DEGRASSI: GLORY DAYS - S02E04 - JESUS IS JUST ALRIGHT
DISCLAIMER: I DON´T OWN DEGRASSI
1. Int. Foyer. Day.
Trish, Kat, Michelle and Sandra come in to the foyer. "The Friendship Club" is doing a demonstration and are handing out flyers, to whoever wants one. They have signs saying things like "Abstinence is God´s way" and "Abortion is murder". Among them are Amber and Samira. Amber smilingly hands Kat a flyer as she passes them. She stops up to read it.
Amber:
Thanks for taking a moment to read it. Most people say no or throw them in the trash right away.
Kat:
You took the time to write it. The least I can do is read it.
Michelle:
Because they see these religious freaks for what they are.
Amber looks her in the eyes. Trish looks uncomfortable with the situation.
Amber:
And what´s that?
Michelle:
Well meaning morons, who don´t want to accept reality!
Kat:
Michelle, please ...
Michelle:
No, I´m not gonna shut up about this! Teenagers are going to have sex, whether you like it or not. I´d rather teach them about birth control and accept the realities of the world, than believe in rules, written by old men centuries ago.
Amber:
That doesn´t mean we can´t teach them, that abstinence is an alternative.
Sandra:
But that´s not where you want to stop, is it? I heard, you want to take away the condom machines in the bathrooms.
Amber:
They make it appear like it isn´t wrong to have sex before marriage. What we need to teach the students, is to wait as God intended it.
Sandra:
What need to do, is save students from unwanted pregnancies and STD´s.
Trish:
We´ll be late for class. Let´s get out of here.
Michelle:
That´s probably a good idea, since these idiots are getting me angry!
They leave Amber, who goes back to join Samira, looking a little down.
Samira:
We´ll never get everyone to listen. Don´t let one rejection get you down.
Amber tries to force a smile for Samira.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Classroom. Day.
Samira sits down next to Iz, who´s sitting next to Artie.
Iz:
How did it go?
Samira:
Same as always. Some listen, some ignore us and some are downright nasty towards us.
Iz:
It´s a sensitive issue. People have strong opinions about it.
Artie:
I´m usually with you, Samira, but I can´t support you on this one.
Samira:
The rules in the bible kept society is check for thousands of years.
Iz:
Yeah, but didn´t they break them all the time?
Samira feels like, she´s being ganged up on.
Samira:
Just because I´m a believer, like over half the world´s population, by the way, it doesn´t give you the right to attack me like this!
Artie:
We´re just calling out, that what you believe in is well ... antiquated.
Iz:
I´m sure they had their place once, but this is the 1970´s. You can´t compare it to the world, back when the bible was written.
Artie:
They still did it like bunnies back then, the only difference was, they had tons of unwanted babies. I´m proud to call myself Canadian, but I´m also a bit ashamed to live in a country, that doesn´t allow abortions.
Samira is getting angry now.
Samira:
Now you want to allow the murder of unborn babies. You´re sick, Artie!
Iz:
They´re not really babies yet, when they do it.
Samira:
They´re alive, hence it´s murder.
Artie:
Come on, Samira. The world has more than enough unwanted kids as it is.
Iz:
Like Artie here. If abortion were legal, do you think his mom would have had him?
Artie:
Not if she knew, how I´d turn out!
Iz and Artie laugh. Samira doesn´t find it funny and mopes.
3. Int. Car. Day.
Darlene is sitting next to Cynthia, who´s driving. They pass by a sign that says "Welcome to Toronto". Darlene shudders a little, as they pass it.
Cynthia:
We´re not in the city yet. You can still relax for a few more miles.
Darlene:
It´s been 15 years. You´d think, I´d be ready for it by now.
Cynthia:
Are you more excited or scared?
Darlene:
Half of each. I wonder, how they´ll react, when I turn up on their doorstep.
Cynthia:
They´ll be happy to see, that you´re still in one piece.
