WHAT IF? - SEASON 6 EPISODE 13 - MANCHILD (PART 1)

1. Int. Auditorium. Day.

Declan and his fellow cast mates are doing one of their final rehearsals before the premiere of "The Outsider", the play that Eli and Clare wrote together. His character Edward is having a big scene with Holly´s J´s character, Mary. Eli, Marisol, Clare and Mia, who´s the 3rd star of the play, are watching them and Marisol is also holding the script, so she can help them with their lines, if they need it.

Declan:

I can´t explain to you why it happened this way, Mary.

Holly J:

What can she give you that I can´t?

Declan:

I´m sorry. This is the way, it has to be.

He exits stage left and the three producers of the play look rather pleased with what they saw. He comes back in seconds later.

Eli:

That was really good work! I don´t think either of you flubbed a single line.

Marisol:

The only small flub was one, you had right at the end there, Declan. The line goes "I can´t explain why it happened this way, Mary", not "I can´t explain to you why it happened this way, Mary".

Declan:

I´ll try to cut that "to you" bit out from now on.

Marisol:

Apart from that, I don´t think that I have a single point to critique! It works!

Clare:

You´re starting to feel the chemistry on stage, growing between you two. It´s exactly, like I pictured it should be.

Mia:

I´m wondering how I´m not going to come out as the weak actor out of the three of us, when we get to opening night!

She gets a small laugh from the others, before she turns her head to see Sav coming in to pick her up. It makes her face light up in a big smile.

Mia:

Now, if you´ll excuse me, I have a boyfriend, who´s waiting to take me to lunch with him!

She runs up to Sav and they kiss, before leaving together holding hands. Holly J can´t help looking a little jealous of Mia, that she´s doing so good with Sav, when Holly J herself couldn´t make it work with him.

Eli:

I feel my stomach rumbling too, so I think that we should call it a day.

Marisol:

No kidding! I could hear it, from where I was sitting!

Clare:

Even I could and I was sitting further away, than she was!

The three of them get up from their seats and head off to get some lunch. Declan sees this as his chance to further put the moves on Holly J.

Declan:

I couldn´t help noticing a slight bit of jealousy in your eyes, when you saw our co-star making out with that Sav guy.

She looks a little annoyed with him for getting so personal with her, but not angry at him.

Holly J:

He´s my ex-boyfriend, if you must know.

Declan:

Aha! Would I be right in assuming that this was a relationship of a sexual nature?

Holly J:

Now you´re getting too personal!

Declan:

Call me a keen observationalist ...

Holly J:

Is that a real word, or one you just made up?

Declan:

But, in my experience it´s a fact that a girl doesn´t get that worked up over seeing someone, who she must have broken up with a long time ago, being happy with another young female, unless she was as tight, as you can get with this guy, before they broke up.

Holly J looks a little bit annoyed with him, but can´t deny that he´s right.

Holly J:

There´s a chance, that you could be right!

Declan:

I´ve already told you, Holly J. I know you a lot better, than you think, I do.

He smiles to himself, as he begins to walk away from her.

OPENING CREDITS

2. Int. Hallway. Day.

KC is standing by his locker and makes eye contact with Katie, who´s standing a little up the hallway by her own locker. They smile at one another and he gets the courage to walk up to her.

KC:

Hi. I don´t think, we´ve met before. I´m KC.

Katie:

I know. You´re the "Mr. Perfect" guy from the song.

He´s clearly annoyed at having to be reminded of that damn song again, but tries not to show it.

KC:

That song wasn´t really about me, you know?

Katie:

All I know is that if you were that bad of a boyfriend to her, then I can do better.

She closes her locker and leaves him frustrated at what Jenna´s song is doing to his life. Conner comes up behind him, singing to himself.

Connor (singing to himself):

Oh, Mr. Perfect

You gave everything to me

It felt like destiny and ...

KC turns his head to shoot him a look, that tells Connor to cut it out with the singing.

Connor:

I´m sorry, KC. It so catchy, that song! I can´t get it out of my head!

KC:

You and everone else, it seems like! How long do you, with your vast intelligence, think it´ll be, until things go back to normal?

Connor:

It´s hard to say with so many unknown factors. Say that it were to get radio airplay, for example, it could follow you all the way through high school.

