WHAT IF? - SEASON 1 EPISODE 11 - LOVE STINKS
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
Author´s Note: Hi, guys. I hope you´re doing well out there in the crazy world, we call Earth. I wanted to let you know, that the series will be going into "Summer Madness Mode", which means that you´ll be getting a new episode every 3 days, until we reach the end up season 2, at least! It´s around 3/4 finished, so it shouldn´t be a problem for me to finish it in time to keep up demand. Season 3 is already in the planning stages too, so it could be that I can continue for a while longer at the same release pace, after season 2 is released. Anyway, I hope you´ll enjoy this episode, which very much follows up on what happened in the last one.
1. Int. Basement. Morning.
Emma is looking herself in the mirror, as she checks her hair. It´s not co-orperating with her and she lets out an annoyed grunt. Snake comes down the stairs.
Snake:
Are you ready to go?
Emma:
I might as well. Today is gonna suck and I can´t even get my hair to look right!
Snake:
Why do you think, it´s gonna suck?
Emma:
It´s a long story. How you would tell someone something, you know they don´t want to hear?
Snake:
Like when I had to tell your mom, I had cancer?
Emma:
That would apply.
Snake:
It wasn´t easy. I knew that she would get worried sick and that there would be crying, which there was. When it got to the moment, where I had to reveal it to her, I felt like I´d rather be anywhere else. But I got it out and quietly explained the facts to her. We both cried, hugged it out and life went on, as it has to. Telling her was almost as hard as going through the treatments.
Emma:
This won´t be much easier. I basically have to lay some news on someone, that I know is the last thing, they want to hear.
Snake:
There´s no other way than to get it out there, but there is such a thing as the right timing. Getting that right can make a huge difference.
Emma:
Thanks, Snake. I´ll feel better afterwards, won´t I?
Snake:
You´ll feel like the weight of the world has been taken off your shoulders.
He manages to get a small smile out of her.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Classroom. Day.
JT is banging his head against his desk in frustration. Liberty and Toby, sitting at the table next to him and Manny and Emma sitting behind him find it funny.
Liberty:
Are you trying to break the desk or your skull?
JT:
BOTH!
We cut to the TV in the classroom. Raditch is on the screen.
Raditch:
As you´ve probably noticed, there´s fewer of us than usual. It appears that several students and a number of teachers have gotten food poisoning from the fish sticks, that were served in the cafeteria yesterday. Other schools, who got their supplies from the same manufacturer, have experienced the same thing. If you had them yesterday and you start to feel sick, then go to the nurse´s office immediately. I can assure you that the school board and the FDA are keeping a close eye on the situation. Have a good day, Degrassi.
We cut back to JT, Toby and Liberty.
Emma:
That´s what you get for buying them from the cheapest manufacturer!
JT:
Why did most of my cast have to eat fish sticks?
Toby:
Because they´re delicious?
JT:
A week before the premiere and this happens!
Liberty:
Did someone say "Macbeth" at rehearsal?
JT:
Laugh it up! Some day, it´ll be your turn to be miserable! Where I am gonna find two thirds of a cast to get ready for rehearsals this afternoon?
Liberty:
I don´t have anything, I need to do.
Toby:
Me neither. That´s two down.
JT:
What about you, Emma?
Emma:
I don´t know, JT. I´m kinda busy after school.
JT:
Em, I will get down on my hands and knees and beg you, if I have to! Do I have to go that far, to get you to say yes?
Manny:
Come on, Em. It´ll be fun. Remember fun? That thing, you used to have all the time!
JT:
Please, Emma. My back is against the wall and the firing squad are lining up!
Emma:
Okay, I´ll do it!
JT:
Great! You´re our new Juliet!
Emma doesn´t look too pleased.
Emma:
Juliet? I thought we were talking a small part!
JT:
Darcy´s at home with the squirts and I need a looker for the part. I can´t have her be all "Oh, Romeo! Sorry, but I have to run to the bathroom! Wait here for me!".
He gets a laugh from the others, except for Emma, who looks worried.
3. Int. Hallway. Morning.
Paige is begging Hazel and Jimmy.
Paige:
Please, you guys! You´ll be doing me a huge favor!
Jimmy:
I´m sorry, but Basketball practice has to come first.
Hazel:
I´m in.
Paige:
Thanks, Hazel. I knew, I could count on you. As for you Jimmy, what kind of a friend are you? I´ve done you more favors, than I can count!
Paige leaves them, looking annoyed with Jimmy. Hazel is annoyed with him too.
