Ep5: The Stolen Engine

Frankie and Pimples try to harass Tommy at Chester’s Garage, only to get walloped by the girl athlete and thrown out on their cans. “Thanks guys,” Boyd quips nonchalantly. “Things were getting a little dull today.” But during the fight, Pimples happens to catch sight of the car engine Tommy’s been building in secret. One phone call later and a scheme is hatched by Marcia and Chad to “obtain” it.

Working after hours on her engine at Chester’s, Tommy is confronted by Frankie and Pimples for a rematch. Ha, why not? In total control, Boyd has a ball beating the crap out of these ham-fisted cretins all over again. “Oil’s well that ends well,” she laughs as Pimples gets a goofy face full of it. After a minute or two of free-flowing, energetic bully-bashing, a reeling Frankie finally gains the advantage. He uncovers and threatens to destroy the car engine Tommy’s been building. “Stop! Don’t hurt it!” Boyd cries, now suddenly desperate. Frankie laughs triumphantly as Pimples sneaks up behind the distracted tomboy, grabbing and securing her. “Don’t worry, girlie,” sneers Frankie as she winces. “I wouldn’t dream of hurting it.”

Gagged, arms and legs tied around a greasy metal drum koala bear-style, Tommy is helpless as Frankie phones Chad and actually sells him her engine! The thieves appear to be completely safe, since no one in this socially-regressive and flagrantly sexist community would ever believe that a girl could actually build a car engine. Tommy fumes, realizing these felonious a-holes might get away with both their robbery and deception. Frankie tells Pimples to deliver the nabbed tomboy to Proper Little Miss, while he drops off the engine with Chad. The tomboy-catchers are getting paid twice tonight!

Trying to explain her plight to Miss Merribrook is a complete waste of time for frustrated TB, even as a bemused Pimples stands about, smartly keeping his mouth shut for a change. “Really, Tomasina, you might have come up with a more believable story. A girl having the technical skill to build a car engine… What's next, I suppose? A female president?” Merribrook fumes. "And accusing this fine young man and his associate of thievery makes you wicked as well as a flagrant fibber. Now, out of those nauseating 'boy clothes' and into something with fringe, immediately!"

"But --!"

Merribrook just glares at her. Deflated, poor Tommy frowns, lowers her head. "Yes, ma'am," she replies in a defeated voice. Then the imperious headmistress sticks her nose in the air and marches out of the room. Enjoying every second of Tommy's helplessness, Pimples finally lets loose with all of that restrained nasty laughter. "Yes, ma'am!" he taunts his enemy, mimicking the usually feisty tomboy's subservient tone. Which earns Mr. Pimp a swift kick in the leg -- "OWW!" A pissed Tomasina storms away as her hulking "captor" hops up and down like a jumping jerk, wincing in pain.

In no time Boyd’s back to rocking her dolls like a five year-old, curtsying with a forced smile and looking glum, even as Chad and Marcia prepare to proudly display “their” new engine to a major manufacturer who happens to be in town. Suddenly a way-cool idea hits the daring female dynamo... Still in her girlie dress, Tommy gingerly climbs out of a Proper Little Miss window and makes her way back to Chester’s Garage. There, with Harold Pinter's help, she hastily snaps together a makeshift remote-control device. A short while later, when the excited manufacturer tests the prototype, Tommy detonates this device and the engine explodes… as does the million-dollar deal with soot-faced Marcia and Chad!

OK, so Tommy will have to rebuild her beloved car engine from scratch. But at least fatuous enemies aren’t benefiting from her super-remarkable skills as a mechanic. And that expression of total shock on Marcia's face... Priceless!

NEXT EPISODE: A KISS BEFORE CLOBBERING