What If?

by Phrankster

Degrassi is full of what ifs and in this series I explore some of them. The first seasons take us back to the glory days of "Next Generation", as I explore what the outcome and the ripple effect from season 4 and onward would have been, had Ashley not come between Craig and Manny. So sit back and enjoy a great nostalgia kick, as I ask the question "What If?"

165. Chapter 165

WHAT IF? - SEASON 6 EPISODE 14 - MANCHILD (PART 2)

1. Int. Fiona´s Room. Morning.

Fiona is putting the final touches on her look for the day, when Declan comes in through her open door.

Declan:

Our driver wants an ETA on when you´ll be ready. I think that he wants to know, if he has time for breakfast, before we drive off to school.

Fiona:

Tell him that his breakfast will have to wait. I´m ready to leave now.

Declan:

Now that you have your warpaint on, you mean?

She takes his slight with a smile.

Fiona:

It wouldn´t hurt you to put on some make-up.

Declan:

You put on more than enough for both of us combined.

Fiona:

Speaking of wars. Is today the day, where you´ll seal the deal with Holly J, you think?

Declan:

I´m slowly starting to renege on that plan.

Fiona looks surprised with him and he sees the need to explain himself.

Declan:

You should have seen her that evening at the theater, after her parents had blown her off, for what I´m thinking can´t have been the first time. My heart went out to her, what can I say?

Fiona:

If you´re going to seal the deal with her based on this play you´re doing, it´s slowly becoming now or never, with opening night being tomorrow.

Declan:

I know. The question is also: Can I seal the deal with her, which I´m not entirely sure of anymore? I guess, we´ll just have to wait and see what happens, won´t we?

He´s clearly torn on what to do.

OPENING CREDITS

2. Int. Biology Lab. Day.

KC is still tutoring Harriet and it looks like, she´s doing much better, than she was on their first study session. Besides this helping with KC´s bad mood over Jenna´s song, it also looks like it´s having a positive effect on Harriet´s sense of self worth.

KC:

Only one left and then we´re done. It´s kind of a hard one, though.

Harriet:

Great! I like a challenge!

KC:

You wouldn´t have said that last week, when we started this.

Harriet:

That was also before I came on your "rewards program".

They smile at one another, as he gets ready to read her the question.

KC:

What are Protozoa?

Harriet:

A group of single celled animals.

KC:

Well done! That´s forty-six out of fifty correctly answered.

Even Harriet looks surprised that she got that many right.

Harriet:

I guess that studying does pay off after all!

KC:

If you keep this up, you end up acing those mid-terms.

Harriet:

No, I won´t! You´re really sweet for saying so, though. Which brings us to my reward, which considering how well I did, should be a little bigger than usual, don´t you agree?

KC:

We´ll just have to see, what we can do about that, won´t we?

They start kissing passionately, but are interrupted when Jay comes in to tell them, that it´s time to leave. They try to quickly uncouple, but there´s no hiding what they were doing from him and both KC and Harriet look a little embarrassed at having been caught like this. Jay just smiles to himself.

Jay:

It´s time for me to lock up for the day, which also means it´s time for you two to get home to your parents, or whatever other kind of mischief, a pair of young rapscallions like you get up to these days.

Harriet:

I should be getting home anyway. See you tomorrow, KC.

KC:

You too, Harriet.

She grabs her coat and quickly dashes out of there, leaving KC and Jay alone in there and Jay being Jay, he can´t help himself from teasing KC a little.

Jay:

You are aware that the school has a PDA code, aren´t you?

KC:

Are you going to tell the principal on us?

Jay:

Nah, I would never do that to you! Why you´re making out with her in secret, is what I´m asking myself right now, however.

KC:

It started with me tutoring her and now ...

Jay:

It´s led to more than that?

KC:

She´s totally wrong for me and I know that us dating is never going to work, so why can´t I stop myself, when she practically throws herself at me?

Jay:

Why don´t you think, it could work? You think that she´s attractive, don´t you?

KC:

It´s not that, that´s the problem.

Jay:

Then what is?

KC:

You´re awfully nosy for a janitor, you know that?

Jay:

I´ve decided to deem it an occupational hazard! Whether I want to or not, I can´t help myself from caring, what happens to all of you students here.