KC:

Thanks, Jenna, for destroying my dating life for all eternity!

Connor:

I wish, I could give you a better estimation than that.

KC:

It´s okay, Connor. You´re only being honest, like you always are.

Connor:

I´m sure that if you shoot really low, like maybe one of those girls that no guy in their right mind would go on a date with ...

KC:

You can also be too honest! To top it all off, I have to go and meet with Hatzilakos to talk about my tardies.

Connor:

You mean all of those classes you skipped, because it was too uncomfortable to be in the same room as Jenna?

KC:

Those exactly! I´ll see you later, pal.

He starts heading off to the principal´s office.

Connor:

Yeah, you too. Good luck.

KC:

Thanks. I´ll probably need it, if I´m going to get out of getting detention.

Connor:

If you´re interested, the odds in you getting detention are ...

KC:

I don´t need to know!

Connor is left wondering why KC wouldn´t want to know, since he would, if it were him.

3. Int. Hatzilakos´ Office. Day.

KC is siting across from Hatzilakos.

Hatzilakos:

What´s the story here, KC? You´re a good student, in the gifted program even, so there has to be some outside factor, that´s playing in.

KC:

It´s a long story. Look, I´ll go to my classes as I´m supposed to! Can´t we just leave it there?

Hatzilakos:

Not until you tell me why you skipped class, so this can be nipped in the ... well, you know how the saying goes!

She gets a small smile out of him, that quickly fades, though.

KC:

I broke up with my girlfriend and since then, it´s been weird still having to be so close to her all the time.

Hatzilakos:

I take it, then that she´s one of your classmates?

KC:

That´s correct.

Hatzilakos:

I´m sure, I don´t need to tell you that your way of dealing with this break-up, isn´t one that´ll work for you in the long run.

KC:

I know and I´ve already learned my lesson, just from you having called me in here for this little talk. So, can I go now?

Hatzilakos:

Unfortunately not. Rules are rules, KC and for your "crimes", you´ve earned yourself three weeks worth of detention. I am however, since I believe you that this was a one time thing, willing to offer you a plea bargain. Are you interested?

KC looks relieved that there´s an easy way out of this.

KC:

Yes, very interested! What do I have to do?

Hatzilakos:

Before your little extended vacation from your classes, I´m told that you were on your way to getting an A-Plus in Biology. Not all students have it so easy with the subject however, which is why I´ll make you this deal: Tutor the student, who´s failing Biology worse than anyone else in your entire grade, up to their mid-terms and you´ll be off the hook.

KC:

I promise to try my best. Who am I tutoring?

Hatzilakos just smiles at him.

4. Int. Hallway. Day.

KC is sitting on a bench and talking to his new tutee, Harriet Sinclair, who we met in one of the earlier episodes and is touching up her make-up, while they talk.

Harriet:

I´m not any happier about it than you are, but my dad has threatened to take away my allowance, if I flunk another test this year.

KC:

How many have you failed?

Harriet:

In bio? All of them so far.

He shakes his head and can now see, that this won´t be an easy way out after all.

KC:

How did you manage to fail every single one of them?

Harriet:

To be honest, I never paid any attention in that class, because it bores me, like most of the other classes do too. I tried to study for one of them, I really did, but what I read was so dull, that I think, it went in one ear and out the other!

KC:

That´s comforting!

She shoots him an annoyed look.

Harriet:

Just because you´re some dweeb, who actually likes this boring learning stuff, doesn´t mean that you get to look down on me for not doing so!

KC:

I never said it did, did I?

Harriet:

I have more important things on my mind, like how to become popular here and find a decent boyfriend. You know? The important stuff!

KC has to roll his eyes at her, but now that he´s already said yes, there´s no way out of it.

KC:

We can start today after school at The Dot, if that´s fine with you?

Harriet:

Can we avoid making it somewhere, where we´re seen in public together? No offense, KC, you´re cute and all of that, but being seen hanging out with you for me right now, would be the same as me wearing a t-shirt to school that reads "I have Herpes! If you want more information about it, just ask me"!

KC:

That´s oddly specific!

Harriet:

It´s also a very accurate current estimation of your social standing.

She finishes doing her make-up and smiles at him.

Harriet:

Tell me that I look pretty.

