Yep, it's the summer silly season, that time when newspaper editors make up a load of old cobblers in order to shift a few more copies of their tawdry rags. Naomi, you feel, would have done well to realise this. "They've twisted the whole story!" she hoots, when she reads her front-page slagging-off. "Well somebody said something to somebody", rasps Irene. "And I think I know who that somebody was", she finishes, while glaring at Colleen like she was wearing a coat made of live kittens. Determined to clear her name, Naomi insists on teaching that day - but Brad rains on her parade when he candidly informs her that the Department (scream!) has decided to stand her down pending an official inquiry into her conduct. "I'm not going down without a fight", she hisses, as she narrows her eyes. That's not what she said to Lucas, is it readers? Eh? Eh?Boy wonderBefore Brad told Naomi to pack her sticks of chalk, Lucas was still unaware of the paper's shocking exposé. When he arrived at school, he was greeted as a hero by a gaggle of acne-riddled teenage boys who would be doing well to get a Valentine's card from their mothers, let alone their teachers.

Although Lucas wasn't really after sudden notoriety, he enjoyed sticking the knife into Mrs Robinson Miss Preston during class.

But seeing Naomi's distress in the face of the students' jeering was surprisingly bittersweet, and left him more confused than ever.

Meanwhile, Tony attacked that "nosy, spiteful old biddy" Colleen for meddling - and Irene had a crack at her too. Colleen reluctantly promised that she wouldn't breathe another word of it to the media, but the danger remains.

How long until everybody knows that Naomi slept with Lucas's dad too?

More grief

Well, that's a question which is also troubling Matilda. Although Ric tries to offer some support, Mattie is prickly and evasive - so no change there then. Later, Ric confides his fears in Alf.

What if he and Mattie are drifting apart because of her grief for Beth, the same way that he and Cassie drifted apart after Flynn died? Well, Alf suggests it's time for Ric to stop talking and start doing. "Actions speak louder than words", he croaks.

But we're not sure what his advice has to do with what Matilda witnesses a little later - which is an attractive older woman giving Ric a kiss on the cheek before they climb into her car and drive off.

Moaning Mattie would be even more worried, though, if she knew that Lucas was approaching Naomi's caravan, intent on having it out (rather than "off") with her.

He's surprised, though, to see that a bunch of his spotty classmates have got there first - and they're rattling Naomi's home as well as her cage.

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