WHAT IF? - SEASON 2 EPISODE 1 - LET´S GO CRAZY
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
Welcome to season 2 of my series, which will follow what would have been season 5 of the original series, if that makes any sense! It probably won´t come as a surprise to you, that a writer, especially one who´s written as many Degrassi episodes, as I have, needs some new inspiration to get the old brain cells working on overdrive again. Which is why this season, I´m taking a page out of my Degrassi: Aftermath playbook (an idea I stole from "That 70´s Show") and naming all the episodes in the season after songs from one iconic artist or band from the 80´s. Why the 80´s? Because all the Degrassi DNG episodes from season 2 to 9 were named after 80´s songs, before they switched to naming them after 90´s songs for the last seasons. This season the artist in question is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars of the 80´s and a man, who made songs that for a large part will still hold up, long after I´m gone from this world. That man was one Prince Robert Nelson, better known simply as Prince.
It´s a new season and I feel like the existing premise of "What if Craig dumped Ashley" needs an extra one to add to it, especially because I plan on featuring the Sophomores a lot more these next seasons. So the one I decided to add was "What if Mia had dumped Jane´s sorry ass brother, before she became pregnant with his child"? As you can probably guess, Mia will be a part of this season, which like in the original series will only cover half a school year.
Just to remind you (and as a teaser for what´s to come), here´s the "cast list" of students for next season:
Seniors: Paige, Ashley, Terri, Spinner, Jimmy, Marco, Alex, Amy, Craig, Hazel, Ellie
Juniors: Emma, Manny, JT, Toby, Liberty, Kendra, Rick (gone at first, but will return), Sean
Sophomores: Darcy, Chantay, Mia (new), Peter (new), Danny, Derek (new), Jane (new)
Does that tickle your interest? Then let´s get on with the show!
1. Int. Rehearsal Room. Evening.
"3 Guys and a Girl" are rocking out, playing the Blondie song "Dreaming" and are sounding pretty good, definitely much better than they did at their first rehearsal. Darcy is now also playing rhythm guitar, along with singing. Their audience consists of Angie and Manny, who are dancing with each other. The band finish their song and get a big applause from their two biggest fans.
Darcy:
You´re much too kind!
Angie:
Encore! Encore!
Craig:
Sorry, Angie. Me and Darcy have to get to work.
Angie look annoyed.
Manny:
It´s okay, Sweetie. We can play any game you want to.
Angie:
Okay!
Angie takes Manny´s hand and leads her out. She waves goodbye to Craig on the way. The band starts to pack up.
Spinner:
They play and you work! I´m so glad, that´s not me.
Craig:
Trust me, playing with Angie is hard work!
Manny:
Can you imagine, what she´s gonna be like, when she´s our ages?
Craig:
Didn´t I tell you about that weird dream I had, where she was a teenager?
Darcy:
You haven´t told me.
Craig:
She was best friends with some blonde cutie named Maya and a gay, red haired guy named Tristan. She was also dating this kid named Zig, who made out with Maya behind her back. It was the most vivid dream, I´ve had!
Darcy:
I for one can´t wait to find out, if it comes true!
Marco:
Wouldn´t you rather get your audition over with, before you skip ahead in time?
Darcy:
Like I stand a chance. They probably have 20 girls auditioning for that part.
Spinner:
How much do you want to bet, that most, if not all of those girls, are thinking the exact same thing?
Craig:
There´s 3 guys here, who believe, that you can knock that casting agent´s socks off!
Darci smiles.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. The Dot. Morning.
Darcy is sitting at the counter with a small script in front of her. Spinner serves her a cup of coffee and yawns.
Spinner:
There you go, Mademoiselle.
Darcy:
Thanks, Spin.
He grabs a can of energy drink and holds it up.
Spinner:
Here´s to Caffeine. What would we do without it?
Darcy:
Amen!
They take a sip at the same time from their respective drinks.
Spinner:
Are you starting to feel some butterflies?
Darcy:
A whole nest! I was up half the night, considering every possible worst case scenario. Why are you tired?
Spinner:
Ever since Amy got on the pill ...
Darcy:
I don´t need details!
Spinner smiles to himself.
Spinner:
There´s an end of summer bash tonight at my friend Jimmy´s house, if you want to celebrate. You must be getting tired of moping over Rick moving away.
Darcy:
Are you sure, it´s okay? I don´t know him.
Spinner:
He´ll be fine with it, if you get a thumbs up from me, Manny, Craig and Marco.
Darcy:
Can you text me his address? I need to get my rear in gear!
Spinner:
Sure. Good luck.
She drinks the rest of her coffee. They nod at each other and she leaves, just as another customer comes up to the counter.
3. Int. Kitchen. Day.
Jimmy and Marco are looking at an extreme abundance of beer and chips, that´s on the kitchen table.
