No. 28
Karl is picking out a tune on his guitar. Dahl tweets at him and Karl mutters that he's still recovering from the 'flu! The 'phone rings and Karl answers it. Susan comes on and says:

SUSAN: Hi, darl, it's me.
KARL: No, it's not Dahl, it's Karl. (Chuckles!)
SUSAN: What?
KARL: Dahl's the galah!

Susan mutters at Karl to be sensible! She then asks in an urgent tone if Libby's at home, as she can't find her. Mal comes in through the front door at that moment and Karl says he'll ask *him*. Susan, however, tells him that Mal's been in enough trouble of his own. Karl looks at Mal suspiciously! He then asks Susan in concern if Libby's in trouble. Susan retorts that it doesn't look too good when her own daughter is about to miss the most important lecture of the weekend. Mal looks out the window and spots Libby and Darren pashing outside No. 22.

Ramsay Street
Libby and Darren pull apart and Darren tells Libby that he'd better get her home: they'll be sending out search parties soon. Libby asks what time it is, but Karl marches over suddenly and snaps:

KARL: It's time you were back at school, furthering your career, young lady.

Libby glares at him and demands what his problem is. Mal joins them and tells her that Susan's looking for her, and McKenna's giving her a real hard time. Libby demands to know what the big deal is. Karl warns her not to talk to him like that: she's embarrassed her mother in front of all the rest of the students. Libby retorts that it has nothing to *do* with her mother. Karl tells her that he'll drive her to school. Libby looks at Darren and reluctantly follows Karl to the car.

Holy Roll
Melissa is sitting at a table in the coffee shop when Billy joins her. He asks her if everything's OK with her parents and she replies that she thinks so - although she still can't help feeling guilty, even though nothing happened. Billy comments that they *were* pretty cool - it didn't *look* very good; and even Toadie didn't believe nothing happened. Melissa says quickly:

MELISSA: Even if something *did* happen - you wouldn't tell *him* would you?

Billy replies that guys want to know about this stuff - they talk about it all the time. Mel mutters that some guys make up stuff to impress their mates: a girl staying half the night... well, there's heaps in that. Billy comments that he guesses there is. Mel goes on that she guesses he'd be pretty legendary if he let them *think* something happened. Billy nods that he guesses he would - you don't want to make it look like you're not into doing stuff with girls. He adds:

BILLY: If everyone thought you stayed and we did nothing, I'd be a complete loser, Mel...
MELISSA (demands): So what exactly did you tell them?
BILLY: I don't know - just stuff like... I love you! Yes, I'm protecting your honour. Now I have no friends and everyone thinks I'm a complete loser!

Mel laughs that she hates him when he does that!

Ramsay Street
As Libby climbs into the car, she snaps at her father that he wouldn't be this worked up if *Darren* wasn't involved. Karl retorts that if Darren hadn't showed up, she'd have stayed at school. Libby snaps that that was just good timing, otherwise she'd probably have nicked off to the coffee shop or something. Karl warns her that that's a hopeless attitude to have towards a study weekend that her mother organised. Libby sighs that she honestly feels bad for Susan, but can't he stop thinking about her as a teacher's daughter for one second? She goes on:

LIBBY: Dad, other kids are wagging today, but I'm the one that gets in trouble because I'm the teacher's daughter. You know, it's just McKenna playing mind tricks with her.

Karl tells Libby that she has to realise that she's behaved irresponsibly. Libby retorts that she broke a rule saying she had to stay at school all day; it's not like she was off doing drugs. Karl starts the car and drives off with Libby still raging!

No. 28
There's a knock on the front door and Billy emerges from the bathroom, wrapped in just a towel round his lower half. He opens the door to Mel, who steps inside and grins:

MEL: Woohoo, look at these muscles! Have you been working out?!
BILLY: Mel, stop it!
MEL: No, I'm serious: your shoulders are getting bigger.

Billy tries to get away to put some clothes on, but Mel tells him that this has given her an idea: he'd win the Junior Body Shaping contest at the local gym for *sure*!

Erinsborough High
Mr. McKenna is making himself a cup of tea as he stands with Susan and asks for an explanation for Libby's absence. At that moment, Libby walks in with Karl and Susan asks him where he found her. Karl retorts that she was with Darren Stark at his place. Susan demands of her daughter:

SUSAN: Why do you let him talk you into these things?
LIBBY: It wasn't *like* that.