KC:

We´re just too different, okay? I´ll get out of here now, so you can lock up.

He grabs his own coat starts putting it on, before he is ready to leave.

Jay:

You know, kid. Not that it´s my place to tell you how to deal with the whole "girls thing", but just because you´re different from each other, doesn´t mean it can´t work. My girlfriend and I can be as different as night or day, but it´s those differences that help to make us a stronger couple.

KC:

Are you telling me not to knock it, until I´ve tried it?

Jay:

Just the fact that you like her and she likes you, means that there´s something there to build on. So, why not see where it could take you?

Kc nods in understanding and leaves Jay, who starts looking for the right key in his huge bundle of them.

Jay (to himself):

Maybe you should start calling yourself Jay-Wan Kenobi or Jay-Dalf the Wise? Ah, here it is!

He finally finds the right key to lock the room with and looks pleased.

3. Int. The Dot. Day.

KC is sitting by himself and is waiting for Connor to come back, while he watches Jenna and Adam goofing off together with their other friends. Connor comes back to him with a very large portion of French fries and a smile on his face, as he sits down across from KC.

Connor:

See how many fries they gave me? This place is great!

KC:

Yeah, it´s just not everyone in here, in equally a fan of.

Connor:

You mean Jenna?

KC:

She can just sit there and laugh away with her friends like nothing ever happened between us, while I´m stuck in this "Teenage Girl Purgatory", or whatever you want to call it!

Connor (with a mouth half full of fries):

That doesn´t make any sense! Because if you were to be in this so-called "Teenage Girl Purgatory", you´re speaking of, you would logically have be a teenage girl yourself and the last time I checked, you don´t have boobs!

KC can´t help himself from laughing a little at what Connor said and eats a few of his fries.

KC:

What did I ever do to deserve having a friend as clever as you?

Connor:

Is that one of those questions, that´s said like a question, but really isn´t a question after all?

KC:

You mean a rhetorical question?

Connor:

That´s the word, I was searching for!

KC:

Something like it. The only question I need an answer to right now, is what to do about Harriet.

Connor:

You would know that, better than I do.

KC:

You´d think so, wouldn´t you? Perhaps I should try asking her out and see what she says. Then again, I don´t know if can handle facing more rejection from girls again, so soon after Jenna gave me a large enough dose of it to last me the rest of this year and the next one!.

Connor:

Is breaking up with someone and being rejected by someone the same? Because I´ve always thought, they were two completely different things.

KC:

They aren´t the same, but they feel the same. That´s the easiest way, I can describe it to you.

Connor:

Huh?

Connor takes in this new information he´s just been given, as he munches away. KC is in deep thought, though, on what to do regarding Harriet.

4. Int. Hallway. Morning.

Holly J is heading to her first class of the day and is looking rather depressed. Declan catches up with her and is looking in a fine mood this morning.

Declan:

Good Morning, Co-Star!

Holly J:

Morning, Declan.

He sees that she´s in a bad mood and decides to try to cheer her up.

Declan:

Is it school, that´s got you down? Just think of it this way: It´s less than two more months and then, you can enjoy your two weeks of Christmas vacation.

Holly J:

I doubt that I´ll enjoy it much this year.

Declan:

What kind of a way is that to talk about "The happiest time of the year"? Which we all know is a bunch of humbug and that suicide rates go up drastically during the Christmas week, but still.

Holly J:

What I can look forward to will be my parents fighting over who gets to have me on which days and having to deal with disappointment from whichever one of them, doesn´t get to have me.

Declan takes a moment to get what she meant, before his smile fades.

Declan:

They´re getting divorced?

Holly J:

Remember when they didn´t show up for that play? They told me yesterday that it was because and get this, after almost twenty years of being married, they´ve now decided that they can´t be in the same room together anymore! Man, I hate them sometimes!

Declan:

I get why. You´re still doing the play tonight, though, aren´t you?

Holly J:

Well, I´m not giving them the satisfaction of ruining the one good thing in my life right now, so that should answer your question!

Declan:

I get that you´re mad at them, but you don´t really mean than, do you?

Holly J:

Let´s see. My family is falling apart, as if it wasn´t already before. I have no boyfriend and I´ve slowly become perpetually single over the last year, because either my standards are too high, or I´m too ugly for any guy to want to ask me out! If I didn´t have this play to look forward to, I can´t see how I could sink any lower.

