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Private Notes
The Heartly high students are getting a hard time from the Heartly heights students and one of them plays a crule prank on Anita.
Kurt is embarrased by hais alchoholic father.Leo Fine is sent to jail and Melanie Blacks dad takes over at the sharkpool.
The newest addition to the teaching staff at Hartley Heights High School, Gerard Albers , is an eccentric and flamboyant bohemian from Spain, who is as at home on the touch football field as he is in the classroom. Albers makes himself unpopular in his very first class when it looks like he will be favouring students from a non-English speaking background. When he becomes aware of the resentment in the yard, Albers decides to teach the kids a lesson about prejudice. Hilary has finally graduated with her postgraduate Psychology degree. However, the moment is bittersweet as she is faced with a life-altering decision: should she move to Melbourne to pursue a job offer, or should she stay with her children? WIth the prospect of having the house to themselves, Anita and Ryan offer their mother all the encouragement they can. Ryan encourages Nikki to enter a talent quest at a local pub. Everything goes well and Nikki wins her heat, but the evening is marred when Ryan is brought home by the police after geting in a scuffle with another patron. Ryan is unable to attend the finals the next evening so Kurt steps in to support Nikki. Has Ryan lost his chance?
When Les confiscates a Penthouse magazine from Drazic in class, he has no idea what the consequences will be. Drazic takes revenge by sticking a centrefold on one of Les' Biology teaching aids. However, Drazic's prank gets out of hand after Les refuses to react and is subsequently made the subject of a sexual harassment complaint and is suspended. Furious about this over-reaction, Les quits. Mai and Drazic find themselves without a home when they are served with an eviction notice. Ryan reluctantly agrees to let them move in with him and Anita assured it will be only temporary. Mai quickly finds a new warehouse but they must wait a week before they can move in. When Drazic and Anita enjoy playing house, they decide to make it permanent. They have two small obstacles — Mai is furious that she is left without a flatmate and Ryan is equally unhappy at the prospect of having Drazic living with him. For Mai, the solution is easy: just tell Anita how glad she is to be rid of Drazic and his bad habits. Much to Ryan's annoyance, Nikki invites Kurt to a party to celebrate her success in the pub talent quest. However, she is made to regret the invitation when Kurt endangers her career by embarrassing her in front of a record company executive.
New kid Andrew arrives at Hartley. Although he has Muscular Dystrophy and is in a wheelchair, he is determined to be treated like a normal teenager. Albers asks Melanie to buddy Andrew — to show him around and make him feel welcome, but Andrew resents the whole idea.
Jeff arrives to look after Ryan and Anita and goes out of his way to be the dutiful father. Anita doesn't appreciate it when he starts laying down the law to her, especially when Ryan appears to be able to do whatever he wants.
Drazic and Mai are struggling with the higher rent at their new warehouse and can't afford to buy much food — they almost resort to eating leftovers at the Shark Pool. Things get really desperate so Mai decides to do a "stock take", in which she and Draz are a little over-zealous with their health and safety standards, taking a huge haul of food home.
Melanie and Andrew seem happy together but as opposition to their relationship mounts, Melanie starts having second thoughts. She is amazed by Andrew's fierce reaction when she suggests they cool off until after the HSC until Mr. Albers explains that Andrew doesn't have a lot of time to waste... he is dying. Wanting to make the most of their time together, Melanie decides to drop out of school so they can go to Tasmania together.
When Kurt's father doesn't turn up for football practice, Kurt and Ryan disagree over coaching methods and Ryan storms off. On his way home he finds Barry slumped over in the driver's seat of his car — dead drunk! Ryan helps sober him up and the two bond over common interests. Kurt is appalled when he arrives home and finds Ryan — his family secret has been exposed!
Mai, so often the activist, feels humiliated when Di chastises her in class for wasting paper. In an act of revenge, she and Nikki decide to test the theory that you can learn a lot about someone from what they throw away and use Di as a subject for a science project.
