Previously on Neighbours
- During his astronaut training with Josh, Bailey is taunted and bullied by Jayden and his goons
- Chris reveals to Georgia that Kyle's financial problems are worse than he's letting on
- Naomi fakes threatening letters to herself in a bid to secure Toadie's attention
- Libby steps in as acting principal when Susan comes down with a cold
- Karl fails to convince Susan to prolong her time off in a bid to convince Libby to stay in Erinsborough
No 28
Susan is still suffering from her cold, and Karl pointedly tells her not to rush her recovery. He suggests that Libby continue as acting principal until Susan's fighting fit again. Libby admits she has doubts about how good she was at her job at her last school, and worries that if she'd done a better job, the school might not have shut down. Susan insists that was just about lack of student numbers, and nothing to do with Libby's performance - but Libby admits she's been doubting herself.
LIBBY: Honestly? The only reason I agreed to do these three weeks was to pay a favour to you guys. After this I was considering quitting teaching.
Karl and Susan are both very disappointed about this, but Libby says her stint at Erinsborough High so far has made her think she perhaps can still be a good teacher after all - being dropped in the deep end may have been just what she needed. Susan agrees to let Libby stand in for her for another couple of days while she recovers, but promises to leave her phone on just in case.
Power Road
Toadie and Naomi come out of Grease Monkeys eating burgers, laughing and joking about hamburger breath and wrestling. Something Naomi says makes Toadie think she's still worried about her stalker, and he strongly advises her to take the letter she received to the police. Naomi's not keen but he insists she go and make a statement after lunch. She agrees, before wiping burger sauce off his face.
Dial-A-Kyle
Georgia arrives at the yard to speak to Kyle. She's brought along an edible peace offering, and apologises for offering him paid work to help him out financially - she didn't mean to hurt his pride. Kyle takes very little convincing, and they start kissing. Georgia's bought Bossy something to eat too, but the dog won't accept the treat when Kyle offers it to her; Kyle surmises that she's still annoyed with him for having been away for so long.
Georgia notices the rocking horse that Kyle restored for the baby they lost, sitting outside the office, and asks Kyle what he's going to do with it. He says he's going to keep it, and says he wishes he got as much enjoyment out of most of his regular work. This gets Georgia thinking.
Erinsborough High School
Libby and Ben arrive, and Ben is quick to ask Libby to keep her distance while they're at school! Libby complies, saying she'll see him later. Ben turns the corner to see Jayden picking on Bailey, by raiding his locker in the hope of finding alcohol. Ben intervenes on Bailey's behalf.
BEN: You gonna take that?
BAILEY: I'm okay.
JAYDEN: Sure you are. We're just having fun, right?
BEN: You might be, but he's not.
JAYDEN: Oh, hilarious. Now he's got Year Tens sticking up for him. How cute.
BEN: You're an idiot.
Bailey attempts to defuse the situation, and Jayden tells Ben he'll overlook his impudence, this time.
The Waterhole
Toadie is making Naomi write a statement for the police, instructing her to type up everything she can remember about the stalker who followed her home.
NAOMI: I don't want to make any mistakes.
TOADIE: Well, you wouldn't want to. Making a false statement carries four years' imprisonment.
Naomi doesn't appreciate the joke, and decides she wants to forget about her 'stalker'. But Toadie enlists Sheila's help to persuade Naomi to take the stalker-letter to the police. It's the first Sheila's heard of the letter and she insists on seeing it. Sheila concludes that the letter is creepy, and backs Toadie up about Naomi going to the police. Naomi relents and promises to take the letter over, once she's finished her statement. Toadie leaves, asking Sheila to make sure she does.
Harold's Store
Karl is leaving just as Ben comes in. Ben sits down at a table with Bailey, and asks him why he didn't stand up to Jayden.
BAILEY: Sometimes it's better to keep a low profile.
BEN: That's not how you deal with bullies, man. Trust me, I grew up in a country town, writing poetry and playing music. You just have to stand up to them, otherwise you'll let them win.
Erinsborough High School
Bailey and Ben arrive back at school, Ben telling Bailey to steer clear of Jayden (which is surely in direct contradiction to the advice he issued seconds before). Bailey goes off to class, and it's Ben who runs into Jayden.
JAYDEN: Hey look, it's the puppy who thinks it's a guard dog.
BEN: Don't you ever get tired of being you, mate?
JAYDEN: I looked you up online.