Declan:

You still have your friends. That has to count for something.

Holly J:

Yeah, for another year until we drift off in separate directions. Oh, well! It´s not like feeling sorry for myself will do me any good, will it?

She tries to force a small smile for him, but it´s a very small, barely existent one. He´s clearly feeling sorry for her and it looks like all of those plans of revenge against her family, are starting to drift further and further from his mind.

5. Int. School Library. Day.

Harriet is looking through the shelves of books, for the one that she needs. KC casually comes moving over to her, pretending like he´s just browsing for books too. When they get right up next to one another, they secretly smile at each other, though.

KC:

Imagine running into you here!

Harriet (teasingly):

I don´t know what you´re talking about! I don´t believe, we´ve ever talked before now!

KC:

You little tease!

Harriet:

Yeah, but you love it when I´m a tease, don´t you?

KC:

I don´t remember it happening all that often so far!

She gives him a small and playful nudge with her elbow, but stops flirting with him immediately, when Clare comes along to look for a book herself. It makes it a little awkward between them for the few moments, until Clare finds her book and leaves them again. Harriet moves in closer to KC, so she can whisper to him.

Harriet (whispering to him):

We probably shouldn´t be seen talking like this. I should go.

KC (whispering back to her):

I was going to ask you, if you wanted to go to the play together tonight. As a date.

Harriet (whispering to him):

I´m going there with my parents. Look, what we have when we´re alone together is great, but ... I don´t know how to say this without hurting your feelings.

KC (whispering back to her):

You don´t need to say anymore. Just forget that I asked, alright?

She smiles at him apologetically, but he still can´t hide how disappointed he is, as she walks away from him.

6. Ext. Degrassi. Evening.

The crowd are arriving for the evening´s performance. Most of the usual faces are there, but also two that we didn´t expect to see there together, that being Liberty and Toby.

Liberty:

Don´t you consider yourself lucky, that you happened to be home the one week, that this masterpiece is being revealed to the world for the first time?

They smile at each other.

Toby:

Someone has been drinking happy juice and smoking the "Hope-Ium" lately!

Liberty:

For once in my life, I don´t have anything to worry or complain over! As long as I go to work five days a week and see my psychiatrist three times a month, I´m doing everything that I´m supposed to. There´s no worries about the future or about which grade, I´m going to get in this or this class.

Toby:

It sounds nice. I still can´t believe that you, of everyone I know, would end up becoming a radio DJ.

Liberty:

It´s not for the rest of my life, but life does take some strange twists and turns sometimes, I´ll admit that much.

As they head inside, we quickly cut to KC, who´s entering too next to Connor, while Keeping an eye on Harriet, who´s there with her parents (that look like rather friendly people by the looks of it). It´s obvious from looking at him, that her rejecting him hasn´t made him want her any less and if anything, it´s the opposite, that´s the case.

7. Int. Auditorium. Evening.

The play is in progress and it looks like they have a full house for their opening night. Edward (Declan) and Mary (Holly J) are in the middle of having a dramatic scene together.

Holly J:

It feels like we´re drifting apart, Edward! You see more of her these days, than you do of me.

Declan:

I´ve already told you that I don´t like her that way. She´s just a friend.

Holly J:

If we broke up, I ...

She has to take a moment to gather herself, seeing as how this is playing into her real life right now.

Holly J:

I don´t know what I would do with myself, if we did.

Declan:

I love you, Mary. How can I prove it to you?

Holly J:

You can start by giving me a kiss.

They do their stage kiss, as the curtain goes down on the first act. Marisol comes out on the stage holding a microphone.

Marisol:

We now have a fifteen minute intermission until the second act begins.

The crowd begins to get out of their seats.

8. Int. Auditorium (behind the curtain). Evening.

Behind the curtain, Holly J has to gather herself to be able to continue. Eli comes up to her and Declan.

Eli:

That was great, you guys! Holly J, that little artistic pause you did was perfect! It really drove the point home of how much the relationship means to your character.

Holly J:

Thanks, Eli.

Eli:

Okay, everyone! Let´s start setting up for the second act!

