DEGRASSI: AFTERMATH - S09E07 - THE GREAT GIG IN THE SKY

Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.

1. Int. Above The Dot. Afternoon.

Lisa´s new band "The Potter Posse" (consisting of her, Nick, Talia and Simon) is setting up their amplifiers and things on the stage, with Darcy and Craig helping them. Craig is coaching Darcy carefully.

Lisa:

Now put the plugs in by the color code. White to white and so on.

Darcy:

I think, I can manage that.

Craig:

You don´t need me. Lisa knows it all already.

Lisa:

Except for everything else!

Spinner comes up to the stage.

Spinner:

How is your helper doing?

Craig:

Not to bad. She´s a fast learner.

Darcy:

One, who´s always happy to get out of the house and make some extra cash.

Spinner:

I have to steal her from you. We have plenty of customers.

Talia:

I hear, that you used to play in here.

Nick:

What was the name of your band? Downside Alligator or something?

Craig:

It was Downtown Sasquatch.

Lisa:

Not to be rude, but you were never gonna get anywhere with that name!

Spinner:

Actually the main reason, why we didn´t get anywhere, was because Craig was always running off on us to chase some girl. Whether it was Ashley or Manny or Ellie ...

Craig:

I´m sure, that they get the picture!

Simon:

How many girlfriends did you have?

Craig:

Just those three.

Spinner:

And only rarely at the same time, even though they seemed to overlap quite frequently, didn´t they?

Darcy:

Like yours didn´t?

The kids find their conversation quite entertaining.

Spinner:

That´s beside the point.

Craig:

Oh, now it´s beside the point?

Spinner:

I wanted to hear, if you could work the bar tonight, Darcy? One of the servers has called in sick.

Darcy:

Yeah, sure. It´s not like I have an actual life or anything.

Craig:

Come on. When was the last time you went to a concert with a bunch of teenagers?

Darcy:

That´s been quite a while. Not since the glory days of Studs.

Spinner:

Now, there was a band!

Darcy:

Those were the days, weren´t they?

Spinner and Darcy smile at each other.

OPENING CREDITS

2. Int. Dressing Room. Day.

Nick is kissing Lisa goodbye.

Nick:

Say hi to Jamie from me.

Lisa:

We´ll be back in good time.

Simon:

See ya later.

Lisa and Simon leave them.

Talia:

Do you want to go down to the cafe and get our free dinner?

Nick:

Yeah, why not? Have you eaten here before?

Talia:

No. I haven´t been out to eat, since I was ten.

Nick:

You´re lucky, that you´re with an expert. I´ve tried every burger and sandwich, they have.

Talia smiles at him.

Talia:

Is that supposed to impress me?

Nick:

Doesn´t it?

Talia:

Maybe a tiny, barely existent bit.

Nick:

Well, what are we waiting for?

They get up and leave.

3. Int. Car. Day.

Simon is driving, while Lisa is in the passenger seat.

Simon:

You don´t mind, leaving your boyfriend alone with an emotionally vulnerable girl?

Lisa:

He´s never cheated before. Why should he start now?

Simon:

You don´t think, there´s such a thing as "Like Father, Like Son?" It sounded like his dad got around back in the day.

Lisa:

Nick isn´t the same as him. I´ve got bigger things on my mind.

Simon:

Care to share?

Lisa:

Have you heard about the School of Performing Arts in New York?

Simon makes wide eyes, as he looks at her.

Simon:

No way! The "Fame" school? I´ve seen that movie at least three times.

Lisa:

Yes way, I´m afraid. My step dad has a sister, that I could live with. She thinks, that with my talent, I should be a dead cert for their music programme next year.

Simon:

Why aren´t you psyched?

Lisa:

It means leaving everything behind. Nick, Chrissy, all of the people I love. I´ve never been without them. I don´t know, how I could. It´s bad enough that half of them are leaving for college next year.

Simon:

You´ll have to at some point. Unless you plan on all living in the same area. Growing up means having to face a new world.

Lisa:

I´m more than happy, in the one I´m in. I wish, it never had to change. That I could just go to High School with my friends forever, or least have a few more years to get used to it.

Simon:

Sorry, Lisa. That´s not how it works. I would consider it, if I were you. Chances like that don´t come around often. Isn´t New York the place to be, if you´re serious about becoming a musician?

Lisa sees that he´s right, but is clearly torn.

