DEGRASSI: GLORY DAYS - S02E17 - BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO
DISCLAIMER: I DON´T OWN DEGRASSI.
Author´s Note: If there´s any fans still left, then you´re the most patient people in the world! I´ve had so many other projects and work to take care of, so this series sort of got pushed into the background. I promise not to make you wait two months for the next episode!
1. Ext. Garage. Day.
Kat and Michelle are doing some cleaning out in Kat´s grandparents old garage. They drag out an old piece of tarp and dump it in a trash can. Kat wipes her brow and looks tired.
Kat:
That´s the last of it.
Michelle:
That was 10 bucks well earned!
They smile at each other.
Michelle:
Are you gonna tell me, why you´ve been so quiet these last days?
Kat:
It´s a mix of this and that. A bit of exam anxiety, a bit of worry about me and Trish.
Michelle:
Shouldn´t you be over the moon, that she´s staying?
Kat:
It´s not that I mind, but she could have a better future, if she takes that offer from Yale. We all know, that I´m not going anywhere in life. After graduation, it´s straight to work at the beauty parlor for me.
Michelle:
You can still go to college, after Christine has grown up.
Kat:
Let´s be real. I´m destined to stay at the bottom. She can actually go places and do the exciting things, I can only dream of doing. It´s isn´t right.
Michelle:
Have you considered, that maybe she doesn´t want all that?
Kat:
She thinks so now, but it´ll change once she grows older. That facts are, that I´m in her way and it feel like dirt because of it. The only choice I have, is to break up with her.
Kat doesn´t look pleased about it, but looks resolved.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Hallway. Morning.
Artie is practicing jokes on Barry.
Artie:
Try this one on for size, Barr. Two teenagers are talking, One says : I dream of earning 10 thousand dollars a month, like my father does. The other one replies: Does your father make 10 thousand dollars a month? The first one says: No, but he also dreams about it all the time!
Barry laughs and Artie looks pleased.
Barry:
Good one!
Artie:
That´s going straight into the act!
We cut to Iz and Samira watching them, as they walk up the hallway.
Samira:
Are you gonna do it today?
Iz:
I don´t want to. He´s been the best boyfriend, I could have asked for.
Samira:
You can´t keep putting it off forever. He´ll notice, that you´re not here, when school starts up again next year.
Iz:
Why did my dad have to get that job? Toronto is where I feel at home, it´s where my friends are. It´s not that I want to go.
Samira:
You´ll like it in Montreal, once you get used to it. I´ve also heard this crazy rumor, that there are other teenagers there, you can become friends with.
Iz:
I´ll do it tonight. Rip the band-aid off and be done with it.
Samira:
I´m glad, it´s not me!
They come over to Artie and Barry.
Artie:
If it isn´t the two hottest girls in the entire school!
Samira:
According to you and no one else.
Iz:
Are we class bound?
Artie:
If want to ever get out of here, it is.
They head for class.
3. Int. Classroom. Morning.
Kat and Trish are waiting for class to start with the others.
Trish:
I´m mailing my rejection to Yale tomorrow, I promise. I should have done it right away, but it´s Yale, you know? It´s a big decision.
Kat:
You really don´t have to stay here for me. I´ll wait for you, if I have to.
Trish smiles at her.
Trish:
That right there, is why I can´t leave you.
Kat:
How did your dad take it?
Trish:
He still thinks, that I´m going. I don´t know, how I´m gonna tell him.
Kat:
What do you say, that we take a break from those troubles and go see Artie´s latest routine tonight?
Trish:
I´m all for that! I hear, that he´s got a new set of jokes to try out.
Kat:
Maybe go for a pizza afterwards?
Trish:
Sounds like heaven to me!
Trish looks pleased.
4. Int. Principal´s Office. Day.
Artie is meeting with Dungy.
Dungy:
I wish, I could give you better news, but it´s not looking good with your grades, Artie.
Artie:
I had a feeling, this was coming. Lay it on me.
Dungy:
We have to hold you back a year. There´s almost no chance, that you can make it up in your finals, unless you practically get straight A´s.
Artie looks disappointed.
Artie:
And we both know, that I have a bigger chance of becoming president, than that happening.
Dungy:
Your choices are simple. Either you do the year over or you start looking into other career possibilities. I shouldn´t be saying this, according to the school board, who want everyone to go off to college. I would consider a career in comedy, if I were you. It´s clear that you have that rare gift for entertaining people, only a few people have.