KC:

You look very pretty, Harriet.

She smiles a little at him saying so.

Harriet:

You really think so?

KC:

I´ve always thought so. It´s the rest of you, I can´t stand to be around!

Harriet:

I guess, I walked right into that one, huh?

She stands up and looks down at him.

Harriet:

The Bio lab after school. Don´t be late.

KC (sarcastically):

I can´t wait for it!

She walks away from him, as he wonders to himself what he´s gotten himself into here.

5. Int. Cafeteria. Day.

Fiona and Declan are eating lunch together, while they´re playing a game of "Lovers or Just Friends". Fiona looks around for a good example.

Fiona:

What about those two overly friendly freshmen over there?

She points over to Adam and Jenna, who are laughing together and kidding around.

Declan:

What´s your call?

Fiona:

Either, they´ve already started something or they´re on the verge to.

Declan:

You don´t think they could be too young, to have figured that stuff out yet?

Fiona:

That is of course a possibility! If they haven´t, then those two have some big questions, they should be asking themselves!

They smile at one another.

Declan:

I´m going with on the verge of becoming more.

Fiona:

They are kind of cute together, aren´t they?

Declan:

Almost as cute as you and Imogen, when you´re acting like two little turteldoves.

Fiona:

I´m so lucky to have a brother like you, who´s fine with my life choices. I could have so easily been the other way, where it would have torn us apart.

Declan:

Nothing matters as much to me, as continuing to see you happy and thriving. After all we´ve been through as a family and how worried we´ve been about you at times in the past, keeping you this way is numero uno! I hope, you know that.

Fiona:

Still, it has to have been hard for you not getting any action, now that Holly J hasn´t been taking your bait.

Declan:

She is nibbling on it and getting ready to strike. Trust me, Sis. I know what I´m doing, when it comes to poor little rich girls like her.

Fiona:

Enlighten me. What does it take to get into the panties of someone like Holly J, according to your slightly warped mind?

Declan:

You already know from the start that they´ll most likely have some trust issues, thanks to all of those years of feeling abandonment and like they weren´t loved by their parents, while they were growing up. With Holly J there´s an extra layer to those issues, because as you told me, she never used to have any real friends before she came here. Plus, the guy who took her virginity, was several years older than her and was taking advantage of her inexperience at the time.

Fiona:

It´s just what I heard. I hadn´t actually started here yet.

Declan:

True, but it´s also true that where there´s smoke, there´s fire. I also heard a rumor that I don´t know if you´ve heard, that she got pregnant with that Sav guy and had an abortion.

Fiona:

I´ve heard it too, but don´t you think it could be a little too far out to be true?

Declan:

Either way, those are all things that I can use to my advantage. Even if only one of those are true, she´ll be such a sucker for any guy, who´s willing to take his time to break down those walls, she´s built up around herself, that it´ll be like shooting fish in barrel, when I make my final move.

Fiona:

And then dump her right after you´ve slept with her? Have you been watching a lot of "It´s Always Sunny" lately, because you´re sounding a frightening amount like that Dennis guy from that show?

Declan:

That guy has deep-rooted issues, to where even I can´t keep up with him! This, however, is just a one-time thing that I´m doing to give myself a proper challenge, when it comes to girls and to get one over on the Sinclair´s at the same time.

Fiona:

There´s no way that you could actually want to date her, is there?

Declan:

Fiona, she´s a Sinclair! I´d rather take a short walk off a long pier, than have to go their family get togethers with her and be shown off as "Holly J´s New Boy Toy", she brought there to make her snobby cousins jealous! I´d rather marry a poor girl, than her!

Fiona:

Now you´re just exaggerating!

Declan:

All I´m saying is that if I was given the choice between marrying a Sinclair or a quick death, I wouldn´t have to think hard to know which option I´m choosing!

Fiona:

I would be careful, if I were you, about using any more suicide analogies in public around here for a while longer! You can use them with me, I just don´t think, they´re gonna go down well with the general public here.

Declan looks like he agrees with her.

5. Ext. Degrassi. Day.

Holly J comes out from the school to find Declan waiting there.

Holly J:

Waiting for Fiona?

Declan:

You, actually. I was thinking that we could practice our lines together tonight.