Albers decides to teach a history class with a twist when he asks the class to put Arthur Phillip on trial. Was Arthur Phillip a good man or did he knowingly attempt to carry out genocide on the Aboriginal people? A fight breaks out when Kurt, as Governor Phillip, takes offence to Ryan's tactics.
Mai and Drazic need a flatmate to help pay the rent. Drazic lets his friend D'espo move in, but when he arrives in the middle of the night he does not endear himself to Mai. D'espo attempts to drive a wedge between Mai and Drazic and it appears to be working until he resorts to racial slurs to denigrate Mai.
Jeff disappears to pick up Sharon, his girlfriend, from the train station. He returns with Sharon — and their three month old baby, James, Anita and Ryan's new half brother. Anita is furious that Jeff neglected to tell them about their brother and is offended twice over when Jeff also forgets to mention that he and Sharon are christening James at the end of the week!
Anita and Ryan are not coping well with the 4am wake up calls from baby James. Jeff feels bad — he came here to help the kids through the HSC but he seems to be making things harder for them. He has a decision to make — either stay and jeopardise the kids HSC or take Sharon and the baby back to Newcastle ―, what will he decide?
Kurt, worried by his father's drinking habits, drives him to work everyday so he doesn't drive drunk and is furious when he inadvertently discovers Barry lost his job several weeks ago. In an effort to placate Kurt, Barry promises to change his ways but Kurt is disappointed once again when Barry arrives to Parent/Teacher night intoxicated.
Mai, desperate for a story for the school paper, gets an idea when she hears Nikki complaining about being short of cash after busking all morning. The paper is released with an article about struggling students. Nikki furiously confronts Mai about invading her privacy but Mai is adamant — kids should not be ashamed of their financial situation.
Anita and Ryan are enjoying life without parental supervision until Kath Livingstone, the new housekeeper, arrives with her daughter Sarah. Kath is strict in her ways and makes it clear that she is not impressed — Ryan and Anita need to clean up their act. Di Barnett is anxious when a Hartley High student is stabbed in a fight at a bus stop. She decides to consult a security firm and introduces bag searches at the school gates. The kids are incensed at this invasion of their privacy and appeal to Ms Barnett to change her mind but she is immovable — the kids' safety is paramount. It is not until Draz ends up in serious trouble after a prank that Di is forced to rethink her policies. Kurt tells Nikki about his interest in marine biology but when she finds out Kurt is too frightened to apply for a job at the aquarium, she loses all respect for him.
Nikki is furious when Kurt continuously puts his love for the environment ahead of her. However, he reveals the cause of his fanaticism: a seal at the Aquarium is on the brink of death because it swallowed a plastic bag, and Nikki and Kurt decide they will have to find a compromise between their private lives and their love for the environment. Ryan tries to impress Nikki with his record company contacts but, when they let him down, he is left to pay. Anita takes Sarah under her wing, including her in all dates with Drazic. Draz, annoyed by their constant threesomes, sabotages Sarah's promise to Kath to be home early and Sarah is grounded for a month. Draz is not in Anita's good books. Mai is being stalked by a new boy at school but all is not what it seems and Mai gets caught up in a potentially dangerous situation.
When Sarah helps Anita and Drazic discover the internet, she inadvertently gets them both into trouble. Anita is wooed by a man calling himself DJ Byron but when she agrees to meet him she puts herself in a dangerous situation. Drazic has a run in with customs when he tries to order CD’s to sell to his school mates. Both learn a tough lesson! While Nikki is filming Mai performing as a human sculpture in the local mall they film a pickpocket working the audience. They take the tape to class and the class debates what action to take. Embarrassed when Barry turns up to footy practice drunk, Kurt sacks his dad as coach and takes over himself. Not everyone is pleased – Ryan quits the team. However it seems that there may be more behind Ryan’s departure – Kurt and Nikki are now an item and Ryan refuses to believe that he’s lost Nikki just yet.
