DEGRASSI: AFTERMATH - S02E05 - THE EVE OF DESTRUCTION

Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or any of the characters from it.

1. Int. Hallway. Day.

Jay, Lola, Eddy, Katie and Margaret are waiting outside the courtroom. Jay (who´s dressed in a suit) is especially looking impatient.

Jay:

How can he take this long?

Eddy:

I´m glad it´s not me that has to make these decisions every day.

Lola:

I wouldn´t be able to sleep at night, if I knew I had to ruin someone´s life by sending them to prison forever.

Katie:

And it´s never just them, that are affected. There´s kids, who have to grow up without one or maybe even both parents, because they got locked up.

Eddy:

Think of someone like Lisa. Her father died, so now she has to be without her mom all the time, because they can´t make ends meet on one income.

Maya´s lawyer Georgia McBeal (a short and skinny, but super professional looking woman in her late 20´s) walks by them and is heading into the courtroom.

Katie:

I guess it´s time.

Margaret:

Even if things don´t go as planned, she can still appeal it. I don´t want you all breaking down in there. She needs us to help her by staying strong and showing that we believe in her.

Jay:

I don´t know what I´d do if they send her away.

Katie puts her arm around him and leads him inside the courtroom.

OPENING CREDITS

2. Int. Courtroom. Day.

The group are the only spectators, exept for one other woman, Lois Cronkite (a professional looking woman in her late 30´s. She´s holding a pen and a notebook). Maya is led in by the magistrate and she takes her seat next to Georgia. The prosecutor Clark Cage (a slightly obese man in his mid-fifties) is also there.

Magistrate:

Everyone rise for the honorable Justice Montgomery.

Anthony Montgomery (a half bald man in his late 60´s comes in and takes the podium.

Montgomery:

You may take your seats.

Everyone sits down. Maya looks anxious.

Montgomery:

This hearing was to maintain whether there are enough grounds on which to extradict ms. Matlin for trial in the United States. Ms. Matlin, will you please stand for the court.

Maya stands up. She´s so nervous that her legs can barely hold her.

Montgomery:

Ms. Matlin, there is no doubt that you should have gone to the authorities immediately. I do however understand you would have been in a state of panic, but your actions speak highly against you.

Maya tries to look hopeful, but it´s becoming harder and harder.

Montgomery:

I have been told from the American authorities that from the autopsy report, there is no way of determining who of you, be it you or ms. LaMotta were behind most of the puncture wounds or whether it was self defense or not. The trial against ms. LaMotta is currently ongoing in California. She has claimed that you were the only one who stabbed mr. Bateman and that she tried to stop you.

Maya can see where this is going and is fighting the tears.

Montgomery:

I therefore see no other option than to recommend that you are extradicted for trial in The United States of America at the nearest date.

Maya sinks down in her chair and breaks down. Lola too is in tears and Eddy comforts her. Jay looks like his whole world has collapsed. Georgia stands up.

Georgia:

We appeal this veridct, your honor.

Montgomery:

Very well, the date for the appeal will be determined within the next week. Court adjourned.

He bangs his gavel and leaves the courtroom. Maya and her friends and family are in shock.

3. Ext. Courthouse. Day.

Everyone is leaving the courthouse. Katie and Margaret head off towards the parking lot. Eddy, Jay and Lola (who´s still fighting the tears) stop up.

Eddy:

We´re parked over this way. Are you sure you don´t want a ride?

Jay:

I´m finding the nearest bar and drinking my brain out. Then I´m finding some other drunk, who´s looking for a fight and take it all out on him.

Eddy:

Do you really think that would help Maya? That you got thrown in jail too, so she´d never see you?

Jay:

WHAT THE HELL DOES IT ALL MATTER! You heard the judge. It doesn´t matter that they appealed it. With what he said, there´s not a judge in the world that would vote Maya´s way.

Lola breaks down again and Eddy lends a shoulder for her to cry on.

Jay:

I´m sorry, Lola. But the facts are that things look very dark right now.

