♪ ♪
Olive, are you nervous about mentoring a 6th grader?
No. Why are you so nervous?
Who says I'm nervous?
Because nervous people always pace
and ask other people if they're nervous.
Well, that's not why I-- Okay, I'm nervous.
I just really wanna do a great job.
When I got my mentor, I thought she'd be like
a big sister looking out for me.
Instead, I ended up with...
-Janice Wentworth. -Janice Wentworth.
(both shiver)
Remember the first day of 6th grade? She ditched me.
I got so lost, I wandered into the boy's locker room.
I can still picture their cold stares
and smell their stinky feet.
Syd, we're gonna be great. Just imagine.
Some wide-eyed 6th graders
are gonna try to be exactly like us.
No one can, but it'll be so cute to watch them try.
Ah! There she is.
Sydney Reynolds.
Sydney, I'd like you to meet your mentee,
Lucy Davis. Lucy,
Sydney will show you around, tell you about your teachers
and how everyone loves a certain vice principal.
Promise you won't gush.
Good, so it's a promise!
Hey, Mr. Virmani, where's my mentee?
Oopsy-daisy! I'll be right back.
I'm so happy to meet you, Lucy.
I meet you happy so, too!
Lucy, take a deep breath.
I'm just so nervous.
I totally get it. I remember my first day of middle school.
It's scary, and I'm sure all your friends feel the same way.
Actually, we just moved here from Chicago,
so I don't know anyone yet.
Really?
Well, don't worry. I am going to be here
every step of the way.
Nobody's gonna let you walk into the boy's locker room.
-That happened to you? -Couldn't see the sign.
It coulda happened to anyone. Let's just go find your locker.
-(shuts locker) -Hey, Olive.
I'm Jordan, your mentee.
Hi, Jordan. Oh! Cool outfit.
Thanks. It's so crazy.
When you model, sometimes they let you keep the clothes.
Now, I know you must be pretty nervous to meet
an actual 8th grader.
But no matter how cool I seem,
I want you to know I'm nervous, too.
Aw, don't be!
You're gonna be a great mentor.
You really think so?
Yeah, girl, you gotta believe in yourself.
Okay, if you say so.
♪ Do, do, do, do ♪
(theme music playing)
♪ Like father, like daughter, we don't always agree ♪
♪ But looking at you is like looking at me ♪
♪ The more things change, the more they stay the same ♪
♪ Like father, like daughter, from different times ♪
♪ Taking all the best from your decade and mine ♪
♪ The more things change ♪
♪ The more they stay the same ♪
♪ Do, do, do-do, do, do ♪
♪ Do, do ♪
♪ The more they stay the same ♪
♪ ♪
Hey, Mom! You started your second year of college.
How's it feel to be the BGOC?
Big Grandma On Campus.
It feels great.
Which is why I volunteered to lead campus tours.
Now, all I have to do is learn to walk backwards
-and pass the tour test. -You mean like this?
On the right is our coffee table. On the left is our couch.
Interesting sidebar. I was once vacuuming
under the cushions, and I found a dollar
and a remote to a TV we don't have anymore,
which brings us back to a woman obviously jealous
of my backward walking skills.
Please. If you can do it,
how hard could it be?
On the left is our dining room that we never eat in.
On the right is a chair that I paid way too much for.
Oh! And a son who forgot that he inherited
all of his skills from his fabulous mama!
Hey, Syd. Who's this?
This is Lucy. She's the 6th grader I'm mentoring.
Um, hi, Mr. Reynolds.
Hi, Lucy. Aw, my baby's a mentor.
Seems like just yesterday she was in her high chair,
-drooling all over-- -Cool story!
Lucy, why don't you head upstairs,
-and I'll bring you a snack? -Okay.
-No more drooling stories? -Please.
Isn't Lucy sweet?
She just moved her, so I'm gonna make sure
that I'm really there for her, unlike...
-Janice Wentworth. -Janice Wentworth.
(both shiver)
First, I'm gonna draw her a map of the school
with all of her classes marked.
-Oh, that's very thoughtful of you. -Then,
I'm gonna make her a list of all of her teacher's pet peeves,
show her the least drafty seats in the cafeteria,
and, of course, give her a guide of the cleanest bathrooms.
They're ranked from "wow" to "whoa."
Syd, don't you think you're going a little overboard here?
No. I'm just trying to be the big sister
my mentor never was. Now, if you'll excuse me,
I've gotta go get my little sis the perfect snack.
