Episode Report Card Niki: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Go Greyhound
By Niki | Season 2 | Episode 21 | Aired on 04.24.2001
Okay, who doesn't think Wannabe wanted to get caught? Like, here's a tip: next time, leave more than, say, two pills in the bottle. And make sure you put the lid back on. Oh, and while you're at it, put everything back the way you found it. Dumb-ass.
Lily sherlocks her way downstairs, where Wannabe's bag is still hanging from the banister. The Bells of St. Narc peal in the background as Lily rifles through the bag. She pulls out an old cigar box and finds a baggie with her pills inside, along with the contents of a whole pharmaceutical counter. Lily glances upstairs and purses her lips in disgust. She shakes her head and shoves everything back in the box. She's so mad she could just spit. She clamps her hands on her hips and fumes as we slip into a commercial break.
"She has to go," Lily's saying when we return. We're watching Wannabe overhear the comment as she's coming out of Grace's room. She pauses, looking disappointed but not surprised, and retreats into the bedroom with a slam.
Downstairs, Lily's trying to round up her stuff and the girls so that they can get going. She asks Rick if he'll be there later "so [they] can deal with this." Rick repeats, slowly, that he will be there, and that they will deal with it. Lily flies into the kitchen to tear Grace and Zoe away from their breakfasts. Grace says that Wannabe woke up late. Lily and Rick exchange a look. Grace catches it and says that Wannabe will catch the bus: "It's not a big deal." Lily herds them out the back door, and Zoe calls a cheerful goodbye to Rick. "Bye kids," he answers. I don't know why, but addressing them as "kids" strikes me as strange.
Rick moves his mug of coffee to the island, where he starts leafing through the morning paper. As he rifles through the sections, he finds Lily's divorce papers resting underneath the pile. They're tagged with sticky arrows that say "sign here." They could only make it easier for her to finalize things if they gave her a rubber stamp with her signature. She still hasn't signed. And it's interesting to note that Jake is referred to as the "petitioner" and Lily is the "respondent."
Wannabe breezes into the kitchen saying hello, and Rick lets the document fall closed. He responds with a reserved "good morning." After a beat, he adds, "Carla," as if struggling to think what to call her without using expletives. She catches the vibe and casts a baleful glance at his profile. She helps herself to some cereal as Rick offers her a ride to school. She quickly says it's okay, she'll catch the bus. She explains that she doesn't have a class first period, so she doesn't have to "get there that fast." She pops a few flakes in her mouth and chews loudly, observing that they "taste like cardboard." She makes a joke about fiber, but Rick doesn't even smile. He's busy thinking of how to broach the subject of the stolen drugs. "Carla..." he starts, and says that he thinks there's something they may need to discuss. Her smile vanishes, and guilt flashes across her face. Not remorse, mind you. It's the look of someone smart enough to know she's busted, and that's what she's bummed about. Before Rick can finish, Wannabe grabs her bag, pulls the pill box out of it, and says, "Take 'em!" She dumps the contents onto the counter. She claims, "I don't know why I do it -- I don't even take them. I just like to have them around in case I need them." Her voice catches as she adds that she's "really screwed up." That's right, Wannabe, turn on the tears. Rick tells her that they want to help her, and suggests talking to her parents. "No!" Wannabe says, turning her back. She says that her parents aren't like him "at all," and that they'll just send her back to "this place where [she's] locked up like a prisoner." Rick's not feeling the sympathy. He suggests that her parents have her best interests at heart. Wannabe exclaims that they don't care about her; they just want to get rid of her because she's "like, this overwhelming burden." Again, I'm identifying with the parents. Is that wrong? She steps toward Rick, sobbing, and presses herself against her chest. Watching this the second time around, I'm a little more suspicious about her whole performance -- that it's just that: a performance. Rick waves his hands around her shoulders, loath to actually touch The Beast, and then reluctantly taps at her arms a couple of times. Wannabe sobs that Eli doesn't have anything to do with it; he doesn't even know about the pills. A door closes in the background, and Judy appears in the back doorway with the dresses over her arm. "Hi..." she says uncertainly, slowing down when she sees them. Wannabe hurriedly grabs her stuff and blows out the back door. They watch her, Rick rubbing his forehead, and Judy wrinkling hers. "What the hell was that?" she asks softly, furrowing her brow. Rick holds up a baggie of pills in response. Judy turns back to the doorway, still looking concerned and confused.
Cut to a glass-paned door with gauzy curtains. We can see Lily's silhouette as she approaches the door and rings the bell. A well-dressed young blonde woman answers with an infant on her hip. She's Evil Stepmother. Lily introduces herself as a nanny approaches and removes the baby. Evil Stepmother doesn't click on who Lily is, so Lily adds that she's "Grace's mom." Still nothing. Lily explains that Grace is a friend of Wannabe. Evil Stepmother invites Lily in, and as the camera pans back, we can see that the place is like a mansion. It has an enormous wood-paneled dining room in the background, and ornately carved antique furniture in the foreground, which is the sitting room. Lily explains that she just wanted to talk for a minute about Wannabe, and Evil Stepmother must've clued in about who she is, finally, because she says it's really nice of Lily to let Wannabe stay over. She adds, "I hope she's not causing you too much trouble." Lily says that's actually why she's there. "I figured," Evil Stepmother says softly, looking somewhat embarrassed. She asks what happened. Lily stammers, "Is it possible that Carla could have a problem..." Evil Stepmother doesn't help her out, so Lily's forced to add, "With drugs." Evil Stepmother nods, expressionless, and says that it's one of Wannabe's "many problems." She adds, "It's why she took off -- I caught her pilfering from my medicine cabinet." She smiles tightly. Lily's understanding a lot more now, and nods her head sadly. Evil Stepmother tells her not to hesitate to send Wannabe home if she causes any problems. Lily says that she thinks Wannabe may have stolen something from her medicine cabinet. Evil Stepmother clasps her hand to her chest and apologizes, mortified: "You should not have to endure Carla, and I'm sure that you have your own --" Lily holds out a hand to stop the woman, saying that she "completely understand[s] if Carla has a problem, and [she] wants to help." She says that's why she's there -- she wants to do everything she can. "And we appreciate that," Evil Stepmother answers insincerely. Lily says that Wannabe is "very charming and smart and Grace just thinks the world of her." Evil Stepmother just stares back, nodding slightly, and says, "She's an angry girl. I would be, too, if I were her. I mean, listen, I'm her third stepmother. Her father's never here -- he works...very hard. Her real mother is...well, who knows where she is." She's distracted by the sound of her baby crying in the background. Lily registers the story of Wannabe's dysfunctional family with sympathy and concealed surprise. I think the surprise is more a result of the stepmother's indifference than the circumstances she related. Evil Stepmother assures her, "Carla's going to be fine. Don't worry about her. She's been through...a lot worse." She smiles wryly, as if she's enjoying the thought. It's really very creepy in a polite, genteel sort of way. Lily nods, a little dazed.
Cut to Grace and Wannabe in Geometry class, where half the kids are fighting off sleep as the teacher struggles to elicit some kind of a reaction from them. She's interrupted by a woman who hands her a note. "Carla, it's for you. Principal's office." Wannabe slowly lifts her head off the table, registering the ominous news. She mutters, "Well it's been nice knowing ya," to Grace and slowly drags her ass out of her seat. The teacher snaps at her to hurry up. Wannabe grabs her jacket and bag and heads out. Grace watches her, noting that she took all of her stuff with her.