Darlene:
The question of why I left, is bound to come up.
Cynthia:
Be honest with them. It´s the only way to do this right.
Darlene:
Easier said, than done.
Darlene stares out the window, as they enter the outskirts of her former home town.
4. Int. Hallway. Day.
Trish is talking to Kat by her locker. They see Amber and Samira talking, a bit further down the hallway.
Trish:
What´s you take on the "Friendship Club"?
Kat:
They´re not harming anyone.
Trish:
I was a member of a club like that in Wasaga.
Kat:
You never told me that.
Trish:
It´s not something, I like to think back on. After it came out that I´m different, they turned on me. You´d be surprised how quickly that so-called friendship turns to hate.
Kat:
They´re not known for their open mindedness, are they?
Trish:
I still believe in God, but they sure put a dent in my belief in humanity.
Kat:
My grandparents are religious too. If they hadn´t been, I probably would have been open about you-know-what, to them.
Trish:
Telling my dad is one of the best things I´ve done. You´ll feel a lot better, after you´ve told them, trust me.
Michelle and Sandra come up to them, looking excited.
Sandra:
Do you want to join our new club?
Trish:
Depends. What´s it all about?
Michelle:
We´re calling it "The Believers in Reality Club".
Sandra:
We figured those religious loonies needed a counterpart.
Trish:
I don´t think they´re crazy, because they believe in something different, than you do.
Kat:
I´d rather stay out of it. Carl and Tif are friends with that girl, you insulted this morning.
Michelle:
We have to speak up! It´s not the guys, that end up having to care for a kid, they never wanted.
Kat:
I had one of those, remember?
Sandra and Michelle look apologetic towards Kat.
Sandra:
She didn´t mean it like that.
Kat:
If abortion had been an alternative, I would have considered it. Just the thought, that Christine never would have been born, is unbearable to me.
Michelle:
It worked out well for you, because you have amazing grandparents. Most girls aren´t that lucky and have their lives ruined, if they get pregnant.
Sandra:
Not to mention that STD´s are running wild in this school, even with the condom machines. Preaching abstinence and ignoring the problem, won´t make it go away.
Kat:
It´ll have to be without me, sorry.
Trish:
Me too. It sounds a bit too militant for my liking.
Michelle:
Suit yourself! Me and my new favorite gal-pal are gonna change things.
Sandra:
I´m your new favorite?
They head up the hallway, still chatting.
5. Int. Classroom. Day.
Class is getting ready to start for the Juniors. Samira has sat down, as far away from Iz, Barry and Artie as she can. Iz looks over at her and they make eye contact, but Samira quickly breaks it.
Iz:
She´s giving me the silent treatment. I think she´s upset, about what we said.
Artie:
If she wants to sulk, let her. I´m not going to believe in her mumbo-jumbo, just because she wants me to.
Iz:
Yeah, but we didn´t have to be so crass about it.
Barry:
I don´t believe it´s mumbo-jumbo.
Artie looks surprised.
Artie:
You never fail to surprise me, Barry. You´re religious?
Barry:
I wouldn´t count it out. No one knows for sure what´s right, so who´s to say, it isn´t Christianity?
Artie:
It´s a bit out there that God created the world in seven days, don´t you think?
Barry:
Everyone thought it was out there, when Galileo said the world is round.
Artie:
Yes, but he was a scientist, who was far ahead of his time.
Barry:
People said he was crazy, because he couldn´t prove it. He turned out to be right.
Artie:
You make a compelling argument, I´ll give you that.
They turn their attention to the teacher, as class starts.
6. Ext. Street. Day.
Darlene looks at her childhood home from the curb, as Cynthia locks the car.
Darlene:
It looks exactly, as I remember it. My mom´s Tulips are looking nice this year,
Cynthia:
Is that her "thing"?
Darlene:
She´s always loved her garden, but her Tulips in particular. I never got, why she liked them more than the other flowers.
