WHAT IF? - SEASON 2 EPISODE 7 - BABY, I´M A STAR
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
1. Int. Gymnasium. Day.
The girls from the Spirit Squad are working hard to get ready to perform at the benefit, under Paige´s keen eye. They finish their routine and she looks unimpressed.
Paige:
Girls. Come over here.
They gather around her.
Paige:
That was ...
She shakes her head and the girls looks sad, before she lights up in a big smile.
Paige:
Frigging amazing! I can´t put into words, how proud I am of you!
The girls look happy and celebrate with high fives. Paige smiles at them.
Paige:
I seriously can´t believe, that some of you have only been doing this a few months. When I look you, I see a group of young women with talent coming out their ears! Go and have a well deserved shower.
The girls go off to shower and Paige looks proud of them in an older sister kind of way.
2. Int. The Dot. Day.
Paige is meeting up with JT after practice. She´s still excited.
Paige:
Mia is like me from a few years ago, without the mean girl attitude. Anyone can see how talented, she is.
She sees that JT isn´t really paying attention and looks annoyed.
Paige:
Chantay was born a boy, but doesn´t let it get in her way. Isn´t that something?
JT:
Mmm.
Paige:
You´re not listening!
JT gives in and pays attention to her.
JT:
Paige, it´s not that I´m not happy for you and the girls, but they´re all you´ve been talking about for weeks. Can we talk about something, anything else?
Paige:
Why can´t you support me in this and at least pretend, you´re interested?
JT:
When we became a couple, you told me that you didn´t care, if it meant, you´d have to leave the squad.
Paige:
That was then. I´m allowed to change my mind, aren´t I? These girls look up to me, like I´m a roll model. Do you have any idea, what an awesome feeling that is?
JT:
I wish you and your tiny army of little sisters all the success in the world. Don´t get me wrong. What I´m having a problem seeing, is how I´m gonna fit into this new life of yours. We barely spend any time together, as it is.
Paige gives him a warm smile.
Paige:
I´m not breaking up with you again.
He doesn´t look entirely convinced.
OPENING CREDITS
3. Int. Hallway. Day.
"3 Guys and a Girl" are practicing doing their awards acceptance speech, to Chantay and Mia´s amusement.
Craig:
First I have to thank my uncle Joey and aunt Caitlin. You guys kept believing in me, when no one else did! I have to thank Geffen Records and our producer Rick Rubin. Last, but not least, I have to thank the love of my life Manny and our daughter Julia. I love you girls!
Chantay:
Aww!
Darcy:
My turn. I have to thank the guys in the band. You´re the reason, why I sound great every night. I have to thank my sister, my parents, my best girls Chantay and Mia, of course ...
Mia:
I speak for Chantay, when I say that we´re honored!
Paige comes over to them, looking in a great mood.
Paige:
The academy will have to wait, to hear the rest of your thrilling acceptance speech.
Marco:
I was gonna thank my uncle Ricardo with a funny story!
Darcy:
We should get off to class. Later, boys!
She waves goodbye to them and heads off to class with Chantay and Mia.
Craig:
You know what else isn´t funny? Getting our math quiz back.
The boys wince at the thought.
Spinner:
If I get a C on this one, then I´m calling it the biggest upset since "The Miracle on Ice"!
Marco:
I´ve been preparing myself for failure, since I handed it in.
Paige:
Boys, boys! If you had studied like I did, then you wouldn´t have anything to worry about!
She looks confident.
4. Int. Classroom. Day.
Paige is with miss Kwan after class. She´s looking desperate.
Paige:
Please, let me take the test over! I can´t have a C minus! It´ll ruin everything!
Kwan:
Do you have any idea how many times, I´ve heard a student say that?
Paige:
This time it´s different!
Kwan:
Why?
Paige:
Because it´s about me! Me, me, me!
Kwan tries hard not to laugh.
Kwan:
It´s only one bad grade. You have the rest of the year to make up for it.
Paige:
It isn´t the first one. I got a C in social studies last week, which I know is all kinds of ironic. I try to keep up, but there´s only so many hours in the day. You understand, don´t you? You must have been young once.