(gasp) I know! My famous grilled cheese!
Don't you mean my famous grilled cheese?
Oh right.
Do a good job, Dad. There's a lot riding on this.
♪ ♪
(raucous laughter)
-(alien voice): Take me to your beaker. -(laughs)
-(alien voice): You have to flask nicely. -(laughs)
Are you finished, boys?
(laughing)
Okay, done.
Boys, you haven't been paying attention all class.
-What are you talking about? -Yeah.
-We've been paying attention. -Richardson: Really?
'Cause class ended 10 minutes ago!
Well, this is awkward.
-Hello, boys! -Ah!
Gentlemen, I'm here to inform you
that the administration, in its infinite wisdom,
that's me,
has decided to make some changes in your class schedules.
Let me cut to the chase.
You no longer have any classes together!
-What? -But we've had all of our classes together
since kindergarten.
First of all, boo-hoo.
Secondly, whenever you two are in class together,
you goof off, and it's affecting your grades.
Please, Vice Principal Virmani, I'm literally begging you!
-Don't do this to us. -Can't you give us another chance?
Boys, boys, please. This brings me no pleasure.
Wait a minute.
There's a little.
And a little more!
What am I saying? I'm positively giddy!
Enjoy your new schedules.
I know I will!
♪ ♪
Okay, it's Wednesday, so you'll be getting your lab partner.
You want someone smart, but not a know-it-all.
Someone fun, but not so fun
that you don't end up learning anything.
How will I know?
Well, trust your instincts. And send me a picture.
Wow. I'm so lucky I got you for a mentor.
You're like the nicest, coolest person in the world!
Come on. Coolest person in the world?
I'm probably only top five.
Well, wish me luck.
Hey, Syd.
You look cute.
Hey.
Doesn't Jordan wear her hair like that?
Does she? Didn't notice.
Hi, guys! Olive!
Great 'do.
Oh, come on, really?
Hey, I was thinking I could walk you to the club fair
and show you around.
I'm actually in charge of the club fair, but thanks!
You are? The committee told me I was still in the mix.
Oh no.
They're picking lab partners, and Lucy
is just sitting there all alone.
What if she never gets picked?
I should go in there and be her lab partner.
What, are you nuts?
You can't do that.
Syd, you gotta stop doing everything for Lucy.
-I'm not. -Really?
You meet her when she gets to school, you eat lunch with her,
yesterday you held her hair while she drank
from the drinking fountain.
It was about to get wet. I'd do the same for you.
Please don't.
All I'm saying is you gotta let Lucy
figure things out for herself.
Don't worry. She's got this.
Yeah. She does.
Because she's got me.
♪ ♪
Mom, I need your help.
Virmani put Leo and me in separate classes
because he says "we're" distracting each other.
Shouldn't the air quotes have been-- Never mind.
I have to admit, I think Virmani may be right.
But I have to be with Leo!
He's like the peanut butter to my jelly.
The basketball to my hoop.
The hair gel to my...
Hair?
Thanks. I didn't know where I was going with that.
The point is Leo's the only thing
that makes going to school worthwhile.
Well, you're gonna have to come up with another reason.
Oh, I have an idea. How about learning?
You always have to go there, don't you?
(knocking at door)
Hey, Leo. Bad news. My mom's out.
What'd your parents say? Will they talk to Virmani?
No chance.
In fact, my mom started blubbering
and my dad asked, "Where did we go wrong?"
Apparently, you're not supposed to answer that question.
Okay, so plan B.
I break into the vents, belly crawl to Virmani's office,
suction cup down his walls,
hack into his computer, and change back our schedules.
Easy peasy.
Or, and stay with me on this,
I could just talk to him.
Well, that's a little out there.
But, why just you?
How do I put this delicately?
Virmani dislikes you more than any other student
in the history of Clara Barton Middle School.
Aw, shucks. You're just saying that.
♪ ♪
You got thrown out of Lucy's class?
Have you lost your mind?
I couldn't help myself. You should've seen her there,
sitting all alone, lost, not a friend in the world.
That's because you do everything for her.
She needs to find a friend.
You're right. I need to find her a friend.
-No, that's not-- -I know!
We need to get Lucy and Jordan together.
Jordan? My Jordan?
That's a big ask. Her social cal is booked.
I asked her if she needed help with her homework.
She said she might have an opening next month.
-Come on, Olive. -Syd, they have nothing in common.