Lola:

I know. I had a welcome home get together planned for her. I´ve already shopped for it. I know it´s dumb that I´m thinking of that.

Eddy:

It´s okay, Lola. It´s probably good that you don´t have to be alone tonight. Look Jay, at least call up Sean, so you have someone to talk to about this, before you do something you regret.

Jay:

Will that make you stop nagging me?

Eddy:

Yep.

Jay:

Allright, I´m calling Sean, when I get to the bar. Happy?

Eddy:

Happier. Are you ready to go, Lola?

Lola nods and Eddy still has a consoling arm around her as they leave Jay alone. He hails a taxi.

Jay:

You know where "The Backhouse" is?

He gets in.

4. Int. Cell. Day.

Maya is sitting on the bed and is still reeling from the verdict, when Georgia comes in and sits down next to her.

Georgia:

Maya, are you okay?

Maya:

I might as well be dead. She said I did it by myself. They´ll execute me or give me life.

Georgia:

There´s still a long way until any of that could become reality.

Maya:

Do I even stand a chance?

Georgia:

I´m not going to lie to you. It doesn´t look good. Our only chance is if Shelly LaMotta changes her statement and assumes the guilt.

Maya leans back against the wall. She looks devastated.

Maya:

And what are the chances af that? I mean if you were the one defending her, wouldn´t you advice her against it?

Georgia:

I probably would. I´ll contact you during the week with the date for your appeal. It´ll probably be sometime within four to five weeks.

Maya:

Okay.

Georgia gets up and leaves Maya with a far away look on her face.

5. Montage - Music: "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails

First we see Jay at "The Backdoor", a sleazy dive of a bar where only those who can´t afford to drink at better bars set foot. He drinks heavily while playing darts against a stranger and has heavy mood swings, from excited when the darts go his way to completely depressed when they don´t. He loses the game and goes out to the bathroom, where he bangs his hand against the wall before retreating into a stall, where he fights having a complete breakdown.

Lola sits on the couch and stares out the window with a blank look on her face. Later she tries to cook, but quickly realizes that she´s too depressed to do anything. She calls someone on the phone, then manages to walk back to the living room, where she lays down on the couch and sobs.

Maya is brought back to the prison and is almost catatonic. A group of women led by Janine walks behind her and shout things at her, but she doesn´t pay any attention to them at all. She gets back to her cell and lies down on her bed. Alex comes to console her. Maya tells her and Alex obviously feels sorry for her.

6. Int. The Backdoor. Day.

Jay is drunk and is sitting at the bar talking to Gary, the bass player from Kayla´s trio, who´s almost equally drunk. Sean comes in and comes over to them.

Sean:

Hi, Jay.

Jay:

Sean, my man. This is Gary, he´s having almost as bad a day as I am. Guess why?

Sean:

I have no idea.

Jay:

He got dumped by a red haired college girl named Kayla, who´s a really good piano player. Now how many of those do you think there are in Toronto?

Gary:

Wait. So you´re the dickhead that slept with her for months, while you were also doing some other guys wife?

Jay:

Bingo!

Sean:

Look, me and Kayla shouldn´t have happened.

Gary:

But you couldn´t say no to her?

Sean shrugs his shoulders and Jay and Gary accept that they can´t really blame him, since she´s as hot as she is.

Gary:

She dumped me today. Three months we were together and now she says that she needs her freedom. That she´s too young to be tied down to one guy.

Jay:

At least you have a chance of getting back together with her. Once Maya gets sent to a women´s prison in California, I´d have to say goodbye to little Jay, if I was ever to do it with her again.

Sean:

Jay, come on.

Jay:

No, man. Just imagine it. I´ve watched lots of lesbian porn, now I could get the chance to try it for myself.

Gary:

But isn´t your girlfriend straight?

Jay:

Yeah?

Gary:

You don´t see the problem with your plan?

Jay´s drunken brain tries to solve the very easy riddle.

Gary:

We need some more drinks, so Jay can sort his brain out. What´s your drink, Sean?

Sean:

Brandy, if they have it. Bourbon is fine too. Get me a beer as well.

