DEGRASSI: GLORY DAYS - S02E05 - MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION
DISCLAIMER: I DON´T OWN DEGRASSI
Author´s Note: I know that Next Generation already used the same title for their first episode, but it´s the only title, that fit perfectly. There actually was no mother and child reunion in that DNG episode, so it was kind of a dumb title for it.
1. Int. Kat´s House. Day.
Kat is helping Carl, Tif and Amber with their homework.
Tif:
X times Y divided by Z?
Kat:
Try again.
Amber:
X times Z divided by Y?
Kat:
Bingo!
Amber looks pleased with herself.
Tif:
Time to call it a day. My girl-date will be here soon.
Carl:
I should head home and get ready for tonight.
Amber:
Me too.
Kat:
You´re going to the amusement park together?
Carl:
Us, Britney and Terry.
Tif:
The criminal!
Kat:
Does your mom know about the company you keep?
Carl:
I´ve hung out with them a couple of times. He´s an okay guy, who fell in with the wrong crowd.
Tif:
Just keep him far away from me!
Carl shakes his head at her.
Carl:
When are you meeting your mom?
Kat:
Seven. We´re meeting at the restaurant.
Amber:
It must be exciting, getting to know your mom after all those years.
Kat:
It´s a trip, for sure. Why aren´t you going to the Disco with Tif and Michelle?
Carl:
For one thing, it involves listening to Disco!
Amber:
With me, it´s about my parents. Asking them, if I can go to an amusement park with friends is one thing. Going to a "Place of Debauchery", like my mom calls Discos, is a different matter.
Kat:
My grandparents were overprotective too.
Amber:
They only do it, because they care. That doesn´t mean, it can´t get annoying sometimes, when there´s things, I want to try.
Michelle comes in to the living room.
Michelle:
Ready to go, Tif?
Tif:
Almost.
She gathers her things and gives Carl a kiss on the cheek.
Tif:
Don´t do anything, I wouldn´t do!
Amber:
We´ll try our best.
Amber and Carl shyly smile at each other.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Restaurant. Evening.
Cynthia and Darlene are seated at a table for three. Cynthia takes a sip of her wine and looks around.
Cynthia:
She picked a nice place. Taste must run in the family.
Darlene:
My mom used to work here, when I was a kid. I don´t know, if she knows or if it´s a coincidence.
Darlene smiles nervously.
Cynthia:
You got through the hard part. Tonight is about getting to know each other.
Darlene:
She won´t like everything, she hears.
Cynthia:
So, don´t blurt out the bad things. Keep it positive.
Darlene:
I somehow thought, when we met again, everything would be hunky dory.
Cynthia:
That isn´t how these things go. I didn´t get to know my dad, until he retired. It took a while, but we eventually got there.
Darlene:
Can I skip to that point?
Cynthia:
You won´t want to miss the journey there, trust me.
Darlene looks comforted. We see Kat coming towards them.
3. Int. Sandra, Mike and Michelle´s House. Evening.
Tif and Michelle are about ready to leave for the Disco. Sandra looks them over.
Sandra:
If I were a guy, I´d hit on you.
Michelle:
Too bad, you´re not a guy.
Sandra:
What about you, Tif? Out for a casual affair?
Tif:
I have enough, in the one I have.
Michelle:
It´s cute, how you´re still crazy about each other.
Sandra:
Just not enough to go to a Disco together?
Tif:
I won´t make him go, if he doesn´t want to.
Michelle:
No, he´d rather go out with Amber, wouldn´t he?
Sandra:
The religious girl? I guess, she isn´t holy after all!
Tif:
They´re going to the amusement park as friends, with two other people. It ranks low on my list of things to worry about.
Sandra and Michelle decide to tease her.
Michelle:
It´s not hard to picture it. How it starts with an innocent compliment. Soon neither of them want to break eye contact.
Sandra:
She´ll mention, how she thinks the roller coaster looks exciting and how she´s always wanted to go on one ...
Michelle:
Being a gentleman, he´ll offer to go on with her. They sit there, tightly pressed together and it gets their hearts pumping ...
Tif:
Stop that!
Sandra:
She innocently grabs his hand, because she´s "scared" and after they get off, none of them want to let go.
Michelle:
Before he knows what hit him, they´re playing Tonsil Hockey.
Tif looks annoyed with them.
Michelle:
We´re just teasing you. We both wish, we had a guy like yours.
Sandra:
I have the choice between listening to Mike and Dexter talk Football or Ruby talk school. It´s as boring, as it sounds, believe me!
Tif:
You can join us later, if you feel like it.