Artie:
Don´t think, I haven´t considered it.
Dungy:
It´s up to you, but you could end up on Saturday Night Live, with as good as you are.
He looks Artie in the eyes.
Dungy:
Artie, some people are special and you can´t fit them into the traditional boxes, the system likes to fit them into. You´re clearly one of those. To me it would be a shame, if you let that go to waste and try to conform, when I know, you can be so much more. Take some time to talk it over with your parents and your girlfriend, before you make the final decision. We´ll be glad to have you back next year, but school isn´t for everyone.
Artie considers it.
5. Int. Hallway. Day.
Artie comes out from Dungy´s office, where Barry is waiting for him.
Barry:
What did he say?
Artie:
That I´m not a hopeless case. It´s reassuring in it´s own way, I suppose. He thinks, I should go the comedy route, but it means leaving you and our favorite girls behind. I can´t do that.
Barry:
I would miss you, but I think, you should do it too.
Artie:
I´m just a kid, who comes up with dumb jokes.
Barry:
Don´t you think, that´s how Belushi started out?
Artie smiles to himself.
Artie:
I guess so, Barr. Have I ever told you, that you´re much smarter, than you look?
Barry:
So are you. Just because school doesn´t agree with you, doesn´t mean you´re not smart in your own way.
Artie:
Thanks, Buddy. What about Iz?
Barry:
I can´t tell you everything, but I´m sure, she´ll be happy for you. She loves you.
Artie:
I still have a few days to make my decision. I´m leaning towards the comedy route, but there´s a lot of things to consider.
They head off to class.
6. Int. Samira´s Room. Evening.
Iz is practicing breaking up with Artie on Samira.
Iz:
Artie, I´m really sorry, but it´s better that we break up right away.
Samira:
You don´t think, that´s too direct?
Iz:
How else should I put it? It´s not like I have experience in regards to this.
Samira:
Me neither. It has to suck, to have to do it.
Iz:
It could give you and him a chance.
Samira smiles shyly.
Samira:
Like he´d want me!
Iz:
Why wouldn´t he? You´re already friends and a blind person can see, that there´s chemistry there.
Samira:
You wouldn´t happen to be pushing him off on me, so you won´t feel as guilty, as you do now?
Iz:
I mean it, Samira. The two of you would make a great couple, probably better than me and Artie have been. Take this as my parting gift to you, for all the years we´ve been friends.
Samira smiles to herself and considers it.
7. Int. Youth Club. Evening.
Artie is preparing his act at a table, making small revisions to it, when a man in his 30´s comes over to him.
Derek:
Artie Yorke, I presume.
Artie looks up at him.
Artie:
Who wants to know?
Derek:
Can I sit?
Artie nods and Derek sits down.
Derek:
My name is Derek Chamberlain and I´m an agent. I keep hearing good things about your show, so I thought I´d check it out for myself.
Artie smiles at him.
Artie:
Any famous people on your roster?
Derek:
I helped Dan Aykroyd go from an unknown comedian in Ottawa to being where he is now. Trust me, I wouldn´t be hanging out in some youth club, if I didn´t think, there was something there.
Artie:
Can you get me a spot on SNL? It would be much appreciated.
Derek:
You´re a little young for that, but stand up can take you a long way, if you´re as good at it, as people say you are.
Artie:
I don´t know, if I´m good, but ...
Derek:
Do they laugh, when you do your show?
Artie:
Most of the time anyway.
Derek:
Then you´re good at it.
Artie looks pleased.
8. Ext. Youth Club. Evening.
Kat and Trish are in line to be let in. It´s a good sized crowd.
Kat:
He´s really getting popular.
Trish:
Everyone knows, we´re seeing a star in the making. Who wouldn´t want to see that?
Kat:
A few years from now, we´ll probably have to go to the movies or watch Johnny Carson to see him. Then we can say, that we knew him before he was famous.
Trish:
You can become famous, if you want to.
Kat:
I can tour with Christine, who does her amazing rendition of the alphabet song. If we´re lucky, we´ll get five people to come and see it. No, I´m destined to be a nobody. That whole future thing is for everyone else.
Trish looks her in the eyes.
Trish:
You know, I don´t like to hear you talking like that.
Kat:
It´s the truth. The rest of you get to go off in one direction, where as us young parents go off in ours. You know, I love Christine to bits, but she puts a limit to what I can become.
