DEGRASSI: GLORY DAYS - S01E21 - THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY
DISCLAIMER: I DON´T OWN DEGRASSI
1. Int. Hospital Room. Day
Ms. Redgrave and the other cheerleaders (except for Ruby) are visiting Trish in the hospital. Trish looks like she´s being cheered up by their visit.
Redgrave:
How are you recovering?
Trish:
I´m getting stronger every day. They say I could be released tomorrow.
Tif:
I think I speak for all of us, when I say we´ve been worried sick.
Redgrave:
You gave us quite the scare.
Trish:
It´s a tough lesson learned. Some positives came out of it, believe it or not.
Tif:
I guarantee I´ll never touch that stuff now, so that´s a positive.
Kelly:
We´re here to talk about Trish, not you.
Tif:
Can I help it, if I´m interesting?
Kelly shakes her head at her. Trish can´t help smiling.
Redgrave:
What positives?
Trish:
Me and my dad weren´t getting along anymore. This has brought us closer together than ever. If this hadn´t happened, I don´t know if we´d be on speaking terms.
Redgrave:
You always see the glass as half full, don´t you?
Trish:
It´s the dumbest thing I´ll ever do, but I survived it. I´d rather put it behind me and move on with my life, than dwell on it.
Redgrave turns her attention to the cheerleaders.
Redgrave:
Go and wait in the hallway, girls. I need to talk to Trish alone.
The cheerleaders wave goodbye to Trish, as they leave.
Trish:
I know, I can´t be down there with you. If they release me in time, I can still go to the game.
Redgrave:
If you do, you won´t be allowed to sit with the other Degrassi students. The principal wants you expelled, effective immediately. Degrassi has a zero tolerance drug policy.
Trish:
You see students high in class all the time.
Redgrave:
Which is why he wants to make an example of you. A paper did an expose, that showed how ineffective the system is. His job is riding on how badly he can punish you.
Trish:
That isn´t fair! I screw up once and it´s me they go after? Why don´t they go after the stoners in the parking lot or the jocks that take amphetamines?
Redgrave:
None of that has been proven.
Trish:
Gimme a break! That´s BS and you know it!
Redgrave:
Don´t kill the messenger. I´m on your side, but there´s nothing I can do.
Trish:
Have you told the girls?
Redgrave:
I´ve been instructed by the principal to wait until after the game, so it won´t interrupt preparations.
Trish:
Tell them now, please. This is my entire future, that´s on the line.
Redgrave is clearly sympathetic towards her.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Ext. Degrassi. Morning.
Artie, Barry, Samira and Iz have just got off the schoolbus and are walking towards the school. They´re surprised at what they see.
Artie:
You don´t see this every day!
They head towards the school, where a protest is taking place outside. The cheerleaders are joined by several supporters, including Kat, Carl and Troy. They have signs that read "Let Trish Graduate".
Protesters:
LET TRISH GRADUATE. LET TRISH GRADUATE.
Artie and the others walk over to them.
Artie:
Who´s Trish and why should she graduate?
Tif:
The principal is making her a scapegoat, so he can keep his job. We´re not putting up with it.
Samira:
I´m completely lost here.
Troy:
She did Cocaine one time and ended up in the hospital. They´re using it to expel her, based on a drug policy, that gets broken all the time.
Samira:
She still shouldn´t have done drugs.
Tif:
She´s one of many. It isn´t fair to single her out.
Artie:
She shouldn´t have done the crime, if she couldn´t do the time.
Artie, Samira and Barry head inside. Iz stays behind. Tif pulls her a little away from the others.
Tif:
You´re with us, right?
Iz:
I don´t know. She knew the rules.
Tif:
You have a chance to bond with the girls. If they like you, you´re a shoe-in for the squad next year.
Iz:
But Artie ...
Tif:
Isn´t the one, who can get you on the team. I can.
Tif hands her sign to her. Iz decides to grab it. They go back to the rest of the protesters.
Iz/Tif:
LET TRISH GRADUATE.
Pete Daltrey comes out.
Pete:
Class starts in five minutes.
Troy:
We´re not going to class, until we get a guarantee from the principal, that Trish won´t be expelled.
