DEGRASSI: AFTERMATH - S04E04 - TROUBLE PART 1
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
1. Int. Screening Room. Day.
Eli, Miles and Paige are with two studio executives, a man and a woman. We don´t see what they´re seeing, but it sounds pretty dull from what we can hear. Paige and Eli look like they want to hide away. Miles looks a bit nervous and can´t stop looking over at the executives to see how they react. They´re clearly not impressed and the man even yawns leading to the woman doing the same. Even with his lack of experience, Miles clearly knows that yawning isn´t a good sign. The movie stops after about 30 seconds and the lights come on. We see that they´re inside a room in the mansion, that´s been made into an improvised cinema. Miles looks hopefully at them. Eli and Paige both know that it´s bad.
Miles:
What did you think?
Man:
I think that out of the 32 minutes you showed us, at best there´s 4, we can use.
Woman:
You spent six hundred thousand dollars of the studio´s money and this is what we get for it?
Eli:
I know it isn´t perfect, but ...
Man:
Not perfect? If we don´t see massive improvements and we mean massive, we´re either cutting our losses or giving it to someone else.
Miles:
At least tell us what´s wrong with it, so we can fix it.
Woman:
What´s wrong is that 90 percent of the acting is soap opera level at best. The music sounds like something an amateur came up with on their Casio keyboard in the mid 80´s. Not to mention how the pacing is so slow, it´ll make people fall asleep!
Man:
I suggest you start re-thinking and re-writing things right now, because this isn´t working at all. It feels like you´re watching a televised version of a mediocre play, in stead of a movie.
Woman:
Good day!
The executives leave them. MIles is pretty shocked, so Paige pads him on the back.
Paige:
Welcome to the brutal nature of Hollywood, Miles.
Eli stares away in to blank air, trying to figure out what to do now.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Mansion. Day
Miles and Eli are looking over the script again. Eli is shaking his head.
Eli:
It isn´t the script, that´s the problem.
Miles:
They said ...
Eli:
I know what they said, but I couldn´t care less. The big problem is the acting and the music.
Miles:
If only we could get through to them, what we want out of them.
Eli:
She´s right about the music. It´s dated and it doesn´t fit.
Miles:
We´ll have a talk with her, when she gets here.
Maya, looking quite impressed, comes in to the room. They notice her and Miles comes to greet her.
Maya:
This place is spiffy!
Miles:
It´s also very expensive. How are you, Maya?
Maya:
Not too bad. Hi, Eli!
She waves at him. He unenthusiastically waves back.
Maya:
What´s with him?
Miles:
We had a vist from a few of the studio heads. They aren´t happy.
Maya:
What´s wrong with the movie?
Eli:
Pretty much everything. They didn´t like the music, either.
Maya looks disappointed.
Maya:
What was wrong with it?
MIles:
You don´t want to know, what they said.
Maya:
You can tell me.
Eli:
They said that it sounded dated and amateurish.
Maya looks hurt.
Maya:
Do you two agree?
Miles:
I think you can do better.
Eli:
If you can´t, then we´ll have to find someone else to do it. I like you Maya, but this is a tough business.
Maya:
Can you at least tell me, what I should be striving for?
Eli:
We need a lot more emotion and it can´t sound as dated as it does.
Maya looks like she´s losing hope.
Maya:
Maybe you should find someone else. I was hoping this was a way, where I could still live off making music. Maybe I´m not cut out for it.
MIles:
I believe in you, Maya. I wouldn´t have asked you to do this, if I didn´t.
Eli:
We can give you until the end of the week, but that´s it.
Miles:
We still believe you have what it takes.
Maya isn´t convinced.
3. Int. Hallway. Day.
Chrissy is sitting on a bench with Julie and Jack, who are off in "Boyfriend/Girlfriend Land", only having eyes for each other, while Chrissy is hopelessly staring at the kids passing her by. She sighs and her friends "Uncouple" and pay attention to her.
Chrissy:
All those smiling kids. If they only knew.
Jack:
Knew what?
Chrissy:
That love is evil. That it builds your hopes up and makes you feel fantastic. Then it rips your soul apart and leaves you this hollow shell of the one you were. Look at them.
She looks at Simon and Allison as they pass by.
Chrissy:
So care free. One day he´ll decide that it´s over and she´ll be dead inside, just like I am.
Julie comforts her.