Kwan:
I completely understand.
Paige smiles.
Paige:
You´re my favorite teacher, miss Kwan! I can take the test over?
Kwan:
I understand, that you need to prioritize your time. If you think it´s hard now, wait until you get to college next year. Think of this as a lesson in life, that will be as useful as anything else, you´ll learn here.
Paige doesn´t like it, but sees that miss Kwan is right.
5. Int. Above the Dot. Evening.
Hatzilakos is on the stage and is the emcee for the event, that´s drawn a full house and looks to be a success. There´s drinks and food stations and booths, that sell items from 3rd world countries, or copies of them anyway. Toby and Kendra are on stage with her.
Hatzilakos:
Welcome to tonight´s benefit! I´m pleased to report, that from the take so far, we´ve already raised over three thousand dollars. Let´s hear it for the two students, who organized this event. Toby Isaacs and Kendra Mason.
Toby and Kendra get a nice applause from the crowd and look proud.
Hatzilakos:
Spend as much as you can afford. It all goes to feed hungry people around the world. Are you ready for the show to get started?
The crowd cheers.
Hatzilakos:
Let´s get things kicked off with a performance from our very own Spirit Squad!
Music starts playing from the PA and the girls come out in their uniforms. They walk through the crowd, who separate, so they can do their routine on the floor, where they have the room they need. Everything clicks perfectly in what we see of their performance and Paige is clearly very proud of "her girls".
6. Int. Above The Dot. Evening (later).
The band is playing and they´re sounding pretty good, but not great by any means. Spinner and Marco are a decent rhythm section, but their timing isn´t always one hundred percent perfect and Darcy looks a little scared, now that everyone is paying attention to her. The one who´s keeping it together is Craig, who anyone can see is a step above the other three. Manny is in the crowd with Ellie and looks happy for him.
We cut down to Paige, who´s with Mia and Peter, that look to have become a couple, seeing as they´re holding hands.
Peter:
It´s nice to finally meet you. Mia thinks the world of you.
Paige:
Well, I think the world of her too! In fact, I´m already thinking that she should become captain, when I leave for college.
Mia looks overjoyed.
Mia:
For real?
Paige:
You´re a natural, Hon! The talent you have is the kind, the rest of us can only dream of having!
Peter:
What do you say, I get us a soda to celebrate?
Mia:
Sure. Anything orange flavored.
Peter:
Paige?
Paige:
I´m good.
He leaves them and Paige looks happy for them.
Paige:
He´s cute. Seems nice too.
Mia:
Can I tell you something?
Paige:
Sure, Hon.
Mia:
It´s almost like it´s too good to be true. A few months ago I was the new girl, who didn´t know anyone and now I have him and you guys. My negative side keeps telling me, that I should enjoy it, before everything comes crashing down.
Paige:
It won´t this time. Not if I can help it.
Mia looks pleased.
Mia:
How did you know, that JT was the perfect guy for you?
Paige:
I won´t say, that I did. I fell for him and decided to follow my heart. End of story.
Mia:
Peter is the such a good boyfriend, especially compared to my ex. I´m so glad, I´m in a much better place now.
Jane Vaughn, her old bestie, comes over to them with Peter, who has two sodas. He hands one to Mia.
Jane:
Do you plan on being boring all night, or are you coming up in front of the stage, where the real fun is?
Mia:
I´m not boring!
Jane:
Prove it.
Peter:
I can´t have that hanging on me! Can you?
Mia:
Ah-ah!
Jane:
What about you, old lady? Can you still party?
Paige:
Hon, I re-invented the concept of partying!
They head up in front of the stage, where Jane (who clearly doesn´t give a damn, if anyone laughs at her) rocks out like crazy, getting Paige to join in, since she doesn´t want Jane to think of her as being old.
We cut to JT, Rick and Toby, who watch her in amazement.
Rick:
It´s like watching an animal, that´s trying to copy the behavior of an animal of a different species.
