An Erinsborough Street
Ringo is jogging along the street listening to a music player which almost gets him run over. Nice little nod there to the fact that more young people get knocked down because they didn't hear a car coming than old people.

Charlie's
Miranda is apparently organising a book launch at the bar, much to the dismay of Steve, Karl and Toadie who are on unloading duty. Miranda thanks Steph again for letting them use Charlie's at such short notice; the other venue had cockroaches the size of chipmunks! Steph's glad to help out. She could do with the extra publicity. Miranda suggests that "councillor comes to aid of local business" wouldn't hurt. Steph agrees with that and says that things couldn't be any worse, she just can't connect with her fellow councillors at all, she has no idea how to get her ideas across. Miranda suggests Steph invites them to the book launch and she'll give her a hand. Toadie tells her to never underestimate the power of free drinks while he massages Karl's back. Huh. Never expected to have to write that in a summary... Steph agrees, she promised to be herself and where better to be herself? Miranda then announces who will be signing books - Tony Aristedes!! She's evidently very excited about this and Steph is pretty wowed. Will he be cooking? He's a dish in himself according to Miranda. Steve doesn't look too impressed by this.

Number 26
Mickey appears to be trying to wag a day off school. Janae wonders if they should take him to the doctors, but Ned seems to be wise to his son's game. They want to know why Mickey doesn't want to go to school, if something has happened, but Mickey just strops off saying he just feels like staying at home. Don't we all? Ned thinks it might be about Kirsten going, maybe he'd rather be with his mum after all. Janae just thinks he needs a settling down period.

Ramsay Street
Ringo and Rachel are on there way back from school. Rachel suggests Ringo goes around to hers and they could watch TV. Ringo doesn't buy this story because Rach doesn't watch afternoon TV. She says that he could maybe help her with her health ed homework, she's having trouble with it. I don't think Ringo buys this either but he makes her a deal: she beats him at Frazer's new computer game, he helps her with her homework. The deal is on.

Charlie's
Why does this bar look different every scene? Steve still seems put out at all the fuss his wife is making over the imminent arrival of Tony Aristedes. Miranda puts the finishing touches to the display of books when in walks the man himself, wearing sunglasses and a shirt to rival Karl's refreshers one, oh, and an ego. All the people in the queue cheer and reach out to him as he swaggers in, Mr Fullofhimself. Miranda breathlessly greets him. He kisses her hand and she responds with "Is it HOT in here?" which apparently is a line of Tony's. The celeb chef starts the signing and Lou and Harold are at the front of the queue. Lou says he's his biggest fan in Erinsborough (did he not *see* Miranda right now?). Harold, however, has all his books. Lou has all his DVDs (but they're all Valda's).

TONY: Well I've got all my books and DVDs, which either explains why I'm such a fabulous cook....or why I haven't got any shelf space!!

They all laugh. I vomit.

Number 30
Rachel is thumbing through homework notes while Ringo tries to persuade her they need to play another round of whatever computer game they were playing as a decider. Rachel says they have to study but Ringo wants to know why.

RINGO: It's not like "Health and Human Development" is going to be a career option.
RACHEL: Yeah, it won't be if you fail it.
RINGO: If I fail it? Erm...I thought you wanted my help.
RACHEL: (trying to backtrack) Erm..I do, what I meant was that...if you don't study, then you'll end up struggling with it like I do.
RINGO: You really stink at reverse psychology.

Rachel apologises and says that she saw his test result. Ringo gets defensive and says that he gets it, he's too dumb to do anything without her help. It's his life and if he screws it up then it's his problem. Rachel says she's not going to let him screw it up. He's only been having problems since the bus crash. Ringo thinks it's all about making "Little Miss Perfect" a bit more perfect.

RINGO: What makes you think you can actually make a difference?
RACHEL: Because I still....

She stops mid sentence and gets her things ready to go. Ringo wants to talk about it, but she doesn't think there's anything to talk about. He apologises for everything that happened with Carmella. He acted stupidly and she paid for it, he didn't realise she still had feelings for him. Rach says he wasn't to know, it wasn't like she gave out many clues. He doesn't think so, it's not like she would blab something like that out of nowhere. Oops, foot in it again, Ringo. Rachel thinks she really had better go, she didn't actually say anything. Ringo thinks she's doing the best thing by going, he'd have screwed things up again for sure. She leaves.

