WHAT IF? SEASON 2 EPISODE 15 - POP LIFE
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
1. Int. Rehearsal Room. Evening.
Jane is getting ready to audition for the band formerly known as "3 Guys and a Girl", until they lost one of the guys.
Jane:
What kind of music do you play?
Marco:
It´s sort of undefined, since Craig left the band.
Jane:
Undefined how? You must have some idea!
Darcy:
We play the easiest songs we know, because he was the only one of us, who knew how to play.
Jane smiles. She sees that she´ll fit in well with this lot.
Jane:
That´s why it´s called DIY, isn´t it?
Spinner:
You like punk?
Jane:
I like all sorts of stuff, depending on what I´m in the mood for. One day could be a Ramones day and the next could be an ... I don´t know ... Bjork day.
Darcy:
You like Bjork? That´s so cool!
Jane:
Who doesn´t love weird and totally unpredictable Icelandic girls?
Marco:
Okay, so we´ve established that you´re more than cool enough to join.
Jane:
I´m cool? Thanks!
Spinner smiles at her reaction. She´s clearly growing on him at a record rate.
Marco:
But, can you sing, dear Jane?
Jane:
Can I sing? No, but I can try my best!
Darcy:
Did you practice the song, we talked about?
Jane:
Sure did.
Spinner:
Let´s try it. 1, 2, 3, 4 ...
They start playing and Jane can instantly see, what they meant. They really aren´t that good without Craig to keep it from falling apart! She manages to keep a straight face, as she gets ready to sing.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Ext. Street. Morning.
Jane is waiting for the school bus to arrive. It does and Mia comes out as the first one. The girls smile at each other.
Mia:
Are you ready for the first day of the rest of your life?
Jane:
I thought, that was yesterday!
They start walking towards the school.
Mia:
How did it go?
Jane:
The best I can compare it to is a band called The Shaggs. Have you heard of them?
Mia:
Can´t say, I have.
Jane:
Not many have, but they´ve become kind of a cult band in recent years. The short version is that it was three 15 year old identical triplets, led by their dad as their manager.
Mia:
At least they had a gimmick to start off with!
Jane:
Unfortunately, that was all they had! See, their dad, who was well, completely out of his mind, his mother had been given a palm reading as a child and the palm reader told her that three things would happen. First, that she would have a son, who would marry a strawberry blonde woman and that came to pass. Second, that he would have two sons after his mom died and that also came true.
Mia:
What was the 3rd?
Jane:
That his daughters would form a succesful music group.
Mia:
You´re making this up, aren´t you?
Jane:
It´s the truth, so help me God! He believed it so much, that he pulled them out of school so they could be popstars. He also thought that giving them two months to learn their instruments and write the songs for the album was enough, before he sent them into the studio!
Mia:
Two months? Seriously?
Jane:
Seriously! Imagine three girls, who have little to no clue how to play, playing what sounds like three different songs on top of each other! That´s The Shaggs for you!
Mia giggles.
Mia:
Did people like it?
Jane:
Nah, not even the late 60´s had enough drugs to make that record listenable! Their only album totally bombed. That was until a decade later, when a radio DJ stumbled over it at a flea market and decided that it fit into the "So bad, it´s good" category, that it got any kind of attention. Frank Zappa agreed, called it the best thing ever and all of a sudden, those girls were cult favorites. These guys and Darcy however, still have a ways to go, before they can add the "It´s good" part!
Mia:
I just thought it would be a great way for you to meet new people.
Jane:
I still had a blast! The guys are awesome and that Darcy is a sweet girl. I could easily see myself being friends with her.
Mia:
You´ll like Chantay too. The girls here aren´t like the girls at Lakehurst.
Jane:
You mean, it´s not everyone at constant war with each other? That´s a nice change! Hey, do you know if Spinner is seeing anyone?
Mia smiles to herself.
Mia:
You haven´t even had your first day here and you´re already in love!
Jane:
I´m not. Although I can´t deny, that he is kind of cute and we would make the best couple ever! Okay, so I like him, but it´s not like in love with him or anything that drastic!
Mia:
Good, because he´s taken, in a big way. He´s had the same girlfriend for the entire year, Darcy´s known him.
Jane:
It´s no biggie. I could have told myself, that the best guys were taken.
Mia:
Trust me, there´s plenty of hot guys here!
Jane:
I have a feeling, that I´m gonna like it here!
