Connections

S01E20

Elena walks into McGrath's office and, finding it empty, slips her outline onto his desk. As she starts to walk out, McGrath enters. Elena explains what she was doing. McGrath sits and rubs his eyes. Elena asks if he's okay. McGrath says that it's been a rough week and that his assistant is out of town, so he's getting bogged down with paperwork. Elena asks if she can help. McGrath says she can if she's available evenings, and promises to make sure she gets extra credit or something for it. Elena says he doesn't have to do that, because it would be a great learning experience. She leaves after thanking him.

Ben walks into some guy's dorm room. I guess the guy is Barry, since he's clearly a bookie of some sort. Although last we heard, Lynn refused to give Ben Barry's number, so I don't know how he found him. Whatever. I'm letting it go. Ben says he knows he owes Barry some money, and says that if Barry could just spot him a little more, he could get caught up. Barry says he doesn't have the money to spot, but he does have a way that Ben could help him out and make some money. Ben doesn't want to threaten people who owe Barry money. Barry says it's not the Mafia, and that he wants "friendly folks." He hands Ben a list and asks if he knows anyone one it. Ben reluctantly looks at the list and then admits that he knows a couple of them, and that one of them lives in Julie's dorm. Barry is glad to hear it.

Ben arrive at Kelvin Hall and sees Guy sitting in the lounge. Ben walks over and introduces himself, and then says that they have a friend in common: Barry. Guy immediately asks if Ben is going to beat him up. Ben says it's not like that, and explains that when Guy doesn't pay up, Barry has to pay the money out of his own pocket to cover bets. Guy says he never thought about it like that, and offers up the thirty dollars he made washing dishes, promising to get the rest soon. Ben looks disgusted with himself, and tells Guy to forget it. Guy asks what about Barry, and Ben says, "Screw Barry."

Men's locker room. I get all excited about the potential of Scott Speedman in a towel or shirtless or something, but he's fully dressed. Goddammit! Lynn walks in and asks Ben if he's ready for the meet with Rutgers. Things are tense, so I guess they haven't really talked since their fight. Lynn addresses it, but Ben pretends nothing is going on. Lynn says he just wants to make sure Ben is okay. Ben asks why he wouldn't be, and Lynn says, "No reason." Lynn says that he knows Ben hasn't paid Barry yet. Ben says he will. Lynn offers to help, but Ben refuses. The coach comes in and says he needs to talk to Ben. Lynn leaves. The coach yells that he got a call from the bursar's office and that there's a screw up with Ben's tuition; Ben is going to be suspended until he's paid out. Should he really be talking about Ben's financial problems right there in the locker room? Ben says that it's a mistake, and the coach tells him to get it cleared up. Ben promises to get it figured out. The coach leaves, and Ben sits down and puts his head in his hands.

Ben goes to a bank to try to get a loan. The loan officer says that Ben doesn't have any assets or credit history. Why can't he just get a student loan? Ben explains that if he doesn't pay his tuition by week, he'll get kicked out and won't get any credit for the classes he took that semester. Ben says he'll work all summer and pay off the loan by September. The loan officer says it sounds like a good idea, but Ben would need to find someone to co-sign. He asks about Ben's parents, but Ben says no. The loan officer suggests "one of [Ben's] older, more settled friends."

Sean agrees to co-sign the loan. Ben is psyched. Sean says that "mentors are important." Ben says that he really appreciates it. Julie pops in and says that Ben wasn't in class. Ben says that he had a couple of things to do. Julie asks if she's interrupting something. Sean starts to explain what they were talking about, but Ben cuts him off to say that he was asking Sean to come to the library with him. Sean looks confused. Julie asks if Chloe is working, and Sean says she is. Julie says she got an A on her Psych paper and she wants to call her parents. After she leaves, Sean asks what the deal is. Ben says that Julie doesn't need to know everything because she would just worry about it. Sean says, "Yeah," but seems unconvinced.

Elena visits Felicity at Dean & Deluca. Felicity says she would be intimidated to work with McGrath, but Elena says it wasn't bad, although it was weird to see her professor getting emotional. Felicity jokes that he probably just read her outline. Elena tries to score some free coffee now that Felicity is in management, but Felicity doesn't go for it. Booger walks in, and Felicity comments that he's late as usual. Elena asks if he's the guy she's supposed to fire, and Felicity says he is. Booger apologizes for being late, but says he was doing volunteer work at the orphanage. Then he knocks over some plates. Elena thinks that Booger is lying to make Felicity feel sorry for him. Felicity clearly never even suspected such a thing.

