WHAT IF? - SEASON 2 EPISODE 31 - SCREAM PART 1
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
1. Int. X-Ray Room. Day.
Jimmy is getting help from the x-ray operator to get his leg in place for a new x-ray to be taken. Jimmy is looking hopeful.
Jimmy:
It feels like there´s been a lot of improvement, since last time.
Operator:
There´s only one way to find out. Are you nervous?
Jimmy:
A little. I´m still hoping, that I´ll be able to play in the fall.
Operator:
I´ll keep my fingers crossed for you. Sit perfectly still.
He puts the camera in place, as Jimmy tries to stay still.
2. Int. Doctor´s Office. Day.
Jimmy is anxiously awaiting the doctor´s verdict, as his doctor looks the x-rays over. His hope fades though, when the doctor looks at him in a serious manner.
Doctor:
Have you started working the knee out?
Jimmy:
Only a little. Stretches and stuff.
Doctor:
Whatever you´ve been doing, hasn´t been the best for your recovery.
Jimmy:
I wanted to get a head start.
Doctor:
I´m afraid, that your desire for a head start, has set you back.
Jimmy looks disappointed.
Jimmy:
How long?
Doctor:
A few months. Jimmy, you have to follow the timetable, we´ve set for you. We know, what we´re doing.
Jimmy:
No disrespect, but you don´t get what my situation is. Since I was a kid, all I´ve wanted is to play in the NBA and I´ve dedicated myself one hundred percent. If I don´t get back on the court before the end of the schoolyear or at minimum the start of college, then my chances will be much slimmer. I wouldn´t know, what to do with myself.
Doctor:
The chances of you re-injuring yourself is too high. You´ll end up in a never ending injury cycle, until your body forces you to retire. It´s happened to thousands of athletes before you.
Jimmy tries to take it in.
Jimmy:
Isn´t there anything I can do, to speed the process along?
Doctor:
Not at this time.
Jimmy:
I heard, that they used to give steroids to players back in the day, to help them recover from injuries faster.
Doctor:
That was before we found out what extreme side effects, they have. It might sound like an easy fix, but it´s not worth the prize, your body will pay. It has to last you, your entire life.
Jimmy nods, but he´s still clearly not dismissive of it.
OPENING CREDITS
3. Int. Hallway. Morning.
Ashley is trying to raise awareness about the previously mentioned Yutani case, to the students passing by the table, she´s set up with pamflets on it, for people to take.
Ashley:
If you want to say no to discrimination, then come to the rally tonight! We can make a difference!
Terri comes over to her table and picks up a pamflet.
Ashley:
Are you coming tonight?
Terri:
I don´t know. I sort of have plans.
Ashley:
That´s the excuse, everyone´s been using.
Terri:
This is really important to you, isn´t it?
Ashley:
It should be important to all of us! Discrimination needs to be stopped, whether it´s against gays or other groups. If we continue to silently accept it, then it´s never going to change.
Terri:
You can´t expect the world to change in a day or two.
Ashley:
I´m not and I know, that it´s an extremely long road to get there. But we won´t, if we don´t try.
Terri:
You have me convinced! When and where?
Ashley looks pleased.
Ashley:
You could come over to my house after school and we can go down there together.
Terri:
Cool! I miss us hanging out, like we used to.
Ashley:
Yeah, me too.
They smile at each other.
4. Ext. Degrassi. Morning.
Jimmy is being loaded off his handicap transport in his wheelchair, while Spinner tries to help, all he can.
Spinner:
I was hoping to see you on crutches.
Jimmy:
You weren´t the only one.
Spinner:
Bad news?
Jimmy:
It´s time for drastic measures, if I´m gonna be ready to play in the fall.
Spinner:
Like what, a full leg transplant?
Jimmy smiles at his joke, as he rolls off the lift.
Jimmy:
Can I have one of yours?
Spinner:
Sorry, dude. I can´t work at the Dot, if I have to hop around on one leg!
Jimmy:
I was thinking more of the medicinal kind, anyway.
Spinner looks disappointed, as they head towards the school.
