DEGRASSI: AFTERMATH - S09E04 - BEEN CAUGHT STEALING
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
1. Int. Theatre. Evening.
Chrissy, Suey, Sally and Lisa come out from the performance with the rest of the theatre goers.
Lisa:
Who knew, that watching a bunch of people dressed as cats dancing around, could be that entertaining?
Sally:
I told you, it was nothing like that terrible movie version.
Suey:
Don´t remind me! I saw it, when I was 6 and it gave me nightmares!
Chrissy:
I had feline phobia for months after watching it!
Suey:
I need to stop by the ATM on the way home, or I´ll have to go hungry at lunch tomorrow.
Lisa:
Sure. We can walk home, if you want?
Sally:
Are you sure, it´s safe? I wouldn´t want by new best gal getting hurt or mugged.
Suey:
It´s only two miles. What´s the worst, that can happen?
Chrissy:
That´s the kind of thing, girls in horror movies say, right before they get killed!
Sally:
I never should have shown you those "Scream" movies!
Lisa:
This isn´t a movie, Chrissy. It´ll be alright.
Chrissy doesn´t look convinced.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Ext. Street. Evening.
Suey is getting money out of the ATM, while Lisa keeps watch. No one else is around and there´s only a few cars in sight.
Lisa:
The city is so peaceful at this time of night. It´s really nice, if you ask me.
Suey:
You can get that in a small town too. No one says, that you have to live in a big city, when you grow up.
Lisa:
They both have their advantages. In the city, it´s nice to have everything close, but one the other hand, it´s safer in a small town.
Suey gets her money and her card and puts it in her purse. They start walking home.
Suey:
I´ve been thinking, that I would probably like small town life. Living in a place, where everyone knows each other has a nice ring to it, don´t you think?
Lisa:
I guess so. It ...
Lisa and Suey are startled, when a man in a hoodie, with most of his face covered, comes out from a side street. He points a knife at them.
Man:
Gimme the money! I saw you take it out!
Suey is shocked and can barely move. Lisa is holding her ground.
Lisa:
No! Get lost!
The robber stares at her. His hand holding the knife is shaking.
Man:
I´m not kidding!
Suey hands him her purse and he tries to run. Lisa trips him however and he falls over. She gets on top of him and slams his hand on the ground, until he drops the knife.
Man:
Argh! Get off me!
Lisa:
Call the cops, Suey. I´ve got him.
Suey picks up her phone and gets her phone out. She touches the pad a few times and holds it to her ear.
Suey:
Is this the police? We´ve caught a mugger, who tried to rob us at knife point. We´re right outside Weston National Bank on Hart street. Okay, we´ll wait.
She puts her phone in her purse again.
Suey:
They´ll be here soon. Wow, Lisa! You´re the world´s smallest superhero!
Lisa:
It doesn´t take a superhero, to stop a guy like this. Let´s see, what he looks like.
She pulls the hood from his head and the scarf, covering his face. It´s Peter Hatzilakos.
3. Int. Eddy and Manny´s House. Evening.
Manny and Eddy are getting cozy on the couch, watching the season premiere of Degrassi.
We focus on the screen. Chrissy and another girl are watching Deco´s character from afar.
Chrissy (voice over):
This is the year, where Cassandra Santana stops being a wallflower. I´m gonna get a date with Reid.
Girl (voice over):
Reid Lansing, Hun? He´s way above your level! You´re cute, but ...
Chrissy (voice over):
I don´t want to be cute! Bunnies and puppies are cute! I want to be hot! HOT!
We cut back to Manny and Eddy. Manny is laughing.
Manny:
That girl reminds me of someone. I can´t exactly put my finger on it.
Her phone rings and she moans. Eddy turns the TV down a little.
Manny:
Sorry.
Eddy:
It´s okay. I knew, what I married into.
She puts the phone to her ear.
Manny:
Hi, Marco. What´s up?
She gets a disappointed look on her face.
Manny:
He didn´t! The dumbass! I´ll be down there in half an hour, tops.
