DEGRASSI: AFTERMATH - S09E20 - THE LONG RUN
Author´s Note: This one has been through a few incarnations, before I settled on this one. The first version I tried was a feature length movie with Chrissy and the gang in the future, but that´s been scrapped for now, since that would truly mean the end of the story and rule out me going back to it in the future. It´s not unlikely though, that I´ll finish it later. The second version was a movie set in Hawaii, but it had it´s problems and I decided to move it back to Toronto and change some things around, mostly splitting it up into parts, so I could play around more with the stories, like I´ve done here.
I wanted to end the series the right way for all of you, who have followed me on this journey. Thanks for reading and I hope you´ll enjoy what will be the last episode(s) for now. It´s a very long one, so I´m releasing the first half now and will release the second half, as soon as it´s finished. In essence, what you´ll be getting is four episodes in one, There´s no sense in holding back at this point, so I´m going all out with it and bringing in a few surprise (previously unused or underutilized) characters and giving them storylines to spice things up even more.
A special shout out goes to Sarah, who read the entire series in a month! To that, I can only say wow! That´s what I call being a super fan and this episode is hopefully to your liking.
A season 10 isn´t completely out of the question as a project sometime in the future, but as for now, I have plenty of other exciting projects to work on. Any suggestions you might have for new storylines to explore with the characters will be more than welcome and it would be awesome to me, if a season 10 could be almost entirely based on fan suggestions. You can write it in the comments or send me a PM, if you´re a member.
One of my projects is what will be my absolutely final Degrassi series (which will be an AU series, that changes time period with each season), that I´ve started working on. I will start posting it sometime in the spring or early summer, since I´m writing the entire first season, before I start posting it. It´s easier for me that way, since I can go back and change things for the sake of the story, if I need to and not be bound by what I´ve already posted. It will also give you guys better stories to enjoy.
If you´re feeling too many withdrawals, there always my two other Degrassi series "Lakehurst High" (a one season show set in the early 90´s with Joey and the "old" gang, that´s already finished and ready to read in it´s entirity) and "Glory Days" (a two season show, that´s set in the late 70´s with all original characters and is close to being completed). If you don´t mind digging a little into another fandom, there´s also my series "Amy´s Creek", a Dawson´s Creek series, that you don´t have to know anything about Dawson´s Creek to be able to enjoy. If you really don´t mind getting weird with it, there´s my very dark humored pro wrestling/High School Musical series, that I have two episodes out of so far. You don´t have to be a wrestling fan to read it, but there´s no doubt that it would help in truly understanding the humor of the series. Just be prepared for a ton of offensive non-PC humor, because I have no filter in that one (not that I ever really did)! With that shameless plugging on my side out of the way, let´s get on with why you´re all here.
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
PART 1
3 DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING
1. Int. Bridal Store. Day.
Maya is looking herself in the mirror and is looking very pleased with the wedding dress, she´s trying on. She has Frankie, Lola and Zoe there with her.
Maya:
This feels like the right one.
Frankie:
It looks amazing on you, Maya.
Lola:
If I didn´t know better, I´d think you were a princess!
Maya:
No, I´m still just plain old Maya, only in a nicer dress, than she´s used to wearing.
Zoe:
Are you starting to get nervous, now the day is rapidly approaching?
Maya:
A little bit, but Jay is great at calming me down, when I start to panic.
Lola:
One worrier in every couple is enough!
Zoe:
I take that part in our relationship, so she can continue to just be Lola.
Frankie:
There´s not a single second thought?
Maya:
Nope! None that I can think of!
She tries to look like she isn´t hiding anything.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Cameron and Hobert´s Custom Cars. Day.
Anya has brought a delicious lunch down for the crew, that they´re enjoying with glee, since it´s much better than what they usually eat.
Sean:
10 out of 10 as always, Anya!
Anya:
You´re only saying that, because you can´t cook anything that requires more work than "stick it in the oven".
Jay:
No, that would be me. He´s trying to learn, so he can keep Emma happy.
Anya:
Aww! Here I thought you were kind of tough guy and you´re just a big old Teddy bear, like Jay is.
Sean:
That´s what love does to you. It makes you do things, you never thought you would.
Anya:
I know. Believe it or not, being with Wesley has turned me into a half decent chess player.
Jay:
You?
Anya:
Yep! I´ve beaten him a few times, but he could be letting me win, because he hates seeing me sad.
Jay:
Now it´s me, who has to say "Aww".
Anya:
I finally got lucky in love. All it took was me taking a chance on a guy, I should have taken a chance on 20 years ago.
Jay:
For me it was blind luck and being in the right place at the right time.