Noel puts flyers under doors on his floor. Richard bursts out of his room in his boxers, sweating. He says that he's dehydrated and having hallucinations from the heat. Noel says he put in a call weeks ago to get Richard's heat fixed. Richard says that the guy came last night, and now his room is filled with steam. Noel promises to get it fixed, and tells Richard to stay somewhere else until that happens. Richard doesn't know where to go. Noel tells him to stay with friends. Richard makes a sad puppy face. Noel says that Richard must have other friends besides Noel. Richard makes a sadder puppy face. Noel relents and says Richard can stay with him, but only if he puts some clothes on.

Ben and Sean visit the loan officer together. As they wait, Ben thanks Sean again, saying that his life would be really screwed up right now if not for Sean. Aw. They're so not getting the loan. Sean starts going off on how much more interesting nameplates could be. The loan officer returns. Ben asks if they are all set. The officer says that there are credit issues. Sean says there can't be. The loan officer mentions Fuhrman Dough Company. Sean explains that it's one of his business ventures -- bagel knobs, which are like doughnut holes. The loan officer says that until Sean pays back his debt, they can't get the loan. Ben says that he really needs the loan. The officer apologizes. Ben asks what he's supposed to do, getting angrier. Sean tries to calm him down. The officer apologizes again, and Ben says the offier isn't sorry, so he shouldn't say he is. The officer walks away. Ben sits down and puts his head in his hand, which is Scott Speedman language for "What the fuck am I going to do?" He does it a lot in this episode. Sean says it'll be all right. Ben says he's not so sure.

Felicity works the counter at Dean & Deluca. Booger walks in, and Felicity says he took a pretty long lunch. Booger says he thinks he's getting an infection. Felicity tells him they need to talk. Booger says he can't come in on Saturday because he has a doctor's appointment. Felicity skeptically says, "On Saturday?" Booger says it's a specialist. Felicity says she's really sorry about this, but that she has to let him go. Booger doesn't get it. Felicity explains that she's firing him. Booger says that's not a good thing. Felicity apologizes and says that things aren't working out. Booger looks like he's about to cry, and apologizes. Felicity tells him not to apologize. Booger wishes her luck. Felicity returns the wish, and Booger says he'll need it. He turns and slowly walks out, but not before taking his Dean & Deluca hat off and putting it on the pastry case. Then he bursts into tears.

Noel walks into his room and Richard says, "Hi roomie!" Noel tells him not to say that, and asks what Richard is doing. Richard is reading Noel's mail, because he just left it lying around, and says that Noel got a letter offering him a summer internship in Berlin. Noel snatches it away and reads it, saying he didn't think he had a chance. Richard asks what Felicity will say, because they were supposed to spend time together that summer. Noel says that was before they broke up. Richard snorts that he forgot they are just friends. Noel says it's "all about foundations and rebuilding." Richard asks what that means, and Noel admits that he has no idea. Richard sits to Noel and says that this is Noel's chance to find out Felicity's true feelings. Richard thinks Noel should tell Felicity about the internship, and if she looks happy, she's moved on, but if she looks upset, she still loves Noel. Noel says he won't test Felicity like that. He looks over at Richard, who is still in his underwear, and asks if he ever has class. Richard says that moving rooms is very stressful and that he needed some downtime. Noel tells Richard to go away so Noel can study, and then warns him that if he ever reads Noel's mail again, he's "going back in the hotbox." Richard looks frightened at the prospect.

Ben talks to his mom on the phone. He promises her that everything is really good and then hangs up. He sits down and rubs his face, and then stares off into space. More "What the fuck am I going to do?" gestures ensue.

Elena explains the work she did for McGrath. He thinks for a minute, and then asks if she took any time off before she started school. Elena asks why, and he says she seems older than most freshmen. Elena explains that her mother died when she was young, so she grew up fast. McGrath hesitates and then says that when Elena saw him all emotional, it was because he just found out his ex-wife has lymphoma. Elena says she's sorry, and McGrath says that he is, too. Oh, just do it already.

