WHAT IF? - SEASON 2 EPISODE 2 - THE BEAUTIFUL ONES
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
1. Int. Peter´s Room. Morning.
Peter is getting ready for school and is dressed nicely for a school day, but not over the top. His mother Daphne Hatzilakos AKA. Miss Hot Sauce, as JT named her, comes in.
Daphne:
Are you ready?
Peter:
In a moment.
Peter gives himself a squirt of deodorant under each armpit.
Peter:
Now I am.
He smiles at his mom, who looks suspicious.
Daphne:
Who´s the girl, Peter?
Peter:
Who says that there´s a girl?
Daphne:
You don´t think I noticed the pretty red head sneaking out of your window yesterday morning?
Peter:
No one special. I like her so far, but I don´t know her yet.
Daphne:
You´re coming in with a record, so tread lightly. Maybe you should consider putting dating off, until you´re more settled.
Peter:
Are you trying to ruin my first day of school, before it´s started?
Daphne:
You can maybe get away with one slip up, but more than that and I won´t be able to save you. It was hard enough finding a decent school, that would accept you in.
Peter looks like he´s heard this a hundred times and is getting tired of it.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Hallway. Morning.
Darcy is walking up the hallway, talking to Manny.
Darcy:
I should have gone to your place, like I planned to.
Manny:
How did you get out in time, by the way?
Darcy:
A guy helped me.
Manny:
That was nice of him.
Darcy:
Well, I was making out with him, so ...
Manny looks happy for Darcy.
Manny:
Who´s this mystery guy?
Darcy:
His name is Peter. Have you ever done something with a guy, that seemed like a great idea, but you wish you hadn´t the day after?
Manny:
You didn´t have sex with him?
Darcy:
We just kissed a lot. It was a momentary physical attraction. He isn´t boyfriend material.
Manny:
You´re describing what´s called a one night stand.
Darcy looks disappointed in herself.
Darcy:
Now I´m the kind of girl, who has one night stands? Where will it end?
Manny:
Easy there, teenage Madonna. They´re called natural urges for a reason and it´s not the end of the world. Not by a long shot.
Darcy:
I´ve never had to dump anyone.
Manny:
Simply explain, why you don´t want to be his girlfriend and move on. If you´re totally sure, that´s what you want.
Darcy:
I think, it is.
She doesn´t look completely sure though.
3. Int. Classroom. Morning.
Jimmy is waiting before class, when Marco comes in. No one else has arrived yet. Marco immediately feels guilty and walks over to Jimmy.
Marco:
Hi.
Jimmy looks up at him.
Jimmy:
Are you expecting a hug?
Marco:
I deserve that.
Jimmy:
If it hadn´t been for you, I wouldn´t be grounded ...
Marco:
I´m so sorry!
Jimmy:
Or face a huge fine for serving underage people ...
Marco:
Jimmy, I´m ...
Jimmy:
OR spend the next months getting to do nothing except go to school and basketball practice. What consequences do you face?
Marco:
I was grounded for a week.
Jimmy:
One week! Why, compared to you, I don´t feel sorry for myself at all!
Marco:
Have you told on me?
Jimmy:
I won´t. That´s only because I´m leaving it up to you. If you want to save what´s left of our friendship, then confess like a man. If you don´t, then I´ll know what kind of a man you are. I don´t respect that kind of a man.
The other students start filing in and Marco finds a seat, a little away from Jimmy.
4. Ext. Degrassi. Day.
Ellie is reading a book at one of the tables, when Marco comes over and sits down across from her. She looks up from her book.
Ellie:
If it isn´t the villain of the day!
Marco:
You too?
Ellie:
I´m not as mad, as everyone else is.
Marco:
Thanks, Ellie.
Ellie:
That doesn´t mean, I´m not massively disappointed in you. How can you let Jimmy take the fall? He´s been your friend, since we started here.
Marco:
My conscience is saying confess. My mind is saying, why take a punishment, when it won´t help him?
Ellie:
It will still make him feel better and not look as bad to his parents. You could be in for a lonely year, if you don´t take your punishment.
Marco looks torn and miserable.
5. Int. Hallway, Day.
Darcy is by her locker, when Peter comes over to her, looking a little nervous.