Ryan, still smarting over Kurt and Nikki's blossoming relationship, is staying away from the football team. However, Barry manages to persuade him to rejoin for an inter-school competition. However, prompted by Kurts constant teasing, Ryan high tackles him and Kurt ends up in hospital with spinal injuries uncertain is he will ever walk again? Will Ryan ever be forgiven or forgive himself? Mai organises for a student helpline to be run at night from the warehouse but Drazic is annoyed by the intrusion. He is scournful of the idea until he is confronted with a suicidal caller himself. Anita and Sarah sign Kath up with 'Mate for Life' dating service in the hopes that she might become a happier person with a man in her life. When a strange man turns up on their doorstep, Anita and Sarah realise they may be in for an awkward situation.
After putting Kurt in hospital, Ryan finds he is being ostracised at school. Feeling sorry for himself, he wags school and meets Mario, a shady character, who offers him a way out of his depression... and so, Ryan begins his trip into the drug culture. Kurt is on the mend but Barry's fussing and pampering is getting on his nerves. In an effort to redirect Barry's attention, Kurt and Nikki talk the local club into making a tribute cabinet with Barry's trophies. At the club, Barry runs into an old friend who offers him a job as a barman. Will Barry be able to keep his alcoholism under control enough to take the job he needs so desperately? When the kids begin to study Jim McNeil's play, How Does Your Garden Grow, Kath is furious — she thinks it is obscene and pulls her daughter out of class. Kath convinces Di to drop the play from the school syllabus and Sarah feels the wrath of the other kids. Can she find a way to appease everyone?
Now well and truly entrenched in the world of drugs, Ryan is at the point where his speed is costing him more than he can afford. Desperate for more drugs, Ryan begins to steal, first from Anita and then from the school. Anita discovers Ryan with stolen goods — now she is left with the task of making him see sense. When Albers sets a project focusing on personal histories, Sarah sets on a trail to find out about her father. However, she may not be pleased with what she finds out. Kurt's return to school brings back memories of his accident, and he is concerned that nobody knew how to cope. He convinces Di to run a voluntary basic first aid course, but Kurt has trouble convincing the other boys to participate. It is not until he reveals his secret weapon that the boys finally come around.
When Ryan is late for class again, and hasn't done his major assignment, Barnett hauls him over the coals. Ryan refuses to be helped by her or anyone and walks out before he can be suspended from school. When he complains to his dealer that he is lacking in funds, Mario offers him a way out — he can deal drugs. Can Ryan possibly stoop so low or will he realise where his life is heading? Kurt and Mai convince Nikki to enter a radio competition singing on Jumpin Jack Jet's amateur hour. Later, Nikki is contacted by an A&R person for an up and coming record company — they want to sign her up. Mai finds out that Nikki is being conned but Nikki, blinded by the stars in her eyes, refuses to believe her. Can Mai convince Nikki before she is hurt? Against Kath's wishes, Sarah agrees to stand in for Mai at the Shark Pool. Draz has a field day — giving her all the menial tasks. In a quiet moment, Draz leaves Sarah to cope on her own. However, the Shark Pool is never quiet for very long and it soon appears that Sarah is in above her head.
Sarah enlists Anita's help to find her father but Kath makes it very clear that they'll receive no assistance from her. After pursuing a series of false clues Sarah finally uncovers his identity and is thrown into the middle of a scandal. Mai is robbed while working at the Shark Pool. She feels even more traumatised when she realises that the robber has taken her house keys. Drazic is unusually protective and sits up all night keeping watch. However, when Mai can't sleep, he suggests she get into bed with him and one thing leads to another… Drazic is instantly and sincerely regrettable — how can he explain to Anita? Ryan, still coming down from his flirtation with drugs, returns to school to find himself ostracised — it soon appears that his educational return will be short lived. Albers discovers that because the school tennis court is disused and in need of repair, the education department is considering selling the land off. He conceives a plan to both rehabilitate Ryan and restore the court in one hit!
