Episode Report Card Niki: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Go Greyhound
By Niki | Season 2 | Episode 21 | Aired on 04.24.2001
Eli arrives at the bus station, where a very bored announcer is droning off a list of destinations over the loudspeaker. Eli studies the departures board. Sighing, he takes a seat on a bench and glances up at the clock on the wall. It's 7:10.
"It's just not fair," Zoe gripes, piling buns in a basket at the stove. At the table, Grace rolls her eyes and glares at the kid's pathetic idea of injustice: being forced to participate in dodgeball. Zoe looks to Jessie to back her up, but Jessie confesses that she likes dodgeball. Zoe starts to rethink her whole adoration thing. Rick asks Grace whether she knows what time the library closes. Guarded, she says she doesn't, and asks why. He says that Eli said he'd be there studying, and Rick's wondering whether he should go and pick him up, because he wants the two of them to grab more stuff from the apartment. Grace stammers, "I think he said something about band practice, or something." She can't meet Rick's eyes. Rick is frustrated that Eli never mentioned practice to him, and Lily asks whether Eli mentioned where practice is. Jessie volunteers to call Karen's place, since they usually rehearse in her basement. As Jessie heads for the phone, Grace blurts, "He's not there," and hates herself for it. "How do you know?" Rick asks. "I just know," Grace says, staring fixedly at her plate. Rick and Lily exchange a look, and Lily leans forward. Rick asks where Eli is, then. Grace won't look up, but she almost sorta shrugs. "Grace?" Lily prods. Grace finally looks up, realizes the jig is up, and leans back in her chair. She admits that Eli said he was meeting Wannabe at the bus station, but he didn't say where they were going. Rick's face registers shock, disbelief, and finally, anger. He throws his napkin on the table and stands up to tear off for the station. "Rick!" Grace pleads. Jessie pops out of her chair and says she's going to go with him. Rick takes her by the shoulders, saying, "No, sweetie." He's thinking that she really doesn't need to witness a double homicide. Jessie watches him go, tears filling her eyes. She sucks her lip to keep in the tears. Lily gently reaches out and touches her elbow, softly telling her to come back to the table. Silently, Jessie turns and sits down. Lily strokes her hair and assures her that everything will be okay. Jessie looks miserable.
Cut to Grace lying on her bed with a textbook. There's a tapping at her window. It's Wannabe, perched on a branch outside. Maybe she'll fall! No such luck. Grace throws open the window and Wannabe climbs safely inside. Grace asks what she's doing there. Wannabe says that she came to say goodbye. "Weren't you supposed to meet Eli?" Grace whispers. "Yeah. Do you have any money?" is the hopeless romantic's reply. Grace says that Eli sneaked out to meet Wannabe at the bus station. Wannabe looks thoughtful and muses, "Huh. I didn't think he'd really do it. You got any money?" She says that Grace should know she wouldn't ask if she didn't really need it. Grace rolls her eyes and pulls a clump of bills from a jar on her desk. Wannabe sighs in relief at the sight of it and counts it. She heads into Grace's bathroom to drink water from the tap, and Grace tells her that Rick is out looking for Eli. "That makes sense," Wannabe says bitterly. She says that she doesn't think Eli is "ready for this." Grace can't believe that Wannabe's just going to leave him behind. "I'm trying to spare him. I'm not an easy person," Wannabe says. Grace can't believe that Wannabe could do that to someone who cares about her. "He was ready to give up everything for you!" she points out. "That's not necessarily a good personality trait," Wannabe replies. Then she shifts gears, saying, "You should be happy about this! Eli's going to be living in your house!" Grace recoils, asking, "What's that supposed to mean?" Wannabe answers, "Just that! He's all yours." Grace looks wounded, and after a few moments, she tells Wannabe that she should just go. "I didn't mean that," Wannabe says quickly. "Yes, you did!" Grace spits. Catfight! Grace says that Wannabe's always thought that Grace wanted Eli, and "even if it's not true, it's probably why [Wannabe] wanted him in the first place." Wannabe softens, and says that she's really going to miss Grace; Grace is the only friend she's ever had. "Yeah," Grace says sarcastically, fighting to hold back her tears. Wannabe's doing the same as she insists that it's true. Grace can't look at her. After a few seconds, she chokes out, "Then why were you just going to leave like that?" Wannabe doesn't know what she's talking about. Grace reminds her that she just got up and left Geometry, and that Wannabe would have been fine just taking off like that except that she needed money. "Is that what you really think?" Wannabe cries. Grace says she doesn't know what to think. "Well, don't think that!" Wannabe pleads. They hug and sob, and Wannabe says, "I really will miss you, Grace Manning." Grace bites her lip, squinches her eyes, and holds Wannabe even tighter. Wannabe breaks for the window and pauses on the branch outside for one last look. Oh, just get going, already.