WHAT IF? - SEASON 2 EPISODE 33 - SCREAM PART 3
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
1. Ext. Alley. Evening.
Spinner is waiting for someone and is soon met by Jane. They look more serious than usual.
Spinner:
Did he confess?
Jane:
No, but I didn´t expect him to. He´s dealing though, there´s no doubt about it. Lying has never been his strong side.
Spinner:
I´m sorry.
Jane:
Is it your fault, that I have to share my DNA with the world´s dumbest still living caveman?
Spinner:
It still sucks.
Jane:
Yeah. I can only imagine the look on my mom´s face, when the cops tell her that he´s in trouble again.
Spinner:
At least she has one good kid.
They smile sadly at each other.
Jane:
I´ll help you any way I can. It´s one thing for him to screw up his own life, but this time someone could end up dead because of his stupidity and greed.
Spinner:
We´ll need to catch him red handed.
Jane:
Just promise me, that you won´t get violent with him.
Spinner:
If anyone deserves a slap upside the head ...
Jane:
Do it for me. He´s not the smartest guy around, but he´s still my brother.
Spinner:
I won´t hurt him ... unless he tries something first.
Jane:
Any brilliant ideas on how we do this?
Spinner:
The plan is already in motion.
She looks intrigued.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Police Interrogation Room. Morning.
Ashley is being interviewed by a police detective. She´s looking nervous.
Ashley:
I gave my speech, we talked a little and I went home. I didn´t talk to Gail again, until the day after, when she told me how the trial went.
Detective:
How did it make you feel, that the case was dismissed?
Ashley:
Awful. Angry. I wanted them to pay for what they did and since the courts wouldn´t do it ...
Detective:
You would?
Ashley:
I thought we were just gonna write some graffiti or I don´t know ... pee on their rug or something ...
Detective:
Not setting fire to a building?
Ashley:
I want things to change for the better as much or more, than the next one. But if we use violence to get it, then we´re worse than they are. I had no idea that they brought Molotov cocktails, until I heard the bottle breaking and saw the flames. For what it´s worth, I was relieved when my brother told me, that no major damage was done.
She folds her hands and looks very small, as the police detective looks at her sternly.
Detective:
This will be on your permanent arrest record. You are aware of this?
Ashley:
That´s sure to be a fun one to talk about at job interviews!
The detective´s demeanor loosens up a little and he looks sympathetic with her.
Detective:
Do you want to hear my theory on why this happened to you?
Ashley:
I´m ten times dumber, than I look?
Detective:
You´re a better judge of your intelligence, than I am, but you seem like a bright girl to me and it´s not un-natural to want to change things, when you´re your age. I´ll be the first to admit, that the world isn´t as perfect, as it could and probably should be. But there´s a right way to do things and there´s a wrong way.
Ashley:
Message clearly received! What´s gonna happen to me now?
Detective:
Since you confessed and the damage to the building was minor, I´ll recommend that you get a suspended sentence. You´ll most likely get some community service on top of it.
Ashley looks relieved.
3. Ext. Police Station. Day.
Ashley and Terri come out from the station and Ashley looks like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders.
Ashley:
Words can´t describe how good this feels!
Terri:
It´s the feeling of your karma re-aligning itself.
Ashley:
I could get used to this. Do they need any more big sisters at the programme?
Terri:
Are you sure it´s a good idea, if you´re leaving for Banting in half a year?
Ashley:
As if they´d want a convicted pyromaniac at their school!
Terri giggles.
Terri:
What about your parents?
Ashley:
They´re as far from in the know, as they can be and I´d prefer to keep it that way.
Terri:
Did you tell the police about the threats?
Ashley:
They think, it´s all talk.
Terri:
What if it isn´t?
The look on Ashley´s face says, that she´d rather not consider that option.
4. Int. Hallway. Day.
Spinner and Jimmy are coming down the hallway. Spinner is looking chipper.
