Simon (David Gallagher) gets dropped off at school. Lucy (Beverly Mitchell) and Ruthie (Mackenzie Rosman) are in the backseat.
Eric is taking the kids to school and drops off Simon first. Lucy hands her brother his book. Ruthie is driving people crazy by practicing her trumpet. She has also been learning slang and tells Mary, "you are so L-7."
Simon is outside his school when Mark (Jacob Chase) is dropped off by his father, Mr. Huff (Randy Oglesby). Mr. Huff yells at his son and chases him. The science teacher, Bob Lane (Michael Tomlinson), introduces himself. Mr. Lane tells him to mind his own business and tries to get to Mark, but Mr. Lane shoves him.
Mr. Huff: You just made a big mistake.
Simon watches everything. Mr. Lane goes over to Mark and then sees Simon watching.
The theme song plays, and the opening credits come up.
Annie is outside pruning trying to do tapestry. Eric comes home with groceries and tells her he likes them. According to him, his wife always does projects when pregnant. She tells him that she wants to take piano lessons, and he offers to set it up for her.
Mary is in English class listening to Mrs. McKee read "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthrone. The class is bored out of their minds. ("The Scarlet Letter" is an excellent book. If she read it herself, she would know that, but the teacher's reading of it was rather dull). Mary and some of the others decide to skip the class tomorrow.
Simon goes to Principal Howard's (Freda Foh Shen) office because she wants to ask them some questions. She wants to know what he saw since he witnessed the event between Mr. Lane and Mr. Huff. Simon leaves, and Mr. Huff asks then if the school will take care of everything or if he needs to call the police himself to file assault charges.
Lucy left her lunch in her math class and went to get it. She sees Mrs. Reese (Jenette Goldstein) eating it. Mrs. Reese tells Lucy she didn't think she was coming back because she took so long. (I'm pretty sure it's not okay for a teacher to eat a kid's lunch even if they leave it in the classroom). Mrs. Reese tells her that if she had applied what she learned in Geometry, she would have gotten back sooner. Lucy claims she can't do geometry, but her teacher says she can. She just doesn't try because she's not interested.
Lucy: It's hard to be interested in something you know you'll never use. I mean, never get.
Mrs. Reese offers her some of the lunch, but Lucy declines and leaves the classroom.
Matt is studying with Scott (Michael Sullivan) at the pool hall when Dr. Laroe (Penny Peyser) comes in. Scott says she is stalking Matt. Matt denies it. Dr. Laroe comes over to say hi and says she got tired of grading papers. Their professor leaves them, and Scott says he has plenty of time to study women. She motions for them to join her in a game of pool, and they go over.
Ruthie is lying on the floor in her room. Simon asks if she's okay, and she explains she was playing the flute and got light-headed. He asks her what happened to the trumpet, and Ruthie tells him she doesn't like the spit valve. He suggests the flute isn't suitable for her if it makes her dizzy, and she agrees. She says she's going to pick a new instrument himself.
Simon: Good idea. You'll be hitting your licks on another instrument before you know it.
Ruthie: I had no idea you could speak musician.
Simon: Well, there was a time way back when, when I flirted with the woodwinds myself.
Ruthie: Oh, Simon, you're the bomb.
Simon: Yeah, I wish it were that simple.
Lucy is in the kitchen talking to her parents. She is upset about Mrs. Reese eating her lunch. The doorbell rings, and Eric goes to answer it. Annie suggested Mary or Matt could help Lucy with her geometry. Lucy isn't interested because she doesn't believe she will ever use it.
Annie: It might help save your lunch.
Eric returns with Josh Hinkle (Cameron Crenshaw), who will be Annie's new piano teacher.
Matt walks Dr. Laroe to her car. She thanks him, and he leans in to kiss her. She asks him what he's doing. (Awkard).
Matt and Eric are in the kitchen. Matt has told his father about what happened. Annie comes into the kitchen, and Matt and Eric notice she's acting a little strange. Annie says she is just getting ready for her piano lesson. The doorbell rings, and she gets it.