Holly J:

As tempting as that sounds, I have plans.

She tries to walk away from him, so he follows after her.

Declan:

You want to give the best performance you can, don´t you?

Holly J:

Sure, I just don´t want to spend time with you outside of school.

Declan:

Ouch!

Holly J can see that what she said was kind of hard, since he really hasn´t done anything to deserve her wrath (lately anyway).

Holly J:

Sorry, I didn´t mean to bite your head off.

Declan:

Let me guess. You ... have to attend some kind of family function?

Holly J:

One time a year, my parents take me to the theater. It´s their sad version of parental bonding, but it´s also the only evening a year, where they pretend like they care about me. Call me pathetic, but I actually look forward to it.

Declan:

What about your birthday?

Holly J:

It would have been completely forgotten every year by them, since I was eight years old, if I hadn´t reminded them of it. This year I tried to see what would happen, if I didn´t and guess what happened?

The way she looks him in the eyes says more than a thousand words could and he can´t help feeling a little sorry for her.

Holly J:

Talk about having your own personal Molly Ringwald moment!

Declan:

I´m sorry. Parents can be a pain.

Holly J:

So, as you can hear, I´d better take advantage of tonight, because afterwards they´ll be back to ignoring me for the rest of the next year. Not that it will be entirely pleasant, since they know as little about me, as I do about them, but it´s still better than nothing.

Declan:

What play are you going to see?

Holly J:

"Les Mis". Have you ever seen it?

Declan:

No, but I´ve thinking for a while that it´s time, I did.

Holly J:

Perhaps I´ll see you there, then. If I don´t, have a nice evening.

Declan:

Yeah, you too.

He looks like he´s already planning on taking a trip to the theater that evening.

6. Int. Biology Lab. Day.

KC is trying to tutor Harriet, who looks as frustrated, as he does.

Harriet:

Why does this stuff have to be so boring? I couldn´t care less if this animal lays eggs, or this one has live babies!

KC:

You have to learn it, if you´re going to pass your mid-terms.

Harriet:

I know! Why does the world have to be so unfair to me?

He now starts to get annoyed with her, that she thinks that she has it bad.

KC:

Yeah, it´s really unfair to you, how your parents buy you everything you want and you´ll never have to worry about money for a day in your life! I feel so sorry for you!

Seeing as she´s now been challenged, Harriet starts to get more into it.

Harriet:

Just because my family has money, doesn´t mean that it´s any happier than yours!

KC:

Is your dad in jail and your mom in a half way house? No? Then you need to shut the hell up!

Harriet:

Don´t you think, I´d love to trade places with someone like Jenna sometimes?

KC:

Yeah, right!

Harriet:

Every little thing she gets right, people praise her for, because they have no expectations of her! Let´s be honest here, with her practically being an orphan and coming from a trailer park, any step above that will be seen as a huge success for her. If I don´t make it into an Ivy League school, which there´s as much chance of happening as me growing a tail all of a sudden, I´ll be seen as the black sheep of a family, that´s so messed up with one backstabber after another, that you can´t begin to understand what it´s like to grow up with people that deciding over you! That I´m not completely blown in the brain by now should be seen as a success, like it is with you and Jenna, but instead all I get is yelled at for not being as good in school, as my parents were! I don´t know what you picture that my life is like, but it´s not anywhere near as rosy, as you think, it is!

He takes a second to take it in, before he can´t help himself from chuckling. It only makes her more annoyed with him.

Harriet:

I´m glad that my life is such a big joke to you. Not!

KC:

It´s not that. I just didn´t know that I was in the company of a fellow loser!

He smiles at her and she looks at him daringly.

Harriet:

I´m a loser? You´re the loser here, group home boy!

KC:

At least my parents don´t make my life a living hell!

Harriet:

At least I have my own room, so I can get away from them, when they annoy me! Kind of like I´d like to do now with you!

KC:

At least I have been in a real relationship.

His words hurt her and he instantly feels bad for saying so.

Harriet:

That´s low, KC.

KC:

I know and I´m sorry, okay? It´s none of my business, why you haven´t found anyone yet and I shouldn´t have said that.

Harriet:

If you want to know why, it´s because you were the only one, I could see myself with. There, I said it!