While busking, Nikki meets Luda, a recording artist who wants to record one of her songs. Overjoyed, Nikki joins Luda in her studio to produce the song, but refuses to take any part in the contractual details of their partnership. When the CD is finished, Nikki ends up with no credit and it appears there is nothing she can do now! This is a hard lesson for her to learn. Sarah, devastated after learning her father's identity, lets loose her rebellious streak and finds herself suspended after slapping headmaster Barnett. When Kath threatens her with abuse charges, Sarah decides to take matters into her own hands and marches down to the police station to give herself up throwing Kath into an embarrassing situation. Mai continues to pursue Drazic who is busy finding various excuses to keep them apart. Kurt is inveigled into helping Drazic set up an aquarium at the warehouse… which turns into an overnight stay… which turns into a few more days stay… which turns into Kurt moving in. Mai gets the message and confronts Drazic — ending with a promise to control her feelings but this could be easier said than done!
Since Mai and Drazic had a close nocturnal encounter, things in the warehouse have been somewhat tense. As the new arrival, Kurt feels that maybe he's the problem but Anita assures him he isn't and when he suggests a dinner party to get things back on track Anita agrees to help him. The party isn't a jovial affair and Anita gets an inkling of what's up. Her suspicions are confirmed by Mai who, struggling with her conscience, comes clean. Anita is more upset that Drazic didn't tell her about Mai that she is about what happened. She dumps Drazic who is left devastated. Ryan, who's turned over a new leaf, volunteers to help Kath at the local retirement home. There he strikes up a friendship with Harold, a feisty retired musician, and the pair bond over their mutual love for music. When it comes to Ryan's attention that Harold is broke because his pension goes straight to Mrs MacDonald, the retirement home manager, he thinks Harold should get to keep the 15% of his pension he is entitled. When Harold tells Ryan he can't afford his visits any longer, Ryan smells a rat. Kath is sceptical when Ryan tells her that the manager, Mrs MacDonald, is ripping off the residents, but this is eventually confirmed and Mrs MacDonald is sent packing. Sarah has returned to school on probation after slapping Barnett. Di makes her help out in the office so that she can keep an eye on her but Sarah resents it and plans her revenge. She plants a virus in Di's computer causing a hard disk crash. Just when it looks like a speech that Di has to give to an area teachers meeting is lost, Sarah makes herself look good by saving the day only to be found out eventually by Barnett.
When JJ, a prisoner on day release, begins working at the school, he runs into some prejudice from the kids. All that is, except Sarah who, upon talking to JJ, realises they have a lot in common and quickly begins to fall in love. Kath is extremely unimpressed with the changes in Sarah and her continual pushing and prodding cause Sarah to run away from home. How will Sarah explain to her mother and her friends that she is in love with a man of whom none of them approve? When Albers introduces practical parenting as a class unit, Kurt and Nikki are roped into taking on the role of parents to a simulated baby. However, they do not become a blissful family unit, and after a couple of nights with no sleep because of a crying baby, Kurt decides to do something about it! Ryan agrees to Drazic's proposal that the two make some money playing two-on-two together at the local basketball courts. For Ryan it is a way to make some money so he can but a new pair of basketball shoes, while Draz is just looking for a way to get back into Anita's life.
Despite her mothers objections and threats, Sarah continues her relationship with JJ. Kath decides her relationship with her daughter is the most important thing and finally, reluctantly, agrees to live with the situation for the time being. However, it appears Kath won't have to live with it for too long, when Sarah catches JJ with another girl. Could this be the blow that sends both mother and daughter back to the country? Kurt takes Nikki to an expensive restaurant for her birthday dinner and is horrified when she orders the lobster. However, Nikki changes her mind when the waiter asks her to come and choose which one she'd like boiled. The next day they pool their money to buy the lobster, planning to keep it in the aquarium at the warehouse until the tide is right to liberate it. Unfortunately for the crustacean, it is Drazic's night to cook and he has decided on pasta marinara! The girls feel they have no space for themselves at school, wherever they turn they are being barged, bashed or tripped over by boys playing games. A play they are studying gives them the idea to segregate themselves from the male-dominated playground. Led by Anita, the girls approach Di for a Girls Only room and get it but this only serves to further divide the sexes. It is not until Anita realises that her actions have been motivated by her feelings for Drazic that the situation is resolved.
