- Miss Alordayne Grotkey: Is there a problem, Gretchen?
- Gretchen Grundler: Not A problem, Miss Grotke; THE problem. The integral equation that grounded Gretchen Grundler.
- Theodore J. 'T.J.' Detweiler: Well, what'd he say?
- Spinelli: Is he going for firepower, or high tech gizmos?
- Gretchen Grundler: It's Hank's life, and whatever he decides we should be happy for him. That's what a real friend does. No what ifs, no second guessing, no slipping into a deep dark funk of bitter and relentless grief.
- [last lines]
- Gretchen Grundler: Well Hank, if you're happy I'm happy. I say we celebrate. Let's take a crack at the linear independence of exponential functions.
- Hank the Janitor: Gretchen, that's the best offer I've had all day.
- Gretchen Grundler: Gee Hank, I guess word somehow got out about your abilities.
- Hank the Janitor: Yeah. Supercomputers, intergalactic travel, blowing stuff up... These are the things us number guys dream about. But what to choose? What?
- Gretchen Grundler: Wanna know my opinion?
- Hank the Janitor: Heck, yours is the only one I'm interested in.
- Gretchen Grundler: Well, it occurs to me that in the equation of happiness, there's only one choice: Follow your heart.
- Hank the Janitor: Follow my heart?
- Gretchen Grundler: That's what I think. Anyway, I just want to say well, whatever your decision Hank, good luck.
- [Gretchen leaves and closes the door, teary-eyed]
- Gretchen Grundler: And goodbye.
- Gretchen Grundler: Hey guys, great news! Hank says we mathletes can meet every day after school, even the occasional lunch hour!
- Mikey Blumberg: No! I can't take another minute in the cold unyielding world of numbers!
- Gretchen Grundler: What? But Mikey, I don't understand.
- Theodore J. 'T.J.' Detweiler: Look Gretch, we helped you find your genius. We even joined the math club -- you know, in theory. But we're kids! We belong in the wild with the fresh air and the asphalt.
- Gretchen Grundler: [sighing] Of course. Far be it from me to force my friends to endure something antithetical to their very nature.
- Theodore J. 'T.J.' Detweiler: Uh, yeah. Glad you... understand.
- Gretchen Grundler: Hank, you solved the generalized Fermat-Wiles equation in five seconds flat!
- Theodore J. 'T.J.' Detweiler: Yeah, a janitor who knows math? What's up with that?
- Vince LaSalle: Are you a spy?
- Mikey Blumberg: Or an alien?
- Gus Griswald: Out with it, man!
- Hank the Janitor: A spy? An alien? Naw, I just like math is all. Sometimes teachers leave these problems on the boards, and I solve 'em. You know, for fun.
- Spinelli: You mean fun like in... FUN?
- Hank the Janitor: Yep. Nothing more fun than a good hard math problem.
- [leaving]
- Hank the Janitor: Well, you kids take 'er easy.
- Gretchen Grundler: [Gretchen and Hank are working on a math problem on the blackboard] So, you're saying the formula for 'A' is based on the definition of area in terms of a Riemann integral, ie unlimited Riemann sums?
- Hank the Janitor: Bingo! And the formula for 'C' uses the definition of arc length, given a continuously differentiable curve.
- Gretchen Grundler: Guys, is this great or what?
- [the rest of the gang is fast asleep]