••• Friday 27th August --- SHOP TALK
Todd is busy working in the corner shop and finds love birds Dev and Sunita having a bit of a canoodle by the counter. 
So Todd asks: “Shall I make myself scarce?” Dev laughs and says he only popped in to say a quick hello so Todd gets on with what he was doing. When Sunita asks Dev where he's going he makes something up about going to Bolton to look at another shop, but he's rather secretive about it and won't let her go with him. Sunita says she's fed up of staying here on her own so Dev suggests that Todd will look after her. Todd chips in: “I don't think that's what she wants somehow!” After Dev's gone, Sunita is suspicious and thinks he's up to something so Todd surmises: “Well, Trafford Centre's open late and he said he'd be earning money so he could buy nice things for you, and you like surprises – maybe he's out buying you a ring after all.” [It turns out he's off to see his ex-fiancee Maya to get his grandmother's ring back.]
• Monday 30th August --- STRAY CAT
It's the day of Dev and Sunita's engagement party which is being held at the Rovers. Todd is busy working in the corner shop again, chatting to Sunita. He tells her he's not got them a present but she says the main thing is that he's coming to the party. Todd jokes: “Yeah, well, you know, there's nothing on telly so I might as well!” Sunita smiles and adds that they haven't invited Sarah or her family. Todd tries to make out that it wouldn't bother him if they had, but then admits that it would but he's got to live with it. They're going to bump into eachother and with time it's got to get better. Sunita mentions the time when she finished with Ciaran and tells Todd that things do work out. Todd says: “Yeah, they have for you anyway.” Sunita encourages him: “And for you. There was a time when you couldn't even talk about Sarah. You're moving on aren't you?”
Eileen pops into the corner shop to choose something for tea and she leans over the freezer to negotiate the options with Todd - they reject the fish fingers, then they agree on sausages. Eileen sighs: “D'you know, there's women out there making decisions that affect thousands, running countries even. What to have for tea, well it's hardly big league is it?” Todd tells his mum that he's got something to tell her and she immediately assumes that he's met a ‘fella' but Todd fills her in: “No, I've decided some'ut about me future. Right, okay, and promise you're not gonna get all excited and make a fuss ... I mean it! Well, I'm going to college in September. I'm gonna study for a year and do me ‘A' Levels, but that doesn't mean I'm going to university or ‘out. It just means I can see the point in having better qualifications.” Eileen's face is a picture of happiness as Todd continues: “... and it doesn't mean I did wrong by walking out my exams. It wasn't the right time for me to do them then, I had too much stuff going on in me ‘ead, but now it is the right time.” Eileen is clearly over the moon and blurts out: “You are doing your ‘A' Levels! That is wonderful, that is so wonderful! Ooh, d'you know, this is the best news I've had in months. I'm gonna make you a trifle ‘cos it's your favourite.” She's busy kissing and squeezing the life out of her son when they're interrupted by Dev and Sunita walking in. Dev jokes: “Put that shop boy down!” and Eileen tells them excitedly about Todd's news. Sunita is chuffed but Dev just asks Todd if he'll be leaving. Todd replies: “Er no, I thought I could still do evenings and weekends if that's alright?” Dev tells him that everything's alright today and Sunita proudly shows off her engagement ring. Todd admires it, shakes Dev by the hand and says: “Well done! It's beautiful.”
Todd goes into the Kabin to buy a magazine. At the same time, Karl's camp friend Sean Tully is giving Norris an ear bashing over his poor system of advertising flats to let. 
He's hurling abuse at Norris because the flat he saw advertised in the Kabin window was already taken when he went to view it. He snarls: “You advertise flats. You should take ‘em down when they're taken. I haven't got time to waste you know.” Then he tells Norris he could have him under the Trades Descriptions Act, quoting from the card: “‘Third person to share spacious pad with views.' It was a broom cupboard overlooking the gas works!” As Norris tries to defend himself, Todd walks over to the counter to pay for his magazine. Sean immediately recognises Todd and gushes: “Oh hello! I'm Sean, Karl's friend?” Todd takes a while to remember him, then recalls: “Oh right, yeah, yeah from Canal Street. How are you?” Sean fills in all the details without stopping to take a breath: “I'll tell you how I am – homeless! I get a note from me landlord telling me I'm to move out ‘cos the bedsit's being redecorated so I move out. Meanwhile, the whole lot is demolished and he's disappeared back home to Ireland. I've been sleeping on a friend's floor but her boyfriend's due home from the rigs soon and besides, she's got cats and the fur plays havoc with my tubes!” 
Then Norris tells him that there's a flat agency on Balaclava Terrace and (getting in a dig at Sean) they're not particular who they take. Sean hisses at him: “Do I look like I can afford agency prices? Naah, there's another newsagents next door to the laundrette isn't there. I'll try there. They might be a bit more organised when it comes to advertising accommodation. I doubt they can be as bad as you!”