Spinner:
I suppose, you need my help to get it.
Jimmy:
Not this time, my friend. I don´t only need steroids, I need someone, who can get me get the right kind.
Spinner:
Steroids? You know, that you´ll end up with a baby dick, if you take them, don´t you?
Jimmy:
I´m sure, that´s only a rumor.
Spinner:
What about steroid rage? I´ve seen it happen and trust me, it´s very real!
Jimmy:
I know, what I´m doing! Stop preaching!
Spinner:
Anyone, who´s dumb enough to put that crap in their body, needs to get their brain checked! They kill people, who take them, for God´s sake!
Jimmy gets enough of it and gets angry.
Jimmy:
YOU´RE NOT THE ONE, WHOSE ENTIRE LIFE REVOLVES AROUND BEING ABLE TO PLAY AGAIN!
Spinner is taken back by his reaction.
Spinner:
Chill, dude!
Jimmy:
I can´t! Don´t you get that? Every day, I spend in this chair not knowing if I can play again or not, is pure torture! I´d almost rather be paralyzed from the waist down, because then at least, I could start planning for my future.
Spinner:
You don´t mean that!
Jimmy:
There´s days, where I´m so depressed, that I don´t want to get out of bed. Where I want to lie there all day and pretend, that my leg is fine. The problem is, that I can´t!
Spinner:
It´s bound to heal up eventually, isn´t it?
Jimmy:
I don´t just need it to heal. I need it to heal well enough, that I´ll be able to play again. I appreciate you being a good friend. I really do, Spin. But this is one of those things, where if you haven´t tried going through this yourself, then you´ll never know what it´s like.
Spinner nods and tries to be understanding.
5. Int. Boy´s Room. Morning.
Jimmy is trying to get from his chair onto the toilet, but it isn´t easy. The frustration is painted all over his face, but he´s determined to do it on his own. Danny comes in.
Danny:
Do you need a hand?
Jimmy:
No! I can do it myself.
Danny:
It doesn´t look that way. Let me help you.
Jimmy doesn´t like it, but nods and lets Danny help him. He lifts him from the chair and puts him on the toilet seat.
Danny:
I´ll wait, until you´re done. You can take a dump by yourself, can´t you?
Jimmy:
Actually, it´s just number one, but I can´t very well use a urinal, can I?
Danny:
I guess not. I´ll let you have your privacy.
Jimmy closes the door and pulls his pants down. He gets a small baggie with a couple of pills from his pocket and eats one of them. It seems to calm him down.
6. Int. Classroom. Day.
Jimmy is having trouble staying awake, while Miss Oh slows them a slide show. An old picture of Mao Tse-tung is showing.
Miss Oh:
In order to understand the background for the Communist revolution, we need to look at the China, a man like Mao Tse-tung grew up in. It was a desperately poor place, where two thirds of all land was owned by a small elite and where the true rulers in many of the remaining parts of the country were local warlords, who had no interest in granting any rights to those, who were forced to live under them.
We cut down to Jimmy, whose eyes start to shut, so Spinner gives him an elbow in the side. It wakes him up and he tries to keep him mind on the lecture. Spinner looks at his blank eyes and shakes his head. He knows exactly, what´s going on.
7. Int. Hallway. Day.
Jane is getting things out of her locker and is talking to Spinner at the same time.
Spinner:
Jane, you´re smart.
Jane:
No, I´m not!
Spinner:
You´re smarter than me, anyway. If you knew someone and were afraid, that they might be a drug addict, what would you do?
She´s a little taken back by the question and closes her locker.
Jane:
It´s a tough question. Are you sure?
Spinner:
He was high as a kite on Oxy this morning.
Jane:
You´ll have to explain to me, what Oxy is.
Spinner:
It´s one of the most powerful pain killers, there is. It´s also addictive as hell, since it´s basically low grade Heroin in pill form. Real Junkies use it too, only they crush it and inject themselves with it.
Jane:
Jesus! It sounds like, he needs help, badly!