Cynthia:
What´s your dad´s "thing":
Darlene:
He´s a Hockey guy. Loves the "Maple Leafs" with all his heart.
Cynthia:
Did he take you to games?
Darlene:
Yeah and I remember how proud I was, when I´d go there with him. I didn´t matter if they won or lost, he´d always make sure I had a good time. Then he´d take me to "Henry´s Diner" to get an Ice Cream Sundae after the game.
Cynthia:
You have good memories of this place too. Try to hold on to them, as you walk up to the door.
Darlene:
Can you wait here, until they invite me in?
Cynthia:
This your moment. You can have it any way you like it.
Darlene takes a deep breath and walks up to the door. She rings the doorbell and looks very tense. Ira opens the door and his jaw nearly drops. Darlene shyly smiles at him.
Gilda (off Screen):
Who is it?
Ira:
It´s our daughter.
Gilda (off screen):
What?
We can hear Gilda rushing to the door.
Darlene:
How are you, dad?
Ira:
That´s the first thing, you have to say?
Darlene:
It´s the best, I could come up with. You know, I´ve never been good with these things.
Tears of joy start streaming from both their eyes and the two embrace. Gilda reaches the door and looks full of joy to see Darlene again.
Gilda:
Thank God, you´re alive.
Darlene breaks her hug with her dad to hug her mother. Cynthia smiles, as she watches them from the car.
7. Ext. Degrassi. Day.
Sandra and Michelle have made a banner, that reads "Do You Believe In Reality Or Ancient Fiction?". They´re trying to catch people´s attention, but it´s difficult. After getting ignored again, Michelle looks annoyed.
Michelle:
Maybe if we did this topless, they´d pay attention to us.
Sandra:
We have a good message. Believe in it and they will come.
Artie comes over to them.
Artie:
I hear, we share viewpoints.
Michelle:
We weren´t expecting many guys to join, but if you want to be the new third member, you´re welcome in the club.
Sandra:
You´re not doing this, because you´re hoping to score with one of us?
Artie:
I have a girlfriend, I´m very happy with, I´ll have you know.
Sandra:
Why isn´t she with you?
Artie:
Her best friend is on "the other side", so she´s trying to stay neutral.
Michelle:
I take it, you don´t agree with her best friend?
Artie:
This is an issue, that concerns all of us, not just girls. The only problem I see, is you´ll never get anyone to join this way,
The girls eye him.
Sandra:
You can´t say something like that, without offering an up alternative.
Artie:
You have to create a spectacle. Something people can´t look away from.
Michelle:
I did have this one idea ...
Sandra:
We´re not doing the topless thing!
Artie:
Meet me in the atrium after 6th period. I know how to catch people´s attention and you can keep all your clothes on for it.
Michelle and Sandra shrug in agreement.
Artie:
Spread the word. We want as big a crowd as possible.
He leaves them.
Sandra:
What do you think, he´ll come up with?
Michelle:
I have no idea, but I bet it´s entertaining.
They start packing their banner down.
8. Int. Hallway. Day.
Samira, who´s looking a bit depressed, comes up to Kat, who comes out from the girls room.
Samira:
Mr. Daltrey wants you to know, Glee Club rehearsal is cancelled. He had a family emergency.
Kat:
Alright. I´ll let Michelle know.
Samira isn´t looking too pleased at the sound of Michelle´s name.
Kat:
I know, you two are arguing right now, but you´ll find a way to get along again.
Samira:
I saw how mean she was to Amber. Amber is one of the nicest people, you´ll ever meet. She didn´t deserve that.
Kat:
Tif and Carl like her and I´m sure I will too, once I get to know her. It´s this sensitive issue, that´s got her in uproar. Michelle and Sandra see it as a feminist cause.
Samira:
I´m all for feminism, don´t get me wrong. But this goes beyond feminism. We have to at least try to live by, what the bible says and it´s big against promiscuity.
