I'm Not Afraid of a Challenge

Can we please discuss how epic it is you have

a genuine Seattle prospect?

Previously on Elle...

He's not a prospect, Madison.

Miles is with Shannon,

and Shannon's basically the coolest senior at Rainier West.

I just need to move back to L.A.

and get myself out of this mess.

I could kiss a zillion guys,

you do not write S-L-U-T

- on someone's locker. - Hmm, what if

the S-L-U-T is swooning

over her wannabe bestie's B-O-Y?

Get a boyfriend who isn't

Miles and throw Kimberly off the scent.

I just need you

to get one of your parents

to go to the school board meeting tonight,

snag one of the school budgets.

As previously discussed, the contents of this stays between us

till we commit to a plan.

- What the hell, Elle-A? - You lied to me!

And I'm not trying to get in your way, but this isn't about me.

It's about me.

Elle's trying to protect me.

Duh.

Uh, Chad and Charlie live with their son down the street.

Oh, that's nice.

Hey.

Hi.

Guess it's gonna be harder to avoid me now, though.

Ooh!

That was so necessary.

Can't believe we haven't done mother-daughter manis since we got here.

Like water in the desert.

Do you know where the nail polish remover is?

Oh. You're taking it off?

I thought we liked "moody mauve."

Well, that's because our other options were "gunmetal" and "corpse."

Hi, this is a message for Elle Woods.

This is Eileen from Cosmopolitan magazine.

I'm thrilled to tell you that you're a finalist

in the Cosmopolitan Fun Fearless Female L.A.

internship program.

- What is she talking about? - All of our FFF finalists

submit five-minute videos

describing how they're a fun, fearless female at home, at school

and in their community. We look forward to your application.

Elle, what was that about?

Oh, that? Right.

That seems to be

a message about a small, trivial contest I applied to.

Just on a lark. You know me and larks.

She said it's an internship.

Did she?

In L.A.

See, I'd forgotten that detail.

It would require me to live in L.A. next semester if I won.

Which I won't.

Well, if this happens, I-I mean, you'd need

a chaperone. I'd have to go back to L.A. with you,

meaning I'd step away from my social and charitable endeavors.

But if it's really important to you, I'll do it.

I think it could possibly be the best thing ever?

Of course it could be.

Oh, thank God.

Yeah, this is huge!

And if you want a career in fashion,

you have to be in L.A.

Or New York, but New York isn't really for us Woods girls.

It's more for... women with lowlights.

Mm.

So, for the video submission, okay, we have to

straddle that line between

prestigious enough to be nominated for an Oscar

but not pretentious enough to win.

I'm thinking black and white.

Like Madonna in Truth or Dare.

- Yes, exactly. - Uh-oh.

Sounds like the Woods women are up to something.

Honey, Elle won a spring internship

at Cosmopolitan magazine

- in Century City. - I didn't win. I'm a finalist.

Century City as in L.A.?

Mm-hmm.

Wow. How are we gonna make that work? We live here now.

Well, I offered to chaperone.

And there's still a million details to iron out.

Like winning.

So we need to make a mood board. Stat.

I want to think of these two words as our guiding light.

Authentic and curated.

Yeah, love it.

I have to fly out my nail girl,

'cause there's no way you're winning this thing

with these baby coffins on your nails.

So, all I have to do is make a groundbreaking video,

which, obviously, I have in the bag.

You think Scorsese would be right for this?

Potentially not. We're thinking

more of a Truth or Dare aesthetic.

But the problem with black and white is...

- There's no pink. - Exactly.

So, I need a new take, ASAP or sooner.

Speaking of...

well, nothing.

I was gonna talk to you about it when I visited,

but you know I could never keep anything from you.

Oh, my God. What is it?

Okay, you can just rip the Band-Aid off. I can take it.

It's about homecoming.

I need you to know that I put up a valiant fight.

I did everything that you suggested.

I canvassed, I phone banked,

I flirted heavily

across all categories. But nobody

knew what "in absentia" meant.

I'm sorry, Elle, but you're not on the homecoming court.

What?

Wha... But me being on homecoming court

was supposed to be the amuse-bouche

before my triumphant return to L.A. next semester.

I have my therapist's number at the ready.

I can't pretend this doesn't sting.

I mean, they don't even have homecoming here.

Oh, my God.

They don't have homecoming here.

- I heard you. - No,

but that's what I'll do for my Cosmo video.

I'll give Seattle the best homecoming of all time

and I'll document the whole thing.

I just have to teach them what homecoming is all about.

Can you think of anything more fun and fearless?

I actually cannot.

Wow.

Did that flautist just do a flip?

Incredible.

As you can see,

homecoming is

a celebration of school spirit.

But, more importantly,

it's a gathering of community.

And, they're really, really fun, you guys.

You've never done one here.

Until now.

I've prepared a 12-point plan to bring homecoming

to Rainier West High.

There'll be a big game on the home basketball court.

Obviously.

Cheerleaders, a bonfire, a king and a queen.

Usually a parade featuring a minor local celebrity.

Last year, my school had Tom Cruise.

Yes. Kimberly?

We don't have a basketball team here.

And our cheerleaders are neither cheerful

nor leaders.

Okay, uh, what sports

are happening at the school currently?

Well, cross country has their district championships

this weekend, but--

Great. That'll be the big game then.

With Ms. Burke's

permission.

I'll just infuse some cheer into the cheerleaders,

and handle all the logistics myself.

Are there any other questions?

This is so dumb.

- That's not a question. - Sorry.

Why is this so dumb?

We don't do that kind of thing here.

Well, I counter your question with another question.

Why not?

We don't like wearing the same color.

We don't like clapping.

We don't chant. That's brainwashing,

by the way. We don't believe in popularity

contests.

We're not conformist.

Keep going.

All excellent points, Kimberly.

M-Maybe no to the homecoming court,

but I truly believe

if you actually tried it, you'd find conformity invigorating.

Okay, I'll do the pep rally.

Oh.

You're volunteering to tackle the pep rally?

Yeah, I know how to do school stuff, too,

so sign me up.

And you're comfortable with our budgetary constraints?

I mean,

all crafting will have to be 100% DIY. "Do it yourself."

DIY is not a novel concept here.

But Y will D-I it, right?

Huh?

This isn't some antiestablishment ruse

to humiliate me in front of the entire school again?

The pep rally will have pep, Elle.