Jane looks excited for her first day of school at Degrassi.
3. Int. Principal´s Office. Morning.
Spinner is with Hatzilakos and is looking very small.
Hatzilakos:
What happened? Last year, your grades were constantly on the rise. These last sets of grades are nothing short of a disaster!
Spinner:
I´ve had a lot going on and I haven´t had the same amount of time to study.
Hatzilakos:
This is serious! You understand that we have to hold you back, if they don´t improve, don´t you?
Spinner:
You can´t! I´m supposed to graduate with my friends this summer! My mom will freak!
Hatzilakos:
You should have thought about that, before you decided that other things were more important than your school work.
Spinner:
Lay it on me. What´s the situation?
Hatzilakos:
It´s not good, I can tell you that much! If you don´t pull in at least a B average in these coming mid-terms, then I don´t see how you can make it up in time. If you want my advice, find a tutor and a good one at that and then buckle down for the long haul. You´ll have to keep up the same kind of effort for the rest of the school year, if you want to graduate next summer.
Spinner looks frustrated, but at the same time knows, that he only has himself to blame.
4. Int. Classroom. Morning.
Spinner comes back to the classroom and sits down next to Jimmy, who´s surfing on a PC.
Jimmy:
Check this one out. A Ferrari Testarossa, completely renovated. The guy only wants 40 grand for it.
Spinner:
It´s nice, I guess.
Jimmy:
Nice? This is a vehicle fit for a God! What did Hot Sauce say?
Spinner:
That I´m screwed! Why didn´t I do my homework this year, like I should have?
Jimmy:
Could it be because you´ve been constantly horny and you know Amy will put out, anytime you want her to?
Spinner:
Thanks for reminding me! I need to get a B average on my mid terms or it´s game over!
Jimmy (imitating Bill Paxton as "Hudson" from "Aliens"):
It´s game over, man! It´s game over!
Spinner:
You wouldn´t happen to know if Ripley is around? I could use a hero!
Jimmy:
Sorry, I couldn´t help myself! A B, huh? It can´t be impossible.
Spinner:
I might as well give up, unless by some miracle, someone will all the answers happens to walk through that door.
Jane comes in, looking for him. She smiles as she comes over to him.
Spinner:
Hi, Jane. Aren´t you in the wrong classroom?
Jane:
Does it look that way? Hi, I´m Jane.
Jimmy:
So I heard. I´m Jimmy, I´m one of Spinner´s oldest compadres. Are you and Spin friends?
Jane:
You could say that.
Spinner:
What´s up?
Jane:
I desperately need a part time job and I heard a little birdy named Darcy whispering something about The Dot needing a server?
Spinner:
I can put in a good word for you.
Jane:
That would be awesome! I hope, we get to work together.
Jimmy:
Say Jane, how good are you in school?
Jane:
I dunno. I get pretty good grades, even though I´m usually too lazy to work for them!
Spinner:
I wish, I could do that!
Jimmy:
What if you helped each other out? He puts in a word for you and in return, you tutor him.
Jane:
I can work with that. Which subjects?
Spinner:
All of them! Oh, except for P.E. and shop.
Jane:
We have a lot of work ahead of us! The Dot after school?
Spinner:
Sure. I can´t guarantee, you´ll get the job though.
Jane:
I can handle the rest on my own, if you help me get a foot in the door. It was nice to meet you, Jimmy.
Jimmy:
You too, Jane. Have a nice day.
She waves goodbye and leaves the classroom.
Jimmy:
She´s a cutie, if you´re into tomboys.
Spinner:
You think so too, huh?
Jimmy:
Easy there! You have enough in the one, you have!
Spinner:
There´s nothing wrong with gathering your appetite elsewhere, as long as you eat at home.
He looks pleased at his apparent change of luck.
5. Int. Cafeteria. Day.
Spinner is in the lunch line, when Amy sneaks up behind him. She puts her hands over his eyes.
Amy:
Guess who?
Spinner:
Miley?
She removes her hands and he turns around.
Amy:
No, it´s Lady Gaga! How´s your day going?
Spinner:
The best description is up and down.
Amy:
Maybe my good news can cheer you up. You´ll never guess.
Spinner:
Hmm ... Hole got back together?
Amy:
I wish! Try again.
Spinner:
You´ve won the lottery!
Amy:
That is one way of putting it! There´s an actual chance, that I could go to college!
Spinner tries his best to look happy for her, since she´s clearly super excited.