She puts the phone down.
Eddy:
It sounded like an emergency.
Manny:
It´s a long story. Involving a pair of sorry excuses for parents, sadly.
Eddy:
There´s always going to enough of them in the world.
She gives him a kiss and gets up.
4. Int. Police Station. Evening.
Lisa is giving her statement to an officer.
Lisa:
I tripped him and he went down. I then got on top of him and slammed his hand on the ground, until he dropped the knife. Suey called the police and five minutes later, you were there. Which leads us to where we are now, I guess.
The officer smiles at her.
Officer:
You´re one brave young lady, but please, leave it to us the next time.
Lisa:
I could see, that he was almost as scared, as my friend was. His hand was shaking so hard, that he nearly dropped the knife.
Officer:
The guy has been in and out of the system, since his teens. The shaking probably came from drug or alcohol withdrawals.
Lisa:
Am I done for now? It´s just, that I have school tomorrow.
Officer:
Most people wouldn´t even be thinking, about coming to work or school the day after something like this. If you start suffering nightmares, experience flashbacks or anything like that, it´s important that you tell an adult, who can either help you or get you the help, you need. PTSD is a strange thing. It doesn´t always appear right away. In many cases, it takes weeks, months or even years for it to kick in.
Lisa:
I understand. What will happen to to him?
Officer:
With the wrap sheet he´s got, I can safely say, that you won´t be seeing him on the streets for a while. I doubt, that it will go to court, but you could be called in to testify, if it does. The most likely scenario, is that his lawyer will strike a deal with the prosecutor´s office.
Lisa nods in understanding.
5. Int. Office. Night.
Isabella Jones, who´s now 29, is with Manny and Marco. She´s clearly been crying.
Manny:
Have you gotten in touch with your mom?
Isabella:
I haven´t talked to her in over a year. The last time I did, she said that, she was working as a showgirl in Reno. Not that I ever believe a word, she says.
Marco:
Can you get in touch with her? For your half sister´s sake?
Isabella:
What good is she gonna do for her? Get high all the time and abandon us, like she´s done so many times before? Trust me, we´re all better off without her.
Manny:
Wasn´t he doing better?
Isabella:
I thought so. I know, that he isn´t much, but he´s the closest thing, we have to a dad. Talia is crushed, that he´s going away again. I don´t know, how she got through it the last time, with how much she missed him.
Marco:
We´ll do everything we can to help her. You have my word.
Isabella:
What´s gonna happen to her now? I have a tiny one room apartment. It´s hardly big enough for two. The neighborhood isn´t exactly kid friendly either.
Manny:
We´ll figure something out. She won´t be sleeping on the streets tonight.
Manny and Marco are clearly sympathetic with the two sisters.
6. Int. Office. Night.
Manny has made up a sofa for Talia, who´s with her.
Manny:
I´m afraid, that´s it´s the best I could manage, at such short notice.
Talia:
It´s okay. I don´t think, I´ll get any sleep, anyway.
Manny:
It must seem like the end of the world to you, right now.
Talia:
You´re not far off. What am I gonna do? He´s all, I had.
Manny:
Aren´t there any grandparents or other relatives, you can stay with?
Talia shakes her head.
Talia:
No one, that lives around here. My mom pretty mush severed all contact with her part of the family, when I was little. There´s my dad´s mom, but she lives on the other side of the country. I can´t really think of anyone else right now.
Manny:
It´s okay. You´ve been through enough for one night. I´ll be here to pick you up and drive you to school at 7:30, so make sure you´re ready, okay?
Talia nods and wipes a tear from her eyes.
Talia:
Is it okay, if I ask you for a hug? I could really use one.
Manny:
Come here. We´ll get you through this. No one´s giving up on you.
Manny gives her a hug and lets her cry on her shoulder.
7. Int. Lisa´s Room. Night.
Lisa and Suey are in Lisa´s bed, ready to go to sleep.
Lisa:
Do you think, you´ll be able to sleep?