Jimmy:
What did you expect? I can´t tell my dad, that I´m blowing off practice to be in a play! If I don´t do this 100 percent, then I won´t play in the NBA. It´s that simple.
Hazel:
Do you know, what also is simple? That you don´t care about me.
Jimmy:
Hazel, I do!
Hazel:
Because your entire focus has been on basketball all year, we never spend time outside of school. I don´t know what we have, but you can´t call it a relationship.
Jimmy:
This my shot! I can´t give up on it!
Hazel:
No one´s asking you to. They´re asking you to put it aside one time, to help out a friend, who needs it.
Jimmy:
Don´t make a big deal over this. They´ll find someone else.
Hazel:
That´s not the point! I can´t believe, that you would be selfish enough to turn her down like you did! She´s right. You´re not much of a friend and you´ve been a terrible boyfriend, because you only only care about yourself. I can´t do this anymore, I´m done!
She leaves him and he´s left looking frustrated.
Jimmy (to himself):
Did I just get dumped?
He punches a locker in frustration.
4. Int. Classroom. Day.
Spinner is sitting at a desk texting someone, when Jimmy sits down next to him.
Jimmy:
Let me guess, you´re texting with a girl, who has a three letter name?
Spinner:
Is it that obvious?
He puts the phone away and turns his attention to Jimmy.
Jimmy:
It is from your goofy smile. I didn´t think she would at first, but she´s helped you turn things around this year.
Spinner:
To think, that I was still dating Paige, when the school year started. Remember that horrible haircut, I had?
Jimmy:
It was a mercy kill, when you got rid of it!
Spinner:
You can´t have every decision be a winner! You´ve done alright on the girl front, haven´t you?
Jimmy:
I thought, I did. It turns out that I´ve been a terrible and selfish boyfriend to Hazel. I´m pretty sure, she just dumped my sorry butt.
Spinner:
That sucks, man. What happened?
Jimmy:
I guess, it had been building up. The kicker was when I said no to being in Paige´s play. It´s not like I have a choice.
Spinner:
Jimmy, let me this one time in my life revel on the fact, that I have something to teach you!
Jimmy:
Let me hear the words of wisdom, you wish to impart on me.
Spinner:
You always have a choice. The alternative might not be pleasant, but there´s always more than one option. You have to ask yourself, what´s most important to you. Hazel or the NBA?
Jimmy tries to take in what just happened.
Jimmy:
We´ve been friends since we were four and you just gave me by far the best piece of advice, you´ve given me! Usually it´s bad, bordering on awful, but that sounded wise!
Spinner:
My brain works in mysterious ways! Plus, Amy likes to listen to Dr. Sally on the radio, so I could have picked it up from that.
Jimmy:
I´m not sure that I like, what Amy is doing to you. Before I know it, you´ll be smarter, than I am!
Spinner:
What are you gonna do?
Jimmy:
I don´t know. Since you´re so wise now, what would you do?
Spinner:
The key words here are "appreciate" and "needs". If there´s one thing I´ve learned about girls, it´s that they appreciate the little things, you do for them. Almost every guy Amy had before me treated her like dirt, so she appreciates it even more, when I put her needs first. You´re Hazel´s first serious boyfriend, so you have to live up to every expectation she´s had of a boyfriend growing up. That includes you making her feel like you appreciate her. My guess is that you´ll be kicking yourself, if ends and you know, you could have saved it.
Jimmy:
To do that, I have to put her needs first. Got ya.
Spinner:
You can still win her back, but that window won´t stay open for long. If you spend the whole summer apart, then you can bet the family farm, that it won´t be, when we reach August.
Jimmy nods to himself.
5. Int. Auditorium. Day.
Emma is talking to Manny and is surprised to see Sean turn up with Craig. He´s not looking too pleased to be there.
Emma:
Am I having a fever vision?
Sean:
He totally guilt tripped me into it!
Emma:
Poor baby!
They kiss and it cheers him up a little. Manny mouths "Good Job" to Craig.
We cut to a stubborn looking Darcy on stage with Paige and JT. She´s looking very sick.
Darcy:
I can do this! I´m not letting a little food poisoning stop me!
Paige:
Hon, you look like you´re halfway to the grave! You need to be home in bed.
JT:
We appreciate the effort, but we can´t in good conscience let you take the stage, looking like you could pass out at any moment!
Darcy:
I´m fine! I ...
She begins to gag and runs out of the auditorium. Paige and JT watch her leave.
Paige:
You have to give the girl an A for effort!
We cut down to Hazel, who´s with Ashley and Terri.
Ashley:
This could be fun, actually!
Terri:
I hope, I get to play Lady MacBeth!