Anya:
Hey, if it works! Are you excited about getting married?
Jay:
I guess, I am. Then there´s part of me, that wishes I could jump ahead in time to the reception, where we can stop stressing and just enjoy it. Plus, she has to meet my parents, which will probably be a nightmare in itself.
Sean:
Are you starting to regret inviting them?
Jay:
She had 20 guests on her list and I had five, three of which she gave me, just so it wasn´t completely lop-sided! I had to do something!
Anya:
Meeting the in-laws for the first time. Mine are nice, but kinda boring. What are your parents like?
Jay:
Walking and talking train wrecks! If they don´t tear each other´s heads off, it´ll be a miracle!
Anya tries to contain herself from laughing.
3. Int. Cafe. Day.
Maya is waiting nervously with Katie. She takes a sip of coffee and it calms her a little.
Katie:
I can´t believe, you´ve kept this a secret so long.
Maya:
A lot of things happened in L.A. This was just one of them.
Katie:
Having a kid and giving it up for adoption isn´t just "something that happened"! Haven´t you wondered, what happened to it?
Maya:
Of course, I have. When I got that E-Mail, it brought up all the feelings I had, when I gave him to the nurse and waved goodbye to him, for what I thought was the last time.
Katie:
Why didn´t you come home, so we could have helped you? You know, we would have welcomed you back with open arms and done everything we could.
Maya:
Because I still hated myself at that time. I still did drugs and I drank pretty heavily for the first months, until I had a moment of clarity. If you want the true story of how I kicked the habit, that´s it. I only managed to because I was pregnant. I´m not a roll model, Katie. I spend most of my 20´s being a self hating drug addict. Maybe it would be best, if I stayed out of his life.
Katie:
You both through twists and turns ended up living here. It sounds like fate to me, that you should at least give him the chance to form an opinion.
Maya sits up, when she sees an 6 year boy (Mikey) with blonde hair come in with his older sister Amber (who´s around 14/15) by his side.
Maya:
That´s him.
Katie:
How can you be sure?
Maya:
A mother knows, when she´s looking at her own child.
She stands up and waves to them. They come over to the table.
Maya:
Hi! I´m Maya and this is my sister Katie. I was kind of nervous, so I brought her along. I hope that´s okay.
Amber:
It´s fine. I´m Amber and you already know what this little guy´s name is. Look, our parents don´t know that we´re here. I told him and I helped him get in touch with you through the adoption agency. If they find out, I don´t know how they´ll react.
Mikey:
Are you my real mom?
Maya smiles at him.
Maya:
I am, Mikey. It´s nice to finally meet you. I´m guessing that you have a lot of questions for me.
She very gently shakes hands with him and he smiles shyly at her.
4. Int. Airport. Day.
Jay is waiting by the exit gate with Alex, who´s in town for the wedding.
Jay:
Where´s the time machine around here? I need it, so I can go back and not invite them!
Alex:
Stop being such a pussy, Jay! Man up a little! It´s just your parents, for Christ sake!
Jay:
You´re the only one I still know, who knew me when I was living with my dad. Kicking him and my mom out of life is the best thing, I´ve ever done!
Alex:
Why invite them then?
Jay:
Because Maya has been bugging me about meeting them. I think she´s hoping, that she´ll reconcile us and we´ll all hug it out. The poor girl doesn´t know what she´s getting herself into!
Alex:
Isn´t that your dad?
She points at someone and Jay looks in that direction.
Jay:
With a girl who´s young enough to be MY daughter on his arm. Yeah, that´s him!
They walk over to Jay´s Dad Ernie, a well to do Silver Fox in his mid 60´s and his fiance Renee, a stunningly beautiful gold digger in her early 20´s.
Jay:
Hi, Ernie.
Ernie:
Jason! It´s great to see you again, son.
Jay and Ernie shake hands.
Jay:
Do you remember my friend Alex?
Ernie:
This is little Alex Nunez? You know, me and Jason´s mom always thought, that you two would end up married some day.
Alex:
That would require both a sex and personality transplant!
She gets a giggle out of Renee.
Renee:
That´s funny!
Ernie:
In any case, it´s nice to see that you´ve stayed friends, all these years later. I´d like you to meet my fiancee Renee.
Renee:
I´m pleased to meet you, Jason.
He shakes hands with her.
Jay:
People usually call me Jay.
Renee:
Won´t it be weird, that I´ll be your new step-mom, when we get married?
Alex:
Yeah, Jay. I don´t know how I´d react, if I had to call a woman half my age "mom".
Ernie:
I see, you still have that sharp tongue, Alex.
