LAKEHURST HIGH - EPISODE 13 - SISTER LODE

Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.

1. Int. Heather and Erica´s Room. Evening.

Heather and Erica are getting ready for bed. Erica goes to bed in a pair of sweatpants and a large T-Shirt. Heather notices it.

Heather:

Don´t you think, you´ll be warm?

Erica:

No, it´s fine.

Heather:

Do you think, I don´t hear you take them off under the covers, after we turn the lights out?

Erica sits up and looks Heather in the eyes.

Erica:

I know, it sounds crazy. But since you came out and I´m happy for you and Liz, I really am, but it makes me feel weird, every time you look at me.

Heather looks at her in disbelief.

Heather:

Do you think, that I´m checking you out? Gross!

Erica:

I don´t want to think it, it´s just how my brain works.

Heather:

You´re my sister! If ever thought of you that way, I would head straight to a psychiatrists´ office! Just because, I´m a lesbian doesn´t mean, that I get attracted to all girls any more, than you get attracted to all guys.

She gets annoyed and gets under the covers.

Erica:

I´m sorry, okay? This is still very new to me. It isn´t the easiest thing, to just accept like that.

Heather:

You´re doing a terrible job of it so far. Good night.

Erica lies down and looks annoyed with the whole thing. She takes her sweat pants off under the covers and turns out her night light.

OPENING CREDITS

2. Ext. School. Morning.

Erica and Heather have been dropped off in front of school. This are still chilly between them.

Erica:

How long do you plan on staying mad? You haven´t said a word all morning.

Heather:

What´s to say? You clearly think, that I´ve turned into a nympho, or something.

Erica:

I want to get past it. You know, that I´ve always been accepting of gays.

Heather:

Maybe you were. Now that it´s time to practice what you preach, you can´t live live up to it, can you?

Erica:

How can I convince you?

Heather:

What you said, hurt my feelings. That you can´t stand me looking at you? I´m your flesh and blood.

Erica:

Again, I´m sorry. I don´t know, what else to say.

Heather:

You don´t have to say any more. I heard enough yesterday.

Heather hurries towards the school. Erica tries to keep up with her.

3. Int. Hallway. Day.

Kathleen is with Wheels, looking at students passing by.

Wheels:

What do you think of the way, that couple is dressing?

Kathleen:

They´re both trying to look like tramps, in their own way.

Wheels:

Try again.

Kathleen:

Come on!

Wheels:

You´re the one, who wanted to stop being judgmental. Be positive this time.

Kathleen:

I guess, you could say that he´s clearly into the baggy look and it´s refreshing how he doesn´t care, that his clothes are dirty and most likely smell bad.

Wheels:

Good. How about her?

Kathleen:

She´s dressed in a way, that highlights her female form by showing it off as much of it as possible. While I´d think, that it looks cold for this time a year, she´s clearly not having a problem with it.

Wheels:

That´s not bad! Do you mean it?

Kathleen:

No! The guy is a loser and the girl is a total ho-bag! They have trailer park trash, written all over them!

Wheels:

It´s okay, Honey. Rome wasn´t built in a day.

Lucy and Tessa come over to them.

Lucy:

Hey. Are you free for a rehearsal after school?

Kathleen:

Not really. It´s a family thing.

Tessa:

Can I come?

Kathleen looks annoyed with her.

Kathleen:

Of course not!

Tessa:

I want to portray you as accurately as possible.

Kathleen:

I agreed, that you could study me, but I meant at school. My time is my time! Let´s go, Wheels.

Wheels:

My class is right here. I´m five feet away from it.

Kathleen looks annoyed.

Tessa:

I´ll walk to class with you.

Kathleen:

Come on, then.

Tessa and Kathleen head off to class.

Lucy:

Do you think, Tessa will make it to the end of the shoot, before Kathleen gets so annoyed, that she scares her off?

Wheels:

Three to one. Are you up for a fifty?

Lucy:

No thanks!

Wheels grins to himself and they head into the classroom.

4. Int. Classroom. Day.

It´s computer class and the seniors are paired up and working on the ancient PC´s of the day. Erica and Snake have been paired up. He´s very enthusiastic, but she looks like it isn´t computing with her, no pun indented.

Snake:

I read that ten years from now, they expect more than half of all homes to have one of these.

Erica:

Why? So, they can play "Juice Bar" at home? It´s not that fun! Plus, they´re way too expensive for normal people.