Spinner:
That´s what I´ve been thinking too lately. The other side of it, is that his entire future will be thrown off, if he has to go into treatment.
Jane:
It beats being dead, doesn´t it?
Spinner nods in silent agreement.
8. Int. Ashley´s Room. Afternoon.
Terri and Ashley are having fun making signs for the demo and hanging out again, like they used to. Terri hold hers up and it reads "Fair rights for all! Stop Discrimination now!". Ashley clearly loves it.
Ashley:
It´s brilliant!
Terri:
How´s yours coming along?
Ashley:
Just about done.
She finishes it and holds it up. It has a picture of a gun being pointed at a man´s head and the words "The time is now" written underneath in large letters. Terri gulps at the sight of it.
Terri:
Ashley, that´s ... how do I put it nicely? Scary, is the word, I´m looking for!
Ashley:
Relax! It´s just a sign.
Terri:
One that encourages people to use extreme violence, to get what they want.
Ashley:
Sometimes you have to stop playing nice and start getting real. Gail told me that.
Terri looks suspicious.
Terri:
Do you agree with her?
Ashley:
We have to use whatever weapons, we have at our disposal.
Terri:
Even if it´s guns?
Ashley:
It´s not like I want the streets to run red with the blood of anyone, who doesn´t agree with me!
Terri:
It kind of looks that way. Sorry, Ash, but if that´s the message you´re sending, then I´ll have to pass on the demo. I just wanted to spend time with you again.
Ashley tries to be re-assuring to her.
Ashley:
You don´t have to come, if you don´t want to. You´re the last person in the world, I´d want to force into doing anything, you don´t want to. I still love you, like I would a sister.
Her words make Terri smile.
Ashley:
It would just be great, if we could share this together. I wouldn´t be doing this, if it hadn´t been for you.
Terri:
You know, how I feel about violence. Especially after what happened with Rick.
Ashley:
If I make a new and many times more peaceful sign, will you come then?
Terri nods and Ashley looks happy.
9. Ext. Driveway. Day.
Jimmy is shooting some hoops from his chair and it´s clear, that he still has the aim down. Liberty comes walking up the driveway and they smile at each other.
Jimmy:
Hey, beautiful!
Liberty:
It doesn´t matter how many times you say it, it still won´t be true!
Jimmy:
Let me be the judge of that, will you?
They kiss and she takes the ball from him. She does a lay up and he applauds her.
Jimmy:
Maybe you can take my place on the team!
Liberty:
Only if they need someone, to keep the bench warm. You haven´t told me, what the doc told you.
Jimmy:
I´ll have to stay in this damn thing, for a while longer, than I thought.
She looks at him with sympathy and gets comfortable on his lap.
Liberty:
I´m sorry. I know how anxious you are, to get out of it.
Jimmy:
Is it your fault, that I was an idiot?
Liberty:
Would I be dating you, if you were?
Jimmy:
I keep going back to that day, in my mind. What was I thinking?
Liberty:
You´re not the first athlete, this has happened to. It´ll work itself out.
Jimmy:
Are you sure? I´ve been doubting it lately.
Liberty:
The most important thing, is you being able to have a normal life. I´ll still love you.
He smiles at her.
Jimmy:
Even if I end up as a bitter, old couch potato?
Liberty:
I don´t think, you will. Even if you never play a game again, it won´t be the end of the world.
Jimmy nods and pretends to agree with her, to keep her from knowing.
10. Ext. Yutani Tech Company. Evening.
Terri and Ashley are watching with the rest of the crowd, as Gail gives a roaring speech to them from a small, makeshift stage. There´s slightly more people there than there was last time, but not many.
Gail:
Tomorrow is a day of reckoning for all of us, when the pre-trial begins. I don´t need to tell you what kind of precedent it will send, if the case is dismissed. Therefore it´s important, that we come down to the courthouse and show our support. We have to show the media and the world, that some of us have had enough!
She takes a small artistic pause and Ashley nods in agreement. Terri is a little more on the fence, though.