Toby:
And failing at it! Why don´t you join her, JT?
JT:
She won´t want me to.
He sees that she´s enjoying herself and doesn´t want to interfere in it, even if leaves him feeling left out and like, she´s drifting away from him.
7. int. The Dot. Evening.
The Dot are hosting the after party for the benefit and Paige is still hyped up from having fun with Jane and Mia.
Jane:
I won´t call you old again, I promise!
Paige:
That was the best work out, I´ve had in months! It´s no wonder you Lakehurst Girls are all skinny, if that´s how you party every weekend!
Jane:
There´s a "Vag Warts" concert next week, if you feel like rocking out?
Paige:
Did you say, what I think you said?
Mia:
It´s a Feminist Punk band. It might be too advanced for you.
Paige:
Nothing is too advanced for me!
Mia:
They have a song called "Fire in my Crack".
Paige:
On second thought, there´s a lot to be said for a slow advance!
She sees Toby and Kendra come in.
Paige:
Excuse me a moment.
She walks over to Toby and Kendra.
Paige:
Hi, guys. Can I borrow you for a sec, Toby?
Toby:
You want to talk to me? Why?
Kendra:
You´re not planning on stealing him away from me, are you?
Paige:
Spinner would never forgive me, if I did anything to hurt you. You can safely leave your man with me, Kendra.
Toby:
Can you order me a Sprite?
Kendra:
Sure.
She gives Toby a kiss on the cheek and heads up to the counter. Paige looks happy for them.
Paige:
Aren´t you two all kinds of adorable?
Toby:
It´s still new. What´s up?
Paige:
I barely saw JT all evening.
Toby:
He went home early.
Paige:
It´s strange, that he didn´t tell me.
Toby:
I shouldn´t say anything, but he´s paranoid over losing you again.
Paige gets quiet and thinks about it, making Toby suspicious.
Toby:
Should he be?
Paige:
That´s between me and him.
Toby:
Don´t stay with him out of pity. That´s the worst thing, you could do right now. If you don´t want him, then let him find a girl, who does. He deserves that much.
He goes to join Kendra at the counter and puts his arm around her, which she in no way minds and smiles at him. Paige goes back to Mia and Jane.
Jane:
What´s with the frown?
Paige:
Things between me and my boyfriend are ... I don´t know.
Mia:
Sorry, Paige.
Jane:
It doesn´t sound like s storybook relationship.
Paige:
It used to be and it´s not that he isn´t an amazing guy, because he is. I´m just ...
She can´t find the words and shrugs.
Jane:
Not feeling it anymore? It´s no one´s fault, if that´s what you´re thinking.
Mia:
I couldn´t stay with someone, I wasn´t in love with anymore.
Paige looks torn over what to do.
8. Ext. Above The Dot. Evening.
The band is packing up their van, with Craig getting everything fitted inside.
Spinner:
We´ll get the rest of it.
Darcy:
How long will it be, until we can pay someone to do this?
Marco:
You´ll get used to it.
Darcy groans and follows Spinner and Marco back inside. A rather slick looking guy in his late 20´s, wearing what looks to be an expensive black leather jacket approaches him.
Chris:
That was a pretty decent show.
Craig turns around and immediately gets defensive.
Craig:
My band mates are coming back out in a moment!
Chris:
Relax! I´m not here to rob you. Look, I´ll get straight to the point. You have talent, the rest of your band don´t. Those acoustic songs, that you did on your own, were by far the highlight of the show. What you have there, is something I can sell to venues and record companies. There´s a lot of money to be made and I want to help you make it. For a fee, of course.
He hands Craig his business card.
It reads:
Chris Parker
Entertainment Agent
412 Sycamore Avenue, Toronto, Ontario
Phone: +302 928 615
Craig takes it in.
Craig:
I don´t know. They aren´t just my band mates. I can´t leave them high and dry.
Chris:
Kid, in this business, you can´t be concerned with being the nice guy all the time. Sometimes you need to make, what are going to be unpopular decisions with some people. Hendrix did, when he fired his band. Do you think he would have had the same success, if he had stayed with those guys out of loyalty? Give me a call. I can have you playing five gigs a week around town in no time.
