Episode 518

Extended Summary

Grant dismisses his class at school and Don comes in to talk to him about Sophie’s literacy lessons. The school’s remedial teacher was transferred back to the city because of a lack of demand so he wants Grant to teach her. Grant agrees. In the corridor outside, Emma chats to Viv and Steven about Adam and Matt moving into the beach house. Meanwhile, Adam and Matt are quizzing Melody. She says she had to leave her last place because she didn’t pay any rent and the CES wanted her to take a cleaner’s job because she hadn’t submitted her form. Matt takes Adam aside and complains that Melody is even worse than Glenn, since she isn’t even getting any dole. Adam, however, is more interested in the fact she’s gorgeous, even offering to pay her share of the rent. Matt agrees to give her a chance and tells her the rules: She pays her rent on time, she helps with the house work and she puts money into the kitty. Melody agrees, then says she hasn’t got any baggage because she travels light and asks Adam to get her a coffee.

At the store, Tom asks Marilyn for Handyman Australia but Alf is busy out the back so he agrees to wait. A customer, Clive, comes in for a carton of milk and asks her to put it on his account. Marilyn says they don’t give credit. Tom tries to step in but Marilyn and Clive continue to argue the point until Clive throws the carton down in disgust and says he won’t use the store again. Alf comes through and tells Marilyn to get Clive another carton which he gives him on the house, saying Celia employed Marilyn. Alf shows Marilyn an account book with details of people like Tom and Clive who pay later and tells her to write the amounts in there in future.

Grant is giving Sophie a tutorial in an empty classroom. He asks what she’s into and she suggests swimming and touch footie. He asks what she wants to do when she leaves school and she says she’d like to design dresses. Grant suggests she bring in some magazines next time so she can try reading them. Sophie feels uncomfortable that everyone knows what she’s doing and feels like an idiot. Grant tells her she just needs to learn and in six months she’ll be as good as everyone else. He writes some words on the board and starts teaching her about the different sounds the combinations of letters make. A boy, Butcher, comes in to collect his book and makes a jibe about Sophie training for University Challenge. Feeling humiliated, Sophie wipes the words off the board and storms out. Later, Grant tells Don about the incident and says he wants to try something else.

Steven, Emma and Viv go to have a look at the beach house. Emma asks what the guy Adam and Matt are sharing with is like and is shocked when Melody comes in, wearing one of Matt’s shirts knotted across her chest. Matt says he’s going to need the shirt later and Adam says she can borrow one of his. Emma is fuming. The teens head back to school where Steven winds Emma up by talking about Adam spending time alone with Melody while they’re in school. Viv reminds Emma that she tried to see Grant behind Adam’s back.

Adam and Matt are shopping at the store. Matt warns Adam what will happen if Emma finds out he’s buttering Melody up for something but Adam repeats Emma’s comment about what they don’t know won’t hurt them. Marilyn serves the customer in front of them, John Moffat, and sorts out his account in the book. Alf congratulates her on picking it up and leaves her to mind the shop. Grant is walking Sophie down the street, getting her to read signs in the windows. They run into Matt and Adam and Sophie tells them what she’s doing. However, when Adam innocently makes a comment about University Challenge similar to the one Butcher made, Sophie gets upset and runs off. Adam and Matt head home with the shopping. Melody critiques their choices and convinces Adam to cook her dinner.

A man, David, comes into the store looking for Alf. Marilyn says he’s out. David asks her to change $100, saying he owns the shop across the road. Marilyn gives him the change but he hasn’t got the customer’s note with him and says he’ll drop it by later. Marilyn looks worried. When Alf returns and finds out what happened and that David hasn’t returned, he is furious and tells Marilyn she’s fired.

Steven, Viv and Emma finish school for the day and Viv checks with Steven when touch footie practise is. In the corridor outside, Sophie runs into Butcher and his friends and Butcher gives her a note. Steven comes along and tells Butcher to leave her alone. Sophie asks him what the note says but Steven won’t tell her. Grant appears and Sophie asks him to read it. It says “Don’t answer if you turn it on for the boys. Sophie hits Butcher with her bag and runs off. Grant catches up with her near some trees and tells her not to give up on reading and writing, offering to work with her at home. Sophie says she might as well watch Sesame Street but Grant says it might not be a bad idea. He does an impression of Big Bird and manages to make her smile.

Emma and Viv buy a cheese grater at the store as a housewarming present for Adam and Matt but Viv thinks Emma’s mostly using it as an excuse to check up on Adam. David returns and gives Alf the money, saying the shop was too busy for him to leave before. He says Marilyn did a good job and jokes that he hopes Alf hasn’t fired her for lending him the money. Alf tracks Marilyn down to the Diner and apologises. Marilyn thinks he thought she’d stolen the money but Alf assures her he didn’t. He asks her to come back, promising to try not to lose his temper, and Marilyn agrees.

Adam is cooking dinner. Melody offers to help but, when Adam asks her to grate some cheese, she says she might break a nail. Matt is on his way out to footie practise and Adam says to tell them he’s sick. Melody asks if she’s keeping him from anything important and he assures her she isn’t so she goes to get changed. Later, the pair relax after dinner and Adam tells her about his old life on the yacht. He offers to make her some coffee but at that moment Emma arrives with the cheese grater. Adam says they’ve already got one. Emma sits down at the table with Melody to join them for coffee. She notes it’ll be cosy, just the three of them…