BEN: Oh yeah, you figured out how to spell Ben? I'm impressed.
JAYDEN: Yeah. Said you won some poxy poetry competition in Ballarat.
BEN: Yeah, so?
JAYDEN: What kind of guy writes poetry?
BEN: One who can read. That's probably why you're confused.
Bailey appears again, behind Jayden's goons, observing the confrontation.
JAYDEN: Oh, is that what your dad was doing when he fell off that horse?
Ben's cool evaporates.
BEN: Shut your mouth.
JAYDEN: Good thing he's dead. He'd be so ashamed of what a mummy's boy you've turned into.
Ben lunges at Jayden and drags him to the floor, as a full-blown fight kicks off. Bailey tries to drag Jayden off Ben, just as Libby appears to take control of the situation.
Shortly afterwards, Libby has assembled the three boys in the principal's office. She knows Bailey was trying to break up the fight, but asks him to explain how it started. Bailey says that Jayden was sledging Ben about writing poetry.
LIBBY: Well, lots of people try and sledge Ben about his poetry, and he just laughs it off. So it had to be something more than that.
BAILEY: Jayden said that it was a good thing - that it was a good thing Ben's dad was dead. So that he'd never see him turn into a mummy's boy.
JAYDEN: ... He pushed me first.
LIBBY: After you provoked him. We have a zero tolerance for bullies at this school. I'll be notifying your parents that you're suspended for a week.
JAYDEN: A week?!
LIBBY: Want more?
JAYDEN: ...
LIBBY: Ben, you've got afternoon detention. While I understand why you reacted the way you did, you have to show some more restraint.
Libby dismisses the three boys, then sighs.
The Waterhole
Sheila pushes Naomi to finish her police statement, but she says she's in two minds about going to the cops about it as it might just be a stupid prank. Sheila reveals she just phoned Matt, who's asked Naomi to go straight over to the station. Naomi grudgingly agrees to go - but the moment Sheila's back is turned, she deliberately pours a drink all over the fake stalker letter.
SHEILA: How could you be so clumsy?
NAOMI: I'm just a bundle of nerves.
SHEILA: They're never going to be able to do any of that fancy CSI stuff with this now!
NAOMI: You're right!
SHEILA: I always am. But Matt is still expecting to see it, so you'd better get your pretty backside off that chair and over to the police station.
Naomi is powerless to argue.
Harold's Store
Georgia tells Kyle that she's found him a job, but a real one this time. She explains that the hospital charity committee that she's on needs him to build special novelty beds (race-cars, etc) for sick kids who have just come out of hospital.
Kyle's really keen, but wonders if he'll get paid since it's for charity. Georgia says he will; the money isn't great, but at least it's something until business picks up. Kyle thanks her, and dashes off to get started. Georgia looks a bit guilty once he's gone.
No 28
Susan finishes up a phone call with Jayden's mother, Sue, who has been accusing Libby of favouritism, by suspending Jayden and not Ben, even though Ben started the fight. Libby explains the horrible things Jayden was saying about Ben's late dad, Drew. Susan wonders if she should go into school herself tomorrow to sort it out, but Libby says she needs to face up to the challenge herself. Susan insists she trusts Libby to sort it out, as long as she's sure. Libby says she is.
Power Road
Ben and Bailey are walking along when Jayden appears, and sarcastically thanks Bailey for getting him suspended. He demands that Bailey tell Susan he made a mistake, and that Jayden never said anything about Drew.
BAILEY: And why would I do that?
JAYDEN: Because if you don't, I'll make sure your parents find out about your little drinking hobby.
Jayden walks off.
BEN: Is it true? What he just said?
BAILEY: Sort of. Yeah.
BEN: You should do what he wants.
BAILEY: What? No, I thought I was meant to stand up to the guy.
BEN: Not if he's holding something like that over you.
BAILEY: No, I can't just lie and let you take the blame for the fight. No.
BEN: Don't worry about me. I'll take what's coming.
BAILEY: You sort of seem like you want this.
BEN: Just do it.
No 28
Bailey has followed Ben's advice and told Libby that Ben started the fight, but she's incredulous at the idea that he made the original story up. Bailey claims that he didn't want to let Ben get into trouble, as he was new to the school, and that he wanted to get back at Jayden for giving him a hard time.
LIBBY: Has he threatened you? Is that why you're changing your story?
BAILEY: No. No, I just felt guilty for lying. That's all.
