Episode Report Card Niki: A+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Disoriented
By Niki | Season 3 | Episode 14 | Aired on 03.10.2002
Lily knocks on the Curmudgeon's office door and asks whether he's given any more thought to what she said the day before. He freezes. "About the phone lines," she adds. He exhales, explaining that he thought she meant "the malarkey" she sprayed over the airwaves about accepting your kids for who they are. "As if anybody's really going to do that," he scoffs. Lily rubs a smudge off her halo and claims that she does. "And I think my children are better people for it," she adds, looking down from on high. "Oh, yeah? Well, I doubt that," the Curmudgeon grumbles. Lily takes it as an invitation to sit and regale him with tales of her virtue. She tells him that Grace just joined the Gay/Straight Alliance. The Curmudgeon literally shudders. Lily makes Grace's show of "tolerance and understanding" all about Lily herself, saying she thinks it's because she shows Grace tolerance and understanding. I enjoy the best belly laugh I've had in a while. The Curmudgeon doesn't react. Lily leans forward and gets all up in his business, saying he's upset about his daughter. The Curmudgeon shoves papers into his briefcase and snaps that it's not "about [his] crazy daughter or [Lily's] gay daughter or anybody else's daughter." He stands up, promises to look into the matter of the phone lines, and then he bolts for the door. Lily jumps out of the chair, wanting to set the record straight about Grace's orientation. The Curmudgeon holds up a hand and says he doesn't want to know. Lily desperately calls after him, "She's just very principled!" Uh, you were saying something about tolerance and understanding...?
Jessie finds Katie in the hallway after class. Katie observes that her hair is "all staticky" and proceeds to groom her like a loving monkey. Jessie watches the reactions swirling all around her: a girl throws a knowing look over her shoulder; Tad averts his eyes; Creepitri looks intrigued. Self-consciously, Jessie shoos Katie's hand away and backs off, saying, "You should go." Katie grabs Jessie's wrist to examine her watch and declares that she has forty-five seconds left. Jessie says that she'd better go, then, because she doesn't want anyone thinking she's a lesbian. I mean, "she doesn't want to be late for class." Jessie wanders down the hallway, her face clouded. Grace grabs Jessie to let her know that Grace can't drive Jessie to therapy because there's a Gay/Straight Alliance meeting. Jessie insists that Grace has to drive her: "What else am I supposed to do?" Jessie whines. Uh, take the bus? Grace won't budge, saying that Jessie will just have to come to the meeting, then. Jessie immediately refuses. Grace puts her foot down. Jessie breaks the standoff with a hefty sigh. "Fine," she snaps before stomping off. Grace rolls her eyes and spins around to study the Gay/Straight notice tacked to the bulletin board. Creepitri sidles up and leans in the classroom doorway behind her, joking, "So, I was thinking of doing some teaching. What do you say?" Grace can't say anything, her smile is so wide.