Gail:
If we let these giants of industry do as they please, then we´re one step closer to Fascism being the order of the day. A society, where everyone who isn´t white and straight will be treated like they´re not worth as much, as those who fit into their narrow view of the world. I don´t know about you, but that isn´t a world, I want to live in. All I want, is to live in a world, where it doesn´t matter what your sexuality is, which skin color you have or if you choose to dress a little differently. That isn´t the world, we live in now.
She gets a loud applause and cheers from the crowd.
Gail:
Thank you. If anyone else has anything to say, then here is your forum for it.
We cut down to Ashley and Terri.
Terri:
You should say something.
Ashley:
Like what?
Terri:
Speak from the heart. You´re obviously passionate about this.
Her words give Ashley a shot of confidence and she heads up to the makeshift stage.
We cut to Gail, who´s glad to see it.
Gail:
It looks like, we have our first speaker. Everyone, give Ashley a round of applause.
They do and Ashley looks excited to be doing this.
Ashley:
I´m here because I´m afraid, more than anything else. It´s funny, because when I still saw myself as a straight girl, I was shallow and I didn´t think much about what happened in the world, as long as my family and my friends were doing fine. I´m here tonight with the best friend, I´ll ever have and she´s nothing short of amazing!
We quickly see Terri blushing, as some of those around her smile at her, before cutting back to Ashley.
Ashley:
She does volunteer work with kids from underprivileged areas and I know, that whatever kid gets to call her mom someday, will be the luckiest kid in the world! The thing is that it won´t be, if it falls in love with someone of their own gender. It´ll face abuse and discrimination throughout it´s life, because as far as we think, we´ve come, we´re still nowhere near, where we need to be. When I picture her child coming home to her after experiencing those things and her having to explain, why things are the way they are, it breaks my heart in ways that go far beyond me caring, what happens to myself.
We quickly see, that her words hit home with Terri.
Ashley:
We´re not only doing this for ourselves. I would be lying, if said that I don´t hope, it´ll happen in five or ten years. However, the realist in me in saying, that it won´t be that easy. We´re fighting this fight, for all the generations who have to grow up in the world, we leave behind one day. I´d like that to be a better world, than the one we have to live in. It will never be a Utopia, but we can make it a world, that´s a lot more fair for all of us, irrespective of our sexuality. The way I see it, it´s the least, we can do.
The crowd applauds her. Terri more than anyone else.
11. Int. Living Room. Evening.
Jimmy is being well pampered by Liberty, while they watch "Varsity Blues" together.
Jimmy:
I could switch to playing football. What do you think?
Liberty:
Could you switch to playing chess?
They smile at each other, as hid mom comes in.
Jimmy´s Mom:
There´s someone at the door for you. He says that his name is Lucas.
Jimmy:
Thanks, mom.
His mom leaves them and he moves over into his wheelchair.
Jimmy:
I´ll be back in a moment.
Liberty:
Who´s Lucas?
Jimmy;
Just a guy, I know. It won´t take more than a minute.
He rolls out of there, but Liberty can´t help being suspicious and moves out to where she can spy on them.
12. Ext. Jimmy´s House. Evening.
Jimmy comes out and closes the door after himself. Lucas (Jane´s brother) is waiting for him.
Lucas:
I can see now, why this had to be a house call!
Jimmy:
What did you bring me?
Lucas:
Various goodies, like you asked for.
He hands a small bag over to Jimmy.
Lucas:
Those are the ones, weight lifters and strong men use to recover from injuries. It´ll cut your recovery time, by at least ten percent.
Jimmy looks a little disappointed.
Jimmy:
I thought, it would be more.
Lucas;
I said at least, didn´t I? I´m not a doctor, so I can´t tell you exactly how effective, they´ll be in your case.
Jimmy:
What about the other thing, I asked you to get?
Lucas:
I couldn´t score you Oxy, so I got you Vicodin in stead. It has almost the same effect.
Jimmy;
Have you tried it?
Lucas:
Hell no! Then again, I´ve never been hurt, like you clearly have! I´m only going by, what my customers tell me.
Jimmy:
Thanks, man.
Lucas:
Gimme a call, when you need more. Cool?
