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Something Cliqued Between Us

Album: 33: Virtual Realities

Episode: 427

Lesson/Theme: Including others

Bible Verse: 1 John 4:7-12

Characters: Jared, Liz, Mandy, Whit

Writer: Marshal Younger

Sound Designer: Rob Jorgensen

Original Air Date: October 23, 1999

Last Air Date: September 9, 2009

Description:
At a lovely afternoon at Whit's End, Julie and Liz are getting ice cream. They are convinced that Cassidey and Beth are in a clique, and they call them the Calvin Clone Girls. As they talk with Whit, he tells them there is nothing wrong with wanting to be with people you feel comfortable with, but it becomes a problem when you exclude others for the wrong reasons. While they are talking, Mandy walks in and wants to visit with Julie and Liz, but they ignore her and decide to go home, thus hurting Mandy's feelings. The next day at school, Mandy is talking to Jared by her locker at school when she finds a note from someone called "Miss Friendship" who invites anyone who is struggling with friendships to e-mail her for advice. Several girls take advantage of the forum to share their struggles with friendship, but it isn't long before Mandy guesses it is Jared who is posing as Miss Friendship. She confronts him and tells his parents what he has done, and they require that he apologize to everyone. Meanwhile, Julie and Liz find some notes that Cassidey and Beth have written, in which it appears they nicknamed Liz "Red" and are making fun of her. They scheme about how to retaliate. In the last scene back at Whit's End, Whit reminds Mandy that she can not force anyone to be friends with her. Soon Julie, Liz, and Cassidey arrive. Julie and Liz start blaming Cassidey for being mean to Mandy, and they get into a loud argument. Whit quiets them down and says there is someone there that could shed light on their situation. Out walks Jared, who reveals he has been masquerading as Miss Friendship. He apologizes and gives them one more bit of advice: if you want friends, try to be a friend first, and don't complain about the speck in someone else's eye when you have a plank in your own. They all apologize and have chocolate double dip ice cream together.

Questions:
Who did Liz and Heather think were a "clique"? Why did they think so? Why was Mandy angry at Jared for pretending to be Miss Friendship? Have you ever felt left out like Mandy did? Are there any people in your life that you might be "leaving out" without thinking about it?