4. Int. The Dot. Day.

Darcy is taking Nick and Talia´s orders.

Nick:

I´m getting the "Paige Special".

Talia:

What´s that? I don´t see it on the menu.

Darcy:

It´s named after Spinner´s wife. It´s a bacon burger with an extreme amount of bacon!

Talia:

Is there a better alternative, that won´t make me gain two pounds?

Darcy:

The Club Sandwich is my favorite. You won´t find a better one in Toronto.

Talia:

I´ll have one of those.

Nick:

And a portion of fries. Do you want a soda?

Talia:

I don´t have any money.

Nick:

It´s on me.

Talia smiles.

Talia:

A Coke.

Nick:

Two large cokes. I´ll pay for them.

Darcy:

Alright. I´ll be back with your sodas in a jiffy.

Darcy leaves them.

Nick:

In a jiffy, no less! How´s that for service?

Talia:

You´re the first boy, who´s ever bought me a soda.

Nick:

That´s a shame. All your dates made you pay for your own food, huh?

Talia:

Does eating an ice cream on the beach together constitute a date?

Nick:

That could be stretching it.

Talia:

Then this is the closest, I´ve come to being on one.

Nick:

You´ll meet someone, before you know it.

Talia:

I´m usually pretty terrible, when it comes to boys. If you want to see me sweating buckets and hear word salad come out of mouth, all you have to do is hit on me.

Nick:

It won´t be long, until that changes. Girl as pretty as you, don´t go single for long, unless you want to.

Talia looks flattered, as Darcy comes back with their sodas.

5. Int. Kitchen. Day.

Spinner is preparing food, when Darcy comes out to him.

Darcy:

I need you to show me, how to change the barrels on the soda machine.

Spinner:

Alright, just a minute.

Darcy:

Is everything okay? You seem a little grumpy today.

Spinner:

I´ve got a two choice decision to make. It feels like it doesn´t matter, which one I choose. I´ll always wonder, if it was the right one.

Darcy:

Care to elaborate?

Spinner:

I´ve had an offer for this place and Above The Dot. A really good one.

Darcy:

No one says, that you can´t open up a new place, do they?

Spinner:

This place has been my life. It´s been my family´s lifeblood. I don´t know, if I could say goodbye to it.

Darcy:

It´s funny, how our lives went in such different directions. Guess how many cities, I´ve lived in, since I left Toronto?

Spinner thinks about it for a second.

Spinner:

Four? Or is that too high?

Darcy:

Try fourteen.

Spinner:

Okay, that´s high! Why have you kept moving?

Darcy:

Because I´ve never been happy, where I was. The moment things started to go south, I would move on and start fresh. It´s a lonely life, when you´re constantly on the move. You found everything you needed right here, before I even met you. There´s a lot to be said for that.

Spinner:

Won´t I be just as happy in a new place?

Darcy:

Who´s to say? Sometimes it´s better to stick to what you have, sometimes it isn´t. I couldn´t imagine this place without you and I know, I´m not alone in that. Without you, it´s just another cafe.

Spinner:

This place has a history. Everyone around here knows it.

Darcy:

I can´t tell you what to do. I just don´t think, that I could do it, if it were me.

Spinner considers it.

6. Int. Hospital Room. Day.

Simon and Lisa are with Jamie, who´s glad to have visitors.

Simon:

Can I get you something from the vending machines?

Jamie:

Some Peanuts wouldn´t hurt.

Simon:

You got it. Lisa?

Lisa:

I´m fine.

Simon:

I´ll be back soon.

Simon leaves them.

Lisa:

Do you think, he´s doing it to be a friend or to check out some hot male nurses?

Jamie:

A little of each, probably!

They laugh.

Lisa:

How´s your mood? Being stuck in here can´t be helping.

Jamie:

I´m looking forward to getting out of here in a few days.

Lisa:

When are we gonna see you competing again?

Jamie:

Maybe never.

Lisa:

You don´t mean that!

Jamie:

Lisa, I suffered a compound fracture in two places and broken bones in my foot. I won´t be able to compete for at least six months and to be honest, I don´t mind that part.

Lisa:

You´re been training every day for as long as I´ve known you, to be the best.

Jamie:

Exactly. Skating has almost been my entire life, since I was ten. I´m almost 18 and it´s time I started to look at things more realistically.

Lisa:

I just don´t get, how you can give up, when you´ve come so close.