Sandra:
You obviously haven´t seen Mike dance.
Michelle:
Which means more boys for me!
Michelle seems optimistic, that she´ll at least score.
4. Int. Bus. Day.
Carl and Amber are riding on the bus, both dressed nicer that usual. She´s looking pretty damn good, which he can´t help noticing.
Carl:
Did you do something with your hair?
Amber:
No, why?
Carl:
You look different, but in a good way.
Amber smiles at his compliment.
Amber:
I use a bit of eye shadow at special events.
Carl studies her face and notices.
Carl:
So you did. It suits you.
Amber:
You´re not looking bad yourself, there! Tif would like it too, if she were here.
Carl:
The "Tif Talk" has to be cut to a minimum tonight. Britney prefers pretending, that she doesn´t exist.
Amber:
Mental note made.
Carl:
She can´t stand her. It goes back years, before I met them.
Amber:
I hope, she´ll like me better.
Carl:
Why wouldn´t she? There´s nothing, not to like about you!
Amber:
I could say the same about you.
They shyly smile at each other and there´s clearly something in the air between them.
5. Int. Restaurant. Evening.
Kat, Cynthia and Darlene have just finished their entreé. Cynthia is MIA right now.
Kat:
I met Ernie´s family last year. Me and my friend Trish visited them in Seattle.
Darlene:
I´m glad, you´ve gotten to know them. I always liked them.
Kat:
How did you and my dad meet?
Darlene:
At the playground. We were 6.
Kat smiles to herself.
Kat:
Were you friends first?
Darlene:
He knew me, like no one else did. We were friends for years and things evolved from there.
Kat:
His father could only tell me, why it ended.
Darlene:
If things had been different, we still could have been together. Most guys, when they found out about my illness, would have been scared off. Ernie wanted to help, any way he could. Over one long summer, we went from friends to falling head over heels for one another.
Kat:
It´s nice to know, I was conceived in love.
Darlene:
We had a special connection, I´ve never felt with anyone else. I knew, they were leaving, when I found out about you. The decision not to tell him, wasn´t an easy one to make.
Kat:
Why didn´t you?
Darlene:
I knew, he would have stayed and asked me to marry him. At the time, I wasn´t sure of anything, least of all if I could be a mother and a wife. It wouldn´t have been fair to marry him, knowing I might have to leave him at any time.
Kat:
I don´t want you thinking, that I hate you for leaving. I only feel sympathy for you, please know that.
Darlene gathers her courage.
Darlene:
I left, because I love you, Kat. My condition ...
Kat:
You don´t have to talk about it, if you don´t want to.
Darlene:
In therapy, they help you accept your illness. Mine is called Bi-polarism. Have you heard of it?
Kat:
I´m afraid, I haven´t.
Darlene:
It makes you act out in extreme ways, you otherwise wouldn´t have. Without medication and therapy, you can go from crazy highs to the lowest lows without being able to control it.
Kat:
How are you now?
Darlene:
I´ve learned how to live with it. My new medication is the best, I´ve tried so far. It doesn´t mean, I don´t have manic episodes now and again. The good part is, they´ve been getting rarer, since I started living with Cynthia.
Kat:
Do my grandparents know?
Darlene:
When I had my first episodes, my mom took me to a priest in stead of a doctor. She meant well, but had she no clue how to deal and didn´t want dad to know at all. I didn´t start getting real psychiatric help until the year, after I left.
Kat:
Why wouldn´t they tell me?
Darlene:
I almost hurt you one night. It scared all of us, so I had to tell them everything. After that, things weren´t the same between us. The mere thought, that I´d unknowingly hurt you, kept me up night after night. The only way to be certain, that I wouldn´t, was to leave. I don´t want to scare you, but you should know, that it´s hereditary.
Kat tries to take it in.
Kat:
There´s a chance, I have it?
Darlene:
My symptoms started early, but for most it´s not until their 20´s or 30´s. That doesn´t mean, you have it, only that you´re in the risk zone. Even if you have it, your symptoms could be so small, that you´ll never know. It´s hard to hear, but I felt like it´s best, that you know. There´s been more than enough secrets kept from you.
Cynthia returns to the table.
Cynthia:
That´s the crispy cleanest bathroom, I´ve seen in a long time.
Kat can´t help looking worried at what she´s just been told, but Darlene gives her a small smile to try to comfort her.
6. Int. Youth Disco. Evening.
Tif and Michelle are waiting for their drinks to arrive and Tif is vividly explaining to Michelle. "Boogie Shoes" by KC and The Sunshine Band is playing.
Tif:
He wanted to be "The Little Engine That Could", but he just couldn´t!