Kat:
In reality, that was probably to stop the spread of STD´s.
Samira looks surprised at her answer.
Samira:
You don´t believe that, do you?
Kat:
Syphilis and Herpes killed a lot of people in the old days. They didn´t have condoms or ways of treating diseases, so they had to give them a reason, not to follow their urges. Saying "You´re going to hell, if you do it", no doubt saved untold millions from a painful death.
Samira smiles at her conclusion.
Samira:
You´re saying, the bible was the condom of the Middle Ages?
Kat:
I guess, I am. Take care, Samira.
Samira:
You too, Kat.
Kat leaves her and Samira takes a moment to think about it.
9. Int. Living Room. Day.
Ira is showing Cynthia and Darlene the house. Darlene notices a painting on the wall.
Darlene:
You still have my old Horse Painting up.
Ira:
It reminds us of both you and you grandmother, rest her soul. I remember, when you two would sit and paint together. Do you still paint?
Darlene:
I didn´t for a long time, but I started again a few years ago. I´m not good or anything ...
Cynthia:
Stop it with the modesty! We have four paintings of hers in our living room and I love looking at them. It´s a nice perk of having Darlene as a roommate.
Ira:
You two live together?
Cynthia:
I was married once, but it didn´t work out. I met Darlene shortly after and we hit it off immediately.
Darlene:
We met in a mental hospital, dad.
Ira looks at Darlene with sympathy. Gilda comes in with coffee and mugs.
Gilda:
Kat will be excited to see you. She won´t believe her eyes, when she comes home.
Ira:
You´ll also get to meet your granddaughter.
Darlene almost starts to cry with joy again.
Darlene:
I have a granddaughter?
Ira:
She´s on a playdate with the neighbor boy, who´s the same age as her.
Darlene:
How old is she?
Gilda:
She turned 4 last month.
Cynthia:
Aren´t you glad, we came now? You´re a grandmother. How about that?
Darlene:
What´s she like?
Gilda:
A lot like you, when you were her age. If we knew you would be coming, we would have kept her home. Do you want me to get her?
Darlene:
I´d rather, if we got some things out of the way first. Like where have I been for all this time and why did I leave it all behind?
Ira:
You don´t have to feel like, you have to tell us.
Darlene:
To put it simply, I´ve spent the last many years in and out of mental hospitals. It´s been close to a year since my last stay, which was where I met Cynthia.
Ira and Gilda are clearly affected by the news. Ira puts his arm around her.
Ira:
Are you getting better?
Darlene:
I have my good periods and my bad ones. Thankfully, I now have someone, who´s gone through the same thing and knows how to help me.
Her and Cynthia smile at each other. Gilda gives Cynthia an unexpected hug.
Gilda:
Thank you for helping our daughter.
Cynthia:
She´s someone, you can´t help liking. It makes it easier, when she has her episodes.
Darlene:
My head was so messed up, the last time, I was here. I never told you, but I tried to kill myself by swallowing a handful of pills. That was a few days before I left.
Ira:
Oh, Honey.
Darlene:
I knew, I didn´t have it in me to be the mother, Kat deserved. But you did, mom.
They make eye contact and both shed a tear.
Darlene:
So I decided, the best thing to do, was let her grow up with you as her parents. I knew that the best thing I could do, was stay out of her life completely.
Ira:
Where have you been living?
Darlene:
Here and there. Pour me cup of coffee and I´ll tell you about it.
Darlene looks relieved that it´s going well and they´re accepting her.
10. Ext. Atrium. Day.
A large crowd has gathered in the atrium, among them Iz, Samira and Amber. Artie has put two tables together to act as a stage. Sandra and Michelle come over to him.
Michelle:
Are you gonna tell us, what were doing?
Artie:
A play. This is our stage.
He hands them each a piece of paper.
Sandra:
Just like that? We´ll have to read it straight from the page.