Jamie:

I´m not gonna stop completely, but after I won that medal, coming back and winning gold became everything to me. It was my obsession. I´m starting to think, that I don´t have to win a gold medal, travel the world winning competitions, or get my face on the cover of magazines, to be happy with my life. Being a regular guy ain´t so bad either. It´s a hell of a lot safer too!

Lisa:

I have this opportunity to go to New York and study next year. If I go, then it´s pretty much an entrance ticket into Julliard.

Jamie:

Even I have heard of that school!

Lisa:

Going to Julliard also means that a lot of options open up, after I´ve gone there.

Jamie:

It´s Nick, isn´t it?

Lisa:

It´s not just that I love him. We could have a great future together. If I could make my own perfect guy to spend the rest of my life with, it would be him. I don´t think, I can leave him.

Lisa looks torn.

7. Int. Backstage Area. Evening.

Nick and Talia are enjoying each other´s company. He´s showing her how to play "I saw your mommy" by Suicidal Tendencies, while they´re waiting for the others to arrive. She´s rocking out, while singing.

Talia (singing):

I saw your mommy and your mommy´s dead!

I saw your mommy and your mommy´s dead!

They finish the song and she blows the hair out of their eyes.

Nick:

You rock!

Talia:

I´m slowly learning.

Nick:

That was some straight out Donita Sparks stuff, you had going on there! She´s ...

Talia:

The lead singer and guitar player from L7. Do you think, I don´t know my feminist punk bands?

Nick looks impressed.

Talia:

I´m not one of those girls, who just says that I´m one and doesn´t walk the walk. Do you mind, that I´m a feminist?

Nick:

Not as long as you´re not all militant about it.

Talia:

I´m about the furthest thing from militant, you can get. When it comes down to it, I´m just like most other girls.

Nick:

Maybe, but there is definitely something special about you.

They lock eyes and have a moment, before shaking it off, when Simon and Lisa come in.

Simon:

Sorry, it took so long.

Lisa:

Are you warmed up?

Jamie and Talia look each other in the eyes and smile.

Jamie:

I´d say, we are.

Talia:

Ready for anything.

She winks at him, giving him something to think about.

8. Int. Above The Dot. Evening.

Lisa´s new band "The Potter Posse" is rocking out on stage, playing a cover version of "Let´s Go Crazy" by Prince. Nick is a pretty good singer and with Talia´s back up vocals, Simon´s solid drumming and Lisa´s great guitar playing, no one can deny, that they sound great.

We see Suey come over to the bar, where Spinner and Darcy are working hard to serve everyone. Spinner comes over to her.

Spinner:

Why aren´t you up there with them?

Suey:

You could say, that I´m looking into different musical projects. They sound great enough without me, anyway.

Spinner:

What can I get you?

Suey:

A root beer and a water.

Spinner:

Coming right up.

He gets them for her and she pays him.

Suey:

You know, I´ve never really thanked you, for the opportunities you´ve given us.

Spinner:

I wouldn´t have let you play, if you had stunk up the place.

Suey:

I know, but there aren´t a lot of places, that will give young bands a chance, like you do. Most places, we can´t even be considered to play, because we´re under 18. You´ve created something really special here.

Spinner:

Thanks. I enjoyed playing here so much, when I was your age, that I wanted to pass on the chance to the next generation.

Suey:

I would have loved to have seen the 17 year old you rocking out. You don´t have any old concert videos or anything?

Spinner:

I´m pretty sure, those have been lost to time. Have a great concert, Suey.

Suey:

Thanks. You too.

She leaves him and he looks up at the stage and reflects on the past for a moment, until he has to tend to a customer.

Spinner:

What can I get you?

We cut back up to the stage, where the band finishes the song. The crowd applauds loudly for them and they look pleased. Nick steps up to the microphone, when it dies down.

Nick:

Thanks. I want to give a shout out to my dad, Craig Manning, who´s our sound man tonight.

We quickly see Craig waving at the crowd, who give him a nice appluse.

Nick:

The next one is a duet, so our super hot and amazingly talented bass player Talia is gonna sing it with me.

Lisa looks a little uncomfortable with his introduction of Talia, but since she clearly gets a confidence boost out of it and the crowd love it.

Nick:

It´s a song about having a crush, you wish, you didn´t have, because you know, it can never end well.