Ben goes into a drawer and takes out a watch. He pulls out what looks like a jewelry box, but before he can open it, Julie walks into the room. He sees her, and tries to shove everything back into the drawer. She asks what's wrong, and he says it's nothing. She asks what he's doing. Ben sighs and says he was putting Sean's watch back, because he took it the night before and was going to sell it to a pawnshop. Julie has nothing to say. Ben says he knows that he's disgusting. Julie wonders why he doesn't ask his parents for help. Ben says he won't give his dad the satisfaction. Julie brings up his mom, and Ben yells at her to stop, because she doesn't know what she's talking about. Julie stares at him. Sean walks in and asks what's going on. Ben tells Julie to tell Sean what Ben did, because Sean should know. Ben walks out.

The morning, Richard wakes Noel up and asks if he told Felicity about the internship yet. Noel hasn't told her. Richard asks why not. Noel asks what happens if Felicity doesn't care. Richard thinks Noel would rather know sooner than later, and Noel agrees. Richard thinks he and Noel should consider becoming roommates year, because it's working out so well. Noel doesn't answer, and then pulls his pillow over his head.

Noel walks into Dean & Deluca and asks to speak to the manager. Felicity laughs. Noel says he found out some interesting news in the mail. Felicity keeps her back to him, doing work. Noel keeps talking and talking, trying to stall until she turns around so he can see her face when she hears the news. Felicity finally turns around and hands some coffee off to a customer. Noel tells her about the internship, and Felicity looks momentarily disappointed, but then says it's great and congratulates him. Noel is happy that she was sad. Felicity says he's looking at her weird. Felicity is distracted because Booger has showed up to work. Noel says he'll see her later. Felicity asks Booger why he's there. Booger says he thought about it and decided that Felicity can't fire him, because she's not the real boss.

Elena and McGrath work cozily in his office. The phone rings, and McGrath calls the person on the other end "sweetheart." Elena gets up and puts her coat on. McGrath hangs up and explains that it was his daughter. Elena asks how old she is, and McGrath says she'll be thirteen on Friday. McGrath says that his assistant comes back tomorrow, and that she'll be impressed with Elena's filing system. Elena says it's simple, and says she'll see him in class. She slowly gets her bag and then asks McGrath if he'd like to go out to dinner sometime. His response: "Oh." Elena stands there. Finally, McGrath says that he's very flattered, but he doesn't think it's a good idea. Elena says she understands and leaves. When she gets in the hall, she makes a face like, "I'm such an idiot."

Ben walks into Epstein Bar. Lynn greets him and says that Barry's been calling him all day. Ben says it's not a big deal. Lynn says he's been in situations where he felt lost and acted like an idiot, too. He starts to give Ben some advice, but then Barry pops up and asks Ben where he was today. Ben says he had to work so he couldn't take care of any of the guys on the list. Barry says that's not what he heard. Barry asks Lynn why he's serving Ben, since he doesn't pay up. Ben gets all pissed and gets in Barry's face. Lynn tries to break it up by telling Ben to sit down. Ben tells Lynn to stay out of it. Barry snidely says that Ben likes to fight his own battles, but that he doesn't mind losing other people's money. Ben grits his teeth and then tells Lynn he's going to go. Barry blocks his exit. Ben asks Barry to get out of his way. Barry keeps sidestepping in order to stay in Ben's path, so Ben grabs him and shoves him down. Everyone in the bar laughs. Barry stands up and asks Lynn for the phone. Lynn tries to make excuses for Ben, but Barry's not having it.

Felicity watches as Booger struggles to sweep up a dish. She finally suggests that he just pick it up. That clearly never occurred to him. The phone rings. Julie asks Felicity if Ben is there. Felicity says he was, but that he left early, and asks if everything is okay. Julie emotionally says that Ben was at Epstein Bar and got in a fight with some guy, and Lynn said the guy called his frat buddies and thinks they might do something to Ben. Felicity asks if Ben is at the loft. Julie says that Sean is waiting there, and Lynn went out looking for him. Julie wants to go look too, but not alone. Felicity says she'll be right there. Julie sighs and thanks her. Felicity grabs her things and asks Booger to close out for her, meaning that he should finish counting the receipts, set the alarms, and lock the doors. Booger says he can't. Felicity says it's an emergency and that she knows he can do it. Booger agrees to do it without any enthusiasm and with a great deal of fear.