Michelle:
Plus, we´re just called blonde and brunette in this.
Artie:
I couldn´t remember your names. Get into the DIY spirit, will you?
Artie crawls up on the table and the girls follow after him.
Artie:
Degrassi! Welcome to the one and only performance of my new play, "The Stud and His Chicks". I´m of course The Stud.
He winks at the crowd and gets a decent laugh.
Artie:
And these two young ladies are my chicks.
Sandra and Michelle shake their heads at him, but can´t help liking his enthusiasm. Artie flips up his collar and get into "Stud Mode".
Artie:
So, chicks. Which of you will get a taste of my man-meat tonight?
Sandra:
She took her virginity last week, so you should take mine today. It´s only fair.
Michelle:
Stud, why is my crotch itching?
The crowd gets a good laugh, as Michelle tries to keep a straight face,
Artie:
I don´t know. My penis has been rather itchy too lately.
Sandra:
Did you wear a condom, Stud?
Artie:
A condom! You can´t be serious!
Sandra:
It protects you from diseases and prevents unwanted pregnancies. I think you both have Klamydia.
Michelle:
Klamydia! What is that?
Sandra:
A disease, that´s been spreading rapidly in High Schools across Canada, because teenagers aren´t using condoms, when they have sex.
Artie:
I don´t like condoms. They´re a hassle to buy and they decrease sensitivity.
Sandra:
Well, tough luck, Stud! If we are going to stop the spread of these diseases, condoms are the only way forward.
Michelle:
Either that or not doing it at all. There´s many other ways to get each other off, that doesn´t require intercourse. Oral sex, for instance.
Artie:
I like the sound of that!
Sandra:
Just remember to give as good as you get and that diseases can spread that way too.
Artie:
Oh, shucks!
Michelle:
It´s our own fault, for having unprotected sex, Stud. Now let´s go to the doctor and get our junk fixed up, so we can do it safely from now on. With a condom.
Sandra:
After what happened to you, I´ve decided to wait until I´m married. That´s a viable option too, that we shouldn´t forget and the only way to be one hundred percent safe from both unwanted pregnancy and STD´s.
Artie:
The end.
The crowd applauds them. Samira, Iz and Amber among them.
11. Ext. Atrium. Day.
Most of the crowd has scattered off to class. Artie is with Michelle and Sandra, as Samira, Iz, Barry and Amber come over to them. Amber smiles shyly at them.
Amber:
Are you gonna bite my head off again?
Michelle:
I´m sorry, I blew up on you. Artie told me, that you´re one of the good ones.
Sandra:
You have my apology too. A difference of opinion, doesn´t mean we all can´t get along.
Artie:
Blonde and brunette, meet the co-author of the play.
He points at Samira.
Samira:
You wrote most of it.
Artie:
I did, but it´s always the ending they remember. That was all you.
Iz:
I´m just glad, you´re friends again.
Barry:
Hug it out.
Artie:
You heard the man.
Samira and Artie hug it out.
12. Montage - Music: "Mother and Child Reunion" by Paul Simon.
We see Kat leaving school with Michelle, Trish and Sandra. Michelle and Sandra wave goodbye to Samira and Iz, who are heading towards the schoolbus and seem pleased, that it turned out for the best.
We cut to Darlene getting to know Christine, who´s just glad to have someone new to play with. Cynthia enjoys seeing them together and is getting along great with Ira and Gilda.
We cut to Kat being dropped off at the curb by Michelle. We follow her as she walks up towards the house and inside. She´s surprised to hear voices and quickly takes off her shoes and hangs her coat, before heading in to the living room.
13. Int. Living Room. Day.
Kat comes in and looks surprised.
Kat:
Who are these people?
She looks at Darlene, who stands up.
Kat:
You´re the woman, I saw at the gas station.
Darlene:
I´m also your mother. Hi, Katherine.
Kat´s jaw drops.
CLOSING CREDITS