Suey:
I don´t know. My heart still starts to race, when I think about it.
Lisa:
I´d have a talk with Bianca tomorrow, if I were you.
Suey:
I will, if I can get on her schedule.
Lisa:
I´m sure, that she´ll make an exception for you. If anyone would know, what you´re going through, it´s her. Can you believe, that she´s actually killed a guy in self defense?
Suey:
I sincerely doubt, that she was a girl, you wanted to mess with, when she was our age!
Lisa:
Not if you liked your life, that´s for sure!
Suey:
Why aren´t you freaked out? You could have been killed.
Lisa:
The cop told me, that it could come later. I just wasn´t that scared, to be honest.
Suey:
Whatever the case, you´re my new hero. I owe you big for this one.
Lisa:
I´ll tell you what. If you continue to be the best half sister in the world, then we´ll call it even.
Suey smiles.
Suey:
I think, I can manage that. Thanks for letting me share your bed with you.
Lisa:
It´s okay. I´ll gladly be your fake Sally for the night.
Lisa turns out the light.
8. Int. Lisa´s Room. Night.
We see that Lisa is sleeping soundly, while Suey is wide awake and staring at he ceiling.
9. Int. Car. Morning.
Talia is riding in the car with Manny driving.
Manny:
I want you to let Bianca help you. This is something, you can´t get through alone.
Talia:
What about after school? What then?
Manny:
Marco will take you down to visit your dad. After that, you´ll be staying with him and his husband, until we find something more permanent for you.
Talia:
Like a group home again?
Manny:
I don´t blame you, for not wanting to go back there. Helping kids like you, is why we do this job. It´s going to be okay.
Talia:
No offense, but you can´t know that for sure.
Manny:
Believe it or not, I was a pretty messed up kid too, when I was your age. My dad kicked me out, my reputation at school was the pits. There was a time there, where I didn´t feel like, things could possibly get worse. If I hadn´t let people help me get back on my feet again, it´s hard to say where I´d be in my life now.
Talia smiles sadly at her.
Talia:
It sounds like, you had your your share of daddy issues too.
Manny:
We don´t get to pick our family, but we still have to live with them. Your dad loves both you and Isabella. That´s something to hold on to.
Talia:
Can I trade in my mom for a different model, while we´re at it?
Manny:
Sorry. There is a limit, to how much we can do for you.
They come to a stop at an intersection. Talia sadly stares out the window, over at the car pulled up next to them, with a father and his daughter of around 5, in the back seat. She makes eye contact with the little girl, who waves at her and smiles. Talia forces a smile for her and waves back at her, but can´t help shedding a tear.
10. Int. Hallway. Morning.
Lisa is talking to Nick, Stacy and Brandi, who are impressed with her. She´s soaking up the admiration, from the younger girls.
Stacy:
I would have run away, if it were me.
Brandi:
Weren´t you scared?
Lisa:
Not really. I just knew, that I had to act, so I did.
Nick:
That´s enough, Give the heroine her space.
Stacy:
Can we take a picture with you?
Lisa:
Yeah, sure.
They line up for a photo and Nick takes the picture with Brandi´s phone, before handing it back to her.
Brandi:
Have a great day!
Lisa:
You too.
The girls leave them.
Lisa:
Stay in school!
Nick smiles at her.
Nick:
You´re cute, when you´re being a positive roll model.
Lisa:
Someone has to do it.
They kiss, as Talia comes past them.
Lisa:
Talia, wait.
Talia stops walking and turns to face them. She looks very tired.
Nick:
Rough night?
Talia:
You don´t know the half of it. Something happened with my family. I´d rather not get too much into it.
Lisa:
Are you okay?
Talia:
Not really. Everything looks pretty bleak right now.
Nick:
We don´t have to rehearse later, if you don´t want to. We understand, that your family has to come first.
Talia:
Thanks. I´m giving it a miss, okay?
Lisa:
If you want to hang out, just give me a call. It´s never good to be alone, when there´s a crisis.
Talia:
I might. See ya later.
