WHAT IF? - SEASON 2 EPISODE 19 - WHY YOU WANNA TREAT ME SO BAD?
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
1. Ext. Park. Day.
JT is feeding the birds stale bread and thinking about things. Paige is out for a walk and spots him. She walks over to him.
Paige:
Aww! Aren´t you just a friend to everyone, whether they have legs or wings?
JT:
Hi, Paige. Have a seat.
She sits down next to him and he hands her a hunk of bread for the birds. She starts breaking off chunks to feed to them.
JT:
What are you up to?
Paige:
Not much. I needed a break from my homework hell! I tell you, if college is worse than this, I don´t know how I´m gonna make it through.
JT:
If you can´t, then no one can!
Paige:
That´s sweet of you, but the truth is that I´m no super woman. Even though I have this grand plan, that should lead to perfect happiness, I sometimes doubt if it´s the right one, or if I´m kidding myself. Anyway, enough about my boring life. What´s going on in yours?
JT:
Confusion, bad grades and worrying over everything sums it up.
Paige:
That isn´t like you! What´s going on?
JT:
It would be weird to tell you.
Paige:
Let me guess. It involves a girl?
JT:
It involves someone I thought, was about to become my girlfriend. Now I have no idea, where I stand.
Paige:
She changed her mind?
JT:
I don´t know. She acts like everything is fine, but ... I shouldn´t say more.
Paige:
JT, I can´t tell you what do to, but I know that you deserve more than someone, who isn´t sure about you. You´re a gem, as far as boys around here go. If she can´t see that, she doesn´t deserve you. That´s just my opinion.
JT:
Like you couldn´t?
Paige:
I could, but there were times, where I let other things cloud my mind. There´s a lot of things I´ve done over the years, I´d like to change. Times where I let selfishness or obsession with what other girls thought ruin my better judgment. Two of the biggest involve you.
They make eye contact, as JT tries to process her answer.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Hallway, Day.
Jane and Darcy are joking around and getting to know each other better.
Jane:
You´re literally a country bumpkin?
Darcy:
Born and raised!
Jane:
I used to dream about growing up on a farm with lots of animals, when I was a kid.
Paige comes over to them.
Paige:
Do we have a new volunteer for the Spirit Squad?
Jane:
Not likely. It isn´t really my scene!
Paige:
I figured as much. Spinner´s told me all about you. In fact, he can´t stop talking about you, which is why I need to ask you two something.
Darcy:
Us? What possible expertise could we have, that you don´t?
Paige:
Cheating on boys or being the one used to cheat?
Jane:
Great! I´m so glad, that´s out!
Paige:
Relax, Hon. It´s not like he´s told anyone else. Can I ask you some questions?
Darcy:
Sure, I guess.
Jane:
You´re trying to catch a cheater, aren´t you?
Paige:
Basically there´s a girl, who´s been toying with both my friend´s heart and her boyfriend´s. I don´t know about you, but I don´t think she should get away with it.
Jane:
Poor guy! I know exactly what he´s going through.
Darcy:
The boyfriend too. I still feel guilty as sin over what I did. No one deserves that!
Paige:
That´s exactly what I thought. Around here it´s like if a guy cheats, every girl is up in arms and calling him the worst! If it´s a girl, we make excuses for her to justify it. If you ask me, that´s wrong!
Jane:
It was the same at my old school. Don´t these girls see how hypocritical it is to want equal treatment and then turn around and play the victim? You did it, so own up to it, girl! The fact that you have a uterus doesn´t matter, because you still did it!
Darcy:
If it was up to me, then girls would be held just as accountable for their actions, as boys are. If anything, it´s detrimental to the women´s movement, when they aren´t.
Paige:
Right! Equal means equal. Not equal when it´s to your convenience and treat me special because I´m a girl, when it isn´t. I´m glad to see that you two are sensible because honestly, I worry about how some of the younger girls here view the world.