KC looks surprised and has to take it in for a moment.

KC:

Really? Me?

Harriet:

Yeah, but you liked Jenna better than me, you made that pretty clear. Now it would be like ...

KC:

You don´t have to make another analogy to remind me, how low my social standing is!

Harriet:

I was going to say that it would be like a dream come true, if it was to happen.

KC:

For real?

She looks him in the eyes and it looks like they´re having a moment, then she giggles.

Harriet:

You are so easy, KC!

He now feels foolish for having fallen for it, to her amusement.

Harriet:

Two hours ago you stood out in the hallway and told me that you couldn´t stand me and now, you´re ready to make out with me?

KC:

I wasn´t!

Harriet:

You so were! Not that I´d mind making out with you, if you want the real truth, but nothing more than that.

What she said gives KC an idea, though.

KC:

Have you ever heard of Pavlov´s dogs?

Harriet:

Now I´m a dog? You´re not winning any points here, KC!

KC:

I didn´t mean that you´re a dog! I was asking you, if you´d heard about them.

Harriet:

I can´t say that I have. What was so special about them?

KC:

Their name comes from a psychologist named Ivan Pavlov, who´s called the founder of modern behavior therapy. If you´ve seen that show "The Dog Whisperer", he basically just follows the teachings, that Pavlov found out over a hundred years ago.

Harriet:

I´ve seen it. I don´t always like the way he treats the dogs, though.

KC:

The idea is to reward positive behavior with positive reinforcement and negative behavior with negative reinforcement. Are you willing to give it a try?

Harriet:

I´m not sure that I like the idea of you doing an experiment on me, that´s based on dogs, but on the other hand, I don´t have anything to lose. Just tell me what to do.

He smiles to himself.

7. Int. Biology Lab. Day.

Montage.

KC:

What is a Herbivore?

Harriet:

An animal, that likes to eat herbs?

He shakes his head and she pinches her arm with her fingernails so hard, that it makes her wince in pain.

KC:

What is a Crustacean?

Harriet:

A ... pizza with a crust made in the ocean? You have to give me, that was an ingenius answer, in it´s own way!

He shakes his head and she does the same thing again.

KC:

Give five examples of animals, who lay eggs.

Harriet:

Five? Okay, I can do this! There´s chickens. that´s one. Ducks, that´s two.

KC:

They´re kind of the same, but you´ll probably get away with it.

Harriet:

No more birds, then? Okay. Ehm ... snakes lay eggs, don´t they?

KC:

They do, so that´s three. Two more, Harriet. It´s not that hard.

Harriet:

That´s easy for you to say! You paid attention in class! Fish also lay eggs, I think.

KC:

Most of them, but not all of them, so you´ll have to name one.

Harriet:

Sharks do! I remember finding hatched shark eggs on the beach, when I was a kid.

KC:

Only one more.

Harriet takes a moment to consider it.

Harriet:

Insects, of course! That´s five and you owe me a kiss!

They kiss and it looks like they both enjoy it a lot.

8. Int. The Dot. Evening.

KC is explaining the day´s events to Connor.

KC:

I didn´t think, I would, but I was sort of starting to like her by the end.

Connor:

So much, that you might want to date her?

KC:

I´m not sure that I like her that much! I mean, she can be incredibly annoying and a real pain in the butt sometimes! You should hear some of the opinions, she has on things! If she wasn´t such a great kisser, then ...

Jane brings them a pair of sodas, which makes KC clam up.

Jane:

There you go.

KC:

Thanks.

Connor:

Miss, can I ask you something?

KC doesn´t look all that pleased with Connor and tries to look him in the eyes, but Connor is making eye contact with Jane, which makes it impossible for him.

Jane:

Sure, I guess.

KC:

What are you doing, Connor?

Connor:

Just getting a second opinion. Miss, say that there´s a boy and girl that are our age, who have started making out and both of them appear to have enjoyed it a lot. What does it then say about him then, when he´s trying his hardest to find flaws in her?

Jane:

That he clearly likes this girl a whole lot, only he´s afraid to admit to himself, how much he likes her. That´s why he´s trying to so hard find flaws in her, so that he can justify to himself, why he shouldn´t just make her his girlfriend. Anything else, while I´m here?

