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Original Airdate: 11/09/98
Ruthie is running around the house "Baboom-ing" everyone and everything, pretending to be shot, just like in the video game "Baboom." Annie tries to explain to Ruthie that even a violent video game is bad news. Ruthie is disappointed, but Annie looks like she is going to stand her ground. In the kitchen, Ruthie is on the phone with Jordan trying to convince him to see Gone With The Wind. Matt runs in with his hand over his eye, with Mary following close behind. Seems Mary hit him with the basketball and he now has a black eye. Eric soon follows and tells Simon about the Golden Gloves Tournament. Simon interrupts his dad when Dina calls crying. She tells Simon that Johnny Martin, her old boyfriend, broke up with his new girlfriend, and says Johnny is probably going to go after Simon. Ruthie comes in at that moment and "Babooms" Simon which scares him half to death.The next day at school, Simon sees Johnny over at Dina's locker. His heart starts racing, but he goes over and stands in front of her and introduces himself. Simon tries to act tough, and Johnny says he'll see Dina later. At the high school, Lucy is still begging Jordan to see the movie. He makes a compromise and says he'll rent it and they can bring it over. Annie is called to Roosevelt Elementary, where Ruthie broke the "Baboom" video game the other kid brought to school. The principal sends Ruthie home. Ruthie says maybe she did it because she needed one of her own.
Matt explains to Shawna what happened to his eye. After telling him about his life, he asks her for a little information about hers. She is still stubborn, and won't talk about her family. After school, Mary, Lucy and Eric go to pick up Simon, who is late for once. Inside, Simon and Dina come out of the girls' restroom to find Johnny waiting for them. Johnny tells Simon that when he least expects it, he will turn around and find a 38 special when he least expects it. Everyone in the hallway overhears. Some kids come up to Simon and tell him not to tell anybody, it will just make him more mad. Eric walks in and Simon and Dina are ready to go.
Eric gets another hang-up phone call, and calls Simon into the study. Simon claims to know nothing about who is calling and hanging up. He then spills the beans about Johnny trying to scare him. He tells Eric about the threat he received from Johnny. Eric and Mary go to see Shawna where she works, and she introduces her brother, George. George takes a liking to Mary, but when they leave, he strong-arms Shawna to get their phone number. She begs George to stay away from her.
Back at the house, Annie and Eric talk over the problem with Simon, and they agree not to tell the other kids. Annie says the kids should both stay home from school tomorrow, and Dina can come over and spend the day with them. Eric plans to go talk to Johnny's father about the threat. At that moment, Ruthie runs in says "Baboom!" Annie says to knock off saying "Baboom" and Eric backs Annie up. Eric tries to explain to Ruthie why shooting someone, even pretend, is bad.
George calls for Mary and asks her to meet him in front of the school tomorrow afternoon. Eric goes to Johnny's house and talks to his father about Johnny. His father laughs that the boys have been fighting over Dina. Eric tells him that Johnny has threatened to shoot Simon, but Johnny says he doesn't even know Simon. He asks if Johnny has ever been in trouble before, and also if they own a gun. By the expression on his dad's face, he knows they do.
Back at the house, Lucy says she wants to slap Jordan because it's romantic. Jordan says no way, and Ruthie sulks on the couch. Ruthie walks in to Simon's room and asks him for help getting "Baboom." Simon says to forget it, and she says thanks for nothing BRO. She gives Simon one last "Baboom" but closes the door before Simon can chase in after her. Eric gets back home, and soon Sgt. Michaels arrives with some information on Johnny - he has a record. And the family does in fact have a licensed 38 special.
The next day, Dina comes over and says she's sorry about the whole mess. Annie reassures her it's not her fault. Sgt. Michaels goes to meet with the assistant principal, Eric, and Johnny's father, John. He says the number of times Johnny has been getting in trouble has been increasing. He says it's how kids are. The assistant principal tells Mr. Martin they had Johnny's locker opened, and it looks like an altar to violence. Gun advertisements, violent CDs, comic books… and Eric interjects about the threat. Mr. Martin says he knows his son, and he wouldn't do that. Mr. Martin says the gun is for their protection and he won't take it out of the house. Mr. Martin says he's calling the school board and the chief of police about being harassed.
Mary asks Lucy to lie for her so she can go with George to the pool hall. Lucy says she can lie to her parents but not to Matt. Jordan comes over and says he can slap him if she wants. Lucy says they have to be arguing, she can't just slap him for no reason. When Jordan tries to kiss her, she slaps him and a teacher stars coming over. Mary explains they are rehearsing a scene from Gone With The Wind and she now owes her.
Shawna finds Matt in the Quad. She tells him that George has a problem. Shawna tells her mom slaps George around and that's why she doesn't invite Matt to the hellhole she lives in. She then takes off running. Matt goes to pick Ruthie up from school where he hears a couple "bleeps" and asks Ruthie to hand over "Baboom." Next stop is the high school. Matt asks where Mary is, and Ruthie says she went over to somebody's house to study. Matt asks one more time, and Matt explodes on Lucy and she says she think they were going to the pool hall. Matt tears out from the parking lot.
Eric goes to the office to pick up a few things when Johnny comes around the corner and points the gun at him. Eric looks him in the eye and Johnny seems uneasy. Johnny's lips tighten up, and he pulls the trigger, shooting Eric in the left shoulder. Eric is stunned. Back home, Annie is going out of her mind worrying about Eric because he didn't answer his page. Matt explains to her that George is bad news. At the pool hall, Mary is playing pinball, and George presses her hands against the flippers HARD and moves them when she's trying to play. She tells him to let go but he won't. Mary gets nervous and says he is hurting him. She then turns on him, and throws him to the ground with a hand self-defense move. She tells him he has a problem and to do something. Matt then tells him he needs to get some help. It seems that he finally realizes he does have a problem. He offers to have his dad talk to him in a couple of weeks.
In the hospital, Matt is talking about how much it hurt to the doctors when Annie walks in. She gives him a big hug and says she talked to Sgt. Michaels since he didn't want her to know. He didn't want her to see him in the hospital in one of the paper shirts. Simon, Ruthie and Lucy wait outside and wish they knew what was going on. She asks if water will leak out of daddy when he drinks water. Eric comes out of the emergency room and gives everybody a hug.
The next week in court, the judge talks to Johnny about what happened, and that Johnny admitted to stalking Eric with intent to kill him. The judge talks about rehabilitation, and promises to follow his case very closely. The judge relinquishes Johnny to the state youth authority until he is 25 years old, the maximum penalty he is allowed to assign a 12-year-old. Johnny breaks down in tears and cries that he wants to go home. Johnny is taken by the police out of the courtroom, and Mr. Martin admits that he is wrong and he is sorry.
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