Pete:
That´s not gonna happen.
Tif:
Not if we give up right away.
Pete:
He won´t look lightly on this. It´ll only be yourself, you hurt.
Protesters:
LET TRISH GRADUATE. LET TRISH GRADUATE.
Pete heads back inside.
3. Int. Classroom. Morning.
Mr. Watson comes in to a half full classroom.
Watson:
It´s nice to see that some of you showed up.
Ruby raises her hand.
Ruby:
What do you think the principal will do?
Watson:
I can´t say. I´m glad, I´m not in his shoes right now.
Dexter raises his hand.
Dexter:
What about the game? It´s tomorrow.
Watson:
They couldn´t have picked a better time, that´s for sure. Whether it means he´ll cave, remains to be seen.
Watson prepares to start the lesson.
4. Int. Classroom. Morning.
The 10th grade class is close to starting. Michelle sneaks in and sits as far away from the others as she can. Harvey gets up from his seat and walks over to her.
Harvey:
Shouldn´t you be out there with the protesters?
Michelle:
Shouldn´t you?
Harvey:
As someone who´s enjoyed the "laxness" of the rules, it would be more than a little hypocritical of me.
Michelle:
I can´t look Kat in the eyes. I almost killed her best friend, remember?
Harvey:
It´s not your fault, what happened to her.
Michelle:
I shouldn´t have left her alone in there.
Harvey:
Dave told me about how you were constantly looking out for her. You shouldn´t blame yourself.
Michelle:
WELL, I DO!
The other students stare at her. Even Harvey is surprised.
Michelle:
Stare at the freak! While you´re at it, why don´t you make me wear a scarlet letter?
Michelle storms out of the classroom. Dave follows after her.
5. Int. Hallway. Morning.
Dave catches up to her. She´s on the verge of crying.
Dave:
I know how you feel.
Michelle:
Everyone tells me it´s not my fault, but it is!
Dave:
She´s old enough to make her own decisions.
Michelle:
She wouldn´t have been there, if it wasn´t for me. When she asked me how it felt to be high on it, I said it felt great. I might as well have stuck the dollar bill up her nose myself!
Dave:
Have you talked to her?
Michelle:
I´m too scared to face her.
Dave:
I´m not a psychologist, but I think you need to.
Michelle clearly knows that he´s right.
6. Ext. Degrassi. Day.
The protesters outside have risen a little in number since the last time we saw them. Artie, Barry and Samira come out. Iz comes over to them. It´s clearly a conversation she doesn´t want to have.
Artie:
So, you´ve decided to join the enemy?
Iz:
Artie, I ...
Artie:
Kidding!
She eases up.
Artie:
It´s just another thing we disagree on. Like your love of Barry Manilow and "The Love Boat".
Iz:
Not so loud!
They smile at each other.
Samira:
Do you think she should get off scot-free?
Iz:
No one deserves to be made a scapegoat. That´s clearly the case here.
Samira:
Don´t you think they need to send a message? Drugs kill thousands of people every year.
Iz:
There´s other ways of doing that. Taking it out on a model student, who screwed up one time isn´t fair.
Samira:
Those rules are there to protect us from ourselves. What´s the point of having them, if the first time you enforce them, you go back on them? What kind of a message is that to send? "You can´t do drugs that could kill you, but when push comes to shove, we won´t punish you for doing them".
Iz:
No one said it´s an easy question.
Barry:
You should join the debate team.
Artie:
I foresee a career or two in politics. We better get back to class.
Iz and Artie hug. Samira looks disappointed in Iz as she follows them inside. Iz goes back to join the protesters.
Tif:
No luck?
Iz:
She has her opinion, I have mine.
Coach Dungy comes out to address them.
Dungy:
I bring word from the head Honcho himself.
Kat:
What did he say?
Dungy:
He´s threatening to suspend all of you and make you repeat the grade you´re in.
The protesters are either shocked or angry at what they´ve been told.
Carl:
He can´t do that, can he?
Dungy:
He could. It could also be taken as abuse of his power.
Tif:
What do we do? I love Trish, but I can´t risk losing an entire year.
Dungy:
Off the record, I can tell you, that you have nothing to worry about.
