LAKEHURST HIGH - EPISODE 1 - A DIFFERENT WORLD
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
Author´s Note: This is a one season series, that I came up with the idea for a while ago. Lakehurst is the only other high school mentioned in the Degrassi Mythos, so I decided to have them go there, since Degrassi (as mentioned in the episode "One Last Dance") has temporarily been closed down. I hope you´ll enjoy it.
1. Ext. Lakehurst. Morning.
Joey is standing in front of Lakehurst High and is holding hands with Caitlyn. Spike is with them too.
Joey:
So, this is our second home for the next two years.
Spike:
Speak for yourself. I only have one left.
Caitlyn:
I just know, that I´m gonna miss all of those, who got sent to other schools.
Spike:
Counting you two, Wheels, Michelle and Snake, I know 5 people here.
Joey:
Can any of us really say, that we know Wheels anymore?
Caitlyn:
He´s still your friend.
Joey:
Then why has he been ignoring my calls all summer?
Spike:
So many mysteries to solve. Who´s here, who isn´t? Why won´t Wheels talk to Joey ...
Caitlyn:
Will you finally find a boyfriend, who´s worth keeping ...
Spike:
There´s that and ... Hey!
Caitlyn and Joey find it amusing.
Joey:
You have to admit, that your luck hasn´t been the best.
Caitlyn:
It´s gonna change this year, I just know it.
Spike:
You´re more positive, than I am.
Joey looks at his Donald Duck watch.
Joey:
There´s nothing for it. School starts in five minutes.
Caitlyn:
It can´t be that bad, right?
They walk into the school.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Auditorium. Morning.
We see some familiar faces, who´ll be going to Lakehurst this year, sitting in the crowd. Alexa, Simon, Snake and Michelle are sitting together. Yick is sitting with Joey, Caitlyn and Spike, while Tessa sits by herself, feeling a little uncomfortable with some many unknown faces surrounding her. Mister Teasley, their new principal adresses the students.
Teasley:
It´s a new schoolyear and as you see, we have a lot of new faces joining us, now that Degrassi has been closed for repairs. I want you to welcome them, as if they´d always gone here and hazing will not be tolerated! The first time, you get a months detention and the second WILL get you suspended. Don´t even think about trying it a third time, on the hammer will fall on you! Tomfoolery is not tolerated at this school and I will not have it!
He bangs his fist on the table in front of him. Joey already looks intimidated by him.
3. Ext. Car. Morning.
The windows of the car are steamed up, from what is going on inside.
4. Int. Car. Morning.
Wheels and Kathleen are getting hot and heavy. He begins to pull his pants down, but she stops him.
Kathleen:
We´re already late.
Wheels:
I told you not to talk, when we´re making out.
She pushes him off and looks annoyed.
Kathleen:
Screw you!
Wheels looks confused.
Wheels:
What?
Kathleen:
You don´t give a rat´s ass about me, do you?
Wheels:
Don´t start with me again.
Kathleen:
You might as well say it. I´m just a body with a pair of boobs, for you to toy with.
Wheels:
That´s not true.
Kathleen:
Why won´t you be seen with me, then?
Wheel:
It´s not about you.
Kathleen:
How is it not about me? You´d better explain yourself, right now!
Wheels:
Because, well ... it´s not how I feel, but most people don´t like you, because you´re negative all the time and backtalk everyone. It would be embarrassing for me, if they knew. We can still make out, if you don´t tell anyone.
She looks ready to explode.
Wheels:
It can be a good thing, if you let it. Isn´t it more exciting, that no one knows?
She slaps him hard across the cheek.
Kathleen:
You can take your excitement and your piece of junk car and shove it! We´re through!
Wheels:
I was just being honest!
Kathleen:
There´s such a thing as being too honest!
She gets out of the car and he considers going after her but has a "slight problem". He closes his eyes.
Wheels (to himself):
Think about baseball, Wheels. You can do this.
He concentrates hard.
5. Int. Classroom. Morning.
Grade 11 is waiting for their new English teacher. Joey is talking to Yick, as they look over at Tessa, who looks very lonely.
Yick:
It isn´t my problem, that she´s lonely. She´ll make new friends.
Joey:
Do you really think, that she deserves the silent treatment?
Yick:
She dumped me. I´m the one, you should feel sorry for.
Joey:
Can you honestly look at that cute face and tell me, that your heart doesn´t go out, just a little bit, to her?
Yick:
Maybe a little.
She makes eye contact with her and she shyly smiles at him. He doesn´t smile back though, making her even more depressed looking.
6. Int. Hallway. Morning.
Caitlyn comes up to her locker, which is next to Tessa´s. Tessa smiles at her.