Darcy:
Not to sound like an old lady already, but I do too. Have you seen the way some of them treat boys, not to mention each other? That´s not the kind of environment I want my little sister starting high school in.
Jane:
I saw the same thing all the time at my old school. It´s like some of them don´t have a clue, how to treat others with respect.
Paige:
It can´t help for them to see girls like her, playing with the hearts of two boys and get away with it. They get enough of that on sleazy TV shows aimed at them. If they don´t see that, that isn´t how you treat people, where will it end?
Jane:
If it´s for a good cause, then fire away!
Darcy:
That bitch deserves to be taken down a peg! A whole peg!
Paige looks pleased at how easily she manipulated them into doing what she wanted.
3. Int. Classroom. Day.
Hazel is looking over a list, while Paige watches her.
Hazel:
"5 signs that someone is cheating and 5 that someone is being used to cheat". Did you start writing for a women´s website?
Paige:
Now that you mention it, that wouldn´t be the worst idea! But, no. This is for a different purpose.
Hazel:
"1. A cheater will be paranoid about getting caught, so the mere mention of either boy should get a reaction from her". This is about a girl?
Paige:
One miss Manny Santos!
Hazel:
Craig´s Manny? No way!
Paige:
Think about it. Craig hasn´t had time for her and now he´s away on tour, while Emma´s busy being a new mom. She´s left alone and a great guy comes along, who tells her everything she wants to hear.
Hazel:
Does his name start with a J and end with a T?
Paige:
You´ve seen them too, huh?
Hazel:
I never imagined, that she would cheat on Craig.
Paige:
I don´t need to tell you, what kind of bad decisions loneliness can lead to. If she isn´t gonna be with JT, the least she can do is give him a straight answer.
Hazel:
You still care about him, don´t you?
Paige:
I owe him for breaking his heart. If the last thing I see, when I leave Degrassi is JT with a girl, who´s good enough for him, I´d much rather that, than him ending up as the meat in their dysfunctional relationship sandwich.
Hazel:
It´s not because you want him back?
Paige:
I´m pretty sure, I blew my chance for good. For once, this isn´t about me.
Hazel doesn´t look like she completely believes her, but Paige looks sincere enough.
4. Int. Hospital Room. Day.
Emma is holding their new baby boy. Sean is with her and is smiling at the little one clutching his thumb.
Sean:
He´s gonna grow up to be a strong man.
Emma:
Like you?
Sean:
Only body type wise. He gets your intelligence.
Emma:
Are you planning on him also being a super hero?
Sean:
Nah. I don´t care if he becomes a garbage man or the president. As long as he´s happy, that´s what matters.
Emma:
You still have to admit that being the president would be easier, from a financial standpoint.
Sean:
Don´t worry. We´ll figure it all out.
He gives her a small kiss and a re-assuring smile.
5. Ext. Hospital. Day.
Tracker is waiting for him outside of the hospital, when Sean comes out.
Sean:
You could have come in and said hi. You know that Emma would have liked it.
Tracker:
You know how it is with me and hospitals. How´s she doing?
Sean:
Great. She´s being let out tomorrow.
Tracker:
Did you tell her?
Sean:
I couldn´t. She has enough to worry about.
Tracker:
She´s gonna notice, when you don´t come back to school. Are you sure, you´re making the right decision?
Sean:
It´s worked out great for Jay, hasn´t it?
Tracker:
Is your name Jay?
Sean:
No!
Tracker:
Then why do you care, how it worked out for him?
Sean:
You dropped out, dad dropped out, mom dropped out, most of the guys I work with dropped out. It´s not as crazy, as it sounds!
Tracker:
What do all of us have in common?
Sean:
Enlighten me.
Tracker:
None of us ever got further in life. Don´t you think after thirty years of working the same boring job, that mom doesn´t wish, she´d stuck in there?
Sean:
I can finish it in evening school, when things settle down.