Talia leaves them. They look worried about her.
11. Int. Bianca´s Office. Day.
Suey is with Bianca.
Suey:
I keep imagining, what could have happened. It´s like a bad movie, that´s running on repeat in my mind.
Bianca:
What happened, can be very traumatic. This won´t pass right away, I´m afraid.
Suey:
I had a feeling, that you´d say something like that.
Bianca:
The most important thing for you at this time, is that you stay in an environment, where you feel safe. Keep your parents or your friends close to you at all times.
Suey:
My step dad has taken the day off, so I won´t have to be alone.
Bianca:
I also recommend, that you don´t stay at home for more than a day or two. The world can seem like a scary place, when something like this happens. but hiding away from it isn´t the answer. Getting back to normal is. That´s what you need to work towards.
Suey nods in understanding.
12. Int. Waiting Room. Day.
Talia is waiting her turn, when Suey and Bianca come out.
Bianca:
I´ll be back in five, Talia.
Talia:
Alright. Hi, Suey.
Suey comes over to her.
Suey:
Are you enjoying the decor of our fancy, new waiting room?
Talia:
For once, I´d rather be in class.
Suey:
You look as tired, as I feel.
Talia:
You didn´t get any sleep either, huh?
Suey:
Not a moment.
She sits down next to Talia.
Talia:
Did something happen?
Suey:
A guy tried to mug me and Lisa. He threatened us with a knife.
Talia instantly knows, who she´s talking about.
Talia:
Are you okay? He didn´t hurt you, did he?
Suey:
No, I had Super Lisa with me. She took him down and held him, until the cops came.
Talia:
That guy, who tried to mug you. That was my dad.
Suey looks frightened and stands up.
Talia:
He´s not a bad guy. He would never have hurt you.
Suey:
I should get going. My step dad is waiting for me.
She hurries out of the waiting room. Talia looks sad.
13. Montage - Music: "Doll Parts" by Hole
We see Talia crying, when she´s with Bianca. Binaca does her best to console her, but it´s close to impossible.
We see Lisa vividly telling the story to Chrissy and Sally, when Suey comes over to her.
We see Manny calling people and trying to find a home for Talia. It´s frustrating, but she refuses to give up trying.
We see Suey being served a bowl of soup in bed by David. She´s clearly very grateful, that he´s there for her and his face is full of a father´s love for her.
14. Int. Hallway. Day.
Talia is with Marco.
Marco:
Was it a rough day?
Talia nods.
Marco:
I can imagine, that it would be.
Talia:
I´m so tired, that I feel like, I could fall asleep on my feet.
Marco:
We have a very comfortable fold out couch in our guest room, waiting for you.
Talia:
Thanks, Marco. Is Carlos okay with it?
Marco:
In the short run. You have to understand, that it´s not a permanent solution. We´ll get there, but it won´t be for at least a few weeks, if not more.
Talia:
That´s okay. Can we go and see my dad now?
Marco:
There´s another one of my students, who´d really like to talk to you. Are you up for it?
Talia:
I guess.
He leads her up the hallway.
15. Int. Classroom. Day.
Talia is led in by Marco, to find Lisa waiting for her.
Marco:
I´ll be right outside the door. You can handle the rest by yourself.
Marco leaves them. Lisa comes over to Talia, who doesn´t look comfortable with the situation.
Lisa:
I want to start out by saying, that no one is blaming you for what happened, least of all me. The older I get, the more I see how incredibly lucky, I´ve been with my parents. My dad died, when I was 12 and I still miss him. But I have the best mom, I could have asked for and since my dad died, there´s been a wonderful stepdad and an adopted sister, who feels like a real one, added to our family. What I´m trying to say, is that I know, there is no way, I could begin to understand, what you´ve gone through with yours. I´d like to, so I can help you.
Talia:
I suppose, that you heard from Suey. She got really scared, when I told her. Like it was me, who did it.
Lisa:
She´s still trying to get over it, but she doesn´t blame you, any more than I do. The last thing any of us want to do, is ruin your life.