Peter:
Hi, Darcy. I finally found you.
Darcy:
Well, here I am.
Peter:
You never gave me your number, or I would have called you yesterday. I had a great time.
Darcy:
Peter, I was stoned.
Peter:
So what? I was too.
Darcy:
I wouldn´t have made out with you, if I hadn´t been. I´d prefer, if we could forget it.
Peter doesn´t look to be taking the rejection well.
Peter:
That´s cold!
Darcy:
If I´m gonna date someone, then it has to be someone I can see a future with. There´s other girls, who would love to go out with you. I can do better.
Peter:
I was good enough to help you get high, wasn´t I?
Darcy:
Please. Not so loud!
Peter:
How badly do you want to stop people from finding out?
Darcy looks shocked.
Darcy:
Lots of people saw me at that party.
Peter:
Did they see you smoke weed or getting your freak on with me? I don´t think, they did. It would come as a shock to them, wouldn´t it?
Darcy:
You´ll ruin your own reputation.
Peter:
By scoring with one of school´s hottest girls, before I started here? You have that all wrong. I could be a bigger hero to those guys, if I embellished the truth. They´ll believe any story, I tell them, as long as I tell it first.
Darcy:
Do you think that blackmailing me is the way to my heart?
Peter:
No, but it´s a way to make myself fifty bucks richer. I expect to get them tomorrow. We can call it a settlement for emotional damage.
He walks away from her angrily. She looks depressed.
6. Int. Gymnasium. Day.
Peter is in P.E. class with Danny and his buddy Derek, among several others. The boys are doing stretches while checking out the girls from afar.
Danny:
What about Chantay?
Derek:
She talks too much.
Danny:
No one´s denying that, but we´re basing it on looks. She´s in my top 3.
Derek:
She doesn´t make my top 10. What´s your verdict, Peter?
Peter:
She´s not my type. Too girly.
Danny:
We know what your type is.
Derek:
We saw you talking to Darcy. Have you scored with her?
Peter considers scoring cool points with the boys, but decides not to after seeing Darcy smiling.
Peter:
Darcy isn´t the kind of girl, you score with. She´s the kind of girl you romance, until she falls for you. Then you kiss her.
Danny:
That takes too long! You can have her, if you want.
Derek:
I give up on them, if we don´t make out on the first date.
Peter:
Girls like Darcy are worth waiting for.
They stop stretching and get to the next part of their class.
7. Int. Girl´s Locker Room. Day.
Darcy and Chantay have gotten dressed after their post-gym shower. Chantay can see, that Darcy is looking down.
Chantay:
Cheer up, Darcy. Four more classes and then it´s glorious freedom for the rest of the day!
Darcy:
It´s not that.
Chantay:
What then? Some boy got you down?
Darcy:
Where would you say that the limit goes, for what you should tell the principal?
Chantay:
I suppose that would depend on the context. Say if a girl said bad things about me and I knew, I deserved it, then I wouldn´t. If she´s making it up to make me look bad, then I would. Why do you ask?
Darcy:
Would you say blackmail is enough?
Chantay looks shocked.
Chantay:
Someone´s blackmailing you?
Darcy:
Sort of.
Chantay:
There´s no sort of, when it comes to something like that. Either you are or you aren´t.
Darcy:
In that case, I am.
Chantay:
I´d definitely go to the principal with it. Who´s doing this?
Darcy:
No one you know. This person knows things, I can´t have come out. Wouldn´t it be easier to pay them off and be done with it?
Chantay:
If you do that, what stops them from trying to get more money from you? You have to put an end to it, before it goes any further.
Darcy sees that Chantay is right, but still looks torn on the matter.
9. Int. Cafeteria. Day.
Manny and Craig are eating lunch. Marco comes over to them with his tray.
Marco:
Can I sit with you? I´m not welcome at my usual table.
Manny:
Yeah, sure.
Marco:
Thanks.
Marco puts his tray on the table and sits down.
Marco:
Do you think I should ...
Craig/Manny:
Yes!
Marco:
I´m not a bad guy, even if I don´t come clean, am I?
Craig:
It makes you a lousy friend.
Manny:
I can forgive pretty much anything, but even I wouldn´t forgive you.