He leaves Craig, just as the others come out carrying equipment.
Darcy:
Craig, a hand!
Craig:
Yeah, of course.
He goes to help them.
Marco:
Who was that guy?
Craig:
A fan.
Spinner:
We have our first fan, who isn´t dating one of us! How about that?
Darcy:
Next stop, super stardom!
The others looks excited, while Craig mulls over Chris´ offer.
9. Int. Craig and Manny´s Room. Evening.
Craig and Manny are snuggled up under the covers together.
Manny:
I felt like the the wife of a rock star! Sorry, I didn´t mean to use the W-word.
Craig:
That´s alright.
She gives him a small kiss on the nose and smiles at him.
Manny:
What´s wrong? I would have thought, you´d be over the moon.
Craig:
You only think that, because you don´t know any better.
Manny looks annoyed with him.
Manny:
Excuse me for trying to cheer you up!
Craig:
I didn´t mean it like that. You´re the one thing in my life, that couldn´t be more perfect. I still have to pinch my arm sometimes, to make sure I´m not dreaming.
His sweet answer got her back to smiling.
Manny:
I know I´m not an expert, but you can talk to me. Even if I don´t understand, I promise to stay supportive.
Craig:
Darcy was alright, but she looked like she was staring down a charging army, with a teaspoon as her only weapon!
Manny:
That´s ... a weird image! Don´t you think it´ll come, if she gets more experience?
Craig:
Other singers have gotten over their stage fright. Jim Morrison was so scared of facing the audience, that he sang with his back to them at the first many shows, The Doors played. He became one of the best front men in the history of rock.
Manny:
Why can´t that be Darcy?
Craig:
She´s a great girl, but I don´t see it happening. Then you have Marco and Spinner and I know, they´re trying their best, but I could count at least ten times tonight, when they were off beat. If they don´t improve by miles, then I don´t see us getting further than the odd gig, before the inevitable split, when we finish school.
Manny:
Maybe you should face the fact, that you´re one out the 9.999 out of ten thousand musicians, it doesn´t happen for. I won´t care if you´re a garbage man or the new Bruno Mars, as long as we´re happy and you continue to be a good boyfriend and dad to us.
Craig:
What if I told you, it could become reality? An agent approached me after the show and told me, he could get me five gigs a week.
Manny:
That´s great, isn´t it? What did the others say?
Craig:
I didn´t tell them. The offer is solely for me. It´s a moot point anyway. I can´t do that to them.
Manny:
Craig, I love how kind and nice you are.
She gets a small smile out of him.
Craig:
I´d hope so! Unless you want me to turn into a selfish jerk?
Manny:
I don´t want you to change in any way, but sometimes you have to make a decision for yourself. My parents don´t like that we live in sin, but I´m still glad, I didn´t listen, because they were wrong about us. I´ll never forget, when my dad called me a word in Phillipino, that basically translates to "Selfish Bitch".
Craig:
You´re the least selfish person, I´ve met.
Manny:
He was right, I was selfish. It doesn´t mean, I didn´t make the right choice for us and Julia. If he comes around, then we can talk again. If he doesn´t, then I´ll still know in my heart, that I made the right call. I´d at least consider this guy´s offer.
Craig:
It would mean, that I wouldn´t have to bust my butt at the restaurant for practically nothing. We can set up a college fund for Julia, maybe find a place of our own, not to mention that we won´t have to mooch off Joey and Caitlin, until we´re well into in our 20´s!
Manny:
At our rate, we´ll be lucky, if we´re out of here by our 30´s!
Craig considers it.
10. Ext. Street. Evening.
Paige is waiting by JT´s apartment building, when he comes out.
Paige:
I didn´t wake up your grand ma, did I?
JT:
Don´t worry. Her hearing isn´t what it used to be. You wanted to talk?
Paige:
JT, I can´t do this anymore. I´ve been pretending lately.
JT looks disappointed.