After leaving the Kabin, Todd and Sean walk down the street together and Todd points out the house where he lives with his mum and brother. Sean is surprised because he thought Todd was getting married, so Todd tells him: “I came out. Told her I was gay.” Sean gasps in amazement: “No! I knew it! What did she say? Did she make a big scene? Did she have any idea before you told her? Were you and Karl?” Todd can't get a word in edgeways but Sean realises he's probably asking too many questions and apologises: “Oh sorry. Open mouth, say rubbish, think later. It's alright, you don't have to tell me.” Todd says: “Let's just say I had the worst six months of me life. Lost everything I had, but - found myself, and yeah, me and Karl did have something but, not any more.” 
Sean asks him if he's seeing anyone now and Todd says he isn't, then for a moment he thinks Sean's interested in him, but Sean laughs: “No, I didn't mean ... you're not my type! I go weak at the knees for dark builder types, not boy next door.” They stop outside the Rovers and Todd points out the flat above the bookies where he used to live, thinking it might be suitable for Sean. He tells Sean that the landlord runs the bookies and his name's Fred. Sean looks interested and asks if the bookies is full of rough men. Todd laughs: “Er not really!” Sean tuts: “Alright, don't shatter the illusion! I'll go and have a word now. Thanks.” Just as Sean is about to go over to the bookies, Todd tentatively asks him if he's seen Karl. Sean says he hasn't for a while but suggests that he could track him down for him. Todd shrugs his shoulders and backs off saying: “No, it doesn't matter. I'll catch up with him sometime.” Sean asks if he meant a lot to him and Todd just says: “For a while. Anyway, er, good luck with the flat and er, good to see you.” As Sean walks off, Karen McDonald strolls over and asks Todd if he's going to the party. He says he'll be coming over later and Karen tells him she's in the mood for a good party. She jokes with him that they could dance to YMCA and tweaks his nose saying she won't take no for an answer. She breezes into the pub singing YMCA to herself, leaving Todd looking rather bemused.
Sean is standing in the doorway of the bookies, shouting inside: “Don't kid yourself! I've got standards - which is more than can be said for your customers! Deodorants exist you know - and bathwash! I could have you for assault!” Todd and Eileen are on their way to the Rovers when they notice the hubbub from across the street. Eileen asks Todd what's going on and when he tells her that's Sean, she's rather surprised that he knows him. Just then, Sean spots Todd and he strolls over to join them. He rants: “Five hundred quid he wanted. Great brute! I said for that kind of deposit and four-twenty a month, I'd want a pent-house apartment with a rooftop terrace, not some lousy rat hole!” Spotting the puzzled look on his mum's face, Todd explains what's going on and introduces her to Sean. She asks him hesitantly if he's a mate of Todd's and Sean jokes: “Todd's, Dorothy's, I'm anyone's friend me!” Eileen is confused by the Dorothy reference so Todd explains to her that it means he's gay. Eileen's feigns surprise at this revelation and Sean is worried that he might have said something he shouldn't, but Todd tells him: “No, no, it's okay, me mum knows about me. Yeah, everybody knows about me.” Sean thinks that's nice and tells them that his mum's got no idea about him, which Eileen finds very hard to believe. Todd asks Sean if he's going to try anywhere else for a flat but Sean moans: “I've tried everywhere and I've got to shift my stuff tonight. I've been traipsing round since first light. I'm done in.” Eileen takes pity on him and invites him to have a drink with them at the Rovers. 
As they're walking up the street together, Sean asks Eileen if she exfoliates and tells her it would soon get rid of all her dead skin. Eileen shrieks: “What dead skin?!” So Sean hooks up with Todd and Eileen and joins in the celebrations at Dev and Sunita's party in the Rovers.
As they walk into the pub, Todd explains to Sean that it's an engagement party and his boss is getting married. Eileen adds cheekily: “Yeah, to one of his other workers, which is a shame really ‘cos he's quite well off and if things had been different it might have been our Todd with a big diamond on his finger!” Todd protests and Eileen apologises, saying she can't help it as she's in such a good mood. Then she turns to Deirdre Rachid, who's standing at the bar with her mum Blanche, and happily says: “Deirdre, did I tell you that my son's going back to college to do his ‘A' Levels?” Deirdre tells her that's great and turns to Blanche for affirmation but the sour old prune just humphs: “College! It'll be full of homo-sexuals.” Deirdre corrects her: “The word is ‘gay' mother,” but Blanche mutters: “Another word hijacked by hippies and liberals. Never mind college, it's prison he should be going to. Two years hard labour, that's what they gave Oscar Wilde!” Deirdre can't believe what she's hearing and asks: “Are you living in the same century as the rest of us?”