Marco:
Honestly, would you take the blame, if you didn´t have to?
Craig:
I would tell the truth.
Manny:
Me too. You have to be able to look yourself in the mirror.
Marco sees, that they´re probably right.
10. Int. Classroom. Day.
Marco is in Social Studies class, that´s being taught by Miss Kwan.
Kwan:
Today we´ll be discussing ethics in advertising and how attitudes have changed over the years. In the early days of television, you had advertisements for cigarettes, that were aimed at children. Today, we see these as unacceptable, yet we accept things like sexualization of children in marketing campaigns. Something that back then would have been instantly condemned. What do you think is worst?
Many students raise their hands, but Marco isn´t one of them.
Kwan:
Ellie?
Ellie:
Sex doesn´t kill people. Cigarettes do.
Spinner:
You don´t think those ads are porn for child molesters?
Kwan:
In your opinion, the modern advertisements are worst?
Spinner:
If a kid start smoking, then it´s their parents fault for either not informing them correctly or setting a bad example. Plus, everyone already knows, they can give you cancer. I´d rather watch someone smoking in a commercial, than see another nine year old dressed up as a boy crazy slut. THAT makes me sick.
Kwan:
You don´t believe advertisements work? Studies show, that they do.
Spinner:
They could make the greatest advertisement in the history of the world for ... let´s say for argument´s sake, Crack Cocaine. My common sense would still stop me from buying it.
Ellie:
Maybe they don´t work on you, but they do on most people!
We cut to Marco, who has his own ethical dilemma. He begins to dose off.
11. Dream Sequence
Marco is in a theatre, with Jimmy sitting next to him. He looks confused.
Marco:
What play are we here to see?
Jimmy:
We´re here to check out the advertisements.
Marco, dressed as an Angel, comes on stage. Normal Marco looks puzzled.
Angel Marco:
Marco, do I have an offer for you! I´m offering you a clean conscience and the only thing you have to do is come clean. We all know, it will eat up your conscience, until you confess anyway.
Another Marco, dressed as a devil, comes in from the other side of the stage.
Devil Marco:
Don´t listen to this loser! What you want is what I´m selling, the chance to get off without getting punished at all!
Marco:
Won´t my friends punish me?
Angel Marco:
That´s a good point. You will get punished no matter what, so why not come clean?
Devil Marco:
You can find new friends. Better ones! You can get away with it! Anyway, wasn´t Jimmy the one, who suggested that you threw a party, while his parents were away?
Jimmy:
He´s got me there!
Marco:
I´m confessing.
Angel Marco does a celebratory dance, while Devil Marco looks angry.
Angel Marco:
Great choice, Marco! You won´t regret it.
Devil Marco:
Like hell, he will! Do you know what they call people like you? Losers!
Marco:
I don´t want to be like you, Devil Marco! You remind me of Cartman!
Devil Marco:
I´m the real you!
Angel Marco:
No, he´s not!
12. Int. Classroom. Day.
Marco is talking in his sleep, as Miss Kwan shakes him awake.
Marco:
No, he´s not!
Marco opens his eyes and looks embarrassed.
Kwan:
Who´s not what?
Marco:
I can´t remember. Sorry, I fell asleep.
Miss Kwan goes back to teaching the class.
Kwan:
What are your thoughts on commercials for unhealthy foods, that are marketed towards people, who are pre-disposed to obesity?
Marco:
It´s messed up, is what it is!
Kwan:
Do you think, they should be banned, in the same way commercials for cigarettes are?
Marco takes a moment to consider it.
Marco:
Yes, i do. What´s becoming rich worth, if you´ve driven thousands, maybe millions to premature deaths? You have to be able to look yourself in the mirror.
Kwan:
Who disagrees with him?
Other students raise their hands, but Marco doesn´t notice them. He does notice Ellie smiling at him and looking proud of him. He smiles back at her.
13. Int. Hallway. Day.
Peter is walking up the hallway, when he sees his mother coming towards him, looking angry at him. He´s almost about to turn around and run, but quickly gives it up.
Daphne:
My office, now! I´m sure, I don´t have to say, what it´s about.
Peter:
She was being a bi ...
Daphne:
I´d think twice, before completing that sentence! How could you be this dumb?