Jay:

Looking to drown your sorrows with us? I though you and Em would be in happy la-la love land all the time now. Hell, you waited over 20 years to finally get together.

Gary:

That´s beautiful, man.

Sean:

I never tried living with her before. Epecially not the pregnant version of her.

Jay gets up and puts his arm around him.

Jay:

Sean, tonight you´re hanging with the boys. No estrogen allowed. Bartender!

Sean takes the stool next to Jay and gets comfortable.

7. Int. Kitchen. Evening.

Lola is sitting on a chair, while Zoe is cooking. She checks the oven.

Zoe:

It´s starting to look finished.

Lola looks into the oven from her seat.

Lola:

Give it five more minutes, then take it out and let it rest.

Zoe:

Okay and I think the sauce is looking good too. Now all were missing is Frankie.

The buzzer goes and Zoe goes over to the door phone.

Frankie (voice over):

It´s me, Frankie.

Zoe buzzes her in and slightly opens the front door before going back to her cooking.

Lola:

I wonder what Maya is eating tonight. It´s probably grool. Grool with spitgobs in it.

Zoe:

From what I´ve heard, it´s not as bad as you might think.

Frankie comes in the door and hangs up her coat. She goes over and hugs Lola.

Frankie:

Oh, honey. I can´t imagine what you´re going through right now. Hello, Zoe.

She breaks the hug with Lola and extends her hand, Zoe wipes her hand in a towel and shakes it.

Zoe:

Hello to you too, Frankie. I hope we can put the unpleasantness of the last time we talked behind us.

Frankie:

Me too and I apologize for my behavior. I know things look bad for your friend right now, so I talked to my financial advisor.

Lola:

Money isn´t going to help her. She´s already got a good lawyer.

Frankie:

I know. Georgia McBeal is one of the best she could have found, but she´s not cheap.

Zoe:

Her mother had to take out another mortgage on her house to pay for her.

Frankie:

That´s why I´ve decided to pay all the costs of the trial for her.

Lola:

What?

Frankie:

Now that the divorce has gone through, I´ve become a wealthy woman. I don´t believe in giving handouts, but in this case I truly believe that I am doing something that´s good and right with the money. I know my ex-husband earned most of it an a highly unethical way, so a little of it going to honest people who need it this bad, feels good to me.

Zoe:

Wow. That´s insanely generous of you.

Lola:

I don´t know what to say. Thank you.

Frankie:

You can thank me when she´s free and back here, where she belongs.

Lola gives her a big hug.

8. Int. Prison Mess Hall. Evening.

Maya is standing behind Alex and still has a far away look on her face. Another inmate named Val (a very tattooed punk girl in her early twenties) pushes past her. Maya´s facial expression changes. She grabs Val by the arm and drags her into a nearby table.

Val:

You want another black eye, Blondie? Maybe I´ll knock out a few teeth this time. Make you really pretty for your ugly ass girlfriend.

Maya is about to fly at her, when Alex intervenes by punching Val straight on the jaw. Val goes down like a ton of bricks and the other inmates cheer Alex on. Maya tries to get at Val, but Alex holds her back until the guards arrive to subdue them.

9. Int. The Backdoor. Evening.

Gary and Jay are trying to play pool, but they´re both way too drunk to play. Gary misses so badly, that the cue ball only moves a few inches.

Gary:

This isn´t fair. Why do I have three cue balls?

Jay:

Hah. I only have two!

Jay actually manages to make the final shot.

Jay:

I told you, but you wouldn´t listen. No matter how ass wasted drunk I am, I´m still the master of the Pool table.

Sean:

Not remembering that I´ve beaten you three times in a row there?

Jay:

Schh.

Gary:

That´s it for me. It´s been great meeting you guys.

Jay:

Bye, Gary.

Sean:

See you around, man.

Gary:

You know, I really didn´t like you, when I first saw you, because of the whole Kayla thing. But you´re allright, Sean. See ya.