Kat:
What do you mean?
Dungy:
That someone, who´s had a strained relationship with the principal and sympathizes with your cause, has turned whistle blower.
Kat:
You?
Dungy:
I can´t officially confirm it was me, I won´t deny it either.
Tif:
You´re the coolest, Coach Dungy.
Dungy:
Thanks, Tif. You can expect reporters to start showing up before long. After that recent piece and what they´ve been told, I expect plenty of media coverage.
Kat:
Do you think we´ll win?
Dungy:
It depends. Does he try to save his job or what´s left of his reputation? Good luck, everyone.
He heads back inside. The mood among the protesters seems to have been lifted and they applaud him.
7. Int. Hallway. Day.
Michelle is hurrying up the hallway. Harvey catches up to her. She stops walking and turns to face him.
Harvey:
Can´t wait for math class?
Michelle:
I´m not going to math class.
Harvey:
You´re on thin ice or have you forgotten?
Michelle:
I´m going to the hospital to see Trish.
Harvey:
That´s good, but you can do that after school too.
Michelle:
It has to be now. Harvey, I feel like I´m going insane.
Harvey:
Let me come with you.
Michelle:
You don´t owe me anything, if that´s what you think.
Harvey:
I´m being a friend. You look like, you could use one right now.
Michelle:
Thanks.
Harvey:
It might come as a shock to you, but most of us care about the girls we sleep with.
Michelle:
You´re not scared that Kendricks will tear you a new one?
Harvey:
She´ll forget it over the summer.
They head up the hallway together.
8. Int. Hallway. Day.
Coach Dungy runs in to Dexter and Ruby.
Dexter:
Hey, Coach. Can you tell us what´s going on?
Ruby:
No one seems to know anything.
Coach:
Most of them are afraid to say anything. It´s become an explosive situation.
Dexter:
What about the game? We have six players out there, we´ll never win without them.
Ruby:
While me and Redgrave act as a two person cheer squad.
Coach:
Why aren´t you out there with them?
Ruby:
It´s her own fault. I don´t feel bad for her.
Coach:
The rest of the squad won´t like it.
Ruby:
We have one more game. After that, I´ll never see most of them again. I couldn´t care less, If they hate me, because I won´t agree with the flock.
Coach:
Right now, there´s not a whole lot I can tell you. The parties are in a standoff and how long that will go on, no one can tell.
He heads up the hallway. Dexter and Ruby are more annoyed with the situation, than anything else.
9. Ext. Degrassi. Day.
The first reporters have shown up, including a TV crew from CTV. The reporter, a very well dressed man in his 40´s, is getting ready to go on. Kat is standing with him.
Reporter:
Are we ready?
The cameraman holds up three fingers and counts down.
Reporter:
We are at Degrassi High School. Many of you have read the articles in the Toronto Tribune, that highlighted how drug use is spreading rampantly in Toronto´s public schools. Now the principal at Degrassi has decided to make a scapegoat out of a female 12th grader, who almost lost her life to an overdose of Cocaine. I have beside me Katherine Nelson, the spokeswoman for the protesters. Ms. Nelson, what are you trying to achieve?
Kat:
We want Trish Mitchell to be allowed to graduate with her classmates.
Reporter:
We understand that ms. Mitchell is an exemplary student?
Kat:
As a close personal friends of hers, I can safely say that she´s never had a bad grade in her life. She messed up and paid a high prize for it. This is unfairly giving her double punishment.
Reporter:
Would you say drug use is widespread at Degrassi?
Kat:
I don´t know, if it´s worse than at other schools. This is a relatively poor area. More drug and alcohol abuse is a common effect of that.
Reporter:
We understand the principal has threatened to hold all protesters back a year, if you don´t comply and return to class. Can you confirm this?
Kat:
It´s what we´ve been told.
Reporter:
Thank you, ms. Nelson.
Cameraman:
Cut!
The cameraman puts his camera down. The reporter seems pleased with it.
Reporter:
They´d all like to hear from is ms. Mitchell herself.
Kat:
She´s recovering in the hospital.
Reporter:
Can you get us an interview with her?