Peter:
I didn´t think, she would snitch.
Daphne:
What kind of an excuse is that? You´d better apologize to her and I suggest, you pull out the best one you have, She´s in my office.
Peter reluctantly goes with her.
14. Int. Daphne´s Office. Day.
Daphne brings Peter in. He sits down next to Darcy, who moves her chair away from him.
Peter:
It´s not like I tried to assault you!
Daphne:
Peter, apologize. I won´t say it twice.
Peter:
I don´t want to. She treated me like dirt.
Darcy:
I was only being honest.
Peter:
Honest? Do you want us to be completely honest and have my mom call your parents?
Darcy looks scared at the prospect.
Darcy:
No!
Daphne:
Darcy, is there something you want to tell me?
Darcy:
I´d like to keep it private. Look, as long as I get an apology and a promise, that it won´t happen again, then I won´t take further action.
Daphne:
That sounds fair. What do you say, Peter?
Peter:
I´m sorry that it came off, like I was going to blackmail you. I was going to refuse the money and play the nice guy, so you would think a little more of me and maybe ask you out. I promise, that I haven´t told a soul what happened, so your reputation is still intact.
Darcy is all of a sudden finding it hard to still be mad at him.
Daphne:
Do you forgive his extreme failure at an attempt to woo you, Darcy?
Darcy:
I forgive him.
Daphne:
You dodged a bullet, Peter.
Peter and Darcy both look relieved.
15. Ext. Jimmy´s House. Evening.
Marco comes up to the house with his dad, who rings the doorbell. They wait for a few moments, before Jimmy´s dad opens the door.
Marco´s Dad:
You don´t know me, but I´m Marco´s father. He has something to tell you and your wife.
Jimmy´s Dad:
Come in.
Marco and his dad do.
16. Int. Living Room. Evening.
Marco and his dad are in front of Jimmy and his parents.
Marco:
I want you to know that the party was as much my idea, as it was Jimmy´s. If it hadn´t been for me, then it would have been a small get together, like we planned it.
Jimmy´s Mom:
It still would have involved alcohol being served to minors. We can´t let Jimmy go unpunished.
Marco:
No one is saying that he should, but it wouldn´t be right that he took all the blame for it. Especially not, when a great deal of it falls on my shoulders.
Marco´s Dad:
We´ll inform the police, so Marco can get his just punishment.
Jimmy´s Dad:
We don´t need to bring the law into this, more than it already is. In my opinion, it would be better, if he paid half of Jimmy´s fine. Wouldn´t you say so, jimmy?
Jimmy:
Sounds fine with me.
Marco´s Dad:
I assure you, that Marco won´t be going to more parties any time soon. We´re not taking this lightly.
Jimmy nods acceptantly at Marco, who looks relieved.
17. Int. Peter´s Room. Evening.
Peter is practicing his guitar, when there´s a knock on the door.
Peter:
It´s okay, mom. You can come in.
He smiles, when he sees that it´s Darcy, who comes in.
Peter:
Am I dreaming?
Darcy:
Today was the first time, I´ve had to tell someone I´d kissed, that I didn´t want to be their girlfriend.
Peter:
No offense, but it showed.
Darcy:
I could see how brutal it was, when I thought back at it. I would have been devastated, if I guy I had made out with, told me those things.
Peter:
I shouldn´t have tried to pull that dumb stunt. I´m willing to call it even, if you are.
Darcy:
The few other guys I´ve kissed, were guys I knew pretty well. I knew what I was signing up for. With you, all I knew was that you could score drugs and you got expelled from your old school. Can you see where I´m going with this?
Peter:
Now that you say it, yes.
Darcy:
After that you tried to blackmail me, which even with the best intentions, doesn´t score you any points.
Peter:
I´m not a hopeless case. I´d hate for you to think that.
Darcy:
Do you think, I´d be here, if I thought, you were?
She sits down next to him and takes his guitar from him. She plays a few chords and he looks impressed.
Peter:
I didn´t know you played.
Darcy:
There´s a lot we don´t know about each other. What you say, we change that? As friends to start with and then we´ll see.
Peter:
I say, that I think, I´ve met the perfect girl.
They smile at each other.
CLOSING CREDITS