The Secret

The Secret
November 26, 2003
The morning after
Seth claims he's too ill to go to school, but Ryan suggests he just has "Summer fever" and needs "Anna-biotics." Kirsten is similarly reluctant to go to Yogalates, afraid that Julie told all the Ladies about her drunken performance at Thanksgiving.

Uneasy partnerships
Ryan is dismayed to be partnered with Luke Ward for a history project. Seth refuses to believe he should apologize to Summer and Anna - "I'm the victim here." Dork. Summer and Anna bond over Seth's behavior. Seth is horrified to see them hanging out.

The Dragon lady strikes
Jimmy tells Julie he can avoid jail only by making restitution by January 1 - and that means selling the house over the holidays. Julie refuses and bitches that maybe he deserves to go to jail.

Secrets and lies
Ryan meets Luke's perky mom, bratty younger brothers and perfect dad, Carson. They go over to Carson's car dealership to use his computer, but see him and his male partner making out. Luke flees noisily; making Ryan promise he won't tell anyone.

Tell no one
Marissa thinks Ryan and Luke talked about her, and gets huffy when Ryan denies it. He breaks down and tells her. Seth wants gossip about the Ward household but gets nothing. He fears Luke and Ryan, like Summer and Anna, are becoming friends. But at school, Luke blows up at Ryan and again calls Seth a queer. Seth tries to talk to Anna, but she and Summer go off to study together. Seth is in agony.

News travels fast
At the golf course with Sandy, Jimmy spills about the time he kissed Kirsten. Sandy is livid. Julie tells Kirsten she won't sell the house. Kirsten says she and Caleb can help them out, but Julie says he already told her doing so would "compromise their relationship." Exit one relationship. Before they can get into it, one of the Ladies rushes in with the news about Carson. The news is all over school, and Luke is convinced Ryan told, while Ryan is sure Marissa spilled the beans. Marissa is pissed that Ryan doesn't trust her.

Schadenfreude
Sandy confronts Kirsten about the Jimmy kiss. Kirsten insists it meant nothing, but Sandy says it meant something to him. Seth is gleeful about Luke's "big gay dad," but is shot down by the rest of the family. At the gym the next day, the Ladies revel in the Ward's misfortune. Kirsten and Julie flee the gossiping gorgons together. They share tales of woe about Caleb. Kirsten says he's trying to replace her mom, and she wishes he'd just give that up and find someone to share the rest of his life with. Julie takes it to heart - she tells Caleb life's too short to keep running away from any relationship. It works - he agrees to buy Julie's house as an investment and to keep seeing her. "Maybe someday your next door neighbor will be your dad!" Julie burbles. Kirsten looks slightly ill.

Apologies
Seth finally - finally! - apologizes to Summer and Anna. They're both smitten with his sincerity and immediately give up on their budding friendship. They also both ask him out. Seth says yes to both of them.

Bonding
Luke tells Ryan and Marissa that his dad came out to his mom, and she's the one who spilled the beans. They go off to commiserate. Marissa says that maybe this will bring Luke closer to his dad, but Luke doesn't think it's worth it. Ryan tells him at least his dad is involved in his life. This touching moment is interrupted by a couple of thugs from a rival school who taunt Luke. Ryan and Luke pummel them, but are set upon by a much larger group of thugs.

Family matters
Sandy and Kirsten play the passive-aggressive "Seth, ask your mother." game, until they're interrupted by Ryan and Marissa bearing a wounded Luke. Seth proves that he's a decent guy by being solicitous to someone who's always made his life miserable. Carson comes to collect Luke, but Luke won't come down. Carson says the best thing he can do for his family is disappear, but Sandy disagrees - "Coming out and being honest with yourself and your family, in this town, is the bravest thing you could have done." Luke agrees, and leaves with his dad.

The aftermath
Ryan and Marissa make up, as do Kirsten and Sandy. Luke realizes that everyone will be talking about him, but the others convince him not to flee school. "Man, this is gonna suck," says Luke. "Yeah, well, welcome to my world," replies Seth.