Spinner:
For real! That´s great!
Amy:
It´s not official, but Simpson told me about a grant, that helps students from underprivileged areas. Since my grades have been improved so much, that I´m now in the top ten percent of our class, he thinks there´s a good chance, that they could help me. Who knew that being poor could finally be an advantage?
Spinner:
It´s amazing. I couldn´t be happier for you.
Amy:
You wanna celebrate after school?
Spinner:
Not unless you count watching me pour coffee and make sandwiches as a celebration. I get off at seven.
Amy:
That´s when my shift the movie theatre starts. It´s a shame. I really felt like celebrating in style with you.
Spinner:
It´s probably for the better anyway. I need to catch up on my homework.
Amy:
Look at you, my busy bee! You know, I have you to thank for all this, don´t you? Without you, there´s no saying where the path I was going down, would have taken me. It feels perfect, that we also get to take the next step together.
Spinner:
I can´t wait for it either!
He tries to smile it off, so that she won´t notice, but the moment she looks away, his face tells the real story.
6. Int. Classroom. Day.
Spinner is sitting in the classroom by himself and is thinking about things. Paige comes in and is surprised to see him.
Paige:
This has to be a first!
Spinner:
I needed some alone time.
Paige:
Too bad you´re here, then.
She goes to sit down next to him.
Paige:
You can talk to your old pal, Paige!
Spinner:
It´s Amy. Did you hear, that she could be going to college?
Paige:
It was hard to miss with how over the moon, she was.
Spinner:
The way things are looking, I won´t be graduating this summer.
Paige:
Is it that bad?
Spinner:
We´re at crisis level midnight. I don´t know why, but I thought her and me were linked to be together forever.
Paige:
That doesn´t sound entirely positive, Hon!
Spinner:
I meant that we come from the same place, we had more or less the same ideas about our futures and now this has changed all of that. Let´s be honest, college went out the door for me, the moment I was born.
Paige nods in agreement and sympathy.
Spinner:
I almost feel like what´s the point of carrying on with her, if we´re only gonna split up at the end of the school year?
Paige:
I get what you mean. Part of why I dumped JT, was because I knew that it would be so much harder a year later. He´s hardly the college type either, if you hadn´t noticed.
Spinner:
Are guys like me and him and girls like you and her meant to go off and live in our own separate worlds, when this is over?
Paige:
I hope not. Do you love her?
Spinner:
Of course, I do.
Paige:
Then believe, that there´s a way. Don´t give up and end up regretting it later. I can´t recommend it.
The rest of the class start filing in and she leaves him to his thoughts.
7. Int. Hallway. Day.
Jane and Mia are talking, while Mia gets things from her locker.
Mia:
Let me get this straight. You´re a Sophomore and you´re going to tutor him, who´s a senior?
Jane:
It´s a something for something deal.
Mia:
It sounds like an excuse to hang out.
Jane:
It might be a little of that too!
Mia smiles at her.
Mia:
You´re hopeless!
Jane:
I´ve never met anyone like him. It´s like we´re just getting to know each other, but at the same time, there´s that comfortable feeling, like I´ve known him for years already.
Mia:
What about the fact, that he has a girlfriend?
Jane:
Did you hear me say, that I´m ready to jump into bed with him? I wouldn´t mind starting out by becoming friends. If anything more happens, then I´ll take it as a surprise bonus!
Mia:
Haven´t you learned your lesson after the last one?
Jane:
This is different.
Mia looks Jane in the eyes and isn´t convinced.
8. Int. The Dot. Day.
Jane comes in and Spinner is extremely busy behind the counter. The place is close to full and he looks to be the only one working at the moment. She walks up to the counter.
Jane:
Is it always like this?
Spinner:
More or less. You have the job.
Jane looks pleased.
Jane:
It was that easy?
Spinner:
The waitress, who was supposed to be here with me, no showed. Consider this your lucky day.
Jane:
Where do I start?
Spinner:
You can put your things in the back room. T-Shirts are on the bottom shelf.
Jane:
Great! I´ll be back in a moment.
She cheerfully heads into the back room.
9. Montage,
We get a montage of Jane and Spinner working together, They clearly make a good team and there´s no hiding, that the two of them seem to like each other. They fist bump to celebrate, after the big run has ended and he looks glad to have found someone like her.
10. Int. Spinner´s House. Evening.
Jane and Spinner are eating Chinese take out after work and hanging out.