Nothing? How about their mentors are soulmates
who would do anything for each other,
no matter how much they didn't want to.
You had to go there, didn't you?
Hey, when it works, it works.
♪ ♪
Okay, Virmani's in there.
It's up to you whether we're ever in the same class again.
Ever. For the rest of our lives.
So, no pressure?
What do you know?
My thumbprint does look like the man in the moon!
Hey, Vice Principal Virmani!
What can I do for you, Mr. Webb?
Well, I just wanted to drop by and mention how dignified
yet fun-loving you look in that sweater vest!
Thank you, Leo!
When I put it on this morning, I looked in the mirror and said,
"Yes! Nailed it again, Virmani!"
You certainly did! And I would think a man
who could match that vest with that shirt
would recognize that Max and me belong in the same classes.
You know what I think?
I think that in the two years that I've known you, Leo,
I've found you to be one of
the brightest and most remarkable young men I've ever met.
Go on.
But now you're in 8th grade,
and things are starting to get serious.
Next year is high school and after that, college.
I've always pictured you as an Ivy League man.
If it's Harvard, we're looking at the same picture.
So, you have a choice.
You can continue your hijinks with Mr. Reynolds,
or you can get serious about your education--
Harvard! I pick Harvard!
I thought so.
-What'd he say? -The truth?
He wouldn't budge. The man is a rock.
♪ ♪
And on your left is the residence hall.
And on your right the quad.
-And over-- here is a-- -(thud)
very poorly placed sign.
Practicing for your tour guide test, huh? Remember:
It's all about the butt sense.
You just gotta trust your cheeks.
I really wish I could unhear that.
And I really wish I could unsay that.
Gotta bounce.
-Hi, Grandma! -Hey, Noodle!
You know you're walking backwards, right?
Big test tomorrow!
Can you believe her?
College kids, am I right?
-So, where's Lucy? -She'll be here in a sec.
I set her up on a blind friend date with Olive's mentee Jordan.
But don't say anything. She has no idea.
So, Lucy's going to accidentally bump "into" Jordan.
Wait, shouldn't the air quotes have been around...
Never mind.
Hey, Syd!
Hey, Lucy!
Wow. You're super fun
and your dad owns a smoothie shop?
Boy, did I hit the mentor jackpot.
Lucy, stop it.
Or keep going. It's up to you.
Sydney!
Olive! Jordan! What an unexpected surprise!
Imagine, all four of us in the smoothie shop at the same time.
I know, right?
Hey! Totally random thought,
why don't we join you?
I love that! It's so spontaneous.
So, Lucy, you know Olive,
and this is her mentee, Jordan,
who is also a 6th grader!
Another coincidence.
-Hi. -Hey, Lucy.
I bet you guys have so much in common.
I mean, for starters, you're both taking a language!
-I'm taking Spanish. -French.
There you go. Spain and France share a border.
Small world, huh?
Let's see what else you have in common.
Lucy loves music.
-I play the bassoon. -I like to dance.
There you go. What better dance music than a bassoon?
Uh, Syd, can I talk to you for a sec?
It's about business.
How fun is this? I'll be right back.
Olive, I'm kinda busy.
What business did you wanna talk about?
Minding your own.
Right now, the only thing they have in common
is that you won't let them talk.
Jordan, why aren't you with Lucy?
Oh, she just got a call from her mom.
(indistinct)
Speaking of Lucy, isn't she sweet?
And trust me. Once you get to know her,
wow, she's hilarious.
There's a reason why they call her LOL Lucy.
Well, I call her that.
She seems nice,
but I told some friends I'd join them.
Olive, are you gonna need me to hang out with Lucy much longer?
Just a little longer please.
Lucy doesn't have any friends, and I--
I'm worried she's not gonna make any on her own.
Lucy! Hey!
We were just, uh...
I've gotta go.
And, I'm her mentor, so I should probably go...
ment... her?
This whole thing was a setup?
You lied to me.
You really think I'm such a loser I can't make my own friends.
-Lucy! -This is so embarrassing!
I thought you were supposed to help me.
You are the worst mentor ever.
♪ ♪
-(door shuts) -Mom, what happened?
Did you get hurt taking your tour guide test?
No! That went great.
The problem was after three days of walking backwards,
I forgot how to walk forward.
Left. Right. Left. Right.
-Oh. What's next? -Left?
Right.
Hey, Syd.
You still feeling bad about Lucy?
I blew it, Dad.