Michelle:
You can´t expect too much from him right away. Guys need a fair chance to learn, like we do.
Tif:
I told him, that no one expected him to be a pro. So what, if he didn´t know, what he was doing half the time? He´ll learn eventually, if he keeps trying to!
Michelle:
One to ten, how would you rate it?
Tif:
I want to be nicer to him, because he did try all he could. Honestly though, it was too bland and boring to get more than three.
Michelle:
I never knew, that he likes to cook.
Tif:
He´s already getting so much better! You should try his Lasagna some time.
They get their drinks and scope the room.
Tif:
See anything you like?
Michelle:
It´s low on hotties.
Tif:
That guy´s got a cute face.
Michelle:
Word of advice, Tif. Bellbottoms are that wide, aren´t a good sign!
Michelle is surprised to see Mira there, chatting up a girl of around 15/16. Tif notices that Michelle is staring at her.
Tif:
Someone you know?
Michelle:
That´s the girl, who gave Trish Cocaine.
Tif:
Are you gonna confront her about it?
Michelle:
She´s someone from a dark time in my life. I´m trying my best to move on.
They see Mira and the girl heading towards the bathroom together. Tif looks Michelle in the eyes.
Tif:
Are they off to do drugs?
Michelle:
Probably. Let´s forget this and try to have fun.
Tif:
Trish could have died and the same thing could happen to this girl. Can you live with knowing, you could have stopped it?
Michelle:
It´s not my job to save everyone!
Tif:
The least you can do, is tell the bouncers.
Michelle sees that Tif is right and goes over to tell the bouncers.
7. Ext. Amusement Park. Evening.
Terry and Carl are waiting for Britney and Amber to get their cotton candy.
Carl:
I pictured you more as the "Dark Jazz Club" type, than the amusement park type.
Terry:
Britney has her childish side. She needs an outlet for it sometimes.
Carl:
You only go for her?
Terry:
Don´t tell her I told you, but she gets hot and bothered after a few rides on the rollercoasters. The prize to go here, gets paid back in affection.
Carl smiles to himself.
Carl:
This is the stuff they should teach in school. No kid would skip, if "how to get laid" was on the curriculum.
Terry:
Like your reasons for bringing "Little Miss Pretty Face" here are noble! You know what you´re doing, man. Don´t play dumb with me!
Carl:
I only brought her here as a friend.
Terry:
It won´t last. There´s enough sexual tension between you, to power a rocket.
Carl:
My girlfriend keeps me satisfied, I´ll have you know.
Terry:
I´m only calling it, like I see it. If you keep hanging out with that girl, things are bound to happen.
Carl:
You don´t believe a guy and a girl can be friends?
Terry:
Most can. You however, are too far gone already.
Carl lets it sink in, as the girls come back with their cotton candy, that they´re already eating.
Amber:
This is the one guilty pleasure, I never feel guilty about!
Britney:
If eating this is wrong, I don´t wanna be right! You should bring this girl, every time we hang out. We have so much in common!
Amber:
Do you want to try some?
Carl:
Yeah, why not?
He reaches for it, but she picks a small piece off instead.
Amber:
Let me you. There´s no reason, we should both get sticky fingers.
He opens his mouth and she stuffs it in there. From his facial expression, it appears to taste good.
Britney:
When you´re done playing cute couple, we should hit the bumper cars.
Amber:
If you mean, that we´re a couple of friends.
Britney:
What you´re saying is, the romantic part can come later?
Carl:
Can we save the Tif hate for another day?
Britney:
I´m just saying, that you would be trading up.
Terry:
Do I have to worry?
Britney:
Sorry, Terry. You´ll have to live with the knowledge, that I´ll always love her more than you.
Terry:
Come here, you little teaser!
They playfully kiss. Amber takes a bite of cotton candy and tries to pretend not to like, what she´s hearing.
8. Montage - Music: "Love Rollercoaster" By The Ohio players
We start on them riding the bumper cars, Carl with Amber driving and Terry with Britney driving. The girls are really getting in to it and the guys enjoy seeing them enjoying themselves. When it ends, Carl gentlemanly stands up first, so he can offer her a hand. She smiles at how nice, he´s treating her. She points at the biggest rollercoaster and they decide to try it.
We see them on the rollercoaster. Amber looks nervous, as it starts rolling and Carl offers her his hand. They clutch hands tightly on the ride and they have a great time together, screaming their throats out.
When they get off, they still hold hands while waiting for Terry and Britney. They make eye contact and both are quite aware that they´re flirting, but don´t feel like stopping. They quickly un-couple when the others join them. Not fast enough however, for the others not to see. Britney looks pleased, while Amber and Carl try to look innocent.