Trish:
You´ll still have me. I´m not going anywhere.
Kat:
You probably should.
Trish:
Stop talking nonsense. I believe that you can become what you want to be. The only one who doesn´t is you.
They reach the end of the line and walk in with the rest of them.
9. Int. Youth Club. Evening.
Artie is still talking to Derek, when Iz, Barry and Samira come over to him.
Artie:
Guys! This is Derek. He´s interested in becoming my agent. Derek, this is my girlfriend Iz and my friends Barry and Samira.
Derek:
It´s a pleasure to meet you. We´ll talk more after the show, Artie.
Derek leaves them.
Iz:
An agent?
Artie:
It´s exciting, isn´t it? He managed Dan Aykroyd´s career too, before he became famous.
Samira:
Are you sure, you can trust him?
Artie:
Don´t be a downer, Samira. This could be huge for me!
Iz:
Your first step towards stardom. You can call me an impressed girlfriend!
Her and Artie kiss.
Iz:
See you after the show.
They walk down to one of the tables and the girls sit down.
Barry:
I´m getting a root beer. Do you guys want something?
Iz:
A Coke would be nice.
Samira:
Make that two.
Barry leaves them.
Iz:
This is perfect! He´ll be so over the moon at getting an agent, that he won´t care as much, when I break the news to him.
Samira:
Unless he chokes under pressure. Then you´ll have to console him in stead.
Iz:
What are the chances of that happening?
We cut to the stage, where a girl is ready to introduce the night´s acts.
Girl:
Welcome everyone. We have some exciting acts for you tonight, but I´m probably not alone in looking forward to this one the most. Performing his latest comedy act, please welcome the one and only Artie Yorke!
Artie comes on stage and gets an applause from the crowd. He´s looking more nervous than usual.
Artie:
Hi everyone.
He starts to sweat and has to wipe his brow.
Artie:
It´s really warm up here tonight.
He tries to collect his thoughts and looks flustered.
Artie:
Isn´t it, ehm ...
We cut down to the table, where Samira and Iz look worried about him.
Artie:
Isn´t it weird how the world is changing? A few days ago, I went to get a haircut and what used to be called a barber, is now a hair salon. A place where hair stylists do their thing. This made me think, that we should all start calling ourselves stylists. I´m a comedy stylist, the teachers at my school are learning stylists and so on. I´m sorry, that joke sucked. You could hardly call it a joke. Look, here´s the deal. I wrote a great comedy bit, but right now I´m so nervous, that I don´t remember any of it, so I´ll have to wing it. The facts are, that I´m failing my Junior year and I have idea, where to go from here.
Boy (off screen):
You and me both!
It gets a nice little laugh from the crowd.
Artie:
That guy gets it. The future is scary, isn´t it? One day you´re running around on the playground with you pals and it seems so far away. The next thing you know, it´s staring you right in the face and it becomes time to make that big decision of what you´re going to be. No more "I want to be a train robber, when I grow up".
A few people laugh and Artie starts to get his Mojo back.
Artie:
Was it only me, who dreamt of becoming a train robber, when I grew up? Physicist was my second choice, but I´m scared of those sneaky atoms. Why wouldn´t I be? My teachers tell me, they make up everything!
The crowd laughs and Artie smiles to himself.
Artie:
There was also a very brief while there, where I wanted to be a baseball player. I just couldn't figure out why the baseball kept getting larger. Then it hit me.
We cut to the table, where Iz, Samira and Barry are laughing.
10. Ext. Youth Club. Evening.
Artie is with Samira, Barry and Iz after the show. He looks relieved. Derek comes out from the club and comes over to them.
Artie:
What did you think?
Derek:
Did you really come up with that off the top of your head?
Artie:
Pretty much. The original show was better.
Derek:
Do you know how few comedians can do that and still do a show, that has the whole place laughing, like they were?
He hands Artie his business card.
Derek:
Give me a call. Talents like you are a rare find.
Artie:
I will.
Derek leaves them and Artie is radiating with joy.
Samira:
How many people can call themselves a rare find?
Artie:
Not many, I suppose.
Iz:
Guys, can I talk to Artie alone for a moment?
Samira:
Of course. Come on, Barry. I owe you a soda.
Barry:
It was a great show, Artie.
Artie:
Thanks, Barr. If it impressed you, then it can´t have been half bad.
