Two Stooges Short of an Act
- So, what's the moral of that story? According to Karl, it's that old people are the worst and life is unfair.
- Browning drops Karl off four blocks from school because arriving in a hearse to school is definitely not normal (although the "be normal" plan is gradually losing its potential for success).
- Except then, Marti shows up and offers him a ride, which he takes her up on, even though arriving to school with her is only slightly more normal than arriving in a hearse.
- Marti apologizes to Karl for getting mad at him the night before and offers him an explanation of why the Operation Be Normal plan should be discarded immediately. Mainly, her thesis is that you can't just ditch all of your friends.
- Karl figures she's probably right. After all, he's broken up enough about Paul giving him the silent treatment that he isn't sure he has the stomach for much more of this.
- Karl and Marti pass Harris and Tierden on their way into school and make snide comments about them as payback for the night before.
- In Gratz's class, Karl zones out during the announcements and pays more attention to Darla, who is scolding her stuffed bunny, Mr. Babbitt, for being naughty during the announcements.
- Next, Gratz goes into full-on Gratz mode and explains that it's now time to start their unit on the Wonderful World of Huckleberry Finn. In particular, they need to learn how not to read it.
- Basically, here's the rundown: Huckleberry Finn is not a 19th-century version of Easy Rider with two buddies going on a road trip on a raft.
- It's also not racist, even though it uses the n-word a lot because that's how people talked back then. Gratz is particularly big on the fact that while they'll be quoting the n-word, they can't call the characters or other students by it.
- After class, Gratz asks Karl to stay for a few minutes to talk. He tells him there's a loophole they can use to keep him out of therapy this year: If he meets with Gratz on a regular basis to talk about his problems, he doesn't have to go. All he has to do is sign a letter that Gratz will prepare for the next day.
- Just to recap, this means that Karl doesn't have to go through with Operation Be Normal. He doesn't have to do anything except sign a letter and it's bye-bye, Madman Underground. Talk about a golden ticket, right?
- Karl now goes back in time again and remembers two years ago, when Gratz experienced the loyalty of the Madmen firsthand.
- What happened was this: Someone made a remark about Paul's sexuality in class, and Karl jumped up and yelled at him. In response, Gratz kicked him and Paul out of class.
- Karl was on his way down the hall when Bonny came up next to him. She called Gratz an asshole on purpose and got kicked out, too.
- Principal Emerson gave them a three-day suspension as a punishment, but in the world of Lightsburg High, suspensions are more like a free vacation since you're forbidden to make up any work. So Karl, Paul, and Bonny just hung out the whole week.
- Now, though, that loyalty is history. Karl is taking Gratz up on his offer and turning his back on the gang. If getting out of therapy is what he really wants, though, then why does Karl feel like such a bad friend?