Tracker:
That´s what we all said. How many of us, do you think did it?
Sean considers it.
6. Int. Hallway. Day.
Manny is kicking the vending machine, that´s broken again and is pointing her finger at it.
Manny:
Listen, you useless piece of junk! If I don´t get my sugar fix because you swallowed my coins again, then so help me God, I will get the biggest hammer I can find and end your miserable existence!
Paige tries hard not to laugh, as she walks over to her.
Paige:
They promised to have it fixed during the holidays. I suppose, I can thank you for saving me a buck.
Manny:
You´re welcome.
Paige:
It´s lucky, that I found you. I was wondering if you´d be interested in coming back to the squad as a trainer?
Manny:
A trainer?
Paige:
I know that you have responsibilities as a mom and you won´t be able to go to meets in the weekend. It doesn´t change that you were a natural, before that pesky pregnancy took it away. From what I remember, you really enjoyed it too.
Manny smiles, when she looks back on it.
Manny:
Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I missed it afterwards.
Paige:
I just wanted to put the offer out there and If you say no, then it´s fine. I can´t know what it´s like to have a kid and have to jumble everything around, to make things work. It can´t be easy, especially with Craig away on tour.
Manny clearly isn´t too into the idea of talking about Craig and avoids Paige´s attempt at eye contact.
Manny:
I get by.
Paige:
At least you have your so-called foster parents. What are their names again?
Manny seems happy at the change of subject.
Manny:
Joey and Caitlin. They´ve been incredible to me. I have no idea, what I would do without them.
Paige:
And you have your friends. Although I guess with Toby and Kendra having turned into Siamese twins and Emma busy with the new baby, that only leaves Liberty and JT.
Manny:
It´s okay. I´ve never needed a ton of friends to be happy.
Paige:
But isn´t Liberty working like crazy for extra credit these days? Or is that just something, someone made up?
Manny:
No, it´s true. She´s putting in a heck of an effort, I´ll give her that!
Paige:
At least you have JT! I mean, do you think that anywhere in the world, there´s a more loyal guy than him?
Manny gets shy at talking about him, which Paige immediately picks up on.
Manny:
It would be hard to find one, that´s for sure.
Paige:
You know that he´ll do anything for you, don´t you?
Manny:
Probably not anything!
Paige:
Oh, he would! You´re like family times infinity! Me and Spinner grew up together and I think, we´ll be close for the rest of our lives, but it´s nothing like you two. I mean, just imagine purely for argument´s sake, that you two fell in love and became a couple. You couldn´t write a better love story!
Manny tries not to smile.
Manny:
You really think so?
Paige:
Hon, I would be weeping buckets on your wedding day! It´s almost a shame, that it´ll never happen, but you´re more than happy with Craig, right? Why rock the boat?
Manny:
Don´t you think, we should be with the one, we love?
Paige:
Why do you say that?
Manny sees that she over spoke and quickly changes the subject. Paige tries to hide her joy that she "caught" Manny.
Manny:
No reason. Listen, I´d love to train the girls, I really would. But with my schedule and everything, it just isn´t possible right now.
Paige:
It´s a standing offer, Let me know anytime, if you change your mind.
Manny:
Maybe my schedule will clear up, when Craig comes back. We´ll see.
Paige:
See ya, Hon.
Manny:
See ya, Paige.
Paige walks away from Manny and is looking triumphant. Manny on her part looks annoyed with herself for over speaking.
7. Int. Girl´s Bathroom. Day.
Hazel is doing her make-up in the mirror, when Paige comes in.
Paige:
There you are! I caught her red-handed over speaking!
Hazel:
Are you still on about that?
Paige:
This is important!
Hazel:
If you catch her, then what? Are you gonna tell everyone and break up their family? There´s a little girl, who´ll get caught in the middle.
Paige:
Try this on for size! She´s in love with JT!
Hazel:
Paige, you know that I love you, but you probably heard, what you wanted to hear. The best thing you can do is leave them alone.
