Charles plans to go home for Christmas are canceled so he stays at the Pembroke house where he has to deal with a jealous grandmother. Meanwhile, Lila gets asked out on her first date.

Charles finds himself in a bind when he wins two tickets for a Bruce Springsteen concert and both Buddy and Gwendolyn want to go with him. He also has to deal with doing the right thing with a dog that the boys brought home.

Mr. and Mrs. Pembroke are fighting and Charles needs to get a term paper done by the next morning while avoiding the many distractions that the house provides.