Snake:

That will change, as they find cheaper ways to make components and ways to make them smaller. Games will become detailed in ways, we can´t even begin to imagine! Twenty or thrity years from now, we´ll all have hard drives installed into our minds, like they have in William Gibson´s Cyberpunk books.

Erica:

You can be such a nerd sometimes!

Snake:

It´s the way of the future and it´s coming fast. It won´t be long, until you´ll have to learn to use one.

Erica:

Thankfully, that isn´t now!

She looks over at Heather, who´s paired up with Spike, which looks like it´s cheered her up. Snake notices it.

Snake:

What´s up with you and your other half?

Erica:

She´s mad at me. She thinks, I´m intolerant of her and others like her.

Snake:

As in gays?

Erica:

You can´t understand, what it´s like to all of a sudden share a room with one.

Snake:

Maybe not, but I have a brother, who´s gay.

Erica:

Has it changed things between you?

Snake:

They´re getting better. Christmas went without incident. Me and my parents got to meet his boyfriend and I won´t say that the conversation started flowing right away, but it wasn´t as awkward, as we feared. Now we´re finally back to something resembling normal.

Erica:

That´s where I want to get to. I just can´t help feeling different about her, than I did before. It feels, like I never really knew her to begin with, you know?

Snake:

It can be hard, because it does change everything. You didn´t play any part in it, but you´re forced to deal with it, as much as she is. It doesn´t seem fair, but it´s how it is.

Erica:

You´re saying, that if I get to know Liz better, it will help?

Snake:

It could. It did in my case.

Erica:

It´s the best idea, I´ve heard so far.

She looks over at Heather and considers it.

5. Int. Hallway. Day.

Heather and Spike leave the classroom together. Erica hurries to catch up with them.

Erica:

I have a plan for how we get past this.

Heather and Spike stop walking and Heather looks at her.

Heather:

I´m all ears.

Erica:

Since we have the house to ourselves tonight, why don´t you invite Liz over for dinner and I´ll cook? You can come too, Spike.

Spike:

I´m sure, that Emma can finger paint by herself, for one evening.

Heather:

I can always ask. I don´t think, she´s doing anything special.

Erica:

If I get used to seeing you together, then I´m sure, it´ll make it easier.

Spike:

I can help you cook. That way we can give Heather and Liz, some much needed private time!

Heather:

I won´t say no to that! It´s a great idea.

Erica:

We´re sisters for life, so I have to get past this. There´s no other way.

Erica looks determined.

6. Ext. Degrassi. Day.

Kathleen is leaving school, with Tessa following behind her, taking notes.

Tessa:

One more question.

Kathleen:

You said that five questions ago!

Tessa:

I´m annoying you, aren´t I?

Kathleen:

How did you guess?

Tessa:

I have to get to know you, if I´m going to do you justice.

Kathleen:

Tessa, you´re a nice girl and one of few here, I have no problem with. Do you know why?

Tessa:

Because I´m nice to you?

Kathleen:

You are and you don´t act like a hormone crazed, love sick puppy, like half the girls here. You also rarely bother me, which is by far your finest feature!

Tessa:

I´ll give it a rest. Look, I´m really sorry, if I´ve been a pain in the butt. I just want to be as good as possible, in the movie.

Kathleen:

Apology accepted. If you´ll excuse me, I have to go and do something, I wish, I didn´t have to. Don´t ask.

Kathleen leaves her. Tessa writes down a few more notes, before watching her leave.

7. Ext. Parking Lot. Day.

Tessa is waiting for a ride to arrive, in the middle of the nearly empty parking lot. Wheels comes over to her.

Wheels:

Why are you still here?

Tessa:

My dad was supposed to pick me up. I think, he forgot.

Wheels:

You live close to Joey, don´t you?

Tessa:

Maple Lane, close to the bus station.

Wheels:

I´ll give you a ride. It´s not too far off, from my usual route.

Tessa:

I gladly accept!

They walk towards his car.

8. Int. Car. Day.

Wheels is driving, with Tessa in the passenger seat. He´s got a Helix tape, playing from the stereo.

Wheels:

Wouldn´t it be nice, if there was some way to get in touch with him, so you knew for sure? I´ve always thought, that would be a usable invention, like a small phone or something, you could use to call him with.

Tessa:

You´ve been watching too many science fiction movies! How would they even make it, unless you had to have a massive extension cord with you everywhere?

Wheels:

Radio waves, perhaps? I´m just shooting from the hip.