Tessa:
Finally a familiar face!
Caitlyn smiles back at her.
Caitlyn:
You don´t know that many here either, huh?
Tessa:
All my friends ended up going to other schools. The only one left here is Yick and things are ... complicated between us. You´ve probably heard through Joey.
Caitlyn:
Only that you broke up.
Tessa:
There were lots of reasons.
Caitlyn:
I´m sure, they were good.
Tessa:
I think, that he´s stil mad. Is it possible, that you could find out for me?
Caitlyn:
I don´t know him that well.
Tessa:
Can you get Joey to ask him? Yick and me have been friends for years and I want to at least try, to go back to that. Do you think, that it´s possible to go back, after you´ve been boyfriend and girlfriend?
Caitlyn:
Me and Joey managed to. I can´t say, when it comes to you two, but I can ask Joey to find out.
Tessa smiles.
Tessa:
Thanks, that´s really nice of you. I´m glad, that we´re locker neighbors. Maybe we could even be friends.
Caitlyn:
Maybe. See you later.
Tessa:
Later.
Caitlyn leaves her and Tessa looks pleased.
7. Int. Classroom. Morning.
Wheels is sitting next to Snake, off in his own world.
Snake:
Are you gonna tell me, who the girl is?
Wheels:
What makes you sure, that there´s a girl?
Snake:
Because you´ve been this way all summer. You can tell me, if you´ve met someone. I would be happy for you.
Wheels:
What if it´s someone, you could never imagine me with?
Snake:
Does she go here?
Wheels:
A gentleman doesn´t kiss and tell. But yes, she does.
Snake ponders it.
Snake:
Someone, I could never imagine you with? I give up.
Wheels:
I know, that I´ll get ribbed on by everyone, if they found out. The thing is ...
He leans in to whisper.
Wheels:
She turns me on. Like no girl has ever come close to turning me on before. We´re awful as a couple, but when she does her thing, I can´t say no! It´s like, she´s put a spell on me!
Snake can´t help laughing.
Snake:
What you call a spell, everyone else call a crush.
Wheels:
I still call it a spell. Anyway, I´m pretty sure, that she´s dumped me.
Snake:
Isn´t it for the best, if you´re having second thoughts?
Wheels:
Then why do I want to kiss her, more than I ever have before?
Snake:
Love works in mysterious ways. It sounds like, you have some things to work out.
Wheels:
Yet another one, to add to the list!
Wheels sulks.
8. Int. Cafeteria. Day.
Joey is eating lunch with Spike, Caitlyn and Yick. Spike is helping Caitlyn study, making Joey annoyed.
Joey:
What do you want to do after school?
Caitlyn:
I have to study.
Joey:
No surprise there!
Caitlyn:
What´s that supposed to mean?
Joey:
It´s all you´ve done all summer! It´s as if, you´ve forgotten how to have fun!
Caitlyn:
If I´m gonna graduate a year early, it´s gonna take a big effort.
Joey:
Because, it would be terrible to go here with me next year!
Caitlyn:
Maybe this is fine for you, because you don´t have any dreams! I want to go places in life!
Joey:
Places that don´t involve me, apparently!
Yick and Spike are both uncomfortable from hearing them argue.
Yick:
I´m not doing anything, if you want to hang out.
Joey:
See Caitlyn, not everyone is busy, trying to get out of here, as soon as they can. Some of us think, that you should enjoy being young, before you become old and boring.
Caitlyn stands up and throws her tray in Joey´s face.
Caitlyn:
NOT EVERYTHING IS ABOUT YOU! CAN YOU BE MORE SELFISH?
She storms out and Spike follows after her.
Joey:
How is it being selfish, to ask your girlfriend, to spend time with you?
He sulks.
8. Int. Girl´s Room. Day.
Caitlyn comes in, with Spike in tow. Kathleen is already in there.
Caitlyn:
I can´t believe him! Does he think, that he owns me or something?
Spike;
He´s worried about losing you.
Kathleen:
That´s what you get for dating someone, who´s as immature as Joey.
Caitlyn giver her an annoyed scowl.
Caitlyn:
Who asked you?
Kathleen:
He´s gonna drag you down, because that´s what boys do. They suck the life out of you, break your heart and move on to the next one. They´re not worth it!
Spike and Caitlyn look surprised at her outburst.
Spike:
Is there something, you need to talk about?
Kathleen:
i had a boyfriend this summer and things were great! I finally met a nice one, or so I thought and I was dumb enough to think, that he could like me. Now I´ve found out, that he´s just like all the others! Just a shallow, pathetic loser, who used me and wasn´t worth a second of my time to begin with! Dump Joey before he dumps you. You´ll be thanking me later!