Jimmy;
Cool.
They nod at each other and Lucas leaves him.
13. Int. Living Room. Evening.
Liberty gets back on the couch and tries to pretend, like she´s been there all along, when Jimmy comes back in.
Jimmy;
What did I miss?
Liberty:
Nothing much. What did he want?
Jimmy:
To talk. It´s a long and tedious story, I won´t bore you with.
He moves back onto the couch and snuggles up with her.
Jimmy:
I wish, I could lie here with you forever. Just forget about Basketball, school and all of that.
Liberty:
Don´t you think, we´ll get bored?
Jimmy:
I´m never bored, when I´m with you.
They kiss and get back to watching the movie. Her face is filled with worry though, when he looks away from her.
14. Int. Classroom. Day.
It´s the day after and Ashley, Marco and Terri are waiting for class to start. Terri is still very excited, while Ashley is holding her phone and is waiting for it to ring.
Terri:
You should have been there, Marco! You would have loved it.
Marco:
I´d love to, but there´s always a danger, that I could be seen and someone will tell my parents. It´s bound to lead to uncomfortable questions.
Terri:
You´ll have to come out to them sometime.
Marco:
I´ll get there, in my own time.
He sees that Ashley is off in her own world.
Marco:
You can´t make it ring, no matter how much you want it to!
Ashley:
I´m waiting for the results from court. Gail promised that she´ll call me, when we find out if there´s going to be a case or not.
Marco:
Does she think, there will?
Ashley:
It sounded that way.
The phone rings and she quickly puts it to her ear.
Ashley:
Hi, Gail. What´s the news?
Ashley´s face says it all, as she listens to Gail´s reply. Terri and Marco feel sorry for her.
Ashley:
Thanks for calling. Bye.
She hangs up and puts her phone away.
Ashley:
The case has been dismissed, due to lack of evidence.
Terri:
I´m sorry, Ash.
Ashley:
This was our chance to make a difference!
Marco:
There´ll be others.
Ashley:
I wanted it so badly.
Terri:
You said yourself, that this is a long fight. It isn´t over, just because this case won´t go to trial.
Terri gives her a small hug.
Ashley:
You´re right. It isn´t.
She looks determined, that it won´t be.
15. Ext. Yutani Tech. Night.
Ashley comes fleeing out of the building with Dennis, Dee and Gail running alongside her. They´re all disguised and we can see, that the building is burning inside. Ashley looks up at it, while trying to keep herself from panicking. The others cheer their own success.
Dennis:
Take that, you corporate bastards!
Ashley:
What did you do?
Dee:
A tribute or two, to old Mr. Molotov!
Ashley:
Why? What´s the point?
Gail:
To show them, that we won´t let them get away with discrimination! This is an important signal, we´re sending, Ashley.
Ashley:
You don´t think, the cops will come looking for us first?
Dee:
I was at Gail´s house all night.
Dennis:
So was I.
Gail:
The question is, were you?
Ashley looks frustrated at the situation, she´s gotten herself into.
16. Int. The Dot. Evening.
Spinner is closing up, when Liberty comes in.
Spinner:
Sorry, Liberty. I have to get home and get some homework done.
Liberty:
I´m not here for burgers or fries. Can we talk for a second?
Spinner:
Isn´t that what we´re doing?
She looks at him seriously.
Liberty:
What do you know about a guy named Lucas?
Spinner:
I know a few of that name. Describe him.
Liberty:
Roughly our age, kind of big. Has dark hair and sort of a smirky smile.
Spinner:
It sounds like Jane´s brother. I´d stay clear of him, if I were you. According to her, he´s trouble.
Liberty:
That´s what I was afraid of.
Spinner:
How have you been unfortunate enough, to meet him?
Liberty:
I´m pretty sure, that he´s selling drugs to Jimmy. That can´t be, right?
Spinner:
I wouldn´t count it out.
Liberty has to sit down to take it in.
Liberty:
Do you think, that Jimmy´s a drug addict?
Spinner sadly nods.
CLOSING CREDITS