Tessa:

It´s not completely impossible, I suppose. Maybe we´ll finally get to see it, when were old and grey. As for today, I´m pretty sure, he forgot me again.

Wheels:

I don´t know, how anyone could forget you.

Tessa smiles at him.

Tessa:

Is that flirting, I´m sensing?

Wheels:

Nah, I have enough in the one, I have.

Tessa:

She´s so incredibly defensive. I can´t get her to open up, so I can find out the things, I need to.

Wheels:

I happen to be an expert on her, or at least, I like to think, I am.

Tessa:

Can I pick your brain over a pizza? My treat.

Wheels:

Why not? I´ve always been a fan of free food.

Tessa:

Something about it, just makes it taste better, doesn´t it?

They smile at each other, seeing that they have something in common.

9. Int. Kitchen. Evening.

Spike and Erica are busy cooking, wearing aprons to protect their nice clothes underneath. Heather comes in, wearing a very pretty dress and looking her best.

Spike;

Wow!

Erica:

You look nice!

Heather:

Thanks. I want to look my best for her.

Erica:

Like we would, if we were going on a date!

The other two look at her and she feels uncomfortable.

Erica:

Thereby not saying, that you´re different from us.

Heather:

It´s okay. You´re allowed a Freudian slip or two.

The doorbell rings and Heather squeals with anticipation.

Spike:

Relax! You´ll give yourself a heart attack, before she gets to see you!

Heather:

That´s my girlfriend!

She runs to the the door and opens it for Liz, who looks like a dream. They smile at each other.

Liz:

I can´t decide if you look like Kim Basinger or Cindy Crawford.

Heather:

You just look like a babe! Is that okay?

Liz:

I can live with that.

She comes in and they kiss. Erice tries her best not to stare.

Spike:

It´s two people kissing. You´ve seen it a million times.

Erica:

Not like this!

Heather closes the door behind Liz and they come in, holding hands.

Liz:

Hi, guys. What are we having?

Erica:

Hi! We are having a delicious vegetarian meal, since I know, you don´t eat meat.

Spike:

It´s an experiment, since I don´t know any vegetarian recipes.

Erica:

It should taste good, considering the things, that are in it.

Liz:

I wasn´t expecting to get special treatment.

Erica:

You´re our guest. I want you to feel welcome.

Heather:

It´s a good start, right?

Liz:

I´d say so.

Erica:

Now you have the choice between the living room or our room, so you can ... do whatever lesbians do.

Heather, Spike and Liz see the chance to mess with her.

Heather:

You can ask, if there´s anything, you want to know.

Erica gets flustered.

Erica:

No! I wouldn´t want to take up your private time.

Liz:

It´s perfectly okay. I would be curious, if I were you.

Spike:

With no penis involved, how do you ... you know? That´s one, that´s always intrigued me!

Erica:

Can we save that conversation for later? We really should watch these pots and pans carefully!

Heather:

We´ll be in the living room.

Heather and Liz leave them. Erica looks annoyed with Spike.

Erica:

How could you ask them that?

Spike:

Aren´t you curious? I know, I am!

Erica:

Maybe a little, but I don´t need to hear the details!

They get back to their cooking.

10. Int. Tessa´s Room. Evening.

Tessa and Wheels are eating pizza, while she takes notes.

Tessa:

What can you tell me about her parents? They´re not in the script, except for a few mentions.

Wheels:

With reason. They´re her soft spot, in a big way. Her dad left them, back when we were in Junior High and her mom hasn´t taken it it well. Based on what I´ve seen of her, I suspect, that she´s at least a borderline alcoholic. Kathleen keeps me as separate from that part of her life, as she can. She clams up instantly, if f I try to ask her anything about it.

Tessa looks shocked.

Tessa:

I promise, I won´t tell anyone. How does she cope?

Wheels:

By being the Kathleen, we know. She puts up a shell, so no one sees, how much she´s hurting inside. It can be horrible to look at, when you love her. All I can do, is be there for her, when she needs me.

Tessa:

Hearing about, how her life is, almost makes me feel bad. Here I have the most sheltered life you can and I can´t even remember the last time, something bad happened. Nothing really bad, anyway.

Wheels:

What about Dave? Are you falling in love with him?

Tessa:

It feels more like I´m dating my friend, than my boyfriend. Does that make sense?

Wheels:

The passion isn´t there?

Tessa shakes her head.

Tessa:

We have fun, when we hang out, so it´s not that. I´m giving him a chance, at least a little while longer. My mom told me, that relationships sometimes take their time to get good.