She storms out. Caitlyn and Spike make eye contact.
Caitlyn:
Here I thought, I had boy issues!
Spike:
Staying single is starting to sound like a valid option!
Caitlyn:
I´d seriously consider it, if I were you!
They shake their heads at the situation.
9. Ext. Lakehurst. Day.
Wheels is eating lunch by himself in the sun. Joey comes out and doesn´t know, whether to approach him or not.
Wheels:
Hey, Joey. Take a seat.
Joey smiles and looks glad, that Wheels is talking to him. He sits down next to him.
Joey:
I needed a break from that place.
Wheels:
I know, what you mean. I´m already looking forward to the weekend.
Joey:
I thought, you were mad at me. I don´t remember the last summer, where we never saw each other.
Wheels:
You had plenty of fun with Caitlyn, didn´t you?
Joey:
Yeah, but it´s not the same as hanging out with my boys. How was your summer?
Wheels:
Alright. I fixed up an old Monte Carlo, that I got for practically nothing. It runs like a dream now.
Joey:
You always were good with your hands.
Wheels:
I´m thinking about becoming a mechanic. Ka ... my girlfriend thinks, that I should.
Joey looks suspicious.
Joey;
A girlfriend, whose name begins with Ka.
Wheels gives him a re-assuring smile.
Wheels:
It´s not Caitlyn. I haven´t even seen her all summer, so it would be kind of impossible.
Joey:
A girl, whose name beings with Ka?
Joey puts two and two together and makes wide eyes.
Joey:
Not Kathleen?
Wheels:
Not so loud. I don´t want anyone to know!
Joey:
Hey, my lips are sealed, but her? Doesn´t her constant judgmental scowl, get you down? It would with me!
Wheels:
She has a different side to her, when you get her alone. It´s all moot now, anyway. She got mad and dumped me.
Joey:
Why did she dump you?
Wheels:
I said, it would be too embarrassing to be seen with her.
Joey:
Oh, my God! You´re even worse with girls, than I am!
Wheels:
I wish, I´d said it in a nicer way, but what did she expect?
Joey:
For you to be nice and supportive. That´s what girls our age, usually expect from their boyfriends.
He puts two and two together in his head again.
Joey:
Which I wasn´t at all with Caitlyn. No wonder, that she´s mad at me.
Wheels:
Some things don´t change.
Joey:
Have we changed? Are we still friends?
Wheels:
Of course, we are. Not like we used to be, but it´s not like I dislike you or anything.
Joey:
I have to go and apologize to Caitlyn. I´m hanging out with Yick after school, if you want to join us?
Wheels:
Maybe tomorrow. I have my own girl issue, to work out.
Joey:
Cool. See ya.
Joey leaves him.
10. Int. Hallway. Day.
Kathleen is standing by her locker, looking emotional. Spike comes over to her.
Spike:
Are you okay? You were really upset earlier.
Kathleen looks surprised, that someone cares enough to ask.
Kathleen:
It´s this whole break up thing. Back at Degrassi, I would have Melanie or one of my other friends .. well, I would have Melanie, to talk to about it. Without her, it´s kind of lonely here. I might as well be a ghost.
Spike:
I think, a lot of us Degrassi students feel that way. Liz is gone, Lucy is gone, I haven´t talked to the twins, since the last day of school. But you make new friends. I managed to make one in Caitlyn over the summer.
Kathleen:
I´m not good with new people. I feel like, everyone´s looking at me, like I´m a freak, because I haven´t always gone here. Call me dumb, but I wish, I hadn´t broken up with my ex.
Spike:
If you don´t mind me asking, why did you?
Kathleen:
He´s embarrassed to be seen with me. Ain´t that a kick in the head?
Spike looks sympathetic with her.
Spike:
Have you tried talking to him?
Kathleen:
What´s the use? He might as well have said: Kathleen, you´re an ugly loser, that everybody hates. Everyone would laugh and pick on me, if they saw me with you.
Spike:
I don´t hate you.
Kathleen manages a small smile.
Kathleen:
You don´t?
Spike:
Why should I hate you? Us Degrassi girls need to stick together, you know?
Kathleen:
You´re not just saying that?
Spike:
Lunch tomorrow, you´re sitting with us. I don´t like to see you all alone, any more than I´d like to be the one, who´s alone. Just try to stay a little more positive than usual, okay?
Kathleen:
l´ll try.
They smile at each other and Spike leaves her. Wheels tentatively approaches her.
Wheels:
Kathleen?
She looks angry with him.
Kathleen:
Don´t talk to me!
She slams her locker shut
Wheels:
I didn´t mean to upset you.