Charlie's
Lou is quizzing Tony about cooking and Tony is being very vague, making me wonder if he's a bit of a fraud or just more of a hufta than I originally thought. He's trying to get out of a cookery demo for Lou unsuccessfully until he says he needs fresh quince. Lou thinks that could be a problem...but Harold knows where to get some. Iiinteresting...I almost feel sorry for the guy being accosted by Lou and Harold. Almost. Miranda comes to his aid to introduce him to Steph and apologises for being a bit scatty before. Everyone's apologising tonight. Tony says it's an occupational hazard of being a good looking celebrity chef. In your dreams sunshine. Miranda introduces him to Steph and he flirts with her too, prompting Steve to come across and introduce himself, saying pointedly that he's Miranda's husband. Steph tries to break the tension by asking how the launch went which prompts Miranda to do her "bigging up" of Steph thing. Steph explains that really she had an ulterior motive...Tony says he'd love to help her out as long as he lets her cook for them so that that can do the talking and as long as Miranda is his assistant because he always works better with a beautiful lady by his side. Ooo, Steve, if only looks could kill, eh?

The General Store
Ned, Lou and Harold are watching Mickey and friend scribbling away as Ned explains he doesn't think his son has been his usual self recently, he thinks he's missing his mum. Lou thinks he's best off with Ned and Janae and even Kirsten agreed. Ned's not sure Mickey agrees, but anyway, he has to be off to pick up Janae. Lou says to leave Mickey with him for a while to let him finish his drink - another chocolate milkshake. Why is nobody obese in Ramsay Street? - it's not like he has a better offer, and he and Harold complain about Tony Aristedes. Ned leaves and Lou takes some luridly coloured cakes over to Mickey and his friend. He asks what they're up to and Mickey's friend says that they're deciding what they'd do with the team if they were selectors. He then asks Lou what he thinks of his pen, his mum and dad got it for him for getting his pen license, so that he can write in pen at school. He was the first of the boys to get his license. Nearly everyone has one now. Lou says it's very nice but notices Mickey is still writing in pencil. He asks if the license is a pretty big deal. Yes it is. Mickey looks embarrassed.

Charlie's
Steph is finishing off another of her speeches, this time to her fellow councillors. They all applaud politely and Steph makes her way over to Big Bad Bill to find out what he thinks. He says her efforts have not gone unnoticed and he might even get one of Tony's books for his wife. Steph excitedly tells Toadie that she thinks she might have won him over. It's amazing what can be done with a canapé these days isn't it?

Over on the other side of the bar, Susan is remarking to Miranda that the man certainly knows the way to a woman's heart. Karl just sort of rolls his eyes in an amused way, but Steve takes it far more to heart.

STEVE: (dryly)So the guy can cook. Whoopee!
MIRANDA: (going into raptures)He can bake...he can flambé ... he can fillet ...he's perfect!

Huh. Well it's nice to know that Miranda isn't as shallow as I and would choose a man who can flambé regardless of the fact he kinda looks like Danny Divito.

On the other side of the bar again Steph's council friend congratulates her on her smart move this evening, what's she going to do next? Steph has two priorities: Stingray's memorial wall and better community child care. Council lady wants to know if she means in that order. Steph says there is no order and is told that she won't win both. Bill's pet peeve is graffiti. She can go ahead and burn her leverage on saving the wall, but she can kiss the child care centre goodbye.

Number 26
Mickey is sitting at the coffee table carefully writing while Lou explains the pen license deal to Janae and Ned. Ned sits down to talk to Mickey about it. He says that he tries to write properly but he keeps going over the lines. Ned understands, he had the same problem and with reading too, even when he was an adult. Mickey brightly says that means he's like his dad, but Ned tells him not to get too excited. Janae thinks he should though, because his dad got through it. Ned tells him he practised and practised and practised and had a family who helped him. (I thought Elle did...) Lou offers to be the first to give Mickey a hand. Janae and Ned beam happily. Aw.

Number 30
Somebody else who's hitting the books is Ringo and he's having trouble too. He slams all his books shut out of tiredness and frustration. Looks like he needs and Ad Break.

