WHAT IF? - SEASON 6 EPISODE 12 - ME, MYSELF AND I (PART 2)

1. Int. Rehearsal Room. Day.

Adam, Jenna and their two other bandmates have just arrived for rehearsal.

Adam:

We need more songs, that´s our main issue!

Imogen:

We could throw in a few covers, just to fill up the set list.

Mo:

Any ideas on what songs we could play?

Imogen:

I do a killer shower rendition of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"!

Jenna:

As great as that all sounds, Imogen, there aren´t any of us, who know how to play it.

Imogen:

Let´s hear you come up with an idea, then!

Jenna:

We could try playing the song, I wrote last night.

She gets her guitar out of it´s bag and gets ready to play, while her bandmates sit down to watch her perform.

Jenna:

I was listening to some 60´s records for inspiration, so if it´s too much of a Hippie song, just let me know.

Mo:

What´s it called?

Jenna:

"Is There Anything Better Than Love?".

The others bat an eye at the title, especilly Imogen and Mo. Jenna starts singing her Hippie love song.

Jenna (singing):

Is there anything better than love?

If so, I don´t know what it is

Love is the best thing in the world

There´s no bigger truth than this

We cut to her bandmates, who are too shocked to speak, as they watch her playing. Imogen turns to the other two.

Imogen:

Kind of a radical style change, don´t you think?

The other two nod in agreement.

OPENING CREDITS

2. Int. The Dot. Day.

The band are having a band meeting at The Dot after school and are sitting together.

Mo:

I have it all set up. Sav will be our technician, we can use the school´s equipment to record on, so all we have to do is show and play.

Jenna:

Here´s to us!

They toast on their drinks and Mo finishes his.

Mo:

I´m getting another one. Do you guys want anything to drink, while I´m up there?

Jenna:

No, but I could use some kind of snack.

Adam:

You´re not sure about what you want yet?

Jenna:

Only about some things, Adam!

She smiles flirtingly at Adam, who smiles back at her, before she heads up to the counter. Mo is of course completely oblivious to Jenna´s slip of the tongue, but Imogen instantly picks up on it.

Imogen:

Why did she call you Adam, Gracie?

Adam realizes that he´s just been unintentionally outed by Jenna and gets a little uncomfortable.

Adam:

It´s a ... nickname, she has for me.

Imogen:

Gracie, are you ... I don´t know what the exact term is for it is ...

Adam:

It´s transgender. In my case female to male transgender.

He waits a moment to gauge her reaction, as she smiles at him.

Imogen:

That´s so cool!

He looks relieved, that she thinks so.

Adam:

Really?

Imogen:

Yeah! You´ll get the best of both worlds!

Adam:

Or the worst of them, depending on how you look at it.

Imogen:

Gracie, or should I say, Adam. What exactly is the nature of your´s and Jenna´s current relationship, if you don´t mind me asking?

Adam:

I´d prefer to keep that between me and her, if that´s okay?

Imogen:

Why I´m mainly asking you, is does she see you as a boy or a girl?

Adam:

Boy, but I think that part of her still sees me as a girl. It´s complicated, like so much else in my life right now!

Imogen:

It´s no wonder, that it is! Especially when for the first time in your life, such a cute and wonderful, albeit very confused girl like her, who´s already emotionally vulnerable and right there for the taking after having just broken up with her first boyfriend, starts falling for you! I can´t imagine how hard that would be for you to say no to! To be honest, if I´d been you, then she could have had me any way she wanted to!

She looks Adam in the eyes, and he tries to avert her gaze, as Jenna and Mo returns. Jenna bought herself a small bag of chips and offers one to the other two, as well as Mo.

3. Ext. Street. Day.

Adam and Jenna come up to the bus-stop where Jenna gets on it most school days.

Adam:

Does this mean that your brother is finished driving you to and from school?

Jenna:

He would probably come and pick me up, if I begged him to, but I don´t mind taking the bus today. It gives me a chance to do some homework on the way home. If I can concentrate on it, of course!

She takes his hand and they smile at one another.

Adam:

Why wouldn´t you be able to concentrate?