We see Terry and Carl shooting for prizes at the gun booth. Terry is a better shot than Carl and wins a Teddy bear for Britney, while Carl doesn´t win anything. To be nice, Britney gives it to Amber, who seems very happy to get a memento. She goes to give Terry a kiss on the cheek as thanks, but he tells her to give it to Carl in stead. She kisses his cheek and Britney shakes her head at their will they/won´t they games.
9. Int. Kat´s House. Evening.
Kat comes into the living room, where Ira is watching an old movie.
Kat:
Hi. Has everyone else gone to bed?
Ira:
I think one of them wore the other out. I´ll let you guess for yourself, who did what.
She sits down on the couch and looks at him.
Kat:
Dinner was nice.
Ira:
Did you get the answers, you wanted?
Kat:
Some of them. She told me about her illness.
Ira grabs the remote and turns off the TV. They make eye contact.
Ira:
We debated many times, whether or not we should tell you.
Kat:
I understand why you didn´t. It´s a scary thought, that it can happen to me too. Which is why, I want to find out all I can about it.
Ira:
I´m afraid, nothing can prepare you for it, if it happens.
Kat:
Even if I can´t help myself, maybe I can help someone else.
Ira can see that she´s resolved on this.
Ira:
It sounds like, you want to become a psychiatrist or a doctor.
Kat:
Maybe in a different life. In this one, I´m a teen mom.
Ira:
Life is long and before you know it, Christine will be grown up and off to college. Even if you can´t become what you want now, that doesn´t mean you can´t do it later in life.
Kat:
Is this your way to say "Keep Dreaming"?
Ira:
Look at me! I started as a pipe fitter and ended up a union worker. It didn´t seem possible to me, when I was your age, but things change. I didn´t mind being a pipe fitter, but helping people gave me a joy of working, I didn´t know existed. If you want it bad enough, you can achieve it.
They smile kindly at each other.
10. Int. Back Office. Evening.
Mira is handcuffed to a chair and is waiting for the police to arrive, when Michelle is let in.
Mira:
They caught you too?
Michelle:
I´m the one, who ratted you out. You left Trish to die, Mira.
Mira:
It´s not like she was alone. Did you expect me to wait for the cops, so they could arrest me?
Michelle:
Were you grooming that girl for Axel?
Mira doesn´t want to answer.
Michelle:
You´re as sick, as he is!
Mira:
I´m not!
Michelle:
So, back when Trish overdosed, you weren´t trying to groom her to take over for me?
Mira:
He´ll cut off my supply, if I go against him.
Michelle:
I couldn´t care less, if you get dope sick! You can stop him, if you want to. Tell the cops what the two of you have done and hope they go easier on you.
Mira giggles mockingly.
Michelle:
How much did they catch you with?
Mira:
Three grams, give or take.
Michelle:
That he gave you, so you could lure other troubled girls into his trap. Can´t you see, how wrong it is?
Mira:
He´s the only one, who loves me.
Michelle:
That´s what he wants you to think.
Mira:
You stand there and talk to me, like you know everything! You know nothing, Michelle!
Michelle:
I know that he´s a Sociopath, who´s using you to satisfy his sick urges! When he can´t use you anymore, he´ll kick you to the curb, because that´s what guys like him do.
A police officer comes in to the room.
Michelle:
Think hard about what I said, Mira. If you testify, I will too. You have my word.
Michelle lets the policeman to take over and leaves them.
11. Ext. Street. Evening.
Amber and Carl have been dropped off by Terry.
Britney:
Tonight was a hoot. We should do it again sometime.
Amber:
You don´t have to convince me!
Britney:
See you Monday.
Terry:
Later Dudes!
Amber and Carl wave, as they drive off.
Carl:
Did you have as much fun, as it looked like you did?
She smiles at him.
Amber:
How much fun did it look like, I had?
Carl:
Probably more, than what´s good for you.
Amber:
It´s all thanks to you.
Carl:
Britney and Terry were there too, remember?
Amber:
You´re the reason, I have a life here already.
Carl:
It´s more to your credit than mine. All I did, was introduce you to some people. You´ve done the rest, by being yourself.
Amber:
You´re one of a kind, Carl. I should head inside. My curfew is in a few minutes.
She gives him another kiss on the cheek and they make eye contact. He pulls her in close and they start to give in to their feelings for each other.
Carl:
We shouldn´t do this.
Amber:
Why does it feel so right, then?
They lips meet in a passionate kiss.
CLOSING CREDITS