Deciding to refocus his life on getting back in shape, Kurt has a chance meeting with Lachlan, an old friend who is now running a fitness club that is dedicated to cleaning up the environment. Lachlan's ideas on fitness are somewhat unusual but his social views are extreme and Kurt soon falls under his spell. Drazic is taken aback to learn the Shark Pool has been bought by none other than D'espo, his stereo-stealing mate. D'espo is eager to turn the place, whatever the cost, and begins by reducing portions, watering down the drinks, and serving stale food. With her busking revenue drying up, Nikki is convinced he career is in the toilet and she is a has-been before she's even been a someone. Ryan persuades Nikki to showcase her talent properly by making a music video to market her songs.
Kurt and Lachlan discover Skye and her friends camping in the park and try to move them on. Things heat up when Lachlan and Anita later find Lachlan's club house has been vandalised. Anita recognises Skye's graffiti style and goes in search of an explanation. When Lachlan and his mates decide to escalate matters, Kurt must choose which side he is on. Coming off the success of Nikki's music video, Mai is in search of new projects. Nikki's believes her music career is about to take off when she is told a record executive has taken note of her music video, unfortunately when she goes to meet him, she learns he is not interested in her music but Mai's filmmaking. Albers weights a job offer as the artistic director of a regional theatre company while Mai must decide about a job offer of her own, a one-shot chance to make another music video. Between fending off advances from D'espo's girlfriend, Drazic hires Ryan to work at the Shark Pool. D'espo comes up with another controverisal promotion for the Shark Pool which involves tricking customers into believing they have a chance to win a car.
Lee Delaine has two strikes against him: he's the newest student at Hartley Heights and to make matters worse, his father is the school's new Humanities teacher. Lee tries to keep their relationship hidden to ease his way into the student populace but the secret is quickly revealed. Desperate to make friends, Lee agrees to Drazic's initiation test which sees him land in detention for smoking in the school yard. Tired of taking grief from Drazic at the Shark Pool, Ryan is ready to quit his job until D'espo promotes him to Manager of Special Functions.
Sarah is back at Hartley having finally left home and returned to the city. She has rented a flat, but the landlord keeps trying to chat her up as well as beating his wife. Ryan encourages her to just move back in with him and Anita but Sarah is dtermined not to turn her back on her abused neighbour — even if she refuses her help. Lee tries to ingratiate himself with Anita and Nikki by helping them buy a car from his mother but has some explaing to do when Jill can't accept the deal he's promised his friends. Both single and enjoying the life of a batchelor, Kurt and Dranzic hit the town only to fall for the same girl.
When Drazic throws himself into trying to design a new type of skate, Di suggests he consider a career in industrial design. Draz takes an immediate interest but Di tells him if he wants to go on and get a university degree in design he will have to focus on his studies and take extra courses. When the class is given a confidential IQ test, Nikki objects to the very notion anticipating a cultural bias while Drazic blows of the apparently meaningless test in typical fashion. Lee, tormented by Drazic, takes a look at the results at home and revels in telling everyone at school that Draz finished bottom of the class. In light of the test results, Di suggests Draz reconsider his career path and accept his limitations. Kurt becomes Anita's fitness trainer, but he soon realises he has a rival. Anita prefers Paul's training methods over Kurt's leading to a jealousy-fueled fitness challenge and a new friendship that leaves Anita sitting on the sidelines. While helping Sarah move in to the Delaine's house, Ryan accidentally breaks a picture frame. Sarah has a replacement made hoping it won't be noticed but is unaware of the frame's great sentimental value.