Paige:
If she´s in love with JT, what does that say about her relationship with Craig? Is it fair to him, that she´s stringing him along, making him think that everything is fine, when it isn´t? What she´s doing is so messed up, that she deserves what happens to her.
Hazel:
What´s the end goal, then? To ruin her life?
Paige:
No, of course not! I want her to stop playing with JT´s heart and deceiving everyone.
Hazel:
We both know, it could happen. Can you live with yourself, knowing that you ruined a very nice girl´s life, just because she fell in love with the wrong guy?
Paige:
Probably not. She at least should come clean, for her own good too. It´s only gonna get worse, the longer she waits.
Hazel:
I´m gonna treat this problem the Swiss way and stay neutral. Which doesn´t mean, I wouldn´t like to get constant updates, of course.
The girls smile at each other, as Paige ponders her next move.
8. Ext. Lake. Day.
Tracker and Sean are out by a lake. You can really see out here in nature, that winter will be here before long. Tracker is looking over the trees.
Sean:
Tracker, I´m freezing my nuts off! Let´s go back to the car.
Tracker:
It has to still be here.
Sean:
What?
Tracker finds a special tree and smiles to himself, as he dusts the first of the snow off. Underneath is a marking carved in with a knife years earlier. It says "FU". Sean smiles too, when he saw it.
Sean:
Do you remember how angry dad got, when he saw it? "You´ve de-faced nature, you no good punk!".
Tracker:
Do you remember, why you made it?
Sean:
Because I was angry at him, for not letting me fish after dark. I was eight! What did I know?
Tracker:
You probably don´t remember the angry rant, that came out of you, but I did. I´ve never seen a more pissed off eight year old in my life!
Sean:
Me and authorities never mixed, no matter who they were. What did I say?
Tracker:
It was mostly about how you would never let anyone tell you what to do again and how anyone, who didn´t like it could kiss your butt!
Sean smiles to himself.
Sean:
That sounds like me, alright!
Tracker:
After we´d all cooled down, mom and dad sat us down and explained to us how the world works.
Sean:
It´s ringing a bell, now that you say it.
Tracker:
They explained that in order to move up the social ladder, you have to work hard in school and apply yourself to being the best, you can. If you don´t, then you end up taking the jobs, that are available to you. You told them that you would rather die, than end up as one of the poor slobs on the bottom. You know that´s where you´re heading, don´t you?
Sean:
Things can still change.
Tracker:
Let´s lay it all on the table, right here and now. Say you drop out, you start working full time as a mechanic and Emma moves in with you.
Sean:
That doesn´t sound too bad, does it?
Tracker:
Not if you´re my age, but you two aren´t. A year and a half from now, she´s gonna finish high school and watch her friends go off to college or to experience the world, like my friends did. Meanwhile she´s gonna be stuck here, taking care of a baby and wondering what she could have done.
Sean:
She can still go to a community college.
Tracker:
With living expenses and a baby to pay for? Do you have any idea, how expensive it is to raise one? It´s not like either of you have rich family members, who can chip in, when things get rough.
Sean:
I don´t know how, but we´ll figure it out!
Tracker:
I´m sorry, that isn´t good enough. You´re not even seventeen yet. Can´t you see, what this will do to your entire future?
Sean:
Do you suggest, I up and leave her? I can´t do that to Emma!
Tracker:
No, but I really think you should give some second thought to that adoption idea. I know you love her, but you´re not ready to be parents yet. I think you know too, that it´s what´s best for all of you, your baby included.
Sean looks at the old carving, as he thinks about it. It´s clear that he isn´t completely dismissive of it.
9. Int. Hospital Room. Evening.
Emma is reading, when Sean comes in. She´s surprised, but happy to see him.
Emma:
Did you come all the way here, just to catch the last ten minutes of visiting hours?
Sean:
Ten minutes with you is better than nothing. I guess, the baby is sleeping.