Chrissy:
Their love is so beautiful, but I can´t enjoy it anymore, when I know it all ends in a pit of despair!
Julie:
Chrissy, sweetie. You´ll find love again.
Jack:
I´m sure it´s just around the corner.
Chrissy:
Someone like Jamie isn´t "just around the corner"! I don´t want to be with anyone else!
Julie:
I know heartbreak sucks. After I had to break up with Simon, I still loved him for a long time afterwards.
Chrissy:
Yeah, but you guys were just unlucky that you´re friends with me. If it hadn´t been for me, you´d still be a happy couple now. Yet another thing "Dumb Little Chrissy" messed up. You´d probably be better off without me.
Julie:
Of course we won´t and It all worked out for the best.
Chrissy:
I only have myself to blame for messing it up with Jamie. I´m such an idiot!
Jack:
You´re not.
Chrissy:
I am. I´m bad in school and you´re all much smarter than me. I´m so dumb, that I couldn´t hold on to a boy, who loved me. How´s that for stupid?
Julie:
You can´t be this hard on yourself. Everything will work itself out.
Chrissy:
I try to think about other things, but I can´t.
Jack:
How about your birthday on Friday?
Julie:
You can´t tell me, you aren´t looking forward to turning 14.
Chrissy:
I don´t feel like partying. It´s just another date in the calendar to me. I have to use the bathroom, before class starts.
She gets up and slowly walks towards the bathroom. Julie and Jack look worried about her.
4. Int. Maya and Alex´s Apartment. Day.
Maya comes home and slams the door on her way in, waking up Alex, who was sleeping on the couch. She comes in, holding a soda can. She sits down in the armchair, opens it and takes a sip.
Alex:
What time is it?
Maya:
Around 11.
Alex sits up, yawns and wipes her eyes.
Alex:
The next time you slam the door, cut you spare a thought for your poor roommate, who was working until 5 and didn´t get to bed until 6?
Maya:
I forgot. I´m stressed out. They hate the music I wrote, so now they want me to change it. Only problem is, that I have no clue what they want from me.
Alex yawns again and looks very tired.
Maya:
I´m going to the bedroom in a moment to hope for a miracle.
Alex:
Alright.
Alex lies down again and pulls the covers all the way over her face, so she can block the light out. Maya takes another sip and contemplates the situation.
5. Int. The Dot. Day.
Emma and Spinner are talking at one of the tables.
Emma:
Maybe we should tell her.
Spinner:
Come on. Who doesn´t love a surprise party?
Emma:
Me for one. My mom only did that once, when I turned 9. I got so scared, I peed my pants.
Spinner:
I´m sure Chrissy has good bladder cntrol. Besides, she needs all the cheering up she can get.
Emma:
That first hearbreak stays with you, just as hard as the first love.
Spinner:
Part of me feels mad at Jamie for hurting her, but the other part of me understands him. He has a once in a lifetime opportunity. Who could say no to that?
Emma:
Well, if she hadn´t cheated on him ...
Spinner:
Chrissy cheated on him?
Emma:
I thought you knew. She had a summer fling up in Wasaga Beach, he wasn´t happy about.
Spinner:
It seems like yesterday, when I was driving her to school for the first time. Now she´s an adulterer.
Emma:
At least she isn´t an adult, right? You´ll still have your little daddy´s girl for a while yet.
Spinner:
That time is quickly running out. What are you getting her?
Emma:
Sean and Jay have been fixing up a bike, we found at a garage sale last month. We don´t have a lot of money, but they´ve made it good as new.
Spinner:
We´re getting her a new laptop, to replace her old, antique one.
Emma:
So you and Paige are officially a "we"?
Spinner:
You could say so. It´s still weird to know, that she´s leaving when the movie´s finished.
Emma:
Have you talked to her about getting a job up here?
Spinner:
Right now, we´re close to perfect. I don´t want to rock the boat.
Emma:
Sometimes it´s for the greater good.
She looks at the clock on the wall.
Emma:
I have to get back to work. We´ll have plenty of time to talk on Friday.
They get up and shake hands.
Spinner:
We can feel old together. Remember what we were like at 14?
Emma:
It seems like yesterday, doesn´t it?
They smile at each other and she leaves. He takes out his phone and finds some pictures of him with Chrissy, Lisa and Emma, from Chrissy´s 8th birthday. Michaela sees him being all nostalgic and comes over to him.