Number 26
Miranda wanders into the kitchen in her PJs to find Steve dressed in a white shirt, black bowtie and black trousers with a teatowel over his shoulder taking something out of the oven. Seeing her he puts on a phoney Italian/French/Non-descript European accent and says that he always does his best work in the company of a beautiful woman. (Dunno why the accent, Tony doesn't have one.) Miranda wonders if she's dreaming, but Steve explains that it's called "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Miranda tells him he doesn't have to do either, but Steve's not so sure, surely a fake Tony is better than no Tony at all. Miranda grabs hold of his undone bowtie and says that a real flesh and blood Steve is better than both of them, he's all she needs to get her simmering. Seeing as he won't be needing it Steve whips off what I assume is a black apron, unless he was wearing Velcro trousers and things get a bit passionate. They make a start for the bedroom but come face to face with Mickey who got up to do some more practising. They promise not to tell as long as he goes back to bed in ten minutes. He asks if they're going to bed and they reply that they are, grabbing the bottle of wine and glasses, they're very tired.

The General Store
Miranda and Steve are sitting yawning at a table with Karl when Steph comes in hailed by Susan who has congratulations for her. Karl also congratulates Miranda too, Tony was a big hit with the ladies, but he can't imagine why. Neither can I, Karl. Miranda and Steve yawn. It was obviously very hot over at number 26 the night before. Back to Susan and Steph, Steph explains that Jackie (ah, that's her name) says that it really has to be one project or the other and Susan says that she shouldn't underestimate what a memorial like Stingray's means to a community. Harold says that Caleb put a lot of work into the artwork and he and Sky will be disappointed. Steph says she'll have to face the political reality, not that she likes the sound of that. Susan agrees that she does and that politics is about the art of compromise, she just has to ask herself how much compromise she can live with.

The Erinsborough High Classroom
Susan follows the kids into the classroom, she's covering for another teacher, but seems to be having trouble with her eye, rubbing it as she goes to the desk. Picking up the register she can't focus properly on it so she asks Ringo to take the register while she goes to get some water. She tells them to behave while she's gone, so naturally they start throwing things as she leaves the room. Ringo starts to call out names but notices a year 10 English exam paper on Susan's desk. Rachel and Zeke notice him looking at it and tell him to put it back, just as Susan comes back. Ringo hastily shoves the paper up his shirt and goes back to his place. Rachel and Zeke stare at him in disbelief.

The General Store
Janae swaggers in wearing sunnies.

JANAE: Excuse me sir, I couldn't help but notice that you're operating a pen. Have you got a license for that vehicle?
MICKEY: (passing her the pen license) Here officer.
JANAE: Riiiight...yes, this seems to be in order. (she passes it back) And congratulations on maintaining such excellently neat writing.
MICKEY: (Proudly) I haven't smudged it once!
JANAE: Well that's because you're fully licensed. Drinks are on me.

Mickey asks Ned what he should write while he waits for his sandwich. Ned thinks a letter to his mum, she's going to be pretty proud.

The Classroom
Susan is explaining Blake's comment on environmental degradation, wandering up and down the classroom as she does. Once she passes Ringo he pulls the paper from under his shirt and hides it in his folder. Susan notices that Ringo isn't paying attention and directs her comment about how contemporary the issue make the poem towards him. He agrees it's amazing, but he can't give specifics, so he'll have to prepare a couple of pages at home. Harsh. The bells goes. Surprise surprise. Susan leaves and Zeke and Rach immediately whip around in their seats and tell Ringo to give the paper back now so that Rachel can put it back in Susan's briefcase. Ringo thinks that cheating beats failing.

The General Store
Rach and Zeke are waiting for Karl and Susan. When they arrive Rachel tells Zeke to distract Susan while she puts the paper back in Susan's bag. Before they can do anything, however, the step-parents approach and Susan starts asking questions about their preparation for the English exam. Rachel and Zeke say that everything is fine, and Susan goes all serious. She says she has to speak to them as their teacher, because a paper has gone missing and do they know anything about it. Zeke suggests she misplaced it, but Karl says Susan hasn't lost an exam paper in her life. Susan will have to question everyone tomorrow. Zeke says it can't be that serious, it's just a year 10 exam not a VCE, surely she can just re-write it, but Susan says it's theft and she has to take action. If she finds it in someone's possession then they'll be expelled. Uh oh.