Jenna:

Sometimes it´s hard, when you´ve just fallen for someone and you have all of those warm and fuzzy feelings running through your body.

Adam:

Who´s this, that you´re in love with? Is it someone, I know?

Jenna:

It´s you, Bonehead! God, I want to kiss you so much right now, that I could burst!

Adam:

Why don´t you, then?

Her face turns a little more serious and it disappoints him.

Jenna:

We´ve already talked about that. I´m not ready for anyone to know that I´m ... I mean, you know that I see you as a guy, it´s just that it isn´t how others see you and therefore they could think that I´m ...

Adam:

Gay?

Jenna:

Not that I have the tiniest thing against gay people! I bought Lady Gaga´s latest CD on the day it came out! That should tell you something!

Her rambling excuses start to worry him a little.

Adam:

Yeah, that you like good pop music. Why are you so scared of people thinking that you´re gay?

Jenna:

It´s not me, it´s the way some other people view gays, that worries me. Adam, please believe me. The way I see it, I´m dating a guy in a heterosexual relationship and that´s that!

Adam:

Only, you´re not willing to kiss me in public or tell anyone about us.

Jenna:

It´ll come someday, I promise!

She looks around to make completely sure that no one is around to see it, before kssing him very quickly.

Jenna:

There! Now you can´t say that I never kiss you in public!

She smiles at him and he tries to smile it off too, although he´s clearly starting to worry, if Imogen could be dead on about her.

4. Int. Manny´s Office. Day.

Manny and Jay are hanging out (for once).

Manny:

You know how to ballroom dance? I don´t buy it!

Jay:

My parents made me take lessons from age six to nine. The instructors used to make me dance with this mean little girl named Cassie, who would stomp really hard on your feet, if you got a step wrong!

Manny:

Okay, now I sort of believe it!

Jay:

It´s the reason why my feet always had at least one black mark on them, all the way through grade school. How can I prove to you, that I´m telling the truth?

Manny:

You could show me in here.

Jay:

Without any music? That´s like asking Picasso to paint a picture and only giving him one color to work with!

Manny:

Jay, Picasso has been dead for decades! If you got him to paint anything right now, I would be shocked to my core!

Jay:

You know, what I mean!

Manny:

There is a dance studio downtown, that teaches ballroom dancing on some nights.

Jay:

That sounds perfect!

Manny:

Let´s see ...

She logs onto her work PC and looks it up.

Manny:

What a spectacular and completely unforeseen coincidence! They have a class on tonight!

Jay:

No way!

Manny:

How lucky are we, huh? Shall I sign us up? It looks like, you can do it on-line.

Jay:

Sounds like a plan! Have you taken any classes there before?

Manny:

No, I applied to be a cleaning lady down there, before you helped me get this job. Yet another of the many jobs, I applied for and didn´t get! There, now we´re signed up. It starts at seven.

Jay:

I´m warning you already! You´s better prepare to be shocked, Ms. Manny Santos!

He looks like, he´s looking forward to it.

5. Int. Hallway. Day.

Jay is practicing a few of his dance moves on a step ladder, while changing a lightbulb in one of the ceiling lamps. Danny, Peter and Derek pass him and can´t help laughing a little at him. He gets annoyed with them for it.

Jay:

Laugh it up, boys! If you want a classy lady to fall for you, then you´ll have to learn it too!

He finishes the job and puts the lampshade back on. He barely notices Adam standing there, when he comes down.

Jay:

Hi! Are you looking to become a janitor too, when you grow up and that´s why you´re watching me?

Adam:

I heard that you´re the one to go, if you have a problem, you need a cool adult guy´s viewpoint on. Someone, who´s actually tried it all, unlike the rest of us.

Jay can´t help smiling to himself.

Jay:

They think I´m cool, huh?

Adam:

Those who don´t only talk about how you´re so clearly in love with Ms. Santos and she just as clearly feels the same way about you.

Jay´s smile fades again and he worries a little.

Jay:

They really say that about us?

Adam:

There´s a big betting pool on when it´s going to happen! You´ve become the Jim and Pam of Degrassi!

Jay:

Or the Pacey and Joey!