The crew begin taking the stage to get things looking right for the beginning of the next act. Declan puts a hand on Holly J´s arm both to pull her away, so they aren´t in the way of the crew and to comfort her. She noticeably doesn´t shove it away.

Declan:

Will you be okay enough to finish this?

Holly J (trying to play it off like it´s nothing):

Yeah, of course, I am! It´s just a play that somebody wrote, right? It isn´t like it´s real life or anything like that.

Declan:

For what it´s worth and I´m well aware in advance, that it probably isn´t a whole lot, I think that my character is kind of dick, for what he does to yours.

She smiles a little at what he said.

Holly J:

You think so too, huh?

Declan:

Yeah! He´s with this girl for so long and just because some new girl comes along, that he likes better, be tosses the old one off to the side, like she meant nothing to him.

Holly J:

You can´t tell me that you haven´t done that to a girl or three?

Declan:

As I´ve already told you, I´m trying to improve. Lord knows, it´s not like I could get much worse, was it?

He shoots her a small smile, before they walk off the stage together.

9. Int. Foyer. Evening.

Harriet is standing with her parents, when KC (after a few seconds to work up his nerve first), walks over to them. Harriet both gets a little shy at him doing so, but clearly also likes that he has the courage to.

KC:

Hi, Harriet. Are these your parents?

Harriet:

Good guess, KC!

Harriet´s Father:

So, this is the KC, who has our little girl studying harder, than she ever has before!

Harriet´s Mom:

I don´t know what you´ve done to her, but she´s been hitting those books harder, than we ever thought, we´d dream of seeing!

KC and Harriet smile knowingly at one another.

KC:

I´m only trying my best with her. Is it possible that I can loan her for a moment?

Harriet:

It´s probably about school! Isn´t that right, KC?

She winks at him and he gets it.

KC:

That´s precisely what it´s about.

Harriet´s Father:

In that case, you can loan her for almost as long, as you want!

KC and Harriet walk a little away from her parents, to where they can talk somewhat private.

Harriet:

Can´t you take the world´s biggest hint, KC?

KC:

I got it. I just don´t think, you really meant it.

Harriet:

What exactly makes you think, that you could possibly know what I want and don´t want?

KC:

I know that you like it, when we make out.

He smiles at her and she has to give in.

Harriet:

Okay, so that´s one! That doesn´t mean, you know me at all, KC!

KC:

Then let me have a chance to find out for myself. Who knows, I might even end up liking the girl, I find inside of that hard shell.

She shakes her head at him, but it´s not in a dismissive way at all.

Harriet:

You´re crazy! If my parents found out that I was dating a boy from group home, it would freak them out, like you wouldn´t believe! Which is the perfect reason to do it!

She smiles widely at him, as he tries to figure out how to react to this.

KC:

What, ehm ... do you mean by that?

Harriet:

Can you imagine the scandal, if anyone in my family found out? It would seriously be the funniest thing ever!

He looks like he´s starting to worry over, what he´s exactly getting himself into here.

KC:

It would?

Harriet:

Totally! Okay, KC. If you want to be my personal boy-toy, you have a deal. But, I also expect you to keep tutoring me. Bio wasn´t the only class, I was flunking in.

KC:

Okay, I guess.

Harriet:

Great! I´ll talk to you in school tomorrow and we´ll set up our next "study session". This arrangement stays solely between us for now, that should go without saying.

She walks back to her parents, as Connor walks over to KC.

Connor:

How did it go?

KC:

I´m not entirely sure, that I haven´t just make a deal with a devil. One who´s a little over five feet tall and loves wearing Louis Vuitton!

He wonders to himself, if he could be right or not.

10. Int. Auditorium. Evening.

We´ve reached the final scene, where Declan and Mia are alone on stage together, while Holly J watches them from the side of the stage along with Eli and Marisol.

Mia:

Is this really happening, my true love?

Declan:

Does this answer your question?

Declan and Mia kiss, as the crowd applauds them and the final curtain goes on their performance. It´s raised again right afterwards though, so that the cast and the main staff like Eli, Marisol and Clare can take their bows for the cheering audience. After the curtain goes down, everyone high fives each other to celebrate a premiere, that went close to perfection.

11. Ext. Degrassi. Evening.

Liberty and Toby come out with the rest of the audience.

