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
Cut to Grace's bedroom, where she's sitting on the bed with books spread out in front of her. Lily knocks at the half-open door and asks to come in. Trying to sound nonchalant, she asks what Grace is working on. Grace answers that she's working out a new ending for her story. Lily absently folds a towel and says she thought Grace already sent it out to a magazine. "That's no reason to stop working on it," Grace says, parroting Creepitri but trying to sound like an expert. Lily spots the book from Creepitri on the bed and picks it up, smiling, "Since when did you start reading Chekhov?" Just before she can open it, Grace snatches it from her, trying to keep her voice calm as she says that she needs it. Lily asks if it's a library book, knowing full well that it isn't. Grace says, "It's just this book that Mr. Dimitri lent me." "Oh, really," Lily says heavily, taking a seat on the bed. Grace babbles that he thinks she should start reading Chekhov, since her work is "in that tradition." Oh, brother. Lily abruptly changes the subject, asking, "How was that movie last night?" Grace senses a trap and asks what she means. Lily says she's just wondering who was there. Grace straightens up, warily asking why Lily would want to know that. Lily levels with her, telling her about the phone call from Alexa's mother. Grace rolls her eyes and storms off the bed, saying she knows what Alexa has been saying, and that the girl is insane. Grace scrambles to tell Lily that she and Creepitri haven't done anything wrong: "I mean, we went to a movie. Big deal!" Lily looks as if it is, in fact, a big deal, so Grace barrels on, saying that other kids were supposed to go, but that they backed out at the last minute. Lily buys it. "You do?" Grace asks, shocked. Lily says she knows how these things get started, "when a teacher singles out a certain student." She says she thinks it would be best, though, if Grace stopped seeing Creepitri outside of class for a while. Grace can't believe it. She sets her jaw and starts her head swinging indignantly, and Lily tries to convince her that it's not a punishment. Grace snaps, "Okay, fine. Fine! I'll come home every day after school, and I won't go anywhere or see anyone without checking with you first." She's totally snotty, which Lily clearly doesn't appreciate after trying so hard to be understanding. Lily clenches her jaw and torpedoes Grace's sarcasm: "Well, thanks. I'd appreciate that." She turns and walks out, much to Grace's disappointment. I have to sit back for a second, so overcome am I by a strange new sensation. Why, I think I'm actually rooting for Lily.