Adam:

My older brother has next Saturday, if you want to help him out.

Jay:

Tell him not to get his hopes up! What can I help you with?

Adam:

How do you know if a girl is only going out with you, because she´´s on the rebound?

Jay:

Is this about you or your brother?

Adam:

It´s ... my brother. I´m worried, that she´s gonna break his heart. He really, really likes this girl and that´s great, but I don´t want him to get set up for heartbreak either.

Jay:

First of all, you´ve come to the right source! In fact, you could say that rebounding girls were my specialty, when I was your age!

Adam looks a little confused.

Adam:

You went specifically for them? Why?

Jay:

Because what they want is someone to shower all of that left over affection on that they didn´t get to shower on their ex-boyfriends! After a week or two, they would come to their senses and tell me to take a hike. Of course, by then I´d already sle ... held hands with them and kissed them so much, that I´d gotten what I wanted out of it.

Adam:

Are there any telltale signs, I could be on the lookout for?

Jay:

As I said, they´re usually very affectionate, sometimes to the point of it being too much. It´s also my experience that they tended to know deep down, that it wouldn´t last long, so they didn´t want to make plans too far into the future. If they keep talking about their ex, that´s a bad sign too, but it can be even worse if they refuse to talk about them, because that means they still have bottled up feelings for them.

Adam takes it in and looks at Jay with a little bit of surprise on his face.

Adam:

You know a lot about girls, don´t you?

Jay:

Nah, not really. I was just good at breaking their hearts!

Adam:

You would never break Ms. Santos´s, though, would you?

Jay:

Well ...

He gets a little uncomfortable, so Adam cracks a grin at him.

Adam:

I´m just kidding! Thanks for the advice.

Jay:

You´re welcome.

Adam leaves him and Jay starts to get an idea.

Jay (thinking out loud to himself):

A betting pool, huh? Maybe, I should ... nah!

He shakes off the idea and starts folding his stepladder together.

6. Int. Classroom. Day.

Adam comes into the classroom and sees that Jenna has saved him a spot next to her. He takes it and they smile at each other.

Jenna:

You just made it in time! Where were you?

Adam:

I was just talking to a guy.

Jenna:

A potential guy friend, huh? That´s nice!

Adam:

You think so?

She leans in to whisper in his ear.

Jenna (whispering to him):

I didn´t want to say anything, but if people are going to start believing that you´re a boy now, then you can´t be seen hanging around with us girls all the time anymore.

He tries to look like he´s okay with what she said, but obviously isn´t.

Adam:

I guess, you could be right.

Jenna:

So ... you, me, a trailer all to ourselves, until my brother comes home around nine? How does that strike you?

Adam:

Great! I´m looking forward to it!

She looks pleased, while he tries to hide his worries.

7. Int. Gracie´s Room. Evening.

Adam is trying to choose between which of his many hoodies to wear for his big evening with Jenna, when Drew knocks on the door and sticks his head in.

Drew:

Mom wants to know if you need a ride over to Jenna´s?

Adam:

Tell her, that would be great! Come in for a sec.

He does and closes the door behind himself.

Drew:

You have no idea how lucky you are that you get to be open about your romantic pursuits. Which is made even stranger by you, still officially anyway, being the gay one of us!

Adam:

Why are you so worried, that she won´t accept Alli? She´s adorable!

Drew:

It´s more me being accepted by her parents, I´m worried about. From what I hear, they´re not exactly known for the open-mindedness!

Adam:

Which of these hoodies do you think she´ll like best?

Drew smiles at him.

Drew:

She´s not going to care which hoodie you´re wearing, only what´s underneath it!

Adam:

Do you think she might want to go further than kissing tonight?

Drew:

Could be. The question is though, how´s she going to react when she sticks her hand down the front of your pants and that thing, that´s usually there, isn´t?

Adam:

No one said that this first period of us being together, wouldn´t be a big adjustment period for both of us. She´s not the only one, who´s filled with conflicting emotions, if that´s what you think.

Drew:

What do you have to be conflicted over? She´s pretty, she likes you and you definitely like her, I know that for a fact!

Adam:

I´m just worried that her break-up with KC has made her confused about some things. That it´s the only reason, why she´s with me.

