Lisa knocked on the door furiously. Her mother opened the door, looking somewhat surprised to see her.

"Lisa!" Marge rasped, "Hi! What's going on?"

"Mom, Brian and I are getting married!"

Marge stood silent for a moment, mouth open, then screamed.

"OH MY GOD! Oh, Lisa, I can't believe it!"

"I know! Oh my God!"

Marge led her in the in. Eric was in the living room, working on the computer. He had heard part of what they had said.

"What's going on?" he asked in his distinctly Bouvier voice.

"Brian proposed!"

"Wow!"

"Maggie! Maggie!" Marge called up the stairs.

In her room, Maggie was lying on her bed, talking with one of her friends. Annoyed by the intrusion on her precious time alone, she told her friend that her mom was calling her, and hung up. Sighing and rolling her eyes simultaneously, she slumped of her bed and skulked down the hall.

"Maggie!" Marge called again, her voice taking on the slightest hint of aggravation.

Maggie came down the stairs, looking very bored.

"Maggie, guess what! Brian proposed to Lisa!"

Maggie looked at Lisa, raising an eyebrow.

"Cool."

"So, do tell, how'd he ask you?" Eric asked.

"Oh, it was so romantic! He took me down to the beach, and there was this cave there, and at this one spot, where the ceiling opened up and the sunlight came in, he got on one knee and gave me this! And he was crying! He's so sweet!"

"Oh, its just like a fairy tale! I told you all about how Homer proposed…it wasn't quite as nice as that, what with my being three months pregnant and in dire financial straits, but…Oh, my little baby Lisa!"

Maggie rolled her eyes. Tripe. And I thought that I was the little baby…well, Eric, I guess, is still technically the baby of the family…Oh well, overlooked as always. Smile and pretend to be happy for her.

"Oh, I have to go call Homer! And Patty and Selma-oh! And Grandpa, and Mom, and Herb, and Lenny….!" Marge was giddy with excitement. She ran out of the room to call everyone that she knew.

Maggie sat on the steps, looking smug.

"So, there sharp rocks in the cave?"

"Huh?"

"The cuts on your arms and legs."

"Heh-heh, yeah, I guess."

Maggie smirked. Heh Heh, yeah. Skank. Little Miss Goody Two-Shoes…knew she'd let loose eventually. Maggie had perfected the art of packing the most hurt into the fewest words. She'd learned it was the only way.

"So, um, Maggie, how's school?" Lisa said, trying to change the subject.

"Sucks," she stated, rising and retreating back up the stairs. Lisa frowned and murmured.

"Hrrrmmm. So how's life treatin' you, Eric? Arlie Skinner minding his manners?"

"Yeah. There's no reasoning with him, so I just give him plenty of space and stay out of his way. It's the only way weird and unpopular can make it, I've learned."

"Yeah. I found that out pretty early on. Eventually, when you get past the bullying grades, and have defined yourself and your friends, you can just be a rebel or freak or nerd, then they leave you alone pretty much."

"I hate being a freak."

"Eric, don't say that. You're not a freak."

"Yeah, I'm just 'different'."

"No, you're Eric Simpson."

"Thanks Lisa."

In the next room, Marge got through to Homer at work.

"Homer! I have great news! Lisa's getting married!"

"OH MY GOD!"