Connor:

No, that´ll do us. Thanks for answering my question.

Jane looks at KC, who´s a little embarrassed by Connor involving her in his business.

Jane:

Of course, it could also be, that this boy you´re referring to, just got his heart broken in a bad way and is afraid that it´ll happen again with the next one. In which case, I would remind him, that it wouldn´t be fair to judge one girl in advance, based on what another girl did.

With those words for them, she gets back to her job.

Connor:

Don´t you think, she could be right?

KC:

Thanks for involving everyone in my personal life! She´ll probably have told the entire school, before I come in tomorrow and they´ll all think that I´m an even bigger loser, than I already am!

Connor:

She seems like she´s too nice to do anything like that. What harm can there be in giving Harriet a chance?

KC:

She doesn´t want to try anything like that with me, so give it a rest.

Connor:

In that case, it seems strange to me, that she would so eagerly go along with your suggestion of rewarding her with kisses. Girls sure act strange sometimes, huh?

KC looks at Connor, who´s taking a sip of his soda, while trying to judge, if he was being ironic or not. Since it´s not in Connor´s personality to ever be ironic, what he said only makes KC think even harder about, where he stands with Harriet.

9. Int. Theater Lobby. Evening.

Holly J is standing in line to get into the theater and barely notices Declan coming up right behind her.

Declan:

Boo!

She turns around and smiles at him.

Holly J:

You´ll have to try harder, if you want to scare me, Declan!

Declan (ironically):

I though for sure, that would work!

Holly J:

Is it based on my being here, that you happen to have shown up for the same performance?

Declan:

How dare you accuse me of coming up with such devious plans?

She shoots him a look, that makes him give in.

Declan:

I am aware, that my past speaks against me in this situation! But, I really am only here to enjoy this classic play in all of it´s glory. Where are your folks?

Holly J:

They´re running late. They should be here by showtime.

Declan:

If they´re not coming, maybe we could ...

Holly J:

They´re coming, so forget about it! All we have together as a family is this one evening a year, so I´m a hundred percent sure, that they´re coming.

Declan:

Forget that I said anything.

He tries to read her face and it´s clear that although she´s trying to convince herself otherwise, she´s still full of doubt.

10. Int. Theater. Evening.

Declan is sitting by himself surrounded by strangers, while the play is going on. He looks over at Holly J, who noticeably has two empty seats next to her and is trying to look like it doesn´t affect her, that her own parents blew her off on this evening of all times. She gets up out of her seat, when it becomes too much for her and he immediately gets up out of his to follow after her. The people around him look annoyed, that they have to make room for him to walk by them, but still do.

11. Ext. Theater. Evening.

Holly J is standing by the side of the street and is trying to hail a cab, when Declan comes out from the theater.

Holly J:

Taxi!

She doesn´t have any luck with it, as he walks up next to her.

Declan:

I´m sorry, Holly J.

She doesn´t look like she particularly wants to talk to him about it, but since he´s here anyway ...

Holly J:

It´s not your fault that my parents didn´t even care enough about this evening, to give me a call to tell me, that they weren´t coming. Or that they´re the two most selfish people in the world and can´t see further, than the tip of the own noses!

Declan:

Again, I´m sorry.

Holly J:

Thanks. At least you cared enough about me to come here, which is a whole lot more, than I can say for those, who are supposed to love me the most.

Declan:

I know that I can´t say anything, that will make this better or make you feel any less rejected, than you have to be feeling right at this moment.

Holly J:

What would you know about feeling rejection?

Declan:

Maybe not all that much, but I know all too well what it feels like to be the over-looked child. With all of Fiona´s problems, it wasn´t like my parents had any time to care about, what I was doing. If you want an explanation as to why I went through all of those girls at Vanderbilt, my guess it that it was to find something to fill that gaping hole, they´d left there.

Holly J:

Are you trying to tell me, that you´ve changed?

Declan:

Not entirely yet, but I´m working on it. What do you say that we go back in there and watch the play together, while I try to make you forget, what a rotten pair of parents, you have?

She looks like she´s a little in doubt.

Holly J:

Only as friends?

Declan:

If that´s all, you want it to be.

She nods and he looks glad, that his plan worked, although he´s also obviously starting to feel empathy for her.

CLOSING CREDITS