Bishops'
Sky and Serena chat while getting ready to go out and Sky's stunned to find Scott also has an interview for the Arts Grant. She's scathing about his chances and Serena says she needs to get over herself as she'll be proud of him for even trying to give it a go.

Lou and Harold watch, bemused, as the girls stalk out.

Kennedys'
Scott's Scott's getting himself fit for the interview by racing round obstacles. Serena makes him agree to practise interview techniques and sits down with him to coach him.

Bishops'
Lou finishes a meal Harold has cooked, commenting on his regret that there's no bacon in the casseroles any more. Harold says that short-lived period is over. He probes because he feels there's something wrong and Lou's avoiding going home. When Lou says he'd rather be on a desert island for all eternity than share a house with 'that battleaxe', Harold reminds him he felt very differently a little while ago. Lou just claims he was sick then and thinking he'd love Valda was proof of that, but Harold 'smirks'.

Coffee Shop
Stuart tells Toadie and Connor that it's time for some classic House of Trouser. Toadie says they should do it now because when the financial plan kicks in they won't have a spare cent. Connor thanks Stuart and Toadie who have agreed to help him with the deposit. Jack arrives, looking really rough, but he's going out to 'The Cube' and accuses them of being middle-aged. They tease him that there must be a woman involved. He says it's just a friend and a better friend because of it.

Hoylands'
Sky is talking in a very superior way about Scott, saying he has no chance and sneering at his mural. Summer suggests that she might be afraid he'll win over her and Boyd joins in. He tells her he loves her even if she does have a huge ego, but she's still offended.

Night Club
Mac and Jack meet and dance. She says she thought he wasn't coming out, but he replies that he changed his mind and asks how she got on with the police. She tells him that they just fell for her sob story.

Hoylands'
Sky is still a bit upset, as Summer points out, so Boyd and Sky persuade her to go to bed. Once she's gone, Boyd apologises to Sky, saying he felt she needed some teasing to stop her taking the Grant stuff so seriously. He grovels a bit and she comes round when he says he always liked the fact that she could take it as well as dish it out. They kiss.

No 30
Connor, Toadie and Stuart talk about the timing and strategies for presenting their offer to Lou to try to persuade him to accept a good price.

TOADIE: ..........This is Lou Carpenter we're talking about. He'd sell his last kidney if he had to!
STUART: It's Harold's kidney.
TOADIE: Exactly!

Toadie feels they can't outfox a fox so should just go over and present him with an offer. They're so keen they nearly forget to wear trousers, but Toadie remembers in time.

Lou's
The three have presented their offer and Toadie throws in an incentive that he'll do the conveyancing free, but Lou tears up the paper and says a point-blank 'no' because he's expecting a record crowd at the auction.

Coffee Shop
Lou's very chirpy because he's played a joke on Valda, switching her face-cream for white face-paint. Harold comments that he expected him to be a bit depressed, as interest rates have gone up sharply, which will probably shake buyers' confidence and affect the number of people prepared to turn up at his auction.

For the next set of scenes, the action switches between the Kennedys' and the Bishops' and the interviews for the Arts Grants. Sky speaks in an elevated and fairly smug, pretentious way about 'challenges' and 'shaping preconceptions', while Scott raves on and gives all sorts of random details of his family, like his 'sister who goes out with a cop'. When he's asked what if the public might not like his mural, he tells the interviewers it's a waste of time and he doesn't want their stupid grant, then literally shows them the open door, saying 'Bye!', in contrast to the poised way in which Sky thanks them for the opportunity.

Night Club
Jack's tired but Mac tells him she won't think of calling it a night. The images blur and move until he ends up lying in her arms and she goes to kiss him, saying they hadn't made it to her place the previous night and asks if he's 'up for it'.

Coffee Shop
Connor's upset and worried about the interest rate rise until Toadie points out it will only mean about $15 a month.

Jack comes in and snaps at them when they start to tease him about his mystery girl again. He insists they're just friends and she asked him back but he refused because they're just mates. Just after that, Lou comes in to tell them that he's spoken to his financial adviser and is prepared to reconsider their offer. Toadie thanks him but says that the offer expired and they'll wait for the auction. He explains to Stuart and Connor that it means Lou has read about the interest rise and is worried, so they might pick up a bargain on auction day.

Bishops'
Scott tells Serena angrily that he blew the interview and it's her fault he made an idiot of himself. She tries to placate him and convince him she wanted the best for him as he's so talented, but he finally accuses her of entering him for the grant just to laugh at him and to get at Sky. He storms out, telling her to find another idiot to play around with.

Kennedys'
Scott's frantically tearing everything up until Toadie comes in and calms him down. Scott yells that he always messes everything up and doesn't fit in. He complains that none of the Timmins family have a fish-name, but all the Rebecchis do. Toadie gives him the name 'Stingray'. Scott's not keen until Toadie tells him Stingrays aren't ugly, stupid and slow, but graceful, cunning and intelligent, just as he is.

Hoylands'
Sky's really full of herself and Boyd is obviously not listening as she carries on about how she completely fooled the interviewers with 'Arts speak, so they're sure to give her the money.' She notices that he's distracted and he admits he's very worried about Izzy. The phone rings and Boyd answers. He asks Izzy what's going on and where she is.

Bishops'
Serena is chattering, obviously to her grandmother, about her problems with Scott. When she hears Harold come in, she makes out she's talking to her grandmother about Liljana and tells her not to cry. Harold takes the bait and says it's about time they got Liljana and her mother to sort out their problems. Serena is happy that she has her old grandfather back, the one who fights unhappiness and thinks he'll soon be back at the Salvos, but he says that's a long way off.

Hoylands'
Summer and Boyd are obviously failing to find out where Izzy is. Sky comforts Summer while Boyd takes the phone, promising to look after his aunt, but she is no longer on the line.