JT:
I knew, this would happen! Do you give a rat´s ass about my feelings?
Paige:
Of course, I do.
JT:
No, you don´t. Boys are like toys to you, to be played with until you get bored with us! Have a nice life!
He turns around, as she starts to cry.
Paige:
JT, we can still try to make it work. Maybe I can get past this.
He turns around and looks her in the eyes.
JT:
No, we can´t. This time I´m ending it, if you won´t. I might not be much, but I´m not your charity case!
Paige:
I´ve never seen it that way. You have to believe me.
JT:
That´s the thing. I don´t.
He leaves her and heads back inside. She´s left looking heartbroken.
11. Int. Hallway. Morning.
Craig is walking up the hallway with Manny, when he sees Darcy, Marco and Spinner hanging out and talking.
Manny:
Have you made up your mind?
Craig:
I can´t give this chance up.
Manny:
Good luck.
She kisses him on the cheek and heads off to class. Craig walks over to the others.
Craig:
Guys, I have something to tell you. I have to quit the band.
The others look surprised.
Marco:
We can get better, if you give us a chance.
Craig:
It only has a little to do with your playing. Look, that guy from yesterday, he was an agent. He told me, he can get me all the gigs I want as a solo act. I´m sorry, but I have to give it a try. I´ll help you find a new guitarist, but I can´t do both and be a dad at the same time.
He looks sorry, but his friends look happy for him.
Spinner:
You´ve been practicing that speech since last night, haven´t you?
Craig:
Was it that obvious?
Darcy:
We aren´t the ones, you need to stay loyal to. I´m sure, I don´t need to tell you, who that is.
Marco:
It´s easy to forget, that you don´t have the luxury of just messing around and seeing where something takes you. If this helps you as a family, there´s no way you´ll hear me objecting.
Spinner:
No beef here, man! If you´re worried about us finding a new guitar player, that won´t be a problem either. We have our replacement right here.
Darcy looks nervous.
Darcy:
Guys! I´ve only been playing a few months!
Craig:
I think, it sounds like a perfect idea!
Darcy smiles at his encouragement.
Craig:
Especially considering that those two also sound like, they´ve been playing for a few months!
Spinner:
Are you two okay with us bringing in a girl, to be our next singer?
Darcy:
I´m in. How many bands do you see with two of each?
Marco:
Not many. Sure, I guess. What gave you that idea?
Spinner:
Our old guitar player behaved like a girl anyway. Why not get the real thing and get the bonus of having something pretty to look at?
Craig:
Ha, ha!
Spinner:
Do you know any girls, who can sing?
Darcy:
Not off the top of my head. I can ask around.
Spinner:
See, Craig, it´s gonna be fine. As long as we all get a special credit on your first album.
Marco:
Plus an honorable mention in your first acceptance speech!
Craig:
You´re twisting my arm!
Craig looks relieved and excited for the future.
12. Int. Gymnasium. Day.
Paige comes in wearing her uniform and the rest of the squad are waiting for her. She´s still looking pretty down.
Paige:
Mia, can we talk? You might have to take over practice today.
Mia:
Before we do, we all have something, we want to tell you.
Chantay:
We heard that you and your boyfriend broke up.
Paige:
I´d rather not discuss it, if that´s okay?
Chantay:
That´s fine and it´s none of our business, why it happened.
Mia:
We just wanted to let you know this, in case you didn´t.
The girls set up for a cheer and Paige starts to cheer up.
Girls:
HER NAME IS PAIGE AND SHE´S LIKE A COOL SISTER
SHE´S EASY TO LOVE AND IF SHE LEFT, WE´D MISS HER
SHE´S THE QUEEN OF THE SQUAD AND THE BEST GIRL AT SCHOOL
IF HER EX CAN´T SEE THAT, THEN HE´S A STUPID FOOL
GO PAIGE!
The girls do a perfect pyramid to end it and Paige can´t help smiling.
Paige:
I love you guys!
The girls climb down from their pyramid and give her a group hug. She´s not even trying to hide, how much she loves being adored by them.
CLOSING CREDITS