Hazel:
Terri honey, she´s from a different play.
Ashley:
There´s Rosaline. She´s Romeo´s betrothed, before he meets Juliet.
Hazel:
Poor girl. Can you imagine finding out that the guy you think is your boyfriend committed suicide with another girl?
Ashley:
You´d think, he would have saved that for you!
Jimmy comes over to them, looking apologetic.
Jimmy:
Hey.
Hazel:
You decided to show up.
Jimmy:
I realized that you were right. I´m not expecting this to make it all okay, but I hope that it´s a step in the right direction.
Hazel:
It is.
Jimmy:
I´m sorry, that I didn´t appreciate you as much, as I should have.
He walks away from them and the girls look flabbergasted.
Ashley:
Are you alright, Hazel? That was intense!
Hazel:
He really seems like he´s sorry, doesn´t he?
Terri:
It´ll have to wait. They´re ready to start.
We cut to the stage, where JT and Paige are addressing the crowd.
JT:
Circumstances have forced us to make instant changes. Our new Juliet will be Emma Nelson and the rest of you´ll be assigned roles shortly. There´s no time for a real casting call, so this is the only way to do it.
Paige:
We need a few more for our stage crew, since they were hit too. So, if you don´t feel like acting, that could be a job for you.
We see that both Sean and Jimmy look relieved, that they don´t have to act.
6. Int. Auditorium. Day.
Everyone is lined up to get their parts. Paige is in charge and first up is Ashley.
Paige:
Ashley, you will be playing Rosaline. I figured with Craig as Romeo, you might be able to relate!
Ashley:
How I can´t wait!
She rolls her eyes and walks away. Next in line is Terri.
Paige:
Terri, you will be playing The Nurse.
Terri:
Who´s she?
Paige:
She´s like a best friend and mother figure to Juliet.
Terri:
Cool!
She looks pleased and walks away. Hazel is next in line.
Hazel:
Please tell me, it´s a good part!
Paige:
You shall be the Lady Montague!
Hazel:
Ooh, I like the sound of that!
She walks away and Sean is next in line.
Sean:
Stage crew.
Paige:
I´m sure, they´ll be glad to have you! Next!
Sean walks away and Toby is next in line.
Paige:
Toby, you´ll be playing Prince Escarus, the ruling Prince of Verona!
Toby looks pleased.
Toby:
Really?
Paige:
No, I´m just kidding. Thankfully, our Prince Escarus doesn´t like fish. You´ll be playing the reluctant Apothecary, who sells the poison to Romeo.
Toby:
Doesn´t he only have a few lines?
Paige:
It´s better than nothing.
He doesn´t look too pleased about it, but walks away.
Paige:
Next?
She smiles at the next student, who steps up in front of her.
7. Int. Wardrobe. Day.
Paige is helping the girls find the right dresses. She hands Terri´s her´s.
Paige:
I´m afraid, you might have to suck your gut in, Hon.
Terri:
I´ll survive for those few hours.
She hands Emma her dress and Emma isn´t too impressed.
Paige:
We´ll get it cleaned before opening night. You´ll have to live with the funky smell until then.
Emma:
Eww! It smells like mothballs!
Paige:
Darcy said something similar. We´re all suffering here, Emma.
Emma goes off to change. Ashley is next in line.
Paige:
We´ll see, if we can´t lay it out a little more. Not everyone is as freakishly tall as you, Ash!
Ashley:
It´s great how being in charge has brought out a refreshing new honesty in you, Paige!
Paige:
Less whining, more changing!
Ash takes the dress and walks off to change.
8. Int. Auditorium. Day.
Jimmy and Sean are working together on hanging up black drapes. They´re working pretty well together and finish with the one, they were on.
Sean:
Four more to go!
Jimmy:
Do you mind, If we work fast? I can still make the last half of practice, if I´m lucky.
Sean:
They´ll have more work for us.
Jimmy:
My dad won´t like this!
He sees Emma come walking on stage. Emma looks beautiful in her dress.
Sean:
If that´s the view, then I´ll work all night, if I have to! Oh, my!
Jimmy smiles knowingly.
Jimmy:
We can take two, so you can talk to her. I´ll find out, what our next job is, in the meantime.
Sean:
Thanks, man. Papa wants himself some of that!
He gets down from his ladder and walks over to Emma, but stops, when the stench hits him.
Sean:
Whoa!
Emma:
I have a new found respect for Darcy!
Sean:
You know, that I love you, but whew!
Emma:
It´s not that bad!
Sean:
Trust me, it is!
Emma gets an insulted look on her face.
