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Original Airdate: 11/04/96
Lucy asks Mary why Mary hates her and Mary says she doesn't hate Lucy - it's just that having the family there makes her nervous. Lucy is very disappointed because she invited a popular girl, Ashley, to go to the game with her and now she is going to have to cancel. Likewise disappointed, Simon and Ruthie debate what to do and finally decide to play detective.
Matt arrives at Susan's house, the girl he is tutoring, and is surprised when Susan's father answers the door. Explaining that he is there to tutor his daughter, the man seems to think Matt has other ideas on his mind and actually encourages Matt. Wondering what he has gotten himself into this time, Matt enters the house.
Back at the Camdens, Simon and Ruthie are playing detective when Ashley comes over. When Lucy tells Ashley they aren't going to the game, Ashley threatens to leave. Wanting to get in with the popular girls, Lucy convinces Ashley to stay so they can call up Lucy's boyfriend to ask what the boys think about Ashley. Simon and Ruthie take off following the bad guy - cleverly disguised as their mailman. In the middle of their stakeout, however, the detectives realize they are lost.
Annie gives in and allows Eric to go grocery shopping with her when they spot a boy that Eric helped get into drug rehab a month ago stealing a watch. When the boy, terry, tries to exit the store, he is stopped by a security guard, but Eric manages to talk the guard out of pressing charges. As an exchange for his help, Eric asks Terry to go shoot some pool and talk.
At the practice before the big game, a teammate of Mary's asks where her family is. When Mary explains that she told her family not to come to the game, the friend tells Mary that it is bad luck not to invite your family. Not wanting to ruin the game for her team, Mary tries to call home but gets a busy signal. The busy signal turns out to be Lucy on the phone with Jimmy Moon. Lucy asks Jimmy what his best friend Stevie has to say about Ashley. As Ashley listens on another phone, Jimmy tells Lucy that Stevie used to like Ashley, but he now thinks she talks too much. Embarrassed and humiliated, Ashley runs out of the house and Lucy realizes that Simon and Ruthie are missing and takes to the streets looking for the two youngsters.
At the pool hall, Eric and Terry talk about Terry's drug rehab and Terry says everything is going great. Eric comments on how fast Terry's rehab recovery was and Terry confesses he walked out of the program after only a month. Terry storms out and tells Eric to stay out of his life. True to form, however, Eric goes to talk to Terry's parents who tell him that they threw Terry out of the house.
Matt continues to tutor Susan and realizes that she has her own ideas as to what they should be studying. When she throws herself onto Matt as her father enters the room, her father asks to speak to Matt alone. Matt, thinking he is in trouble, explains that he only wants to tutor Susan in English for the money. The father, however, seems to actually want Susan and Matt to get involved. Matt quits his job, not wanting to get pushed into anything.
Mary's big game starts and still no Camden family in the stands. Lucy is out looking for Ruthie and Simon, but instead they find a police office who takes them to the game. Both Annie and Matt show up and find each other in the stands. A few minutes later, Eric arrives and finds Ruthie and Simon outside and tells them they have some explaining to do.
The family returns home and finds Lucy waiting on the steps, visibly disappointed that everyone just left her at home and went to the game anyway. Expecting a harsh punishment for letting Simon and Ruthie wander off, Lucy is amazed when Eric doesn't give her a punishment. After coming up with a suitable punishment for everybody, Eric takes Lucy out for a father/daughter night and listens to her constant talking over dinner. Arriving back home, Mary manages to tear Lucy away so Eric can get some rest.
Just as the evening is almost over, there is a knock at the door and Eric opens it to find Terry, asking Eric to help him get his life back in order.