Alex:
Some things never change.
Ernie:
I don´t know about you, but I haven´t had anything to eat all day, so how about I buy us lunch at a nice restaurant?
Jay:
Lead the way.
Ernie does with a smile on his face. Alex can see that this is bringing up a painful past for Jay and gives him a comforting pad on the back.
5. Int. Cafe. Day.
Maya and Mikey are getting to know each other with a little alone time.
Maya:
If there´s anything you want to know, I´ll answer the best I can. I suppose one obvious one would be why I gave you up for adoption.
Mikey nods.
Maya:
The thing was that I was going through a very bad time in my life. Please don´t think, that it was because I didn´t love you. I can´t tell you how many hours I´ve spent thinking about where in the world you might be and how your life was. The one time, they let me hold you in my arms, I never wanted to let you go again. But I knew, that I wouldn´t be able to care and provide for you, the way a mom should. I was on my own, too young and my life was one big mess. You asked me, if I´m your real mom and that´s half way true. I´m the one, who had you, so in that way I am. I still think that your "real" mom is the one, who´s been a mom to you all these years.
Mikey:
Do you regret it?
Maya:
It might not be what you want to hear, but I made the right decision. You love your family, don´t you?
Mikey:
Yeah, I do.
Maya:
There you go. It all worked out for the best. Do you have any other questions?
Mikey:
Who´s my real dad?
Maya:
His name is Zigmund, but I´ve always know him as Zig. We´ve known each other, since we were 14.
Mikey:
Does he know about me?
Maya:
No, I´ve never told him. I can though, if you want me to. I owe you that much.
Mikey tries to take it in. Maya is relieved to get it out.
6. Int. Retaurant. Day.
Jay and Maya are eating lunch with Ernie and Amber in a very high class place. Ernie and Alex are having a large lunch (Alex clearly taking full advantage of eating in a fancy place for once), while Jay and Amber are sticking to salads.
Alex:
I tell ya, Ernie. I could get used to living like this. If only we could move this restaurant to Hawaii.
Ernie:
Don´t think there hasn´t been a few times, when I haven´t been reluctant to leave! Do you remember our vacation there, Jason?
Jay:
Which one? The one where you and my step-mom spent the whole time fighting or the one after she left us, where you were too busy hitting on girls at bars to care, what I was doing?
Ernie:
We still had our share of good times.
Jay:
When? I can´t remember any.
Ernie:
What are you talking about? We went on vacations and I was there for you, when you needed it.
Jay shakes his head to himself.
Jay:
You never gave a damn about me!
Alex:
Jay, we talked about staying positive.
Jay:
I can´t! First it was your job, that took all your time, then it was finding a new wife and all that time, I was left on my own to deal with everything. Don´t pretend like you´ve spent a second worrying about me, since the last time we talked 30 plus years ago, because I know, that you haven´t!
Jay gets up from his seat.
Jay:
I can´t sit here and pretend, that we can erase the past and start fresh, because we all know why, that isn´t going to happen. I´m sorry, I wasted your time.
Ernie:
Jason, I can´t express how sorry I am, if that´s how you feel. We´ve both made mistakes, but there has to be a way for us to get past this.
Jay:
I can´t see how. I´ll wait for you in the car, Alex.
He leaves them and Amber takes Ernie´s hand to comfort him.
Alex:
This just got weird, didn´t it? However, I´m not letting a good piece of meat go to waste!
She goes back to eating.
7. Int. Car. Day.
Jay is driving with Alex in the passenger seat.
Alex:
I´ll say this for your dad. He knows a fine restaurant, when he sees one!
Jay:
At least he´s good for something!
Alex:
I know you have your issues with him, but he was really trying.
Jay:
To do what, set me off?
Alex:
All he did was mention a vacation.
Jay:
He was trying to pretend, like he was dad of the year! It was making me sick to my stomach to sit there and hear him say that.
Alex:
Talking about sick to my stomach, I could not be more full, if I tried! That cow did not die in vain, considering how good it tasted!
Jay:
At least, you got something out of it.
Alex:
I hope, your step-mom doesn´t invite us to lunch too!
Jay:
Her? The woman who´s never spent a penny un-wisely in her life and looks down on everyone, who does?
Alex:
The way you used to describe her as a real bitch, makes me want to meet her more. It might sound weird, but I sometimes miss meeting one, like the kind I knew in jail. Everyone in Hawaii is so nice and chilled out, that you need it once in a while.
Jay:
You´re right. That does sound weird! Meeting my dad again was hard enough. Seeing her will be hellfire and brimstone!
Alex:
I can´t wait to meet her!