Drew:

I can´t give you an answer on how to find that out, if that´s what you want!

Adam:

No, it´s alright. I have an idea, how I can find out.

Drew:

If she is, are you going to break up with her, then?

Adam:

I have to, don´t you think?

Drew:

That´s all up to you, dude! I don´t think there are all that many people, who have been in the exact situation, you and her are in right now!

Adam looks determined to find out, but also scared of what the result will be.

8. Int. Dance Studio. Evening.

Manny and Jay come in together, dressed to do some dancing.

Manny:

What did you tell Ellie, you´re doing tonight?

Jay:

Watching the NASCAR race with Spinner. You?

Manny:

I´m officially visiting my parents.

Jay:

That doesn´t make us bad people, does it?

Manny:

No, only that we´ve started lying to our respective partners, so we can be alone together outside of work hours! That´s not a bad sign at all, right?

Jay:

They don´t need to know everything, do they?

Him and Manny smile shyly at one another, but it´s like both of them know they´re crossing a line tonight. The dance instructor, a woman in her 40´s, comes over to them.

Instructor:

And they say that young people don´t appreciate the finer things in life anymore! Welcome, welcome!

Manny:

Did you give us two welcomes, because there´s two of us?

Jay (thinking to himself):

Where have I heard that line before?

Instructors:

We´re glad to have you here. Class starts in five.

Manny:

We´ll be ready!

The instructor goes to greet the other couples in her class.

Manny:

She´s like something right out of a TV series, isn´t she?

Jay:

TV series ...

Something dawns on him and he starts to panic.

Jay:

Sorry, Manny. I gotta go!

He runs off while she looks confused at what´s going on.

Manny:

Jay, get back here!

Seeing as he won´t, she follows after him in stead.

9. Int. Coat Check Room. Evening.

Jay is searching for his coat, when Manny comes in and quickly finds him.

Manny:

Are you going to tell me, what the heck just happened that made you go cuckoo bananas, all of a sudden?

Jay:

Dawson´s Creek, season three, episode nine, "Four to Tango".

Manny:

What about it?

Jay stops looking for his coat and turns his attention to her.

Jay:

Don´t you remember? That´s the one, where Pacey and Joey join a ballroom dance class, so he can help her win some scholarship, in exchange for help with his homework.

Manny:

Wow, you really paid close attention to what happened in those episodes, didn´t you?

Jay:

It´s because Eli told me, that we´re just like them!

Manny:

Pacey and Joey? I don´t see it!

Jay:

Everyone else does! There´s a betting pool going on at school between the students, on when we´re going to come out as a couple.

Manny:

How much is it up to by now?

Jay looks surprised, that she knows.

Jay:

You knew?

Manny:

Jay, they´re bored teenagers! Of course, they´re going to come up with ridiculous stuff like that!

Jay:

Manny, I can´t keep denying to myself that I like you, okay? If watching that series made for 14-year-old girls taught me anything, it´s that real feelings can´t be kept bottled up forever.

Now that he´s said it, there´s an awkward pause between them.

Jay:

We can just find our coats and I´ll drive you home, if that´s what you want me to.

Manny:

I don´t want to do that.

Jay:

Then what do you want?

Manny:

I don´t know, okay? All I know is that I came here to dance with you and that´s still what I feel like doing.

Jay:

I know that you feel something for me too. Which is it? Romantic love or friendship love?

Manny:

It´s both. Can´t we just forget about it and go back in there to enjoy ourselves, like we came here to?

Jay:

Is that what you really want?

Manny:

I´m not ready to deal with all of those emotions yet. Maybe I am a lot like Joey Potter that way, but she´s still a fictional character and I´m not! You are a lot like Pacey though, I can´t deny that. You´re both kind and giving to a fault, despite having so little to give. Like him, you also have a father that you have a strained relationship with and most of all, you´re one hell of a guy, Jay! I just can´t give you those answers, because I don´t have them yet.

He looks like he accepts her answer for now.

Jay:

What do you say we go back in there and do what we came here to?

Manny:

I´d like that! How does that episode end, by the way? I´ve forgotten.