Libby says they can discuss it further in detention tomorrow, and sends Bailey on his way.
The Waterhole
Sheila is telling Toadie all about the interstate pool tournament she's planning for the bar, when Naomi comes in, purportedly having been giving her statement to Matt at the police station. She says she doesn't hold out much hope of them finding her 'stalker', as they don't have much to go on. Toadie says he'll protect her while the stalker's on the loose, and offers to walk her home. Sheila observes the interaction with some suspicion.
Toadie heads back to the office, promising to be right back to walk Naomi home. Once he's gone, Sheila airs her suspicions.
SHEILA: It's funny. Whenever you get frightened or scared, the only person who can make you feel better is Toadie.
NAOMI: Okay. Whatever it is you're gonna accuse me of, let's just get it over with.
SHEILA: If I didn't know better, I'd start wondering whether you were conning all of us with this stalker.
NAOMI: I'm not conning anyone! A man followed me home.
SHEILA: A man you can't identify. And then there was all that joking and mucking around in self-defence class, sabotaging that letter, not to mention the palaver about not wanting to go to the police.
NAOMI: Oh, it's so comforting to know my mother has so much faith in me.
SHEILA: You've invented this whole charade just to get Toadie's attention.
NAOMI: You're being ridiculous, as usual.
SHEILA: Well you might be able to fool the rest of the world, my girl, but you can't fool me. I know you too well.
Furious, Naomi marches out of the bar.
No 26
Kyle is showing Georgia his plans for the novelty children's beds she's asked him to make, and gives him some money which she says is an advance from the charity committee. Kyle tells her it feels good to be earning again, and starts slobbering all over her, before heading out the back when Naomi comes in. Georgia takes the opportunity to ask Naomi some advice.
GEORGIA: Hey, you've been madly in love, right?
NAOMI: Oh, yeah.
GEORGIA: Did you ever do something not entirely honest, in order to help the person that you love? Hypothetically, I mean?
NAOMI: Oh, I - yes, I suppose so.
GEORGIA: And did you feel bad about it?
NAOMI: Err, sure. But you know what? When you've dug yourself into a hole, I think sometimes you just need to keep digging until you find a way out.
No 28
Karl and Susan observe from a distance as Libby discusses Ben's behaviour with him. Ben claims that he told Bailey to say Jayden was teasing him about his dad, as he thought it would excuse him for starting the fight. Libby tells Ben he's hit an all-time low, and that she's really disappointed. Ben goes to his room.
Libby moans to Karl and Susan about the situation - she'll now have to suspend Ben, rescind Jayden's own suspension, and apologise to Jayden's mother. Susan wonders aloud if there's something else going on with Ben, but Libby says there's nothing that she's aware of.
No 30
Kyle in the kitchen with Georgia, eating chocolate cake - which appears to have aphrodisiac properties if the subsequent frisky slobbering is anything to go by. Toadie comes in and interrupts them, just as Georgia has hoisted herself onto the kitchen top and Kyle has removed his shirt! Kyle swiftly gets dressed again, and makes a quick exit, while Georgia and Toadie laugh.
Once Kyle's gone, Toadie asks Georgia to put some money in the kitty as it's empty. Georgia makes an excuse, saying she has a cashflow problem at present, and asks if she can repay Toadie next week. He agrees, and we're left to infer that Georgia is paying Kyle for the novelty beds out of her own pocket, hence her lack of cash. She looks worried.
Harold's Store
Jayden accosts Bailey.
JAYDEN: G'day, Bails. You did good. Mrs Kennedy backed down and my mum's now off my back. Now you and your little poetry freak are in the bad books. Sucks to be you. I guess you'll be hitting the bottle again now.
Lest we remain unconvinced of what a moron Jayden is, he mimes an 'L' for 'loser' at Bailey before leaving. Bailey gets out his phone, and texts Karina, the girl who's using him for his booze. He writes: 'Up for another big night?'
Meanwhile, at a table, Naomi is on the phone having a friendly chat to an acquaintance called Lee, whom she hasn't spoken to in a long time.
NAOMI: I have a proposition for you. How would you like to be my stalker?
Tomorrow on Neighbours
- When money goes missing from the till at Harold's, Paige is Lauren's prime suspect
- Naomi is recounting another encounter with her 'stalker' to Matt
- We see Naomi and Sheila chasing the stalker out of No 26
- Toadie sees the stalker and chases him down Ramsay Street