MIchaela:
Little girls grow up. There´s nothing you can do about it.
Spinner:
Why does it have to happen so fast?
MIchaela:
You did a great job raising her. Now she has to find her place in the world. She´ll still need her daddy for that.
She leaves him to his nostalgia.
6. Int. Movie Set. Day.
The set is made up to look like Tristan´s hospital room from Next Class. Lyle Boreanaz, a 22 year old actor playing Tristan´s counterpart "Pascal" isn´t looking pleased. Eric is reading up on the script while the film crew is talking amongst themselves and getting the last details ready. Paige and Miles come in.
Paige:
I know you expected Eli to be here, but we´re behind schedule. He´s with the first unit filming at the mansion, while we take charge here.
Lyle:
What´s that supposed to mean?
Miles:
I don´t understand ...
Lyle:
Does it mean, that they´re more important than me? I need proper direction too!
Paige:
Lyle, I´ve been an AD for many big directors and directed tons of second unit scenes for them. None of them ever complained about my work.
Miles:
At this point of the movie, you´re still in a coma. How much direction do you need?
Lyle:
It´s about me not being treated like I deserve to! You ARE talking to a man, who was in TWO Emmy nominated episodes, in one of which I was in 8 scenes, with dialogue in 3! It was the highest rating that series ever had and came 4th in the basic cable rating that week!
Paige, Miles, Eric and half the crew mouth along to his boasting. They´ve clearly heard it many times before.
Paige:
Are you done?
Lyle:
No, I´m not! My agent is so fired after this! "Play the crippled gay guy, it´s pure Oscar bait". If he´d actually taken the trouble of reading it, he would have seen that I only have 5 lines! Now I don´t even get to work with the fancy art house director!
Miles:
You could have read it yourself.
Lyle:
Writer-boy, I´m a star! I have people to do that for me!
Miles rubs his temples as Lyle sulks with his arms crossed.
7. Ext. Mansion. Day.
Eli is trying to direct his actors too. Besides Sara, we have Chelsea Carpenter, a 19 year old petite Asian American girl playing "Asha" and Ricardo Green, a 20 year old athletically built half Hispanic guy playing "Wolfgang". They´re by the poolside.
Sara:
I don´t care what you say, I´m not kissing her.
Chelsea:
I´m with Sara on this one. My parents are gonna see this.
Eli:
You´re playing a character, it´s not really you.
Ricardo:
If they don´t want to kiss each other, they can kiss me some more. I don´t mind.
Eli:
I bet you don´t.
Sara:
The whole scene is so gratuitous, anyway.
Chelsea:
Why are we, in the middle of this gay drama, having a threesome? I don´t get it.
Ricardo:
Because the Wolf is a stud and you can´t keep your hands off him, right Eli?
Eli:
It´s not a "gay drama", it´s a family drama! Sammy and Matthew´s stories combine to set up the ending. How hard is that to understand!
Sara:
The scene reads like something a horny 14 year old wrote. No one would do this in real life!
Chelsea:
Asha maybe, but not Sammy. It´s too out of left field.
Eli gets an idea and takes out his phone.
Eli:
Wait here.
He presses the touch pad on his phone, as he steps away from them. Ricardo stretches and puts his arms around the girls.
Ricardo:
Any ideas how we could pass the time? If you don´t have any, then I´ve got a few.
He gives both of them the flirting eyes. They shake their heads at him.
8. Int. Hallway. Day.
Chrissy is walking slowly to class, still looking a bit depressed. Three 10th grade boys come walking towards her and she sees them. She tries to turn around and walk away from them, but they run to catch up to her and surround her.
Boy #1:
Where Degrassi´s little hand-me-down going so fast?
Boy #2:
Any customers, you need to "service"?
The boys laugh at her. She´s very uncomfortable.
Chrissy:
I just want to get to class.
Boy #3:
You always have time for us, don´t you?
She tries to push past them, but they block her way.
Chrissy:
Please. I´m gonna be late.
Boy #1:
From what we hear, you always find time to give a guy a hand, if he needs it.
Boy #2:
Just one? She´s got two hands, doesn´t she?
Boy #3:
And a pretty little mouth.
Charlie (voice over):
That´s enough!
Charlie and Taylor quickly approach them. Chrissy is almost in tears again.
Charlie:
What the hell are you idiots thinking?