Jay looks at Alex and shakes his head.
8. Ext. Street. Day.
Maya hugs Mikey goodbye, while Katie and Amber watch them.
Maya:
It was nice to meet you, Mikey. I hope, we can do this again someday.
Mikey:
Me too. You´re nice.
Maya:
Well, thank you very much! You´re a good kid, Mikey. Your parents, the ones who raised you that is, did a great job.
Amber:
Let´s go, Mikey. It´s time to say goodbye and head home.
Mikey:
Bye; Maya.
Maya:
Bye, Mikey.
They break the hug and Mikey and Amber head up the street.
Maya:
It isn´t any easier watching him walk away, than it was to give him up.
Katie:
It didn´t make you feel better?
Maya:
Oh, it did. It´s nice to know, that he´s in good hands. I can´t say, that I haven´t worried about it a time or two.
Katie:
You look like you could use an evening out after this.
Maya:
What do you suggest? Jay is having his reunion with his parents, Frankie is having some much needed brother/sister/bestie time with Miles and Amy. Lola and Zoe almost never go out anymore, unless it´s a special occasion.
Katie:
You can go out with me and Marisol. Mo is DJ´ing at a club downtown. If he´s not too busy, you could share some old WhisperHug memories.
Maya:
The brilliant band, that never went anywhere! Why not? I could use some cheering up after this. I´m not looking forward to telling Zig and I´ll have to tell Jay. At least you and mom know, so that´s a start.
Katie:
All in good time! Tonight, I want to see that winning smile, I can´t get enough of. In a few days, you´re marrying the love of your life, so cheer up!
Maya manages to smile for her.
9. Int. Car. Day.
Jay is looking like he´d rather be anywhere else. Alex in the passenger seat looks amused, while his mother Nora, a strict looking woman in her mid 60´s, is in the back seat.
Nora:
Slow down. You´re driving too fast.
Jay:
I´m going the speed limit.
Nora:
Did you fly me up here to get me killed in a car crash?
Jay:
Okay, I´ll slow down!
He does, even if it annoys him.
Alex:
I´m curious, Nora. Why did you abandon your family?
Jay looks at her like "What did you just say?", while Nora finds it amusing.
Nora:
It was hell living with a man, who was cheating on me with any slut, who was willing to spread her legs for him, whether he paid her to or not. Is that a good enough answer, or do I have to draw you a diagram?
Alex:
It will suffice.
Nora:
You should be marrying this one, Jay. Lord knows, you need a strong woman, who doesn´t give a crap what anyone thinks of her, to keep you in check!
Alex:
Been there, done that and bought the T-Shirt that said "My boyfriend gave Gonorrhea to lots of girls, so I dumped him". You know, the classic teenage relationship tale!
Nora:
Why am I not surprised?
Jay:
I was 17! Did you have to mention that?
Alex:
She practically asked! I switched to girls right afterwards.
Nora:
Ha! No wonder, considering who your last boyfriend was!
Jay:
Maybe we should try out that car crash idea, because it can´t be worse than this!
Nora:
Oh, lighten up! Your dad was the same, always taking everything I said literally.
Alex:
Actually, he wasn´t that bad of a boyfriend, if you count out the cheating part. Since then, he´s turned into a hell of a guy. His bride to be thinks so too and you have to admit, it´s pretty cool that he owns his own business.
Nora:
Is it making money?
Jay:
We´re turning in a healthy profit every month. We have more work, than we can handle, so we´re considering moving to a bigger place.
Nora:
Good. We all need to know our limits and make our career moves accordingly. If you´ve succeeded at this, then I suppose congratulations are in order.
Jay looks surprised.
Jay:
Was that a compliment?
Nora:
Don´t let it go to your head! I was merely pointing out that for someone with your meager life smarts, you seem to have done pretty well for yourself. If someone had told me that 20 years ago, I would have suggested that they belonged in the Looney Bin!
Jay tries to take in, that he just got a compliment from his mom, however underhanded it was.
10. Int. Club. Evening.
Mo (who still looks more or less the same) is spinning disks on stage and the crowd is popping for it. He´s clearly in his element and is super good at it.
We see Marisol, who´s with Maya and Katie, looking at him longingly.
Marisol:
Maybe I should give him another chance. The 13th time could be a charm, right?
Katie:
Either that or the cursed time, none of you will ever recover from! See, Maya, this is exactly what you want to avoid. Being stuck on the same guy in a multi year on/off relationship, because you still after all these years can´t make up your mind about him!
Maya:
Have you really broken up him 12 times?