Wheels:

If nothing else, you´ll get some laughs out of it.

Tessa:

That´s one thing about him, I can´t complain over!

Tessa´s mom comes in.

Tessa´s Mom:

I trust, that you´re behaving?

Tessa:

Mom! You´re embarrasing me!

Wheels smiles at Tessa´s mom.

Wheels:

We are, mrs. Campanelli. It´s an innocent round of talking and note taking.

Tessa´s Mom:

There´s a girl on the phone for you.

Tessa:

Did she say her name?

Tessa´s Mom:

Not for you. It´s for Wheels. A girl named Kathleen?

Wheels:

That´s my girlfriend.

Tessa´s Mom:

You can use the phone in the kitchen.

She leaves them.

Tessa:

Did you tell your parents, that you were coming over?

Wheels:

Yeah. I wonder, what she wants.

They leave the room.

11. Int. Dining Room. Evening.

The four girls are having dinner.

Erica:

Is it okay to ask, how long you´ve known?

Liz:

In some ways, I´ve always known. It wasn´t until the other girls started becoming boy crazy and I didn´t, that it started to dawn on me, that I wasn´t like them.

Spike:

There were a few guys, who tried to hit on you.

Liz:

Who can forget Joey´s hopeless attempts at scoring with me?

Erica:

When did you find out, Heather?

Erica looks nervous of the answer.

Heather:

Are you sure, you want to know?

Erica:

It´s been years, hasn´t it?

Heather:

A few. Like Liz, part of me has always known.

Erica:

Why didn´t you tell me?

Heather:

I was afraid, that you´d start treating me differently, if you knew.

Erica:

I give my promise to both of you, that I´ll do my best to be as understanding, as I can. It doesn´t matter, if it´s still a little weird to me, that you think of girls that way. The only thing that matters, is that Heather is happy. When I see you two together, it´s easy to see, that she is now.

She smiles at them and they smile back at them.

Spike:

Enough of this hardcore emotional atmosphere! I´m getting seconds, whether you like it or not!

Liz:

It is really good! Can you give me the recipe?

Erica:

Sure, if we can remember it. It was an experiment.

Heather:

This was one experiment, that worked to perfection.

The twins look happy to be getting along again.

12. Int. Car. Evening.

Kathleen is in Wheels´ car with him outside her house. She looks upset and Wheels looks disappointed.

Kathleen:

I wish, there was some other way. But it´s moving to live with my dad in Montreal, or go into foster care.

Wheels:

There aren´t any other relatives, you could stay with?

Kathleen:

No one, who lives anywhere close to here.

Wheels:

You could live with me.

She smiles at him and kisses him

Kathleen:

You are so sweet to ask. A year ago, I never thought, that I would have a boyfriend, who cares about me, like you do. She has to go into rehab and without an income, we can´t keep the house. She was up to her ears in debt, as it was. You know, that I´d stay, if I could. I love you, Wheels.

Wheels stays quiet, as he thinks to himself. Kathleen starts crying.

Kathleen:

You hate me now, don´t you?

He looks her in the eyes.

Wheels:

I could never hate you. I love you too.

He takes her hand and kisses it. She manages to smile through her tears.

13. Int. Erica and Heather´s Room. Evening.

The twins are in their beds.

Erica:

It´s just fingers?

Heather:

We also have our tongues.

Erica:

EWW!

She makes a face, that Heather finds funny.

Heather:

The taste isn´t too bad, when you get used to it.

Erica:

Let me live in blissful ignorance!

Heather:

I´ll spare you the details, about the other things we do.

Erica:

Thanks. So, are you gonna start going to gay bars and immersing yourself in the culture?

Heather:

I´m not old enough to go to bars, for one thing.

Erica:

In a few years, when you are old enough, what then?

Heather:

I´ll definitely want to give it a try, Whether it´s for me or not, remains to be seen.

Erica:

Here I thought, that all gay people like to party.

Heather:

Haven´t you learned anything tonight? We´re the same as you, except for that one thing. Some are one way and others are different, same as with straight people.

Erica:

I just want you to be happy, whether it´s with a guy or a girl. You could do worse than Liz.

Heather:

I know. It sort of feels like I´m the nerdy girl, who scored the cool girl.

Erica:

Like a lesbian Molly Ringwald.

The last freeze frame is Erica smiling, because she´s happy for Heather and is finally starting to understand it a little.

CLOSING CREDITS