Karl tells Susan that he's confident Libby knows she's done the wrong thing. Libby says to Mr. McKenna that she knows she shouldn't have left the school grounds without telling anyone. Mr. McKenna tells Susan that he hopes she's not going to leave it at that: her kid has set an appalling example for the whole school. Susan insists that she *will* be dealt with. Mr. McKenna says Libby will get a detention like any other student in the school. Libby goes to take a seat. Karl heads out, leaving Susan to tell Mr. McKenna that she's really sorry. He just replies:

MCKENNA: Yeah, well, so am I.

Holy Roll
Mal is sitting with Darren at the Holy Roll, telling him that he'd better get going: he's not in the good books at the moment. Darren comments that *he's* not in *Mal's* good books. Mal comments that Handy Sam's doesn't have much of a future, the way he sees it. Darren, however, insists that it does: his mum's bailed him out with the loan shark and it's plain sailing all the way. Mal points out that they're still in debt to Cheryl - plus Darren gambled away the Handy Sam account and lied to him about the loan shark... Darren retorts that that's all in the past; they're set. Mal, however, admits that, after his stunt with Shona, McKenna's not too keen to give them the school job. Darren asks what McKenna caught him doing. Mal replies that he lied to cover for someone else and McKenna went spare. Darren muses:

DARREN: Well, at least it's good to know that I'm not the *only* one letting the team down.

No. 28
Billy is standing with Melissa, encouraging her to do dumbbell curls! He then takes the dumbbell herself and Mel feels his muscles, smiling that this is serious competition material she sees in front of her! She tells him to get down and do a hundred press- ups! Billy does as he's told - and Mel goes to sit on him to provide resistance! The two of them collapse onto the floor, though, and start rolling around on top of each other - just as Karl, Susan and Libby come in! Susan glares at Billy and Mel and gasps:

SUSAN: I don't believe this!
KARL (growls): You've got to be kidding...
BILLY (innocently): We were just exercising.
LIBBY (grins): That's *one* way of putting it!

Billy and Mel stand up and Billy insists that it was all perfectly innocent - honest. Susan, however, snaps:

SUSANL: Honest? You wouldn't know the *meaning* of the word. I'm sick of the lot of you.

She storms off to her room.

No. 26
The next morning, Debbie is reading a magazine article at the kitchen table. She tells Helen, who's busy painting, that the article says a single parent may often find comfort and strength from their families but it's no substitute for romantic love and companionship. Helen smiles that the author must be happily married! Debbie points out:

DEBBIE: *We've* all got other things in our life, but what's dad got? Just *us*.
HELEN: He's got his writing. I don' think he's suffering too much - and I'm sure he's over Jen.

Debbie reads on that after the breakdown of a relationship, it's not uncommon for the single parent to give up on love. There's suddenly a knock at the front door and Debbie opens it to a woman, who asks if Philip Martin is in. Debbie replies that he isn't at the moment. The woman introduces herself as Roz Kemp, Phil's new editor. Debbie invites her in, explaining that Philip's just gone out for a walk. She introduces Helen, who remarks that it's not like Philip to forget a meeting. Roz, however, explains that this isn't a formal meeting; she likes to meet their new writers, preferably in their homes. Helen comments that it probably gives her a break away from the office as well. Roz says:

ROZ: True - although I like to work from home as often as possible, or at least be there when the kids get home from school.
DEBBIE: Is your husband a writer?
ROZ (smiles): No, I'm a single mum.

Debbie looks down at the article she was reading! Roz then looks around and comments that it's a nice house - she wishes *hers* was that tidy. Debbie tells her that her dad is really house- proud - he's a really sensitive, new- age guy! She adds that she used to worry that he was lonely, but he's got loads of hobbies to keep him busy. Helen gives her a look!