Talia:
He´d been doing so good, since he got out. Then the place, where he worked closed down last month and it send him spiraling again. He has a history of addiction and depressions, but he really tries the best he can. The only explanation, I can come up with, is that the desperation must have gotten to him. He wouldn´t hurt a fly, let alone you.
Lisa:
I almost shudder to ask. What about your mom?
Talia rolls her eyes.
Talia:
She´s bailed on me more times, than I can count. When I was little, I would sit outside our apartment building and wait for her to come home "from vacation", nearly every day. I haven´t seen her in over three years and if I ever do, it will be too soon. She´s the one, who destroyed our family. My dad is the one, who made sure, that me and my sister had a roof over our heads and food on the table. She couldn´t care less about anyone, except for herself.
Lisa:
Why can´t he just live honestly, like normal people do?
Talia:
Not to be rude, but you have no clue, what it´s like, where we live.
Lisa:
I guess not. I´m sorry, I asked.
Talia:
It´s a spiral. He got caught stealing cars and that got him send away the first time. Once you fall into that and get a record, then you´re never leaving the bottom. Look at my sister. Her friends went off to college, but she had to get a job and take care of me, because there was no one else to. She´s 29 and she already knows, that where she is now, is where she´s gonna stay. My only hope is my grandmother, but she more or less gave up on my dad years ago. She has her happy life with her new family and me and Isabella don´t fit into that. My sister´s dad is apparently a real piece of work, one I´m glad, I´ve never met.
Lisa:
The thing is this. We want to help you, but what if he does it again and actually kills someone? If he really is an addict, won´t it be better, if he gets sentenced to rehab?
Talia shakes her head.
Talia:
He hasn´t used in a long time. Not that I know of, anyway. I´m going down to see him, so I guess I´ll find out for sure.
Lisa:
Me and Suey decided to leave up to you, what´s gonna happen. We´ll drop the charges, if it helps him and you, to get your life straight.
Talia looks relieved.
Talia:
Thanks. You have no idea, what this means to us.
Lisa:
It isn´t a fair, that we get a world of opportunities and you have to settle for, what life hands you.
Talia gives her an unexpected hug, while she cries tears of joy.
Talia:
Are you the nicest girls in the world?
Lisa:
There are some, that say it. I still think, that it must be a tough competition!
Lisa gets a small smile out of Talia.
16. Ext. Arrest House. Day.
Peter, Manny and Marco come out together. He gives Talia a big hug. Lisa smiles at the sight of them.
Peter:
I´m so sorry, Honey. I didn´t know, what else to do.
Talia:
Never again, okay? I don´t know, what I do without you.
Peter:
Never again. I promise.
Marco:
The couch is always available for you, Talia. Doesn´t your own bed sound better, though?
Talia:
A lot.
Lisa sticks out her hand and Peter shakes it.
Lisa:
Lisa. We met last night, in case, you don´t remember.
Peter:
I can´t apologize enough. Is your friend okay?
Lisa:
She´s still a little scared. I don´t think, she slept much last night.
Peter:
I´d like to apologize to her in person. This made me realize, that I´m not cut out for robbing people.
Lisa:
Not when a five foot girl can take you down!
Peter:
I´m choosing to remember it differently. As far as I´m concerned, you were six foot four and weighed 200 pounds!
Lisa:
I don´t blame you. It has to be just a little bit embarrassing!
Peter:
Seriously, thanks for giving me a second chance.
Lisa:
I want you to take advantage of it. Find a job and a better place to live. It can´t be impossible.
Peter looks at Manny.
Peter:
You should think about adding her to your team.
Manny:
Do you want a job, Lisa?
Lisa:
We´ll have that as a back up, in case my rock star plans fail.
Marco:
Now, she sounds like a teenager again!
Talia:
Can I come with you on the ride?
Lisa:
We aren´t a band without our bass player, are we?
The girls hug. Talia looks extremely grateful.
CLOSING CREDITS