Marco:
We have enough for a small army! What are you gonna do with all the leftover beer?
Jimmy:
I have to do something. My parents can´t see them, when they get home.
Marco:
There is one simple solution.
Jimmy:
Drink it?
Marco:
Precisely!
Jimmy:
With that much beer, we´d better get started.
Marco:
You said it, not me!
Marco grabs them a couple of beers and hands one to Jimmy. They open them.
Jimmy:
Here´s to a Senior year to remember!
They drink.
4. Int. Living Room. Day.
Marco and Jimmy down the rest of their beers and are looking a bit buzzed. Jimmy laughs.
Jimmy:
Hazel will hate me for this! I can just see her face, when she gets here. "Jimmy, I thought we decided, that you wouldn´t drink again". We decided? There was never any "We" in that discussion!
Marco:
This is why it´s better to stay an independent self-contained unit. We never get any, but we have our freedom!
Jimmy:
It´s Dylan´s loss! Where´s he gonna find a better guy than you?
Marco:
What we had was fine for a first romance, but we weren´t on the same level. It was like he was my teacher and I was his student.
Jimmy:
It sounds kind of creepy, when you put it like that.
Marco:
Plus, there was the issue of him being Paige´s brother. I love her to bits, but having her as a friend and a sister in law at the same time doesn´t work for me. For the next one, I want a guy who´s my age, who doesn´t have a ton of history and most importantly, isn´t closely related to one of my best friends!
Jimmy:
It can´t be too hard to find a guy, who fits those criteria. We can double date, if Hazel dumps me.
Marco:
What chances do you give that?
Jimmy:
I´d say anywhere from 25 to 50 percent, depending on how drunk I am, when she gets here.
Marco:
Cheers to that!
They have another sip.
5. Int. Waiting Room. Day.
Darcy is awaiting her turn for her audition. In the room with her are two girls, who are so attractive, that they could easily be models. Seeing that they are her competition, clearly isn´t helping her nerves. The casting agent, a woman in her 40´s comes in.
Agent:
Darcy Edwards?
Darcy:
That´s me.
Agent:
This way.
Darcy stands up and follows after her.
6. Int. Office. Day.
The casting agent is seated at a table with the movie´s producer, a man in his late 30´s. Darcy is looking nervous.
Agent:
Tell us about yourself.
Darcy:
I moved to Toronto around half a year ago with my parents and my sister, I work at a place named "Little Miss Steaks".
Producer:
We don´t have all day. She mainly meant, what experience you have.
Darcy:
I did some school plays at my old school.
They look far from impressed.
Agent:
That´s it?
Darcy:
I was supposed to star in last year´s big play, but I got sick at the last minute.
Producer:
You´ve never been on camera before?
Darcy:
Not in an acting capacity.
They look at each other like "What is this girl even doing here?". It doesn´t help Darcy with her nerves, but she sees the need to save it.
Darcy:
But it´s not like it´s stopped other actresses. Katie Holmes hadn´t been on camera either, before she sent in that audition tape, she made in her parent´s basement.
Produced:
You see yourself as the next Katie Holmes? That´s a brave statement!
Agent:
It´s time for your screen test. Did you memorize the script, we sent you?
Darcy:
To the best of my ability.
Darcy smiles for the camera, as it´s turned on.
Agent:
Whenever you´re ready.
Darcy:
I rode on an elevator with Britney Spears last week! Not the actual Britney of course, but this total Britney clone, who lives in my building. Anyway, we ride on the elevator, when the elevator gets jammed between the 12th and 14th floors, I mean floor! Can I start over?
Agent:
No re-do´s here! Keep going!
Darcy takes a second to compose herself, but she´s out of the moment and the character now.
Darcy:
First ten minutes, we said nothing. Then she ... she ... line?
Agent:
Offered me a drink of her Evian water.
Darcy:
She offered me a drink of her Evian water. Then it turned out that we have a lot in common. We´re both the fast, last of three kids!
The acting agent shuts the camera off. Darcy looks disappointed.
Producer:
That has to be the worst audition, I´ve seen!
Agent:
Take all the acting lessons you can and get a lot more experience, before you step into a casting agent´s office and make a fool of yourself again.
Producer:
That was a waste of time, we could have spent on someone, who will take this seriously. The new Katie Holmes, you´re not! Leave.
Darcy:
Sorry, I wasted your time.
She gets up and starts to leave, looking depressed.
7. Int. Living Room. Evening.
Jimmy and Marco are dancing and having a great time at the party, that´s attracted quite a few people, by the looks of it. Paige, Hazel and JT make their way through to them.
Jimmy:
Hazel! The love of my life!
He tries to kiss her, but she looks annoyed with him.
Hazel:
Where did these people come from? I thought it was a small party.