Boy #1:
We were just goofing off.
Boy #2:
It´s not like we´d actually do anything to her.
Charlie:
Your goofing off stops right now!
Boy #3:
You´re a useless cripple. What are you gonna do about it?
Taylor:
This useless cripple has more friends than you know.
Charlie:
Since I came back, it seems that everyone wants to help me. If I told them about three boys harrassing an innocent 8th grade girl, who happens to be a good friend of mine ...
Boy #1:
We get it.
Boy #3:
What? We can take him and his knocked up slut in a fight.
Boy #2:
Shut up! I´m sorry, if we scared you.
The three boys hurry off to class. Chrissy is still a bit shaken up.
Taylor:
Are you okay, Chrissy?
Charlie:
If they threaten or bully you again, I´ll make sure they pay for it.
Chrissy:
Thanks. I´ll be okay.
Taylor:
It sucks what happened with you and Jamie, but you still have friends in us.
Charlie:
Absolutely.
Chrissy smiles a tiny bit.
9. Int. Classroom. Day.
Chrissy comes in to the Remedial class, still a little shaken up. She looks over at where Jamie used to sit, but there´s a different boy sitting there now. Deb waves at her. Chrissy comes over and takes the seat next to her.
Deb:
What´s with the sour face?
Chrissy:
Some older boys bullied me on the way to class.
Deb:
Me and Seb can beat them up for you, if you want.
Chrissy:
That´s very sweet in a violent sort of way, but I had Charlie to be my knight in shining armor.
Deb:
I´m glad, that you´re staying friends with him and Taylor.
Chrissy:
I need all the friends I can get nowadays. School isn´t even the worst time. It´s when I get home and I´m alone with my thoughts, that it gets really hard.
Deb:
What about your buds?
Chrissy:
Lisa has band practice after school today. I can hang out with Julie and Jack, but I´m always the 5th wheel, when it´s just the three of us.
Deb:
You could come to the Ravine with me and Seb.
Chrissy:
I got in a lot of trouble last time.
Deb:
Because you got caught. If you come with me, I guarantee that you won´t.
Chrissy:
What do you do down there, when there isn´t a party?
Deb:
Hang out and talk, maybe drink a few beers to calm down. Live life away from all the stress and staring eyes for a few hours.
Chrissy:
That sounds nice. I probably shouldn´t drink beer, considering how things went the last time I drank alcohol.
Deb:
It´s not like we get hammered. We still have to keep the people at the group home in the dark about it.
Chrissy:
Sure. It sounds like just what I need.
Talking with Deb has calmed her down.
10. Int. Alex and Maya´s Apartment. Day.
Jay has come over for his nooner. He´s with Maya in the bedroom.
Maya:
I´m way too stressed to think about sex right now. I hope you understand.
Jay:
It´s fine. You could have just called me.
Maya:
That´s the only reason you want to see me anymore, isn´t it? Because I´ll do it with you?
Jay:
It´s not like that. It´s just that I had to drive a big detour and I ´ve been looking forward to it all morning.
Maya:
So, because you´ve been looking forward to it, I´m supposed to lie down and spread my legs for you? Is that how it is?
Jay:
What´s wrong with you today?
Maya:
It´s so typical, how you assume that because for once, I´m a tiny bit moody, there must be something wrong with me. You probably think that it´s all because I´m PMS´ing or something. You can be such a guy sometimes!
Jay:
Honey, I am a guy. There´s nothing I can do about it. Is there anything I can do to help you?
Maya:
You can leave and give me some peace and quiet, so I can get some work done.
Jay:
If that´s what you want.
Maya:
That´s exactly what I want!
He leaves her. She immediately starts feeling bad about being mean to him.
11. Ext. Mansion. Day.
The actors are bored, when Eli comes out with Frankie.
Frankie:
I´m still not sure why you asked me to come. Is Miles okay?
Eli:
I´m sure he´s frustrated, but he´s probably fine.
Frankie:
I don´t know anything about making movies.
Eli:
In this one aspect, you´re the expert.
The actors see them and look confused.
Sara:
Hi, Frankie.
Frankie:
Hi, Sara.
Frankie waves to them. They stand in front of the actors.
Eli:
You wanted to know, why it happened. Here´s one of the three people, that can tell you why.
Frankie grabs his arm and pulls him away.
Frankie:
I´m not telling you and three strangers about my teenage sex life.