Spinner:
You should come hear us rehearse. Find out what you´re missing out on.
Jimmy:
I could bring my guitar?
Spinner:
Sure. Just know that we´re not at the same level, Craig was.
Jimmy:
What level are you at?
Spinner:
The training mission, before you start playing the actual game!
Jimmy smiles to himself, but it fades when they see Hatzilakos and four police officers opening Rick´s locker, while Rick looks on. It takes everything in Jimmy, to not go into a panic.
Jimmy:
Damn! What if they´re doing random searches?
Spinner:
Do you have anything, you´re not supposed to have?
Jimmy:
What do you think?
He looks at Spinner pleadingly and Spinner quickly gives in.
Spinner:
We´d better move fast.
They head back up the hallway.
5. Int. Boy´s room. Day.
Jimmy and Spinner are getting rid of Jimmy´s stash of painkillers, by flushing them down the toilet. Even Spinner is worried at how much Jimmy had.
Spinner:
Were you keeping these for an army?
Jimmy:
It´s better to have them and not need them.
Spinner:
How many have you been taking?
Jimmy:
That´s besides the point!
Jimmy throws the last of it in the toilet and Spinner flushes it for him. He´s at the same time relieved not to get caught and annoyed that he just lost his drug stash.
6. Ext. Degrassi. Day.
Spinner meets up with Liberty and Rick.
Spinner:
That´s step one. Thanks for doing this, Rick.
Rick:
No sweat. At least for one day, people won´t look at me, like I´m a would be serial killer!
Liberty:
I owe you one.
Rick:
We´ll call it payback on my debt to all of woman-kind!
He leaves them and they make eye contact.
Spinner:
He still doesn´t know about Darcy, does he?
Liberty:
Knows what?
Spinner:
That´s a problem for another day! How did you get the cops to come here?
Liberty:
I let it slip to Hatzilakos, that he started stalking girls again. What happened with Jimmy?
Spinner:
He needs help. It wasn´t just a few aspirin, that I helped him flush. Am I the only one, who feels like I´m betraying my best friend?
Liberty sees that he needs a dose of reality.
Liberty:
Spinner, he takes advantage of you, because he knows you look up to him and you´ll always be super loyal.
Spinner:
That´s not true!
Liberty:
It is! He knows you´ll do anything for him and he´s not the saint, you make him out to be.
Spinner takes it in and knows, that she´s probably right.
Liberty:
It sucks to hear, but he´s become an addict. Addicts care more about feeding their addiction, than anything else.
Spinner:
If he´s such a lost cause, what are you doing here?
Liberty smiles sadly at him.
Liberty:
Because there´s still hope for him. If I didn´t believe that, I wouldn´t be here.
They nod at each other.
7. Int. Computer Lab. Day.
Ashley is working at a PC and is checking her E-Mail. The top one is from an unknown sender and it worries her. She checks it and gulps, when she reads it.
8. Int. Hallway. Day.
Ashley is getting advice from Terri.
Terri:
What exactly did it say?
Ashley:
If I don´t retract my statement, they´ll come after someone I love.
Terri now looks worried too.
Terri:
They weren´t more specific?
Ashley:
What if they come after you or Toby, for that matter? His legs are so short, that he can´t outrun anyone, who´s more than five years old!
Terri can´t help smiling a little, easing the mood.
Terri:
You have to tell the police.
Ashley:
They´re sure to tell my parents. I´m in enough hot water, as it is.
Terri:
Would you rather have them find out, when their house is on fire?
Ashley:
I guess it wouldn´t be too far off, to fear that from them.
Terri:
Aren´t you scared?
Ashley:
Kind of. You?
Terri:
A little, I guess. It´s a small prize to pay though, for getting to be your friend.
Her kind words cheers Ashley up a little.
9. Int. Classroom. Day.
Snake is teaching computer class, but Jimmy (who has Spinner sitting next to him) isn´t doing good, now that the withdrawals are starting to hit him.