Believing she's on a date with Paul, Anita is taken aback when he recoils from her attempt to kiss him. When she presses him for an explanation, Paul reveals to her that he is gay. Kurt and Paul have been getting on well together, busily training together for a Kayaking competition, but after Anita tells Kurt about Paul being gay, Kurt distances himself from his friend, going so far as to speak out against homosexuals in class. Is their friendship over? While working on a communications assignment together, Lee discovers that Sarah is in love with Ryan. She's too shy to tell him, so Lee decides to help things along by slipping her 'secret admirer' letter into Ryan's locker. When Mr Delaine asks Ryan to read the paper aloud in class, dismissing it in the process, Sarah is crushed. Hoping to make amends, Lee tells Ryan everything but when Ryan asks her out, Sarah turns him down thinking he's only doing it out of pity. Nikki successfully campaigns to bring healthy food to the school canteen. Drazic leads the backlash and together with D'espo, sets up shop in the schoolyard selling the kids the food they want. However, Nikki and Di don't make it easy on the entrepreneurs.
Pat Gregory, an old friend of Nat Delane, takes up a teaching post at Hartley, but soon runs into trouble with Lee who is still having difficulty fitting in. Taking advantage of the rumoured trade in black market car parts in the schoolyard, Lee orchestrates an elaborate scheme to discredit Gregory. Ryan and Sarah's romance hits a snag when he wants to take her to the opening of a new dance club. Sure she's the only person incapable of dancing, Sarah agrees to some lessons from D'espo but when Ryan walks in on them, he jumps to the wrong conclusion. Kurt takes the rap for Nikki and Anita when he finds them vandalising a controversial advertisement. Di rewards Kurt's apparent altruistism by naming him the school's representative to a feminism conference.
With his parents waiting for him to choose a new school to attend, Lee shocks them by announcing he is not going to change schools... he's dropping out. Angered by his father's continual comparisons to his seemingly perfect dead brother, Lee succumbs to the pressure and runs away. Di Barnett teaches the class about the stock market. Despite their contrasting investment philosophies, Nikki and Ryan make it to the head of the class... but there can only be one winner. Spurred on by her success in class, Nikki tries hand at investing with actual money hoping to buy Dennis' new bike. Drazic's jealousy, and temper, emerges when Kurt and Anita start going out.
Nikki turns moral crusader when she learns that the mother of her friend Tasha is being exploited by her boss. Nikki takes it upon herself to demand he pay his workers a fair wage but her meddling only causes more problems when Tasha's mother is fired and Tasha is forced to leave school to find a job.
In response to an innocent comment by Drazic about no relationship being perfect, Sarah and Ryan consider changes to their images in an effort to please one other. Drazic has some fun at his friends' expense and encourages Sarah to get a nose ring while suggesting to Ryan that Sarah has an issue with his hair.
Complaints from the public about the behaviour of Hartley Heights students prompts Barnett to have a student to give a talk about school spirit to the school and a number of community leaders. When Mr Delaine nominates Anita, she panics at the thought of speaking in public having already frozen up infront of her classmates.
Di informs the students that the school has installed a card-swipe system as part of an "efficiency measure". Among other things, the cards record attendance, a system Drazic is quick to capitalise on. As a result, attendance skyrockets... suspiciously so. Di is concerned about Nikki's slipping performance and the confrontational attitude she has developed of late. When Nikki is banned from borrowing books from the library and is then evicted from her locker, she boils over and destroys the system.
Anita and Sarah are excited at having gotten their learners permits. While Ryan refuses to teach Sarah to drive, explaining it would be a "relationship breaker", Kurt is persuaded to give lessons to both Anita and Sarah and his patience is quickly put to the test. His patronising and sexist comments don't help matters either.
To get his son off the couch, Nat tries to get his son interested in sport and asks Ryan to take Lee to a football match. Sensing an opportunity, Ryan explots the situation for all it's worth. Lee backs out when he discovers his father is paying Ryan to take him out, but Ryan convinces him to go anyway and embrace a new experience. Lee gets a little too into the experience and gets himself and Ryan into a fight with some opposing fans before the match even starts.
In a well intentioned effort to help Sarah overcome her inhibitions, Ryan volunteers her to perform a play in front of the class. Seeing a chance to help Kurt explore his sensitive side, Anita nominates him to be her partner. However, after watching the pair perform a romantic scene together, Anita and Ryan suspect there may be something going on between them… perhaps they are right.