Meanwhile, Eileen decides to get some drinks in and Ciaran the barman tells them that there's actually champagne on offer from Dev. Sean exclaims: “Shampoo, my favourite!” Ciaran offers them three glasses and Todd accepts. Then Sean says to Todd, whilst eyeing up Ciaran: “I can see why you live round here. Free shampoo and those big blue Irish eyes staring at you. I'm coming here again!” Ciaran looks back at him slightly horrified, or maybe in disbelief.
Sean has had the bright idea of asking Shelley if there are any rooms available at the Rovers but there obviously aren't any. He tells her: “It says Rovers Return ‘Inn'. I saw the sign when I came in.” Shelley tells him she's sorry but they don't do B&B. Sean doesn't know when to shut up and he rants on: “That's misrepresentation you know. Posing as one thing and being another. There's laws against that.” Shelley just says: “So sue me,” and walks away.
Todd and his mum are sitting in a booth together. She's started thinking that Todd and Sean might be more than just friends and she asks: “So this Sean, he's, erm, just a mate of yours is he? Nothing else?” Todd is not amused and says: “What him? You think I fancy him?”
Eileen replies with simple logic: “Well, I don't know, I mean you're a fella that likes fellas and he's a fella that likes fellas ...” so Todd puts her right straight away: “Well do you fancy every bloke you see? Fred? Norris?” Eileen realises her silly mistake and capitulates: “Point taken.” A bit later on, Sean gets into full swing offering skin care advice to Eileen and Deirdre at the bar (he works in the beauty section of a department store). He prattles on at them while Todd stands watching from the sidelines. Sean tells Eileen: “What you need is a matifying lotion - something that'll tighten your pores and make your skin more firm.” She tells him that she doesn't use any lotions or potions, just soap, so he tells her: “Soap was alright for your mum and your gran, but it's all science now. You don't have to put up with lines and wrinkles anymore.” Then Deirdre asks: “But what if you've left it too late?” Sean exclaims: “It's never too late! People are living longer and longer Deirdre. You've got to look in the mirror and ask yourself, ‘Is this the face I want for the next fifty years, or do I deserve better?' D'you know you've a lot of fatigue on your face.” Blanche butts in: “Oh I've been saying that for years. You'd think we were sisters wouldn't you, not mother and daughter.” Sean goes on: “I mean, don't take offence, I am professional. Pop into the store and see me - I'll give you a little tester of some cream we do. It's a total full recovery treatment for skin. It'll take years off you!” 
Then he beckons the two ladies over to a booth so they can carry on the consultation in more comfort. A bit later on, Eileen asks Todd where Sean is and he tells her: “He's giving Deirdre tips on skin care.” Eileen laughs and says Sean's a nice lad and she wonders if he might want to kip on their sofa. Todd doesn't sound too sure about that idea but Eileen tells him: “Well, at least we could offer. I mean I'd like to think if you were out there all alone that somebody would offer you a sofa for the night.” Todd turns to look at Sean and starts to consider Eileen's bright idea.
The Rovers is swinging and full of madness as usual. Sean's amused and asks in amazement: “Is it like this here all the time? This is better than Big Brother - you should charge admission!”
Eileen and Todd join Sean as he's about to go and check out a bed and breakfast that's just been recommended to him. They ask him if he wants to kip at their house on the sofa until he gets himself sorted out. 
Sean replies: “You don't know me ... Taking me into your home. I mean, I could be a really nasty person. I'm not, ‘cos everyone says I'm dead nice, but ... I don't know what to say.” Overwhelmed by their kindness, he fans his face with his hand in a melodramatic emotional gesture. Eileen plays it down: “Well it's just a sofa, not the Academy Award!” Sean's voice quivers as he gushes over the top with gratitude: “It's just the kindest thing! Thank you, thank you so much!” 
He puts his arm round Eileen and clasps her to his shoulder saying: “And you'll not know I'm there ‘cos I'm dead tidy and I'll make you cups of tea in bed in the morning.” Todd looks on in amazement.
Just then, Jason walks up to their booth and asks if anyone wants a drink. As soon as Sean sees Jason, he lets go of Eileen and gives Jason his full attention. When Eileen introduces them and tells him that Jason's a builder, Sean squeals: “Fancy! Jason, did you know your mother was a life-saver? Without her, d'you know where I'd be spending the night? Shacked up on a park bench with some wino and a pigeon nesting on me ‘ead!” Jason is astonished at the sight of Sean and Eileen tells him that Sean's just staying for a few nights. Sean is still prattling on: “It's like the finale of ‘Annie' isn't it, you know at the end when Daddy Warbucks takes her in and they all sing, ‘The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow!!!'” Jason is not at all happy about this. He takes in the scene in front of him – Todd, Eileen and Sean sitting together looking all pally. His jaw drops and with a fixed expression on his face, he says: “You can't be serious,” to the amusement of his brother and mum.
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