Snake:
Next, we´re going to create a macro. This will make a lot of the manual labor, so to speak, go away. You start by opening the "tools" fan ...
We see that Jimmy´s hand is shaking so hard, that he can´t keep the mouse under enough control to do this simple assignment. It annoys him and worries Spinner, who can see that it´s about time, they did this. Withdrawals that heavy don´t come out of nowhere. Jimmy (to his own frustration) has to give it up and Spinner does it for him.
10. Ext. Ashley´s House. Day.
Ashley comes home from school and is surprised to see a police car parked out front. She gulps, as she walks up to her house.
11. Int. Living Room. Day.
Ashley comes in to find her mom and step-dad talking to the police detective from the day before. Ashley clearly isn´t looking forward to this, but grabs the bull by the horn and walks over to them.
Ashley:
What´s up?
Ashley´s Mom:
You tell us.
Their blaming looks don´t help with her feeling of guilt and she smiles apologetically at them.
Detective:
Hello, Ashley. I have good news. Gail and her two allies have been arrested. We have them in custody.
A look of relief falls over Ashley´s face.
Ashley:
Thank God!
Detective:
She has requested to speak to you. In fact, she´s made it a demand, or she won´t co-orperate.
Ashley:
Sure, I´ll talk to her. Can I have a moment with my parents first?
Detective:
Don´t be too long.
He walks past her and out of the room. She looks at her parents, who are still taking it in.
Ashley:
You must have a ton of questions ...
Ashley´s Dad:
There´s the understatement of the year!
Ashley´s Mom:
What were you thinking?
Ashley:
I was trying to make the world a better place for everyone. Isn´t that what you´ve always told me to do?
Her parents make eye contact and can see, that she has them there.
Ashley:
Plus, I´m a teenager! You can´t expect me to tell you everything, or you´d lose your minds!
They make wide eyes at her last remark and she sees, that she might have over spoken.
Ashley:
Okay, so that last part might have come out wrong ...
Ashley´s Mom:
I did wild things too, but they never involved the police coming to my house or setting fire to buildings.
Ashley:
Look, we can spend the entire evening playing the "Blame Ashley Game". Right now, I have to put a lid on this, so I can move on with my life. Se we can all move on.
Her parents nod in agreement and she leaves them. They hold each other and look relieved, that at least things didn´t go nearly as bad, as they could have.
12. Int. Visitation Rooom. Day.
Gail, who´s handcuffed, is sitting at a table, when Ashley comes in and stares her down, looking angry at her. Gail looks at her repentively.
Gail:
I don´t expect you to forgive me. I just want you to hear me out.
Ashley sits down across from her and folds her arms.
Ashley:
Talk.
Gail:
First of all, I´m sorry. I didn´t know what to do, so I panicked. What happened back there, that´s not who I am or what we stand for. You have something in you that´s special, Ashley and it would be a crying shame for you lose sight of it because of this.
Ashley cools up a little, as Gail now has her intrigued.
Ashley:
What´s special about me?
Gail:
When you speak from the heart, people listen to you and it´s because they feel like, you´re speaking straight to them. Seeing you at that rally, was like seeing a younger version of myself come to life, right before my eyes. You don´t just believe in the cause, you are the living embodiment of it! Which is why I want you to consider taking my place in the organization.
Ashley looks taken aback by the suggestion.
Ashley:
I can´t work with you again after this ...
Gail:
I´m not asking you to. After this, I´ll have no choice except to separate myself from it entirely, or I´ll be a black mark on the cause as a whole. I did my crime and now I have to pay for it. But you! You have the desire and the drive to get the message out there to the people, who really matter, the public.
Ashley:
I´m still not sure ... I mean, I have college and everything coming up soon.
Gail:
We could have won that case, but what difference would it actually have made? One large company would have gotten a fine, that wouldn´t have made the slightest dent in their records anyway, gotten a slap over the wrist in the media and in a month or two, it would have been mostly forgotten. Making a real change in the way people think takes time and a tireless effort from everyone on our side. They will unite around you, if you give them the chance to.