Emma:
Is the way I smell that important to you? I´ll have you know, that you don´t always smell like roses, pal!
Sean:
Sorry. I won´t mention it again.
Emma:
Then give me a kiss.
He doesn´t like it and only does so reluctantly and it´s a very quick one. This only makes her madder.
Emma:
What was that? Are we in 7th grade again?
Sean:
It´s too much to ask.
Emma:
How are you gonna react, when I´m 8 months pregnant and I start farting all the time? Pregnant women do that, you know?
Sean:
What are you rambling about? You´re not pregnant!
Emma sees that she over spoke in the wrong forum.
Emma:
I meant some day very, very far into the future, when I become pregnant!
Sean:
You want me to be the father to your children?
Emma:
Do you want to be?
Sean smiles at her.
Sean:
Of course, I do. We´re talking in the future, when we´re old and responsible enough, aren´t we? I mean, it´s not like you want me to knock you up right away, is it?
Emma tries to play it cool and shakes her head.
Emma:
If it was to happen, would it be all that terrible?
Sean:
We´ll cross that bridge, should we ever get to it. Craig and Manny aren´t doing all that bad, are they?
Emma:
I guess not.
She forces a smile for him and he gives her a real kiss.
Sean:
Break a leg and while you´re at it, cross your fingers that I won´t break one!
She shows him her crossed fingers and he gets back to work. Terri comes on stage and sees that Emma is in deep thought, so she walks over to her.
Terri:
What did he say?
Emma:
I didn´t tell him. When I think of Manny and everything she´s missed out on this past year, it seems like it would be too much. She´s fortunate to have a new family, who helps her in everything. What if Sean or my mom freak out, when I tell them?
Terri:
I wish, I had all the answers for you. This one, you´re on your own with.
Emma tries to stay positive, as her co-stars come on stage.
9. Int. Hallway. Day.
Jimmy comes out from the auditorium in a hurry. He gets a little up the hallway, when Hazel comes out.
Hazel:
JIMMY!
He turns around and smiles at her.
Jimmy:
Shouldn´t you be in there?
Hazel:
What you did today was pretty cool of you. It shows that you care.
Jimmy:
I always did. I´m sorry, if I´ve been self centered.
They smile at each other and he runs off to catch the last of practice.
10. Int. Living Room. Evening.
Spike and Snake are chilling out on the couch, while watching TV. Emma comes into the living room.
Emma:
Hi, guys.
Spike:
Hey, Em. How was rehearsal?
Emma:
Tiring, plus I have a ton of lines to memorize!
Snake:
The trick is to do it over and over again, until you get it right.
Emma:
Which I have less than a week to do! Is there anything exciting in the fridge? I´m starving.
Snake:
We saved you a portion of Lasagna. Of course with how little you eat, that would be enough for a week!
Emma:
Not tonight! I´m eating the whole thing!
Spike:
Are you alright, Em?
Emma:
Yeah, just hungry. You´re the one who wants me to pack on a few pounds, so smile and be happy!
She heads out into the kitchen. Snake is suspicious, but Spike is.
Snake:
Good for her! I don´t want to talk bad about anyone, but it wouldn´t hurt that girl to put on a pound or ten!
Spike:
If my suspicions are correct, then she´ll be putting on more than that.
Snake:
You don´t think she´s ...
Spike:
I sure hope not!
They get off the couch and head into the kitchen.
11. Int. Kitchen. Evening.
Emma has piled a huge portion of lasagna on to a plate and puts it in the microwave.
Emma:
Come to mama!
She sets the timer and the microwave starts up. Spike and Snake come into the kitchen. She turns to smile at them.
Emma:
That lasagna smells delicious! I can´t wait to tear into it!
Snake:
Em, about that conversation, we had this morning. Did you tell that person the bad news, you needed to deliver?
Spike:
What bad news is that, honey?
Emma looks Spike in the eyes and looks sad. Spike and Snake already know from her facial expression, without her having to say it. They try to take it in.
Snake:
How long have you known?
Emma:
About a week.
Spike:
Em, we´ve talked about this a hundred times!
Emma starts to cry.
Emma:
It wasn´t as if I planned it!
Snake:
Is it Sean´s?
Emma nods.
Snake:
Does he know?
Emma shakes her head and wipes her eyes.
Spike:
I bet, you´re feeling scared and alone. I know, that´s how I felt.
Emma:
Do you hate me now?
Spike and Snake answer her question by giving her a group hug.
Spike:
We´ll get through this together. You´re not alone.
Snake:
You´ll always have us and so will your child.
Emma hugs her parents tightly, while she sobs.
CLOSING CREDITS