Jimmy:
It was, but then Marco got a brilliant idea! Tell them.
Marco:
We had bought way too much beer for just us, so I figured what´s the best way to get rid of them? Have someone drink them!
Jimmy:
This man is a genius!
Paige:
You don´t think, your parents will get mad?
Jimmy:
They´re in Cape Hope. By the time they get home, I´ll have this place spotless, like nothing happened.
JT:
Mind, if I grab a beer?
Jimmy:
Have as many, as you´d like, my man!
Hazel:
I´m leaving.
Jimmy:
Then go, if you´re here to spoil the fun for the rest of us!
Hazel:
How would you like it, if I got drunk?
Jimmy:
I´d love to see you drunk! Then maybe, you would stop being so uptight!
Hazel is now very mad at him, but plays it off in a passive/aggressive way.
Hazel:
Fine. If you want to see me drunk, then I will get drunk!
Marco:
Isn´t that against your religion?
Hazel:
Very!
She storms away from them with Paige and JT following after her.
8. Int. Kitchen. Evening.
Hazel, JT and Paige all have a beer. JT and Paige cross arms and drink, while Hazel stares at hers. She puts it up to her mouth, but can´t bring herself to do it.
Hazel:
I can´t. Drinking alcohol is one of the worst laws you can break as a Muslim.
Paige:
Don´t feel forced to do anything, you don´t want to. Hon.
JT:
I can drink that for you.
Hazel hands the beer to him and looks glad to be rid of it. Amy comes in, looking stoned.
Amy:
Hey, you guys. How´s it going?
She opens the fridge and looks annoyed, before closing it again.
Amy:
Not a single alcohol free option?
Hazel:
See? I´m not the only non drinker here.
JT:
Why don´t you drink, Amy?
Amy:
I can´t stop, when I get started. After the last time, I said "never again".
Paige:
You still look in a partying mood.
Amy:
All thanks to the power of the best Kush, I´ve tried in a long time!
Paige:
What is that, says the girl, who feels dumb for having to ask?
Hazel:
Kush is some of the strongest weed, you can grow.
JT and Paige looks surprised. Amy finds it funny.
JT:
How do you know?
Hazel:
You´ve never watched "Trailer Park Boys"?
Amy:
I´d be willing to share, if you want to try it.
Paige:
I´ll pass. I like having a functioning brain.
JT:
Let´s face it, I´m enough of an oddball, even without drugs!
Hazel:
I´ll try it. It´s only weed, right?
Amy:
This is like weed 2.0! Come with me, Hazel. Let me show you a new world!
Amy leads Hazel outside.
9. Ext. Jimmy´s Parent´s House. Evening.
Darcy comes up towards the house and is a little scared by how wild the party looks to be. She comes up to the door and is almost about to turn around and take the coward´s way out, when she hears a friendly voice.
Hazel (voice over):
Manny´s friend!
She looks in the direction of the voice and sees Hazel and Amy smoking a joint. She walks over to them.
Darcy:
I usually go by Darcy.
Amy:
It´s nice to meet you, Darcy. Do you want a hit?
Darcy:
I´d better not. I´ve never tried it before.
Hazel:
Neither had I until ten minutes ago. Now I´m wondering why I never tried it sooner. Now I´m wondering how a fish taco would taste with sweet mustard dressing.
Amy:
I have to try that some time. Why are you afraid to go in?
Darcy:
I´ve never been to a wild party, where there´s drinking. My parents would kill me, if they smelled alcohol on my breath.
Amy:
None of us drink either. That´s why we got stoned.
Hazel:
Now I´m wondering why they keep hiring Krusty the Clown. He´s terrible every time!
Amy:
As you can see, this is some very good weed! Are you sure, you don´t want to try it?
Darcy stares at the joint for a few seconds before making her decision.
Darcy:
I can´t hurt to try it once, isn´t that what they say?
Amy:
Have the rest. I´m more than stoned enough and I´m pretty sure that Hazel is too.
Hazel:
I just got the best idea for a movie! Check this out. "Hazel Aden, Inter-Galactic Vampire Hunter"! Doesn´t that sound like a movie, you´d want to see?
Amy:
She´s stoned enough.
Amy takes a small toke and hands the joint off to Darcy. There still looks to be almost half of it left. She takes a hit and coughs a little.
10. Int. Living Room. Evening.
Marco has reached the sentimental part of the evening and is being consoled by Paige.
Marco:
I miss him so much! What was I thinking?
Paige:
You´ll find someone new.
Marco:
Not like Dylan. Do you think, I can get him back?
Paige takes another very large and long sip of beer in the hopes that it can get her out of answering.
Marco:
He´s on a date, isn´t he?
Paige burps loudly and nods.
Marco:
Is he hot?