Kathleen:
You haven´t, because you mean nothing to me!
She storms off.
11. Int. Classroom. Day.
Joey comes in and sits down next to Caitlyn. He looks annoyed.
Joey:
First day and I already have Spanish homework! You´d think, they would go easy on us the first day.
Caitlyn:
It is an outrageous request, to ask a student to study!
Joey:
Can you help me?
Caitlyn:
I could, if it had been French. My Spanish only extends to "Mi no hablo Espanol".
Joey:
Actually, I´m pretty sure, that you would use "me", in that situation.
Caitlyn:
Like the English word?
Joey:
I can see, that you wouldn´t be much help.
Caitlyn:
Sorry.
Joey:
It´s okay. Problem is, that my Spanish is only slightly better than yours.
Caitlyn:
Is there someone, who could help you?
Joey thinks about it.
Joey:
There´s Yick´s ex, Tessa. She´s close to fluent.
Caitlyn:
If´s funny, that you should mention her. She´s my new locker neighbor.
Joey:
Small world.
Caitlyn:
I wasn´t sure, if I should ask, because I didn´t think, it was my place to. She wants to be friends with Yick again, so can you help her out? You´d be doing it for Yick too.
Joey:
I can try.
Caitlyn:
A little help with your homework, in exchange for a little help with her Yick problem. It sounds like a satisfying solution to me.
Joey considers it.
12. Int. Classroom. Day,
In the senior class, Wheels is sitting next to Snake, who has Michelle next to him. Wheels looks frustrated. Michelle sees it.
Michelle:
Who rained on your parade?
Wheels:
A girl. She won´t talk to me.
Snake:
It´s a long story.
Michelle:
I´m guessing, that this is a girl of the girlfriend variety?
Snake:
Leave it alone. He´d rather not talk about it.
Wheels:
If you have any last ditch plan, this is the time for it.
Michelle:
Does she know, how you feel about her?
Wheels shrugs.
Wheels:
I don´t know. Maybe.
Michelle:
You asking for a last ditch plan and you haven´t tried that yet? Pour your heart out to her and show her, that you care. It´s not rocket science!
Snake:
Sometimes the simplest plan is the best.
Wheels smiles to himself.
13. Int. Degrassi. Day.
School has ended for the day and students are leaving the school. Kathleen comes up to the entrance and can´t help smiling at what she sees. It´s Wheels with a sign that reads:
I´m sorry, Kathleen.
Can I be your boyfriend?
Several students find it amusing, but he´s taking it in stride, because he wants her back. She forces herself to scowl again, as she walks up to him.
Kathleen:
Is that supposed to impress me?
Wheels:
It´s a question, I forgot to ask. Can I?
Kathleen almost can´t hold her smile back anymore, giving him hope.
Wheels:
Am I seeing a smile?
Kathleen gives in and smiles at him.
Kathleen:
Does that mean, that you´re taking me out on a date this Friday?
Wheels:
If that´s what you want me to. Look, I don´t know if we´ll make a good couple, or if we´ll still be together a week from now. I´m willing to give us a try, if you are. I like you.
Kathleen:
I like you too.
They leave the school together.
14. Ext. Lakehurst. Day.
Spike, Joey and Caitlyn leave the school.
Caitlyn:
That was an interesting first day.
Spike:
Maybe this next year won´t be too bad.
Joey:
I see Tessa and Yick.
He gives Caitlyn a quick kiss on the cheek.
Joey:
See you tomorrow.
Caitlyn:
Have fun.
He quickly waves goodbye to Spike before running off to catch Yick and Tessa.
Spike:
I heard, that Yick wasn´t talking to her.
Caitlyn:
Believe it or not, it´s thanks to Joey.
Spike look surprised.
Spike:
Joey did something right?
Caitlyn:
He does, once in a rare while! He knows people. One little talk with Yick and you can see the result for yourself.
Spike:
That´s the first time, I´ce been impressed with him.
Caitlyn:
He can get things done, when he needs to. The problem is, that he ONLY gets things done, when he needs to.
Spike:
It´s nice of him, to help them out.
Caitlyn:
He´s getting help with Spanish, in exchange for helping her with Yick.
Spike:
And you´re fine with this?
Caitlyn:
I suggested it.
Spike:
Let me get this right. You suggested, that your, not so bright, but admittedly attractive boyfriend, studies alone with a very pretty girl, who´s rumored to change boyfriends, like the rest of us change socks?
Caitlyn sees, what she means.
Caitlyn:
I could be, that it wasn´t the best idea, I´ve had!
The last freeze frame is Caitlyn looking worried.
CLOSING CREDITS