Eli:
Do you want to help Miles?
Frankie considers it for a few seconds before giving in.
Frankie:
Okay, but I can´t see how it´s gonna help.
Eli:
Sara´s performance has already improved since you talked to her. They think it´s too unrealistic, so they can´t commit to the scene. Tell them why it happened and we´ll see if it helps. Either way, it can´t hurt.
Frankie:
Easy for you to say.
They walk over to the actors again.
Frankie:
I guess I have a story to tell you.
12. Montage - Music: "One Bourbon, One Shot, One Beer" by George Thorogood and the Destroyers.
Chrissy is with Deb at the Ravine waiting, when Seb shows up with two six packs of beer. They find a spot and get comfy. As they drink, they play cards and laugh. The alcohol quickly puts Chrissy in a better mood, even though she makes a face with every sip, that the siblings find hysterically funny. She gets up and downs the last of her beer and is already on slightly shaky legs, when she goes behind a bush to pee. She comes back and they give her another one. She pops it open and they toast. Two girls come by with their bongos. One of them plays, while the other vapes some weed with Seb. Chrissy and Deb politely say no and drink some more beer in stead. The legs are much shakier on her next visit to the bush and she´s visibly drunk, when she comes back. She has another one, but doesn´t get through it, before she falls asleep. Deb and Seb sit with her to protect her.
13. Ext. Ravine. Day.
We focus on Chrissy, who´s being woken up by Deb. She´s still a bit drunk.
Deb:
We should have known, you were a lightweight.
Chrissy:
What happened?
Seb:
You had two and a half beers and fell asleep.
Deb:
Until then, you were having fun.
Chrissy:
I remember that part. I haven´t been sleeping a whole lot these last days. Guess it finally caught up to me.
Seb:
It´s fine. We finished the rest of yours off, while we were waiting. I´m sure you´ll last longer next time.
Deb:
We have to get back to the group home before curfew.
Chrissy:
What time is it?
Deb:
Half past 7.
Chrissy:
What am I gonna tell my dad?
Deb:
That´s one thing we can´t help you with.
Deb gives her a hand to help her up. Chrissy is still a little shaky, so Deb supports her as they start walking.
14. Int. Maya´s Bedroom. Evening.
Maya takes her headphones off and lies down on the bed. She takes her phone and rings someone up.
Jay (voice over):
Are you calling to bite my head off again?
Maya:
I´m sorry. Can you forgive me?
Jay (voice over):
Already done. How did the songwriting go?
Maya:
Terrible. Half the time I just sat and stared at the keyboard and couldn´t think of anything to play.
Jay (voice over):
Do you want me to come over?
Maya:
Can you?
Jay (voice over):
Only if you promise that it´s the Maya I´m in love with, I´m getting.
Maya:
She´ll be right here waiting for you.
Jay (voice over):
I´ll get there as fast as the speed limit permits.
She presses the touchpad and smiles to herself.
15. Int. Mansion. Day.
Paige, Eli, Miles and Frankie are together. Eli is pacing.
Eli:
If anyone has a brilliant plan, now´s the time to come out with it.
Miles:
I wish, I had one.
Paige:
What did you think, Frankie?
Frankie:
Me? I don´t know anything about making movies.
Paige:
You were here all afternoon. You must have an opinion.
Miles:
Anything could help.
Frankie:
The big problem is that they have no idea, how these people are in real life.
Miles:
Meeting you and Lola did wonders for Sara and Amanda.
Paige:
Are you suggesting bringing more people in?
Miles:
Can we even get in touch with them? The only one, I might be able to reach, is Esme.
Frankie:
How?
Miles:
Hunter knows her. Maybe he can talk her in to it.
Frankie:
Zoe is still in in touch with Tristan and I know that Maya and Zig have started talking again.
They look to Eli, who´s considering it.
Paige:
It´s better than anything I can come up with. The question is how we pay for it.
Miles:
I´ll pay for their airfare out of my own pocket.
Frankie:
I can pay for half of it.
Miles:
You don´t have to.
Frankie:
I want to. Can´t a sister help her brother out, when he needs it?
Paige:
It´s up to you, Eli. Should we bring in the last of our big guns?
Eli stops pacing and after a small dramatic pause, turns to look at them.
Eli:
Bring them in!
Miles and Frankie celebrate.
CLOSING CREDITS