Jane:
This is nice! We never get take out at my house.
Spinner:
I prefer cooking for myself, but I figured since this was kind of a special occasion ...
Jane:
My first day?
Spinner:
Yeah. You´re different, aren´t you?
Jane:
Where´s the fun in being like everyone else? If they want to repress who they really are and pretend to be someone, they´re not, then let them. Just don´t think that I´ll ever be one of them!
Spinner:
My girlfriend is kind of the same way.
Jane doesn´t look too pleased at the mention of her, but sees that she needs to get it out of the way.
Jane:
What´s her name?
Spinner:
Amy. We´ve been together for over a year now.
Jane:
Wow. I still haven´t got past two weeks!
He smiles at her response.
Spinner:
There´s no boyfriend back at Lakehurst, who´s missing you?
Jane:
I don´t think anyone´s missing me there, to be honest. Mia and me were sort of a tandem, you could say. As for boys, I can´t say that I´ve had any luck. The one boyfriend I´ve had dumped me for another girl and I still spent most of the next year pining over him.
Spinner:
It´s nothing to be ashamed over. Break up´s can be hard.
Jane:
Especially when you´re his "Girl on the Side" for over half of that year! Believe me, it didn´t end in pretty way! Since then, I´ve been more abstinent than a hundred year old nun!
Spinner:
No guys at all?
Jane:
I made a decision with myself, that I wouldn´t fool around with anyone, unless I saw the chance for something more. Getting burned that way once, was enough for a lifetime.
Spinner:
I wasn´t done with first girl, until I went on to the next.
Jane:
You mean, you cheated on her?
Spinner:
It´s not something I´m proud of, but me and Paige have always been better as friends. Amy came along at a time, when we were on the fritz and things happened the way, they did. We wouldn´t have lasted much longer anyway.
Jane:
That´s it? 2 girls? I would have thought a guy like you had dozens of broken hearts in his wake!
Spinner:
Except for that one time, I´ve always been a one girl kind of guy. Which isn´t to say that I can´t find other girls attractive, but when I find that one girl, it´s like a switch in my brain is flicked and I don´t want to be with anyone else.
Jane´s crush on him doesn´t seem to be fading, that´s for sure!
11. Int. Hallway. Day.
Mia is grilling Jane about the day before.
Mia:
Did you get any studying done at all?
Jane:
Not a lick. We spent the entire evening talking.
Mia:
After you spent the entire afternoon together. I don´t have to tell you, what it sounds like!
Jane:
I´m not getting involved with another guy, who´s gonna string me along for months on end, until he finally makes up his mind! So what if he´s the hottest guy, I´ve ever met and easy to talk to and ...
Mia:
You´re crazy about him?
Jane:
You didn´t let me finish. I was gonna say someone, I could become friends with.
Mia:
I know you better than that! I give it two months, tops.
Jane:
No problem. I can do that in my sleep!
Spinner and Marco come over to them.
Marco:
Hey, it´s Jane with mini Paige!
Mia:
Mini Paige?
Marco:
Just what some seniors have taken to calling you. I wouldn´t worry.
Mia doesn´t look too pleased about it, but accepts it.
Spinner:
We´re throwing together a rehearsal for tonight. Are you up for it?
Jane:
Sure!
Spinner:
We can go there together after work.
Jane:
Cool!
Marco:
I like how you speak in short sentences! It saves time.
Jane:
Okay!
Spinner:
Later, Alligator.
He fist bumps with her and the boys leave them. Jane feels like a dork.
Jane:
Cool, sure, okay? I´m such a dork, aren´t I?
Mia:
I don´t know. Spinner´s hasn´t been able to keep his eyes off you, since they started walking away from us.
Mia nods in the boys direction and Jane looks that way. She makes eye contact with Spinner and they nod at each other. Jane can´t stop smiling afterwards.
Mia:
This is gonna be trouble!
Jane:
Sometimes the trouble is worth it.
Jane considers her next move.
CLOSING CREDITS
Author´s Note: Jane´s story about The Shaggs is one hundred percent true, believe it or not! If you think your ears can take it, then go to YouTube (or Spotify, but I doubt it would be on there) and check out their "masterpiece" song "My Friend Foot-Foot". Then consider that THAT was the best take they got out of them! Anyway, have a great day and I hope all of you fans of Spinner and Jane got your rocks off to this one. As always, comments and reviews are appreciated.