Barry and Samira head back inside. Iz smiles at Artie.
Iz:
Are you still gonna remember me, when you have supermodels knocking your door down?
Artie:
I don´t plan on going anywhere without you.
Iz:
I´m afraid, you´ll have to.
He looks confused.
Artie:
What are you talking about?
Iz:
Let´s be honest. There´s only one way for you from here and that´s to the top. For me, the future lies in Montreal.
Artie:
Montreal?
Iz:
My dad got a job there, his dream job.
Artie looks sad.
Artie:
I suppose you have no other choice, except to go with him.
Iz:
I´d only be holding you back anyway. It´s not that I want to do this, Artie, but our lives are heading in different directions. You need to find your path and I need to find my own in Montreal.
Artie:
Is it too much to ask for one last hug?
Iz:
You can have as many hugs, as you´d like. There´s only one guy, who can call himself my first love.
Artie:
No matter what I achieve, that´ll always be the title, I´m most proud of!
They hug and Iz tries to hold the tears back, as she clinches him tightly.
11. Int. Youth Club. Evening.
Barry and Samira are waiting for Iz and Artie to come back.
Barry:
I wonder what´s keeping them.
Samira:
Iz is breaking up with him.
Barry looks surprised.
Samira:
She´s moving to Montreal.
Barry:
That´s a shame. He really likes her.
Samira:
I know. She really likes him too. She has this crazy idea, that maybe me and Artie could become a couple.
Barry:
Why would that be crazy?
Samira:
Wouldn´t I be a huge step down after her?
Barry:
I don´t think so. You´re nice and pretty too.
Samira smiles to herself.
Samira:
You think, I am?
Barry:
Artie thinks so too. Come to think of it, you probably would make a good couple.
Samira:
I don´t think my parents would like it.
Barry:
Are they you?
Samira sees what he means.
Samira:
I guess not.
Barry:
Parents always think they know best, but they´re not us. We´re the only ones who know, what´s really right for us.
Samira:
Thanks for the words of wisdom.
Barry:
Don´t mention it. I´m always glad to help.
She smiles at him and he smiles goofily back at her.
12. Int. Pizza Parlor. Evening.
Kat and Trish are eating pizza, but Trish can see, that something is eating Kat up inside.
Trish:
Penny for your thoughts?
Kat:
I was just thinking about Artie.
Trish:
Those glasses are pretty sexy!
Kat rolls her eyes at her.
Kat:
Not in that way! It´s just weird to think, that he´ll be a star one day and we got to see him, before he got there. That right now, he´s still just another kid at our school.
Trish:
For a short while longer, anyway.
Kat:
Trish, I can´t do this!
Trish looks confused.
Trish:
Eat pizza and talk about boys? Kind of unusual for a teenage girl, don´t you think?
Kat:
Us. I can´t do "Us" anymore. You´ll ruin your life, if you stay with me!
Trish:
Wil you let me decide that on my own?
Kat:
I can´t, because you´ll make the wrong decision!
People around them stare at them, to Kat´s annoyance.
Kat:
We´re having a lover´s quarrel. So what!
Some around them look shocked and some even leave. Trish looks mad at her,
Trish:
I was ready to give up everything for you!
Kat:
I never asked you to! How do you think it makes me feel to know, that you´re throwing away the opportunity of a lifetime for me? I´m not anyone special.
Trish:
I thought you were!
Trish gets up and storms out crying. Kat holds her head in her hands and tries to take in, what she just did.
13. Montage - Music: "The Grat Gig in the Sky" by Pink Floyd
We see Trish come out from the pizza parlor crying her eyes out, as the rain is pouring down on her. Not knowing what else to do to relieve the tension in her mind, she starts running home. We see her running through the rain, as the tears on her face and the rain mix into one.
We see Iz in her own room, getting a comforting hug from Samira. The break up has clearly taken a lot out of her and she´s almost un-consolable, as Samira holds her and gives her a comforting pad on the back.
We see Kat lying on her bed staring up at the ceiling and wondering, if she did the right thing in breaking up with Trish. Christine comes in, which cheers her up a bit and gets on the bed with her. Christine´s good mood soon rubs off on her and they start chatting.
We see Artie sitting in the window sill in his room and looking out at the rain, while he contemplates the future. He´s holding a picture of him and Iz and smiles to himself, when he looks at it.
CLOSING CREDITS