Di organises a work experience job for Drazic in the automotive industry but washing cars for Jill at the car yard is not what he had in mind. Fortunately, the perks are easy to come by and with a little initiative, Drazic is soon transformed into a charismatic pitchman for a series of tv commercials.
Nikki makes a stand against animal cruelty, but when Lee joins her in a protest against hunting in the wetlands, her passion nearly gets Lee shot. It won't be the last time Lee get's shot down…
Wanting to take her relationship with Ryan further, Sarah asks Nat and Jill if she can have a friend stay the night. They are quick to agree, unaware she means Ryan, and the evening is awkward for everyone involved… except for Lee who enjoys stirring the pot. Uncomfortable with the whole situation, Nat asks Sarah to reconsider her plans.
With Drazic in demand for another set of commercials for the car lot, D'espo inserts himself as Drazic's personal manager, an arrangement he assures Drazic will pay off… minus 25% of course. When Drazic holds up the commercial shoot searching for his "motivation", Jill decides to search for a new star.
After being knocked back by Anita more than once when he has asked her out, Kurt's jealousy gets the better of him and he begins following Anita to see where she's going in her free time. Seeing her with another guy, Kurt confronts him and beats him up unaware he is nothing more than Anita's driving instructor.
After Anita spends the night with Kurt at the shed, Drazic doesn't appreciate Kurt rubbing his nose in their relationship and asks Ryan to move out. However, Kurt has no intention of leaving and suggests if Drazic's not happy, HE should be the one to move out.
Hartley's basketball team has made the playoffs for the first time and Anita has volunteered to film the game. Drazic has no desire of working with Kurt and little interest in playing basketball. He provokes a brawl with the other team and the Hartley squad is disqualified. When a rival student is injured and assault charges become a possibility, Anita's video becomes an important piece of evidence — for Kurt. When Kurt threatens to take the video to the police, Drazic, who is still on a court ordered behaviour bond, asks Anita to intervene.
Nikki's new-found love of astrology convinces her that she, an Aquarius, need to go into business with Sarah, a Virgo. Convinced the "stars" will look out for them, Nikki ignores her school work to concentrate on their business, but the intensity of her commitment overwhelms Sarah.
Nat's class discussion on gender roles prompts the guys into joining D'espo's Skirmish retreat. After convincing Di of the benefits of learning to develop leadership skills — real leadership skills — Nat leads the boys into battle.
With a virtual Cold War existing at the shed between Kurt and Ryan, Kurt conspires with their realtor to orchestrate a scheme to break their lease by getting evicted. Kurt secretly plans to re-rent the place on his own but when Drazic learns the realtor plans to hike the rent, Kurt has second thoughts. Following a presentation to the class, Anita volunteers to help at a halfway house for the mentally disabled. Despite being the only one of her friends to volunteer, she is surprised to see Dennis there. She's even more shocked to learn his brother is the one she's been spending time with. Encouraged my Ryan, Lee puts his musical talents to use in an effort to win the affections of a girl. When that fails Lee invites her to a party to coincide with his parents' impromptu vacation plans. Nikki misreads Ryan's friendly support for something more. She is convinced Ryan is not over her and is coming on to her.
Nikki's behaviour grows more erratic. She has missed two days of school and when she returns, wet from being in a fountain where she was talking to a cherub, Lee becomes concerned for her welfare. When she tries to share her fountain experience with him, Lee begins to realise there is something seriously wrong with her state of mind. Nat jumps to the wrong conclusion when Nikki spends the night with Lee but the next morning he and Jill get to see her extreme behaviour first hand. They learn Nikki's parents have kicked her out and get her admitted for a psychiatric evaluation.
With an important science test looming, Ryan is handed a gift from the photocopier — a copy of the test. Sarah is offended he would even consider taking the test already knowing the answers but when Barnett warns him of the consequences of cheating, Ryan is left no choice but to tank the exam.