Paige:
And he loves hockey. Sorry, Hon.
Marco hangs his head.
11. Int. Kitchen. Evening.
Darcy is performing her monologue for Peter Hatzilakos, who´s filming her with an imaginary camera.
Darcy:
We both live for Ben and Jerry´s and John Cusack movies. It was pretty good. She was pretty cool. Then I saw her today at school. I waved and she just looked the other way. Walked off with her friends. As if we hadn´t spent an eternity in the same trapped elevator together. Shared the same bottle of water. As if I didn´t even exist.
Peter:
And cut! Well done!
Darcy smiles.
Darcy:
If I´d done that earlier, then I would have gotten myself blacklisted!
Peter:
You don´t think, they´ll give you a second chance?
Darcy:
Not unless I dye my hair and change my name.
Peter:
Do you believe, people deserve a second chance?
Darcy:
What did you do?
Peter:
I´m not telling you.
Darcy:
Suit yourself.
She start to walk away, but he stops her.
Peter:
I ran a little business of selling old reports to students, who didn´t like doing homework any more than I did.
Darcy:
That isn´t so bad.
Peter:
A kid threatened to tell on me, so I threatened to have him beaten up. When he told the principal, I was expelled. Does that scare you?
Darcy just smiles at him.
Darcy:
Does this scare you?
She kisses him, to his surprise.
Peter:
You´re one of those girls, who likes bad boys, aren´t you?
Darcy:
I am tonight, but you can´t tell anyone. I´m a good Christian girl.
Peter:
Is that who you are?
Darcy:
Why do you keep talking, when we could be kissing?
They go back to kissing.
12. Int. Living Room. Evening.
Hazel is getting funky like a monkey with Jimmy and he´s enjoying seeing her cutting loose for once.
Hazel:
Do you still think, I´m uptight?
Jimmy:
I never should have said, that you´re uptight.
Hazel:
You were right. I am too uptight for my own good.
Jimmy:
You´re only saying that because you´re drunk.
Hazel:
I´m not drunk.
Jimmy stops dancing and stares at her.
Jimmy:
You´re on drugs?
Hazel smiles tauntingly at him.
Hazel:
Stop getting so uptight, Jimmy!
Jimmy:
There´s a difference between drinking and doing drugs!
Hazel:
If you´re gonna be a party pooper, then I´ll find some myself some real party people. Bye.
She leaves him looking frustrated. Marco comes over and puts his arm around him.
Marco:
Can I have a hug? I could use one!
Jimmy looks like he´s regretting throwing the party.
13. Ext. Jimmy´s Parent´s House. Evening.
Darcy and Peter are getting hot and heavy, when they see police cars pulling up to the curb and stop kissing.
Darcy:
Crap! I´m high as a kite!
Peter:
We´ll find a back way out.
They run out to the back yard.
14. Int. Living Room. Evening.
Jimmy stares down at the floor, as policemen come into the house. There´s beer cans everywhere.
Policeman:
Who´s the host of this party?
Jimmy:
I am.
The policeman almost looks like he has sympathy with Jimmy.
Policeman:
I´m guessing that your parents aren´t aware of this?
Jimmy:
No, Sir.
Policeman:
Son, I am glad, that I´m not you!
Jimmy clearly knows how bad it is from the look on his face.
15. Ext. Street. Evening.
Darcy and Peter stop running, now that they´re safe.
Darcy:
Thanks. You saved me from a world of trouble.
Peter:
My mom would have blown a gasket too. I told her, I was going to a movie.
Darcy laughs.
Darcy:
You tried to come off as this tough bad boy. In reality, you have to lie to your mom, so you can leave the house!
Peter:
I thought, girls liked bad boys.
Darcy:
Not this one. Not when I´m sober anyway. I´m not a bad girl either. Most of the time, I´m the girl that no one notices, your run of the mill wallflower. It´s probably why I do things, I hope will make them notice me.
Peter:
I know a place where we can score some weed.
Darcy takes out her phone and calls someone.
Darcy:
Hi, Dad. I´m gonna sleep at Chantay´s house. It´s safer than heading home now. Okay, I´ll see you tomorrow.
She hangs up and puts the phone away. Peter looks pleased.
Darcy:
You were saying something about weed?
She smiles at him.
CLOSING CREDITS
Author´s Note: Darcy´s audition script was taken right from Stacey Farber´s (Ellie´s) actual Degrassi audition, that you can find on YouTube. Of course, Stacey´s audition went a lot better than Darcy´s did here. There was one small part, that I couldn´t hear entirely clear, but I transcribed it as closely as I could. If you can tell me, then I´d love to know, so I can write it 100 % correctly. I wanted to use Shanae Grimes´ (Darcy´s), but that was a dialogue and I wanted it to be a monologue. Thanks for reading and have a great day!