Marisol:
A few of them you could say were by mutual consent. I just don´t know. Sometimes, he´s the guy of my dreams and other times he´s Mo, the big dumb guy, who just doesn´t get it, when he does something wrong!
Katie:
Could it be because you never tell him, what he´s done wrong?
Marisol:
He should know! I need a drink!
She leaves them and they make eye contact.
Maya:
And I thought, I had problems.
Katie:
It´s been like that between them since High School.
Maya:
He must really care about her, if he keeps taking her back.
Katie:
Jay would too, if you broke up with him.
Maya:
Probably. I hate to bring up the elephant in the room, but is anything happening in your love life?
Katie:
Nada. I´m almost ready to give up and accept, that I´ll live the rest of my life as a lonely spinster, who´ll die alone at the age of a hundred after 70 years of unwanted celibacy!
Maya:
There will be a couple of single guys at the wedding. Maybe you´ll hit it off with one of them.
Katie:
I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, but I might as well face that I´m too late and all the good guys my age are either gay or taken.
Marisol comes back to them and her eyes fix on Mo.
Marisol:
I just decided, that I´m getting back together with him! This time will be the one that lasts!
Maya:
You´re both hopeless!
She shakes her head at them and looks pleased, that it isn´t her in that situation.
11. Int. Tarrello´s. Evening.
Alex and Jay are enjoying a quiet beer at Tarrello´s.
Alex:
I´ve missed this bar. Was it as bad, as you imagined it?
Jay:
More or less. You and my mom got on splendidly!
Alex:
You just have to know how to talk "Bitch". Guys don´t stand a chance, when playing that game.
Jay:
It´s gonna be a disaster, when they have to be in the same room at the wedding, I just know it!
Alex:
Hasn´t it been 30 years ot something like that, since they last saw each other?
Jay:
34, by my count. I´m sure they wouldn´t mind it being another 34, until they had to see each other again.
Alex:
I know, you think of them as terrible parents and the reason why you had all of those problems. They still came here, because they care about you.
Jay:
I can´t blame Nora for being bitter. She was the one, who really picked my dad up, after my mom died and he treated her like crap, after he got back on his feet. It´s him that I really blame for how it went down.
Alex:
You don´t think, I have a lot to blame my mom for? All of those guys she dragged home, who either treated her horribly or took advantage of her, they must have played a part in my messed up relationship with the entire male sex, present company excluded. She cared more about her own fear of being lonely, than she ever did about my mental health, or she wouldn´t have allowed me to be exposed to it. Thanks to her, I saw all men as my enemy for a while there.
Jay:
What changed?
Alex:
I went to jail and realized, that women can be just as bad!
They smile at each other.
Jay:
I rejoice on behalf of my gender!
Alex:
We don´t get to choose our parents, but you won´t be gaining anything by continuing to cut them out of your life. You could end up regretting it, when they´re not here anymore.
He takes a sip of beer and considers it.
12. Int. Maya and Jay´s Apartment. Evening.
Maya is Skyping with Tristan on her lap top.
Maya:
When are you coming in?
Tristan:
I´m flying out early tomorrow, so I should be there around noon. I can´t wait to see you in your wedding dress!
Maya:
It is gorgeous! Tomorrow, we´re having a day with all of the old gang! You, me, Zig, Tori ...
Tristan:
Tori is coming? I haven´t seen her in years!
Maya:
I didn´t tell you? She´s my study buddy.
Tristan:
This will be a wedding to die for!
Maya:
Have a great evening, Tris. I´ll be there to hug you hello, when you get in.
They wave goodbye to each other and she closes the laptop. Jay comes in.
Maya:
Hey. I didn´t hear you come in.
Jay:
How was your day with you sister?
Maya:
Very interesting. How was yours with your parents?
Jay:
Kind of a nightmare as expected, but it helped having Alex with me.
He sits down next to her and they kiss.
Jay:
What did you do?
Maya:
This and that. We went to club and saw a couple of good DJ´s, plus I had a good reminder of why I´m glad, that I´m not single.
Jay:
It´s nice to get one of those once in a while. What did you do before that?
Maya:
We ...
We can see that Maya really wants to tell him, but it´s too hard for her.
Jay:
You can´t remember?
Maya:
We just hung out and talked.
Jay:
Then your day was better then mine. Can you believe, that in approximately 60 hours and 40 minutes, we´ll be married?
Maya smiles at him.
Maya:
I didn´t have the exact time, but thanks for keeping me up to date!
Jay:
I love you, Maya.
Maya:
Love you too, Jay.
They hug and we can see from her facial expression that she wishes, she had told him. We fade to black.
TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT PART!