Lucy and her friend are walking in the hall and talking.
Mary and her friends are at Mary's locker. They have decided to skip English class and leave school, so they hang out in the park. They return to the school and see Mrs. McKee.
Mrs. McKee: Oh, girls, good, you're alright. I missed you in class today.
Ruthie is looking over the instruments trying to decide which ones she wants to play. She picks the saxophone because "it speaks to me."
Simon learns that Mr. Lane was suspended. He runs out of the school upset.
Lucy realizes she left her lunch in geometry again and asks her friend Shelby (Julie Berman) for the straightest line to get back as fast as she can. When she gets there, Mrs. Reese has eaten her lunch again. She tells Lucy it was a given, like a geometry proof. (Still not okay to eat a student's lunch).
Scott and Matt are outside on campus. Matt didn't go to class, and he told Scott about the almost kiss. Scott gives Matt a folder with Matt's graded paper in it. Matt got a C- and Scott says it's because the teacher was mad Matt tried to kiss her. He tells Matt to confront her because they are adults now.
Simon arrives home, where Eric is raking outside. He's crying as he tells his father what happened. He blames himself for Mr. Lane getting suspended. (Poor Simon). Eric tells his son he will talk to Mr. Lane, and Simon asks his father to tell his teacher he's sorry.
Matt goes to talk to his professor. She tells him that yesterday's almost kiss had nothing to do with his grade on the paper.
Eric meets with Mr. Lane at the pool hall. Mr. Lane tells Eric that Simon doesn't need to blame himself and that he tried to tell Simon that himself. He explains to Eric what happened.
Mr. Lane: And when his dad charged our way, it was like some kind of switch flipped. I was 12 years old again, and my dad was coming at me. It was a long time ago. I thought I was over it.
Eric suggests Mr. Lane sees a professional to talk about what happened with his father when he was younger. Mr. Lane asks Eric if he can recommend someone and tells Eric the school fired him.
Ruthie comes into Simon's room with her saxophone. He's lying on his stomach on his bed, and she tells him the sax no longer speaks to her. She sits on top of him and tells him he should pierce his ears because " it would look really boss." (You know, Ruthie, someday your brother just might do that). She tells him she can get another instrument and leaves his room. She starts to play her sax again, and Simon states," sure, because the week hasn't been bad enough."
Annie is practicing the piano. Eric comes over to her and asks her how it's going. She says it's going well, and he asks where the kids are. She says upstairs. She tells him how great Josh is, and he says he'd understand if he flirts with Josh. (I can't imagine a spouse saying that, but maybe it's me). She gets angry that he said that.
Mary and Lucy are in their room. Mary throws something at Lucy. Lucy gets angry because she is studying geometry. Lucy uses a geometry-type proof to let Mary know she will be grounded for a long time because she cut class. (She can be taught)!
Eric goes into the bathroom, where Simon is sitting in the tub with a football helmet on. He tells his father he needed privacy. Eric tells his son he (Eric) met with Mr. Lane, and Mr. Lane is not angry with Simon. He also lets him know that Mr. Lane takes full responsibility. Eric says he will try to talk to Mr. Huff.
Matt returns home and tells Eric about his meeting with Dr. Laroe. Eric tells him he sees things too much like Scott does and should look at it through his own eyes and judge the situation. (Good advice).
Mary comes down and apologizes to Annie. She explains that the teacher reads the book every day, and it's boring. Annie asks her if she's reading the book on her own.
Mary: Well, some of it, but I can't get into it. And besides, like I said, Mrs. McKee reads the thing in class every day.
Annie: Yes, but you actually have to be in class to hear it and benefit from it. You see where I'm going with this.
Mary: Yes.
She is upset Mary can't get anything out of the novel. Mary is upset she got suspended from playing her first game, but Annie supports the teacher.
Annie: It doesn't make sense that the punishment for not coming to class is being suspended from more classes. Of course, the fact that you're more concerned with the punishment than the crime... tells me something. You know what it tells me?