Liberty:

What did you think?

Toby:

It was better than that time, we tried to put up that modern version of "Romeo and Juliet"!

Liberty:

I´m pretty sure that JT is still wondering to himself somewhere deep down, what the heck him and Paige were thinking!

Toby:

In all fairness, though, I thought it was great for a high school play.

Liberty:

Yeah, me too. It seemed very realistic too, like it could easily happen in real life!

Toby:

This is Degrassi, we´re talking about, Liberty! If there´s one thing that going here for all of those years taught me, it´s that anything and everything can happen here and usually does at one point or another.

Liberty nods in agreement with him.

12. Int. Hallway. Evening.

Holly J is heading home after their successful performance. Declan comes out from the boy´s changing room and hurries to catch up with her.

Declan:

Hold up!

She turns around to look at him and he comes up to her.

Declan:

So, how does it feel to get your fifteen minutes of fame?

Holly J:

How do you know that I don´t plan on becoming a famous actress in the future?

Declan:

Well, excuse me, then!

Holly J:

In reality, you´re probably right that this was me reaching the height of my acting career!

Declan:

Holly J, I ...

Holly J:

Can I say something first?

Declan:

If you want to.

Holly J:

Declan, our families can try to pretend, that there isn´t over a century of bad blood between them. They all love money enough, that it´s somehow possible to for them, most of the time anyway. It´s only when we have family get togethers, usuallly once the drinks have started flowing a bit, that the real opponions about your family come out and they´re ... well ...

Declan smiles at her.

Declan:

Probably the same opinions that I´ve been hearing all of my life, about your family.

Holly J:

Somehow, that doesn´t surprise me one bit! I´m not trying to further some old and to be honest, kind of ridiculous family feud here, but it would be far too weird for me to date someone, who´s from the other side.

Declan:

I can just imagine the looks on the looks on the faces of my folks, if I brought you home. For that alone, it would be worth it.

Holly J:

Mine would most likely try to get me locked up in some insane asylum! Believe me, they´re nuts, the both of them! If anyone should be locked up in one, it should be them.

Declan:

In that case, I guess that I should be glad, they never became my in-laws.

Holly J:

Believe me, Declan, you´ve dodged a bullet this time! I´ll see you around.

Declan:

Yeah, you too.

He watches her walk away with a small smile on his face.

13. Ext. Degrassi. Evening.

Holly J comes out from the school, where Fiona is waiting for her brother.

Holly J:

Hi, Fiona. Declan should be coming out soon. He was practically right behind me.

Fiona:

You were really great tonight, in my humble opinion, anyway.

Holly J:

Thanks. I have to go, there´s a ride waiting for me.

Holly J leaves her and Declan comes out from the school right afterwards.

Fiona:

There´s my superstar brother! You stole the show tonight!

Declan:

You liked it?

Fiona:

For a school play written by a student here, it was way beyond my expectations. So, are you any closer to completing your grand plan, when it comes to her?

Declan:

It´s time to call defeat on this battle and move on.

Fiona looks surprised.

Fiona:

Am I hearing this right? My brother throwing in the towel, when it comes to getting a girl!

Declan:

I never thought, I´d see the day either!

Fiona:

What´s changed?

Declan:

Life is punishing her bad enough already for being born into that forsaken family, far more than I ever could. If I´d been her, I would have run off to the other side of the world by now.

His sister smiles at him and looks a little proud of him.

Fiona:

Do you know, what I think it is? I think it´s this school, that´s rubbing off on you, like it has on me.

Declan:

You have to be joking!

Fiona:

No, I mean it! Since I came here, it´s been as if bit by bit, all of that negativity and the anger and self-doubt, that it brought with it, has completely disappeared from me.

Declan:

And you think that it´s doing the same to me? Not that I´m not glad, it´s doing such amazing things for you, but I beg to differ!

Fiona:

Why not?

Declan:

Because it´s ridiculous! Whether I go to school in one place or the other, won´t change who I am!

Fiona:

It has in a big way for me. Tell me this, then: Would the old Declan have given up on a girl, because he started feeling sorry for her?

She looks him in the eyes and he silently admits, that she could be right.

Declan:

Let´s get home, Sis.

He looks okay with how it ended.

CLOSING CREDITS