He gets his coat and staggers out of the bar. Jay (with great trouble) hangs up the pool cues. Sean sits down at a table. Jay holds up two fingers for the bartender and sits down with him.

Jay:

I orderes us a couple of brewskies.

Sean:

Good move. I´m really sorry about what´s happening with Maya, man. I know it´s easy to say, but you have to keep up hope that it´´ll work itself out.

Jay:

I´m trying so hard to. I shouldn´t be feeling sorry for myself. She´s the one that´s got her entire life on the line.

Sean:

Spinner told me about how down you were, when you moved back after Manny dumped you. I know it´s different, but you got through that. You can get through this too.

Jay:

I have to stay strong for her, right?

Sean:

That´s the spirit, old boy.

A waitress brings them their beers and they both take a sip.

Jay:

So tell me about you and Em.

Sean:

I think the best way to describe her behavior yesterday, was that she turned into a "Complete Hormone Monster". No matter what I said, she turned it against me instantly.

Jay:

That sucks, man.

Sean:

I also have no idea how were supposed to pay for this baby, that´s on the way. We´re barely scraping by as it is, with Em having to pay for her divorce lawyer.

They both take another sip.

Jay:

We should have stayed single.

Sean:

Yep.

They take another sip.

10. Int. Living Room. Evening.

Frankie, Zoe and Lola are eating dinner. Lola is barely touching it and is mostly just staring with a depressed look at her plate.

Zoe:

Did I mess it up?

Lola:

No, it´s fine. I´m not hungry, that´s all. It´s probably from all the crying.

Frankie:

You really shoud eat something. It´s not bad.

Zoe:

Could you do better?

Frankie:

No, I couldn´t. I never had to learn to cook, so I never did.

Zoe:

Yeah, that´s right. You grew up with a silver spoon up your butt.

Frankie:

You could say that. Your parents had money too.

Zoe:

Yeah, but that all changed when my mother decided to make me "Persona Non Grata" in her life. Since then I´ve had to take care of myself.

Frankie:

I´ve taken care of myself too. My parents stopped giving me an allowance when I was 20 and since then I´ve supported myself.

Zoe:

So let me guess. You met your future husband when you were 20?

Frankie:

That´s correct.

Lola:

Would you two please stop it.

Frankie:

Me and Zoe are just getting reaquainted. All I really remembered about her when we met at the airport, was when she turned all the other girls, including you, against me and kicked me off the cheerleading team. All because I, who was very innocent and 15 years old at the time, refused to sell pictures of my naked breasts to horny teenage boys! To top it off, she never apologized to me and went on with her life like nothing ever happened. Honestly, I hoped I´d never see her again, because it´s one of the most painful memories I have,

Zoe:

Look, I couldn´t possibly be any more sorry for what happened back then. I was a messed up, selfish and horrible little bitch. There´s no two ways about it. It wasn´t until I became friends with Grace, that I really started to change for the better. I´m using my adult years to make up for it. I think it´s great what you´re doing for Maya and her family, you deserve credit for it.

Frankie:

Thank you and you´re right, you were a horrible little bitch. But Lola seems to like you, so I suppose I can let old problems between us stay in the past.

Lola:

Are you two actually becoming friends?

She smiles a little and both Frankie and Zoe are glad to see it. Lola starts eating.

11. Int. Jail Cell. Evening.

Maya is lying on her cot, staring at the ceiling. Alex is let in by a guard.

Maya:

So? Did you break her jaw?

Alex:

No, it´s only bruised. She´s not pressing charges. She knows that too many women saw her provoke me and they´re too afraid of me to side with her.

Maya:

I guess I have to start building up a reputation too, now that this will be for the rest of my life.

Alex:

You still have the appeal. Don´t give up hope. Without hope, this place will eat you alive.

The lights go out and Alex climbs into her cot.

Maya:

Hey, Alex.

Alex:

What?

Maya:

Thanks. Not just for defending me, but for being my friend too. I don´t know what I´d do without you.

Alex:

Don´t mention it.

The last shot is of Maya´s face as she tries to fall asleep.

CLOSING CREDITS