Gina's rapper boyfriend Dion (a.k.a. I'm Down) prepares to give a concert for his peers. He hires Ron as his promoter. Freddie reveals that she saw a man beating his girlfriend, but could not make out their faces in the darkness. She does not realize that the couple involved was Dion and Gina. He apologizes to Gina, but quickly flies off the handle and hits her again. Lena sees Gina's black eye and figures out what is going on. She decides that she cannot keep this a secret. Dion experiences a tremendous backlash from fellow students who are disgusted by his behavior. Ron quits his job and tries to fight Dion, who ignores Dwayne's recommendation that he seek counseling. Whitley urges Gina to get out of the relationship. Terrence calls the police on Dion and expresses disappointment in his one-time idol. Gina agrees to press charges.

Charmaine annoys the other students with her pushy attitude in Dwayne's statistics class. Someone tapes a sign to her back that reads ""digit ho."" She assumes that Terrell is responsible, and he refuses to apologize. She calls him a hood, and they nearly get into a fight. Charmaine feels that Terrell humiliated her by publicly calling her a whore. She files a formal complaint. Although she finds his behavior deplorable, Freddie offers to represent Terrell in student court. She defends his right to free expression, points out that he was joking, and gets Charmaine to admit that she had also insulted students. Freddie finally realizes that Gina was actually the one who taped the sign on Charmaine's back. Terrell explains why he didn't deny the charges. He didn't think anyone would believe him because they had already assumed that he was a thug. Charmaine and Terrell make peace, and Gina is placed on academic probation.

Freddie organizes a mentorship program for teenagers detained at juvenile hall. They can receive parole by completing a week-long project. Dwayne is assigned two young gang members, who continually fight after learning that they are from rival sets. Much of the tension stems from the fact that members of one boy's gang killed the other's cousin. Dwayne tries to get the boys to turn away from violence and set some goals, but they don't think they have anything to live for. He tries to talk to their parents, with disastrous results. Billy's proud but violent father does not appreciate Dwayne's interference; he shoves him around and threatens him. Dwayne again emphasizes the fact that the boys can have futures; he tells them that they should not place limits on themselves because of the environment around them. Dwayne eventually gets through to them, as they perform a rap song that preaches for an end to violence. Billy's father listens to his son's performance and seems somewhat impresse

Dwayne and Whitley decide to rent a cabin in the mountains for a second honeymoon. They cannot afford the trip on their own, and Mr. and Mrs. Gaines are the only couple willing to join them. Mr. Gaines ends up getting them free use of a friend's run-down old cabin. At his wife's urging, he leaves their son Darnell in charge of the Pit. He screws everything up, behaves rudely to customers, and tries to fire Lena and Charmaine. Mr. and Mrs. Gaines get into an argument about his attitude toward their son and refuse to sleep in the same room. Dwayne and Whitley try to sneak outside, only to get sprayed by a skunk. Darnell promises his father that he is going to get himself together.

Lena, Gina, Charmaine, Dorian and Terrell decide to rent a house together. While seeing the temperamental landlord about a plumbing problem, Gina, Charmaine and Terrell discover that he is Langston ""Sweet Knuckles"" Paige, a former major league baseball star. He is unsure about what to do with his life, so they encourage him to enroll in college. Langston accompanies Terrell to class to check out the Hillman campus. He finds that the professor is an old flame. Gina's abusive ex-boyfriend Dion violates his probation by contacting her. He finally shows up in person in an attempt to win her back. She repeatedly turns him down, and learns that Dion hasn't really changed at all. Langston steps in and manages to convince Dion to leave Gina alone.