No. 26
Sometime later, the front door bangs and Philip arrives home with Holly in tow. Debbie heads over to her father and asks how his walk was. Philip nods that it cleared his head a bit. They head through to the kitchen, where Roz introduces herself. Debbie tells her father that Roz loved his sticky buns! Philip and Roz sit down and Roz tells Philip that she likes to meet all her writers - and she did wonder why his latest outline hadn't arrived yet, as he's usually one of their more reliable writers. She adds that Debbie told her that it was the 'flu - and she's been reading his short story. Philip asks what she thinks of it. Roz replies that she hasn't finished it yet. Philip says he'll let her get on with it - he'd be really interested to know if she thinks he could handle another style of writing.

No. 28
Mal, Billy and Libby are all trying to suck up to Karl and Susan by making breakfast for them. Karl and Susan, however, tell them that they'd just like to forget about yesterday. Billy insists - again - that he wasn't doing anything wrong. Karl tells the kids that he and Susan aren't happy about what happened yesterday, but no major crime seems to have been committed, so they should sit down, eat and stop fussing! He then adds:

KARL: And afterwards, William, I'd like to see a re- enactment of your amazing push- ups - and *I'll* sit on your back!

There's suddenly a knock on the front door and Karl goes and opens it to Darren, who asks if Libby's in. Karl steps outside with him and snaps:

KARL: To anyone else, yes. To you, no.

Libby comes to the door as Karl growls at Darren that he has a nerve coming round there. He adds:

KARL: Let me put it this way: I don't expect you to see my daughter for the rest of her life. Is that clear enough for you?

Darren tells Libby that he'll come back later when Karl's calmed down a bit. He walks off. Karl and Libby head back inside, where Libby snaps at her father:

LIBBY: I hate you.
KARL: That's fine. I'm not all that enamoured with *you* at the moment.

No. 26
Roz finishes reading the short story and Philip asks her quickly what she thinks. She tells him:

ROZ: It's... er, interesting.

Philip sighs that short stories aren't really his thing. Roz tells him that he has talent, but she's just there to see how his latest book's going. Philip admits that he's had writer's block. Roz asks if she can take the short story back to the office for another read. She adds that she'll come back later in the week and see how he's going. Philip sees her out. When he closes the door, Debbie beams at him:

DEBBIE: Dad, you are a legend!
PHILIP: Settle down!
DEBBIE: Well, she must love your story; why else would she want another look at it?!
PHILIP: Well, I don't know. Maybe when she said it was 'interesting', she thought it was interesting?!
DEBBIE: Of course she did! Woohoo! Now you're going to be a famous short- story writer too!
PHILIP: And if you're not careful, you're going to give your father an inflated ego!

Holy Roll
Billy is squirting tomato sauce all over a plate of chips when Mel walks in and stares at him in horror! She tells him that there's to be no more of that: he's got to get into training. Billy sighs:

BILLY: Will you get off my back?
MELISSA: Like last night?!

She then asks how his parents are this morning. Billy comments that they have to admit that it didn't look good last night. Mel points out that it wasn't what it looked like - and it wasn't her idea for his parents to come home when they did. Billy offers her a chip, but Mel tells her that he should be having protein - eggs, meat, stuff like that: it's supposed to be the best thing to build up muscle. Billy sighs that he came there to eat his breakfast in peace. Mel smiles:

MELISSA: I just hate to see this award- winning body go to waste.

She then pleads with Billy to think about the competition, but he refuses.

Erinsborough High
Mr. McKenna is supervising school sports out on the field as Mal and Darren approach him, Mal asking Darren if they shouldn't wait until he's calmed down a bit. Darren, however, says they need to set him straight as soon as possible: he's got to know that they're a legitimate, trustworthy business. The two of them walk over to Mr. McKenna who demands:

MCKENNA: What do *you* want?

Mal starts to explain that they just wanted to make sure their quote is treated seriously; they're very committed to their business, and in light of recent events they wanted to make sure he was aware of that. Mr. McKenna says he assumes Mal is referring to his behaviour during the study weekend, and he asks how he can take them seriously after *that*. Darren interjects that they're hard workers and do a very good job. Mal adds that they have references from very satisfied customers. Mr. McKenna retorts:

MCKENNA: Look, my professional concern is with the moral integrity of my students.
DARREN: Sir, if you would just listen—
MCKENNA: No I won't.
DARREN: But sir—
MCKENNA: Look, I don't care if you get down on your knees and beg. You'll get no work at this school. Now, clear off.