I was trying so hard to make sure that Lucy
didn't have the bad experience that I had
that I overdid it and made hers worse.
I get it. It's hard to watch someone you care about struggle.
I'm having a hard time watching you struggle right now.
Hey, how about some ice cream?
Dad, that's not gonna help me.
But it might help me. Ice cream is my happy place.
Syd, I think you need to have a little talk with Lucy.
I wouldn't even know where to start.
Your mom and I used to have a secret code for moments like this.
-Thank goodness. What is it? -I'm sorry.
You're not gonna tell me? Come on, Dad.
No, that's the code. "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry"? That's it.
No. It's a start.
Explain to Lucy why you did what you did.
You can never go wrong when you speak from the heart.
Wow, Dad.
Were you always this smart or was I just not listening?
I like to think it's "a" little bit of both.
Wait, shouldn't the quotes be around... Never mind.
♪ ♪
Hey! Leo! Man, is it good to see you.
Oh, hey! Hi. Ho...
I mean, how you doin', buddy?
Worst week of my life.
Class without my best friend stinks.
Yeah. That's me. Your best friend.
So, what should we do after school?
Movie? Basketball? Pizza?
Whatever you want in the world, you got it.
Listen, about the other day--
What about the other day?
I just wanted to thank you again
for going in there and facing Virmani.
You fought for us. You're a hero.
Hm. I wouldn't say hero.
Then, what would you call yourself?
A traitor! I'm a traitor!
What are you talking about?
I went in there and Virmani started throwing out adjectives
like impressive and remarkable.
Then he said the magic word.
Ta-da?
No, Harvard.
And I totally caved.
I started thinking maybe Virmani was right.
Maybe it was best if we were in different classes.
I don't blame you if you never say another word to me again.
Oh, come on, Leo. Don't be ridiculous.
-I'll say another word to you. -Really?
Yeah.
"Bye."
♪ ♪
-Lucy. -Sydney.
What are you doing here?
Don't worry, I'm not staying.
I just wanted to say that
I know I embarrassed you, and I'm sorry.
Excuse me.
Sorry, I'm kind of having an important conversation here.
Okay.
It's just that my mentor let me down.
She wasn't there for me,
and the last thing I wanted was for that to happen to you.
-And I went too far. -Maybe a little.
The fact is you're a great girl
and kids will be lucky to have you as a friend.
-Excuse me. -Sorry, did you need something?
Yeah, um, that's my seat.
Syd, this is Kendra.
We're in orchestra together.
She asked me to be her lab partner. We're friends.
Oh. O-oh! Oh!
Here. Have a seat. Warmed it up for you.
And just so you know,
as far as friends go, you cannot have picked...
I'll go now.
Hey, Syd!
I wanna thank you.
What? Why?
For being such an awesome mentor.
You were always there for me no matter what.
I know it might seem weird, but...
But what?
I kinda think of you as a big sister.
Aw. That's the least weird thing I've ever heard.
-Are-are you crying? -No, it's just the chemicals.
Hey, Syd. Are you okay?
Never better! Lucy made a friend,
and she even called me her big sister.
That's great. At least one of us made a good mentor.
What happened with Jordan?
You probably couldn't tell, but she didn't need me.
Sorry, Olive.
Olive! Thank goodness! I got a big problem!
Heidi likes Ryan, but Ryan likes me,
and I don't even like Ryan, but now Heidi's mad at me!
What am I gonna do?
Aw, poor thing.
Don't worry. We're gonna figure this out together.
She needs me! She needs me!
She's just lucky she has you to talk to.
Hey. That's what mentors do.
♪ ♪
Mom, Mom!
I got a "A" on my science test! Can you believe it?
Not until I see it.
Oh yes! That's an "A"!
Congratulations, Max.
Thanks, Mom. Turns out Leo was right.
Separating us ended up being a good thing.
Maybe goofing off in class isn't the key to a bright future.
Now you're thinking about your future? Ooh!
I'm gonna leave before you ruin it.
(knocking on door)
-Leo! I was just-- -Before you kick me out,
I brought you a double cheeseburger and fries
from your favorite place.
-Leo, that's not-- -Let me finish.
Not standing up for you was unforgivable.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You made a mistake, you sided with Virmani,
you ruined my life, but I forgive you.
Hey. You got an "A" on your science test?
So I was right!
Us being in separate classes was better for you, too!
So I have nothing to apologize for?
Nope! But thanks for the burger!
♪ ♪
♪ Doot doot do do doot do doot doot ♪