Mary: What?
Annie: My kid is a weenie.
Mary: But we're suspended from the first game of the season.
Annie: See? That's a weenie thing to say in light of this concentration.
Mary concludes she's grounded for life, and Annie confirms.
Matt returns to the college to speak with his professor. He apologizes for his actions earlier and explains that's not how he usually acts. She tells him that he has learned something.
Eric arrives at the Huff's house and sees Mark outside. His father throws his mother's suitcase outside and tells her to get out. (Mr. Huff just gives me all sorts of warm fuzzies, like Freddy Kruger does). He yells at Mark to go back inside, but Eric pushes Mark behind him.
Mr. Huff: You better get off my property, or I'm going to call the cops.
Eric: Go ahead. It'll save me the trouble of doing it.
Mr. Huff tells Reverend Camden he can do what he wants with his family, but Eric tells him he needs help.
After Mr. Huff goes back into the house, Mrs. Huff hugs Mark, and they leave with Eric.
Children are singing "Bingo" in music class as Ruthie struggles in the hallway with her instrument case.
Lucy and her friend use geometry to figure out the shortest way back to the classroom to get her lunch. Mrs. Reese is impressed but informs Lucy she doesn't have a lunch so so must have forgotten to bring one. She invites Lucy and Shelby to eat with her. Lucy thanks her for teaching her geometry.
Mrs. Reese: I didn't. I taught you that with the right motivation, you could learn geometry and probably anything else you put your mind to.
Lucy leaves to go get Shelby.
Mary and the other class cutters are outside working the concession stand. They are wearing "A"s around their necks. Mary tells a guy who comes over that it stands for "absentee." He tells them they are lame and selfish for thinking of themselves when the basketball team needs them. (Yep, what people do indeed affects others).
Josh is leaving after Annie's piano lesson. He got her in earlier so that she could get to the game. He tells her she is his favorite student and hopes to meet a woman like her someday.
Matt and Eric are in the kitchen doing dishes. Matt tells him about going back to see Dr. Laroe and says he only learns things the hard way.
Annie comes into the kitchen, and Eric asks about her piano lesson. She apologizes for unconsciously flirting with Josh. Annie says she felt embarrassed for how she was acting. After she leaves the room, Matt asks his father if he is mad at his mother. Eric says he's not because he knows Annie loves him. He also knows that she hates how she looks every pregnancy and having Josh flirt with her helped.
Ruthie is screaming "Bingo" at the top of her lungs. The other kids try their best to tune her out as they do what they need to do.
The following day, Mr. Lane thanks Eric for helping him get his job back. Eric tells him that Mark's mother has pressed charges against her husband despite being afraid. He says the court is ordering Mr. Huff to get the help he needs.
Mr. Lane: Why is it so hard for those of us who need help to get it?
Eric: Not everyone who wants help knows how to find it. (And not everyone who needs help knows they need help).
Simon comes into the classroom and welcomes his teacher back. The rest of the students come in after him. The bell rings, and he talks to the students about what happened. He explains to them about his father abusing him as a child.
Mr. Lane: And I used to think it was my fault. 'Cause of something I did or didn't do because I wasn't good enough or smart enough or something enough. But getting hit wasn't my fault. It was my dad's problem...his sickness. Ad he tries to give it to me. And when I pushed that man in the parking lot, I realized he had given it to me. Because I was ready to handle things like he used to. But I don't want to because it's wrong, because it's a sickness. And one of the things I should have been teaching you, along with the parts of a cell and photosynthesis..,.isthat abuse is never your fault. And you don't deserve to be beaten no matter what you do. And if somebody is hurting you, you have to tell someone who can help, a teacher, a counselor, someone you can trust. That's what I learned. And part of my job as your teacher is to make sure I teach you that. (Great speech)!
He has them open their science books to teach them as Eric listens. Eric leaves, and the closing credits come up.
(The ending of this episode was good, but most of this episode wasn't that great).
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