Kurt's jealousy is triggered when he discovers that Anita still has a photo of Drazic in her wallet. Anita tries to accommodate Ryan but his growing paranoia and controlling behaviour become too much to take.
Kurt takes up the cause of helping find a mate for Wally the sea turtle. With charitable donations hard to come by, Kurt accepts help from D'espo who comes up with a racy promotion for a dance night at the Shark Pool. The event makes a nice profit but with D'espo's assorted fees deducted, there's little left promompting a change of plans.
Concerned for how his friend Harold is coping at the retirement home, Ryan decides he needs a change of scenery and talks Drazic into letting him move into the shed. All appears well at first but Drazic soon realises they are in over their heads and Harold needs help they can't give him.
Lee spends all of his free time at the hospital hoping to see Nikki but finds it difficult to accept her request that he not visit her. With medication stabilising her condition, Nikki is released from hospital to resume her schooling but a rough welcome from Draz and Dennis sets her back. Lee tries to help her but Nikki she pushes him away again.
After a humbling defeat on the tennis court at the hand of a visiting tennis ace, Kurt takes a personal interest in Bonnie Coyne but her intense training schedule — and demanding mother — keep the pair apart.
With Ryan's presence at the Dealing home growing, Nat tries to have a quiet word to Sarah about having him over less often but the delicate nature of the situation is lost on Ryan who refuses to accept he is as pushy as others say he is. His solution is to make dinner for everyone — at the Delaines. Needing a place of his own, Ryan moves in with Drazic.
Drazic's mouth earns him two weeks detention from Barnett but his automotive skills earns him a reprieve from the classroom and a glimpse into Di's personal life. It is a glimpse we's glad to share at $10 a copy, until he witnesses Barnett in a vulnerable moment.
To mark Ryan's move into the shed, Sarah gives him a clock that is family heirloom. Needing money to buy a bed, Ryan turns down Sarah's offer of a loan and then takes Drazic's suggestion that he pawn the clock. Sarah asks Lee to play detective to find out what he's done with the clock and together they conspire to teach Ryan a lesson.
As part of a science project, Barnett asks the students to bring in urine samples. When Drazic embarrasses Dennis in class, he exacts his revenge by doctoring Drazic's sample to make it appear he has diabetes. Suddenly aware of his mortality, Drazic becomes a changed man, and of course... revenge is sweet.
Bonnie's big break into the tennis world arrives in the form of a six figure management contract and Kurt makes a surprising discovery that reveals just how much Bonnie has sacrificed for her sporting career. Unfortunately, her mother has little interest in shifting her daughter's focus off tennis and Bonnie drops out of school. Confronted by her illiteracy, Bonnie makes a difficult decision.
A radio contest for a state-of-the-art sound system catches Drazic's ear. "The Wheelie Challenge" is an endurance challenge that has the competitors riding a Ferris wheel. Drazic and Kurt are two of the lucky ones chosen to participate giving the feuding duo a chance to spend some time together — a lot of time. But is it enough to allow them to resolve the issues between them?
While paired together for a school project on politicians and government, Lee discovers Nikki is plagiarising her work. When Mr Delaine challenges her, he gives her a chance to rewrite the assignment but the extra stress leads Nikki to make an important decision about her future at Hartley.
Ryan and Anita find themselves on opposite sides of the issue when a local park becomes the target of developers. The siblings learn a lesson on compromise and in the end, neither is happy with the result.
Kurt's sudden disruptive behaviour escalates until he assaults Mr Delaine in the corridor and is suspended from school. Di reports the incident to the police but Nat is more interested in uncovering the reason for Kurt's behaviour. In an effort to break out of their routine, Ryan and Drazic turn their lives over to chance, leaving all their decision making to the roll of dice. Their game soon takes an ugly turn with whatever was left between Anita and Drazic apparently lost for good. Lee is horrified at having to wear the horrible vest his mother has bought him. Further humiliation comes when Jilly discusses his childhood crush on a teacher with Sarah.