They play through the first verse and chorus of "I Hate Myself For Loving You" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Lisa tries to ignore the obvious stage chemistry between Nick and Talia and just focus on her playing.

9. Ext. Street. Day.

It´s the day after and Chrissy and Lisa are out for a jog.

Lisa:

Let´s take a break. I´m not in the same shape, you are.

Chrissy:

Alright, your call.

They stop running.

Chrissy:

It´s nice that we can go for a jog together, but is there any special reason?

Lisa:

I needed to clear my head. It´s stuffed full right now.

Chrissy:

It finally happened, huh?

They giggle.

Lisa:

What do I do about this whole New York thing?

Chrissy:

Is that all this is about?

Lisa:

There´s also a Talia problem.

Chrissy:

Like her and Nick eating each other with their eyes last night?

Lisa:

I wasn´t just imagining it?

Chrissy:

It could just be window shopping. A little shower nozzle material for her. Something for his "Spank Bank", as Jamie calls it.

Lisa:

I don´t think he would, but I´m not sure about her.

Chrissy:

Would it be the worst? If you didn´t have him, would you still consider staying here?

Lisa:

There´s still you.

Chrissy:

Who would be proud of my friend, if she fulfilled her dreams. Don´t worry about me, I´ll get by, even without your study help, which I´ll sorely miss.

Lisa:

I would miss you like crazy.

Chrissy:

The same here, but you have to do, what you have to do.

Lisa:

The big question is, what is that exactly? Nick or going to the school of my dreams?

Chrissy:

Whatever you choose, I know, it will be what´s right for you. You´ve always been the smart one.

Lisa:

Let´s start running again. This smart girl needs to think some things over.

Chrissy:

You may be smart, but I´m in better shape than you.

She touches Lisa´s shoulder.

Chrissy:

Tag. You´re it!

She starts running and Lisa tries to follow after her.

10. Int. Living Room. Day.

Spinner is looking over a contract, when Paige comes in.

Paige:

Do you plan on spending your entire day off looking at that thing?

Spinner:

I can´t do it, Paige.

She sits down next to him.

Spinner:

The Dot and Above the Dot aren´t just a huge part of me, they represent me. They´re my gift to the area I love. I´m afraid, that the new owners will change everything and just keep the name.

Paige:

I always knew, that you were never gonna sell. Plus, both places are doing good business.

Spinner:

It´s still a lot of money, I´m saying no to.

Paige:

We´ll make more in the long run this way. The main thing, is that you´re happy. That´s one thing, that money can´t buy.

They kiss.

11. Ext. Degrassi. Morning.

Nick is walking to school, when Talia sees him. She´s with Madison, but runs up to catch him.

Nick:

Hey, Rock Chick!

Talia:

Hey yourself. Playing that gig is one of the most fun things, I´ve ever done.

Nick:

Same here. I can´t wait for the next one.

Talia:

I´ve been thinking about a couple of songs, we could play.

Nick:

Which ones?

Talia:

There´s "I Want You To Want Me". That´s pretty easy, isn´t it?

She smiles at him and Nick gets her subtle messaging to him.

Nick:

Yeah, it´s not too difficult. We can try it out.

Talia:

Or how about "I Love You, Always Forever?" We could do like, a rock version of it.

Nick:

I´m sensing a pattern here.

Talia:

Lisa doesn´t have to know everything you do, does she?

Nick:

And what´s that supposed to mean?

Talia:

You can put two and two together, can´t you? It isn´t fair, that she gets you all to herself.

She leans in to whisper in his ear.

Talia:

I will rock your world, if you let me.

She leaves him to think about it and runs back to Madison.

12. Int. Hallway. Morning.

Nick is getting books out of his locker and is enjoying the praise he´s getting. Carla and Regina pass by him.

Carla:

You guys were great!

Jamie:

Thanks!

Regina:

Your voice sounds a lot like your dad´s.

Jamie:

I´ll take that as a compliment.

They head up the hallway. Lisa comes up to him.

Lisa:

Hey, Superstar!

Nick:

In the smallest way possible.

They kiss.

Lisa:

People seemed to like it, at least.

Nick:

We could be on to something. Just think of how good we´ll be a year from now.

Lisa:

Nick, I won´t be here a year from now. I´ll be in New York, attending the School For Performing Arts. I´m gonna apply to go there and I already have someone, I can live with.

Nick tries to take it in.

CLOSING CREDITS