Ashley takes a second to consider it.
Ashley:
I wasn´t expecting this!
Gail:
You and me and how you might feel about me right now, aren´t what matters. Creating a fair world for everyone is what matters.
After a few more moments to think about it, Ashley gives her a slight nod. Gail looks pleased.
13. Ext. Jimmy´s House. Evening.
Lucas comes up to Jimmy´s house and is holding a grocery bag, that we can easily imagine what contains. He comes up to the door and knocks on it, trying his best not to look nervous. It´s opened by Jimmy´s Dad, who looks at him sternly.
Jimmy´s Dad:
I take it, you´re Lucas?
Lucas:
Is Jimmy here?
Just as he says so, Jane and Spinner come out of the door from behind Jimmy´s Dad. Lucas is surprised to say the least, to see them.
Jane:
What´s in the bag, Bro?
Lucas:
I´m outta here!
Jimmy´s Dad:
We can call the police and let them handle it.
Lucas stops just long enough, for Spinner to take the bag from him. Spinner then starts pulling vials of pills out of it, looking each of them over, before handing them on to Jane and Jimmy´s Dad. Lucas begins to panic.
Lucas:
Jane, please don´t tell dad! He´ll freak!
Jane:
Your drug dealing days are over, Lucas!
Lucas:
Sure, just please ... I don´t want to go to juvie.
Jane makes eye contact with Jimmy´s Dad.
Jane:
Mister Brooks, I apologize for my brother, for he is far too dumb to know what he does! Being charged with dealing drugs won´t do him or my family any good though, so can you let me take care of him? I´ll make sure, he won´t get off easy, trust me!
Spinner looks pleadingly at Jimmy´s Dad, who gives in.
Spinner:
She can be tough, when she wants to.
Jimmy´s Dad:
If it happens again, I will press charges.
Lucas:
It won´t! I promise.
Jane:
Thanks, mister Brooks. Now if you´ll excuse us, me and my dear brother have to discuss how the first part of his punishment will go.
She grabs him by the ear and drags him away.
14. Int. Living Room. Evening.
Jimmy is with Liberty and his Mom, when Spinner and Jimmy´s dad come back in. Jimmy´s dad hand the bag to Jimmy´s mom, who looks shocked, as she looks at all of the vials in the bag.
Jimmy´s Mom:
What are these?
Jimmy´s Dad:
A mixture of this and that. Muscle relaxants, pain killers, steroids. I´m pretty sure that several of those aren´t legally sold here.
Jimmy:
It´s not as bad, as it looks!
Liberty:
Jimmy, you´re in denial!
Jimmy:
No, I´m not! I know what I´m doing, okay?
Spinner:
You´re slowly killing yourself, is what you´re doing!
Jimmy:
I´m trying to live up to everyone´s expectations of me! No offense, Spinner, but there´s no way you can have any idea what it´s like, because no one´s ever expected anything from you!
His words seem to hit Spinner hard and he sulks.
Jimmy:
Mom, dad, you never had any time for me, except when it came to Basketball. You think I don´t remember the forgotten birthdays and all of the time I spent at Ashley´s house, just so I could feel like I had a family like hers? Is it any wonder then, that I pushed myself to the absolute limit to get your attention?
His parents look at each other and silently agree, that he´s probably right. He turns to Liberty.
Jimmy:
Liberty, I love you more than I´ve ever loved anyone, but even you can´t understand what it´s like to have to push yourself this way. If you get a bad grade, you´ll make it up easily. I only get one chance at this. I either join the small winner´s club or I join the huge loser´s club of other guys like me, who had the talent, but didn´t get the right breaks. It´s a pressure, that no one who hasn´t tried it, will ever begin to grasp!
Liberty:
Jimmy ...
Jimmy:
If you can´t handle that, then maybe we shouldn´t be together.