Emma:
He´s in the nursery with the other tiny people. Did you have a good day with your brother?
Sean:
Yeah, it was nice to see him again. We talked a lot.
Emma:
I bet. You must have had a ton to catch up on.
Sean:
We mostly talked about the past. You know, how it goes.
She can see that he´s full of worry.
Emma:
What the matter?
Sean:
Don´t get mad at me.
Emma:
Why would I get mad at you?
Sean:
I´ve been having second thoughts. About us raising the baby together.
Emma doesn´t look completely surprised.
Emma:
You´re not the only one. I asked Manny what her thoughts were, when she saw her daughter for the first time. Do you know what she said?
He shakes his head.
Emma:
Her first thought was, that this was what she was born to do. Mine were, that this meant the end of my life. I´ve been feeling that way all through the pregnancy too.
Sean sits down next to her on the bed and takes her hand.
Sean:
It´s okay.
Emma:
No, it´s not. What if I feel the same way in the future, when I have my second kid or my third? Maybe I´m not capable of feeling a mother´s love. Not all women are.
Sean:
I´ll still love you.
His nice words cheer her up a little.
Emma:
You will?
Sean:
Until the end of time and beyond.
Emma:
Same here.
Sean:
Is adoption back on the table?
Emma:
It is. Let´s find the best parents we can for this kid.
They kiss and lie down. He holds her, as they think about the future.
10. Int. The Dot. Evening.
Paige is seated at a table, ready to eat and holding a fork in one hand and a knife in the other. Jane puts a plate with a very large burger and and a generous amount of fries on it in front of her.
Jane:
The Paige special and fries. Bon appetit!
Paige:
Merci, mademoiselle!
Jane leaves her and she´s about to cut into the burger, when Manny comes in.
Jane:
Hey, Manny. I have your take out order ready.
Manny:
Great.
Jane gets a bag from behind the counter and hands it to her, before punching it in on the cash register.
Jane:
19.50.
Manny hands her a twenty.
Manny:
Keep the change. I´m sorry, but I have to be a cheap tipper!
Jane:
I promise not to spend it in one place!
They smile at each other.
Paige:
Manny. Hi!
Jane:
It sounds like someone wants your attention!
Manny:
I wonder who?
She walks over to Paige, bag in hand.
Manny:
Do you switch between here and the school all day?
Paige:
Usually I would eat at home, but my parents are at their weekly Tango lesson and my brother´s busy with his frat buddies. I´d rather eat in a small place surrounded by people, than in a big house by myself.
Manny:
I didn´t know they made burgers that big!
Paige:
Only by request.
Manny:
I should get home with this. Enjoy your dinner.
Paige:
"Don´t you think, we should be with the one, we love"?
Manny:
Huh?
Paige:
Those were the exact words you said today and I haven´t been able to get them out of my head.
Manny:
People say a lot of things.
Paige:
There´s no denying that, but it was also weird considering the context it was said in. Why, it almost sounded like you were in love with JT, but that´s crazy, right? We all know it´s completely unthinkable, that you would ever cheat on Craig!
Manny´s face freezes and she looks like she could pee her pants in fear, but tries to stay brave.
Manny:
Yeah, it´s crazy, like you said. Bye!
Paige:
See you tomorrow, Hon, for another exciting day at Degrassi!
Manny:
Why? What´s happening?
Paige:
Oh, you know what they say. Every day at Degrassi is like a new adventure with unpredictable twists lurking around every corner. You´d better get that food home, before it gets cold, Hon. You wouldn´t want to disappoint everyone, now would you?
Manny:
Of course not!
Manny hurries out of there. Jane looks confused, as she walks over to Paige.
Jane:
What was that about? I feel like I just watched dinner theatre!
Paige:
You´re not far off, Hon. Except this time it´s about someone, who needs to stop acting.
She cuts into her burger and looks pleased with herself.
CLOSING CREDITS