Mrs. Stebel pairs up the students in her social studies class for a mock marriage assignment. Each set of partners must draw a job from a jar at random, work up a fictional lifestyle and report back at a pretend 20-year reunion. Always-snobby Kate is horrified to find herself matched up with Larry Tudgeman, but at least she likes her job, a television anchorwoman. Lizzie wants to be partnered with Ethan Craft, who's not so smart but is cute. But she gets familiar old Gordo, whose job is sanitation engineer (garbageman). Lizzie figures it's not so bad, though, since Gordo will probably ensure she gets a good grade. Her mind begins to change when Miranda gets picked to be Ethan's partner, and he's a surgeon to boot. Lizzie can't help but be jealous.

Miranda accidentally bumps into a lipstick display, upsetting the contents, she hurriedly puts things right, then tells Lizzie and Gordo she wants to leave, but the security guard stops her and wants to check her purse. Inside he finds a brand of lipstick from the display. Miranda protests that she bought it at the store last week and asks Lizzie to back her up, but Lizzie doesn't help her out.