Ben walks down a deserted street. He walks by a group of guys, and one of them bumps his shoulder. Ben stops to apologize, and the guys jump him, punching and kicking. They walk off, leaving Ben lying in pain on the sidewalk.

Felicity and Noel arrive at the dorm, looking sad. Felicity thanks Noel for helping them look for Ben. She asks if Ben will show up at the loft soon. Noel is sure Ben is just walking around the city, clearing his head. He asks Felicity to let him know when she hears something, no matter what time it is. They stare at each other, and then kiss softly. Noel says that going beyond friendship could be bad. Felicity agrees that they could both get hurt. They kiss again. Felicity says that friends can kiss, and Noel agrees, "Oh, absolutely." They start making out right there in the hallway. Noel's door opens and Richard angrily asks Noel where he's been, and if he has class in the morning. Felicity apologizes for waking him. Richard asks Noel if he's coming in. Noel reaches over and slams the door shut, then apologizes. Felicity says she should go see if Julie called. Noel says good night.

In her room, Felicity sits in the window as the sun rises. She tells Sally that Julie did call, but that she hasn't heard from Ben, and neither has anyone else. Felicity says that it's 7:00 AM and no one knows where he is. Julie called the cops, but they told her you have to wait forty-eight hours to report a missing person. So they wait.

Felicity arrives at Dean & Deluca and knocks on the door. Booger answers, and he is a transformed man. He doesn't move in slow motion anymore, and he doesn't look sad. He's chipper. He lets Felicity in. Felicity asks why Booger is there, and why he's wearing a shirt and tie. Booger explains that Abby got in after Felicity left last night and promoted him to assistant manager. Felicity is shocked. Abby walks out and, without looking Felicity in the eye, says that what Felicity did was totally irresponsible, but that Abby was impressed with Booger. Abby says that she was going to fire Felicity, but Booger stood up for her. Felicity starts to thank Booger, but he mouths that she doesn't have to. A nun walks in carrying a poster that the orphans made to thank him for his volunteer work. Abby shakes her head and says that Booger is like an angel.

Elena is walking down the hall when McGrath stops her and asks if she has a minute. She follows him back to his office. He says he was thinking about her question about dinner. Elena starts to apologize, but McGrath interrupts to say he thinks it's a good idea. Elena is surprised. McGrath asks if the offer is still good, and Elena says it is.

FVO says that when she went to bed, there was still no word from Ben, and it had been almost twenty-four hours. There's a knock on Felicity's door as she sleeps in her bed. She turns on her light and looks her clock, then opens the door. Ben stands there, bruised and beaten. Felicity asks if he's okay, and he asks if he can come in. She lets him in. Ben looks at himself in the mirror and sighs. Felicity asks if he's called Julie or Sean yet. Ben thinks they don't want to talk to him and he doesn't blame them. Felicity says he's wrong, and that he should go over to the loft. Ben says he will, but that he wants to hang out with Felicity for a while. Ben sits on Felicity's bed and she sits to him. Where is Meghan? Ben says that lately he's noticing that he's turning into his dad. He adds, "I'm just a guy who gets in fights every time I get pissed off." Felicity asks if his parents know what's going on. Ben says his dad hasn't called him in months, and that his mom calls all the time now that she left his dad. Felicity asks if he's told his mom that he needs to borrow money. Ben says he can't. Felicity doesn't understand. Ben says that his mom finally left his dad and has a chance to be happy for the first time in her life, and that if she knew what was going on with Ben, she would be so worried. Ben says, "I've screwed up her life enough." Felicity thinks that maybe he should let her worry, and maybe he should let his mom be his mom and take care of him and worry about him. Ben doesn't know.

Ben slowly walks down the hall to the loft. He opens the door and enters. Sean is sleeping in a chair with his hand on the phone. Julie is sleeping on the couch, and she wakes up and looks at him. Lynn is sleeping on another couch. Julie walks over to Ben and softly touches his face. He reaches down and hugs her tightly. Lynn and Sean wake up and walk over to them. Ben and Sean do the manly clasp-hands-and-pat-backs hug.

Later, Ben lies in his bed. He sits up suddenly and dials the phone, calling his mom. He tells her that he's actually not doing that well, as the picture fades to black.