace asks why she would be, and Lily asks what they're talking about. Grace mentions the meeting with the syndicators, and Lily says she decided not to do that. Grace tries to pour a glass of milk, but the carton is empty. Lily reaches over and pours most of the milk from her glass into Grace's. Which is nice, right? Lily starts to talk about the meeting at the school, but Grace interrupts, saying she can't believe Lily isn't even going to talk to the syndication people. Lily says, "It's just not the right timing." "Well, that's just crap," Grace says vehemently. Lily chides, "It's not like I don't have a lot going on tomorrow, as you well know." Grace hangs her head. After a second, she tries broaching the subject of syndication again. "You know, if you're scared, you should just admit it and not pretend." Lily insists that she isn't scared; she's just way too busy to "pursue" this right now. "When will you want to pursue it?" Grace challenges. Lily doesn't have an answer for that, but just insists that she isn't scared. Grace pulls the letter out of her robe pocket, and hands it to Lily. She says it came the day before, but she was too nervous to open it right away. Lily pulls the letter out of the envelope. It's from the magazine. She scans the page silently, then finally says, "Oh, honey, I'm sorry. I thought it was a good story." Grace asserts that it "is a good story. It's a really good story. I'm just so glad that I actually sent it somewhere. I mean, you don't realize this, but with a magazine like this, it's actually an honor to get rejected. At least that's what..." She trails off, so Lily finishes, "Mr. Dimitri says?"