Spinner has heard enough and decides to intervene.
Spinner:
Are you listening to yourself right now?
Jimmy:
Spinner, stay out of this!
Spinner:
You´re a drug addict, dude! All I´m hearing is you justifying to yourself, why it´s fine for you to do more of them! Well, here´s a hint for you, pal! Life freaking sucks sometimes, okay? Do you think you´re the only one with problems here?
Jimmy:
I didn´t mean it like that.
Spinner:
Every day, I go to a school with my friends, who I know will be off to experience college and do all sorts of things, I´ll never have the chance to! Do you see me filling my body with drugs to get through it? You´ve already reached the point, where you´ve lost control of them and they´ve taken control of you. I guarantee, that if you continue this way, there´s no chance of you getting a happy ending to your story.
His words seem to hit home with Jimmy, who doesn´t retort.
Liberty:
Jimmy, you need professional help. There´s no shame in it.
Jimmy´s Dad:
We´ll find you the best rehab facility, we can find.
Jimmy´s Mom:
Somewhere close, so we can visit.
The reality finally hits home with Jimmy, who breaks down crying. Liberty holds him and allows him to sob in her arms.
15. Int. Ashley´s Room. Evening.
Ashley is doing the safest thing, anyone can possibly do. Playing monopoly with Alex, Terri and Toby, who´s winning.
Terri:
How bad is the punishment from your parents?
Ashley:
I´m on probation, you could say.
Alex:
You might as well get used to it!
Toby:
Quit stalling, Nunez! Roll the dice, so I can strip you of the meager funds, you have left!
The sweat is glistening off Alex´s head, as she rolls the dice. She gets a two and a four and smiles.
Alex:
Sucks to be you, Slum Lord!
She moves her piece past Toby´s squares with hotels on the and onto one with just one house on it.
Terri:
You can stay at my one house there for free, Alex.
Alex:
Aww, aren´t you sweet?
Toby:
You´ll never win that way!
Terri:
No, but I get to feel good about myself, so I win in that way!
Alex notices that Ashley can´t stop smiling at their bickering.
Alex:
What is it?
Ashley:
Nothing. It just dawned on me how much I love this moment we´re in right here, right now. Everything is perfect.
The girls look happy for her, but Toby looks at her in shock and awe.
Toby:
Is this the same sister, who a few years ago couldn´t write a song lyric without using the words "Pain", "Sorrow" and "Darkness"?
Ashley:
It seems like so long ago.
Alex:
Which three words would you put in now?
Ashley takes a moment to consider it.
Ashley:
Hope, aspiration and love.
She takes Alex´s hand and they smile at each other. Toby and Teri look happy for them.
16. Int. Jimmy´s Room. Evening.
Spinner is helping Jimmy pack for rehab. Jimmy looks defeated, as he throws a shirt into his suitcase.
Jimmy:
It´s official. I´ve hit rock bottom.
Spinner:
You still have your health.
Jimmy:
This isn´t the time for jokes, Spin.
He points at the chair, he´s still stuck in all these months later.
Spinner:
It´ll heal up eventually. You´ll be back on the court, before you know it.
Jimmy:
Maybe I shouldn´t.
Spinner looks surprised.
Spinner:
Basketball has been your everything, since we were kids.
Jimmy:
Look where it drove me to. You have to admit, that I´ve been going to extremes this past year. First playing through all of that pain to play and then putting my health on the line to get back on the court. Perhaps it´s a sign, that it´s not a healthy obsession.
Spinner looks a little relieved.
Spinner:
They rarely are. What will your folks say?
Jimmy:
Everything considered, I think they´ll be fine with it.
Spinner:
How do you feel about it?
Jimmy:
I´m okay with it. I have new goals now.
There´s a knock on the door and Liberty pops in.
Liberty:
Need any help?
Jimmy:
More than you know.
They smile at each other. Spinner looks happy that Jimmy has her to help him through this.
CLOSING CREDITS