Jay:

Well, the whole setup is that Pacey is trying to get it on with Jen, but it´s not working for them.

Manny:

Poor Jen! Always going from one wrong guy to the next and even when she chose one of the good ones, she was still bound to end up on the losing end!

Jay:

Her and Dawson see Joey and Pacey and follow them to the dance studio, which leads to Joey and Dawson catching Pacey and Jen making out in secret. It´s Joey´s reaction to seeing them kissing, that becomes why Jen decides to step aside, so Joey and Pacey can be together.

Manny:

For such a nice girl, those writers sure were mean to her! You, however, needs to start watching something that´s more befitting of someone your age and gender.

Jay:

I have all of the "Die Hard" movies and an ample amount of beer in the fridge to go along with them, waiting for me at home!

Manny:

That´s greatly comforting to hear!

They smile at each other and head back into the dance studio.

10. Int. Jenna and Her Brother´s Trailer. Evening.

Jenna and Adam are making out on her bed and are both very into it. When he tries to touch her breast though, she stops him.

Jenna:

Easy there, Cowboy!

Adam:

It´s only on the outside of your shirt!

Jenna:

Still, it´s ... can´t we wait a little with that stuff?

She pulls away from him and tries to gather herself.

Adam:

You did that stuff with KC, didn´t you?

Jenna:

Yeah, but that´s different! He´s a ... you know what I mean!

Adam:

He´s a guy and I´m not, is that it?

Jenna:

I don´t want to have this argument with you all the time! I see you as a guy, I´ve already told you that!

Adam:

No, you don´t, Jenna, or you wouldn´t have minded me touching your boob.

Jenna:

I can get over it! Try touching them again.

Adam:

You don´t have to try to prove anything to me!

Jenna:

Touch them! I mean it!

His face can´t deny that this is something he´s wanted to do for a long time, but her looking so uncomfortable at him doing it ruins the experience for him, so he stops again.

Adam:

Jenna, you can´t tell me that was the face of someone, who was enjoying it!

Jenna:

I´m sorry! I can get over it, I swear!

Adam:

It´s because I´m not KC, isn´t it?

Jenna:

I don´t want to talk about him. He´s in my past now.

Adam (muttering to himself):

That´s two down!

Jenna:

Huh?

Adam:

Nothing! I was thinking that we should buy our tickets for the Winter Formal soon. It´s only a month away.

Jenna:

Yeah, why not?

Adam:

I´m of course hoping, that you´ll be my date for it?

She looks a little apologetic.

Jenna:

Can´t we wait until we get a little closer to it, before we agree to that?

Adam (muttering to himself):

That´s three!

Jenna:

What do you keep muttering about?

Adam:

I worried that I´m your rebound boyfriend! You keep giving me signs, that I am!

Jenna:

You´re not my rebound boyfriend, Adam!

Adam:

Then what am I to you? I´m not entirely a guy and I´m not entirely a girl either, I think we can both agree on that.

Jenna takes a moment to think about it before answering him.

Jenna:

I´m not entirely sure what you are to me yet, but I´m trying to find out.

Adam:

That´s not an answer!

Jenna:

Most of the time, it feels like you´re a guy, but then when we get intimate, it feels like I´m being felt up by a girl. That´s still a brand new feeling to me, because I haven´t tried that before. It doesn´t mean that it isn´t a feeling, I couldn´t grow to like, if you give me a chance to.

Adam:

Would it make it easier on you, if you got to feel up mine too? They´re not big, but they´re there!

Jenna giggles sweetly.

Jenna:

We can always try it. As for actually going so far as to touch one another down there, that´s another thing, I´ll really need some time to get used to the idea of!

Adam:

There are certain aides, for two people like us, who want to try having sex together, you know?

Jenna:

For now, you´ll have to settle for me getting used to going to second base with you. I hope, that´s okay?

Adam smiles at her and takes off his hoodie and t-shirt, showing his heavily bandaged down breasts underneath it to her.

Adam:

It´s okay with me, if you´re okay with me having these.

Jenna:

Why do you think, you have to ask me?

Adam smiles to himself.

CLOSING CREDITS