Kat:
I´ll try to get in touch with her.
Reporters:
Thanks, ms. Nelson.
Kat goes back to the protesters.
Kat:
Can anyone give me a ride to the hospital?
10. Int. Hospital Room. Day
Trish is smiling at the sight of the nurse bringing her clothes.
Trish:
Does that mean, what I think it does?
Nurse:
They have to finish the paperwork, before you leave. You can still get ready, though.
Trish:
Thanks for everything.
Nurse:
You´re welcome. If every patient was like you, our jobs would be a whole lot easier.
The nurse leaves her. Michelle and Harvey come in. Trish looks happy to see her.
Trish:
Aren´t you supposed to be in school?
Michelle:
I thought it was time, I paid you a visit.
Trish:
It´s in the nick of time. I´m being let out.
Harvey:
How are you doing?
Trish:
Not perfect yet, but I´m getting there.
Michelle looks very remorseful.
Michelle:
I thought you were dead, when the bouncer carried you out. I´ve never been that scared in my life.
Trish:
The last thing I remember is dancing, before everything went black. I´m sorry you had to see it.
Michelle:
I held your hand in the ambulance, all the way to the hospital. Crying my eyes out all the way. I stayed at the hospital for hours, until they told me you would survive.
Michelle gets emotional. Trish takes her hand and comfortingly strokes it.
Trish:
Can you leave us alone for a sec, Harvey?
Harvey:
Sure. I´ll be right outside.
He leaves them.
Trish:
Have you seen Mira?
Michelle:
So, it was her.
Trish:
She must have been just as scared as you were.
Michelle:
We saw her and Axel running away from the club.
Trish:
If you see her, could you let her know, I´m alright?
Michelle:
If I see her, I´ll run her over with my car.
Trish:
Don´t, please. She gave it to me to be nice. I was the one, who should have said no.
Michelle:
Her and Axel are bad news. I hope I never see either of them again.
Trish:
Is she a drug addict?
Michelle:
I think so. The way she looked at you, I should have known she´d seek you out.
Trish:
You can´t keep blaming yourself. I´m not blaming you.
Michelle:
We left you in there a long time.
Trish:
The deal was I came out and found you, remember?
Michelle:
We should have come in after a while had passed. Something could have happened to you.
Trish:
You´re not my parents. I´m older than you, even if you forget it some times.
Michelle:
I have to tell you, why we were out there for so long.
Trish:
I´m listening.
Michelle:
I had sex with Dave.
Trish thinks it´s more amusing, than anything else.
Trish:
In the middle of the street?
Michelle:
We found a semi private place, where we did it against a wall.
Trish:
You´re not much of a romantic, are you?
Michelle:
It´s the last time, I´m doing it that way. I had scratches on my butt, like you wouldn´t believe.
Trish giggles, making Michelle ease up.
Trish:
What ARE we gonna do with you?
Michelle:
I´m afraid, you´ll have to take me as I am.
Trish:
Then it´s a good thing I love, who you are.
The two girls hug. Kat comes in to the room.
Kat:
Am I missing out on a love fest?
Trish:
Come here. There´s room for one more in this hug.
Kat hurries over and joins in the hug.
Kat:
There´s a demonstration in your honor at the school.
Trish:
For real?
Kat:
CTV wants to do an interview with you.
Trish:
Then I better change change my clothes, don´t I?
11. Montage - Music: "Revolution 1" by The Beatles.
We start with the protesters outside the school, that are now a substantial amount. They´re screaming their slogans and waving their signs, to the delight of the cameras.
We cut to Trish, Michelle and Kat in Michelle´s car. Michelle is racing through traffic, while the others try to hold on.
We cut to Ruby and Dexter watching the protest from a window.
We cut back to outside, where Tif and Iz are being interviewed by newspaper. Tif especially is thoroughly enjoying the attention and is soaking up her 15 minutes of fame.
We cut to Michelle, Trish and Kat hurrying across the parking lot.
11. Int. Hallway. Day.
Iz is walking up the hallway. She sees Samira standing by her locker and walks over to her.
Samira:
Shouldn´t you be soaking up the attention?
Iz:
It´s not about that.
Samira:
You don´t seem to mind it.
Iz:
Are you still mad at me?
Samira:
I was never mad at you. I don´t get why you won´t listen to reason, though.
Iz:
We´re not gonna agree on everything all the time.
Samira:
We did, when we were younger.
Iz:
Our world was smaller back then. There wasn´t a whole lot, we could disagree on.
Samira:
Are you gonna ditch me for the cheerleaders next year?
Iz (in her best "Valley Girl" voice):
Totally!
They smile at each other.
12. Ext. Degrassi. Day.
Trish is standing where the crowd can´t see her. Kat brings the reporter over to her.
Reporter:
Ms. Mitchell?
Trish:
That´s me. I hear that you want to interview me.
Reporter:
You are the star of this show.
Kat:
It´s a protest, not a show.
Reporter:
My mistake. We want to paint you as the innocent victim of a power hungry principal.
Trish:
I don´t want to be painted in any way. The truth is that I messed up badly. If they don´t punish me at all, what does that say about the school´s drug policy?
Reporter:
We´re trying to paint it as more of a black and white picture. After the articles, people want to see those responsible fired. He messed it up for himself, when he decided to threaten the students.
Trish:
You have no ulterior motive?
Reporter:
Stories like this rile up the masses.
Trish:
Which equals ratings for you.
Reporter:
We´re no different from every other media. I´ve been authorized to offer you a thousand dollars as incentive, in case you had second thoughts.
Trish and Kat look at each other.
Kat:
If you do it, there´s a better chance they´ll let you off.
Trish:
Not at the cost of my soul.
Reporter:
You can´t be serious!
Trish:
It´s called integrity. You should try it some time.
Trish takes Kat´s hand and they head towards the crowd.
13. Int. Michelle´s House. Evening.
We focus on the TV. Trish is at the top of the stairs to Degrassi, with Michelle standing next to her.
Trish (voice over):
I want to thank you for the love you´ve showed me today. No matter what happens, this is something I´ll never forget. I want to set the record straight, because I don´t want anyone to see me as an idol or a helpless victim.
She puts her arm around Michelle, who smiles for the cameras.
Trish (voice over):
This is my friend Michelle. She´s the one, who took me there that night. She did it because I was feeling down and she wanted to cheer me up. I don´t want anyone to blame her for what happened. it´s not her fault I tried to impress some girl, I didn´t know with my ability to do drugs. The girl even told me it was extra strong and I still did it. The only one to blame is me and if I get punished, then so be it. I´ll survive and come back stronger.
The crowd applauds as Trish and Michelle hug.
They cut back to the news anchorman.
Anchorman (voice over):
The situation was resolved late this afternoon in an emergency school board meeting. It was decided that Trish Mitchell will effectively be expelled and won´t be allowed to finish High School this semester. She will however be "welcomed back with open arms next year" as the head of the school board put it. Those protesting today will not face any repercussions. Degrassi will also be looking for a new principal this summer. A press release states "we cannot any longer justify the abuse of power at Degrassi". A source has revealed, that there have been many complaints from teachers against management over unfair and degrading treatment of both students and staff. These appear to have been ignored for years by the school board. An inquiry is expected to be launched soon.
We pan out to see Trish, Michelle, Kat and Christine watching it from Michelle´s couch.
Christine:
You were on TV!
Trish:
Yes we were, Sweetie.
Michelle:
It sucks that you were expelled.
Trish:
At least they´re letting me come back next year.
Kat:
Was your dad mad?
Trish:
He says, he´s on my side. I think it´s his way of hiding, that he wouldn´t know what do to with himself without me in the house.
Michelle:
We´re gonna rule Senior class next year!
Trish:
Anyway, I wasn´t ready to say goodbye to you guys. You´re the best friends, I´ve ever had.
Kat:
I´m pretty sure there´s a little one here, who would have missed you a lot. Isn´t that right, Christine?
Christine:
Mmm. (implying yes)
Kat:
You didn´t understand everything she said, did you?
Christine:
What´s drugs?
Michelle:
Something you´ll never be dumb enough to do. Your mom will make sure of that.
Christine tries to make sense of the answer as we fade out.
CLOSING CREDITS