WHAT IF? - SEASON 2 EPISODE 35 - MAN IN THE MIRROR PART 1
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
Author´s Note: I don´t usually do warnings, since they give things away. This double episode however, is a very heavy emotional episode. Not to toot my own horn, but I think it´s one of the best I´ve written.
1. Ext. Train Station. Day.
Rick is sitting on a bench and waiting for the train to arrive. An elderly man comes over to him and they smile at each other in a friendly way.
Elderly Man:
Do you mind, if I sit next to you, young man? My legs aren´t what they used to be.
Rick:
Of course. My mom taught me to respect my elders.
The elderly man looks pleased and takes a seat.
Elderly Man:
How far are you going?
Rick:
Hamilton.
Elderly Man:
Same here. Do you have friends or family up there?
Rick:
A few old friends, from when I used to live there. Right now, I want to be somewhere that isn´t here.
Elderly Man:
Girl problems?
Rick:
Is it that obvious?
Elderly Man:
When I´ve heard someone say that, it´s usually because of a girl or them owing someone money.
Rick laughs a little.
Rick:
I don´t owe anyone money, not that I know of anyway. That doesn´t mean, you can´t have other problems.
He looks determined to make the best of it.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Classroom. Day.
Darcy and Toby are making a video to help with finding Rick. Darcy is holding a picture of him, while Kendra does the filming.
Toby:
He was last seen yesterday morning, when he left our school.
Darcy:
If you see him, then please alert the police. Without his medication, he could end up in serious danger.
Toby:
Please help us to find our friend Rick. We´re very worried about him.
Kendra stops the camera.
Kendra:
I´ll make sure, that it´s posted right away.
Darcy:
Thanks, Kendra.
Kendra leaves them and Darcy takes a deep breath.
Toby:
We have to keep up hope, that it´ll work.
They hug and it´s clear that both of them are very affected by it.
3. Int. Street. Day.
Terri and Chantay are working together in putting up posters with Rick´s portrait and a phone number for people to call, if they´ve seen him. It all suddenly becomes too much for Chantay, who starts crying. Terri looks sympathetic with her.
Chantay:
What´s the point of this? He´s probably dead already!
Terri:
Rick is tougher than he looks. He´ll be okay.
Chantay:
It´s all my fault! If it hadn´t been for my big mouth, then none of this would have happened.
Terri:
You can´t keep blaming yourself. It isn´t your fault, that he has a chemical imbalance in his brain, is it?
Chantay wipes her eyes and shakes her head.
Chantay:
I still feel guilty.
Terri:
You´ll be feeling infinitely better, when we find him.
Chantay:
Why are you helping? If a guy stalked me, then I wouldn´t have cared what happened to him.
Terri:
Before any of that happened, we were friends. I can´t leave him out there to die.
Chantay starts crying again.
Terri:
Sorry, that was a bad choice of words.
Chantay:
I´ll never be able to forgive myself, if he is.
Terri gives her a hug, that she clearly needed.
4. Int. Abandoned Building. Day.
Rick is trying to sleep in the rat infested building, that honestly doesn´t look like a place, where humans should be. A rather short looking thief sneaks up on him and tries to pick his pocket, but he´s too fast and grabs their hand.
Red:
Let go!
Rick wrestles the thief to the ground and punches him in the face a few times. Seeing what he´s done, he becomes afraid of himself and backs off while Red, a boy around his own age wipes the blood from his face and looks confused.
Rick:
I´m sorry, Terri. I´m so sorry.
Red:
Who´s Terri?
Rick:
Run away. I´m too dangerous to be around, when I don´t get my medication.
Red gets the message and runs away. Rick is left looking shocked at what he did.
5. Ext. Street. Day.
Rick is begging on the street, but isn´t having much luck with it.
Rick:
Spare some change?
People keep walking by him, acting like he doesn´t exist. A middle aged man walks past him.
Rick:
Can you spare some change?
Man:
Get a job, you bum!
His words trigger something in Rick, who gets angry. The man runs away, looking scared. Red sees it from across the street and decides to go over and help him.
Red:
You´re not used to this, are you?
Rick:
I told you to stay away from me.
Red:
Doing what people tell me to, has never been my strong side. What´s your name?
Rick:
Rick.
Red sticks out his hand to Rick´s surprise.
Red:
Hi, Rick. My real name is Charlie, but everyone down here calls me Red, for the obvious reasons.
He points at his red hair. Seeing that he isn´t too dangerous, Rick shakes hands with him.
6. Int. Boarding House. Day.
Rick is getting settled in, while Red watches him.
Red:
You´ll want to keep your possesions close, when you´re sleeping. Guys in here steal, like you wouldn´t believe.
Rick:
Like you?
Red smiles at him.
Red:
Yeah, sorry about that. I thought you were some drunk, who was an easy target.
Rick:
Does that make it better?
Red:
Not really, I suppose. But if it comes down to them spending their money on things they don´t really need and me not going to bed hungry again, then my vote in on me every time.
Rick:
Don´t you have a family, you can go back to?
Red laughs a little.
Red:
Things between me and them aren´t good. I´ve been on my own for a year now.
Rick:
How do you do it?
Red:
Day by day. How did you end up in this unfortunate situation?
Rick:
It´s a long story.
Red:
Luckily for you, I have all day.
Two large men come in and Red looks worried. They come over to them.
Wade:
Who´s your new boyfriend, faggot?
Red:
I don´t want any trouble, Wade.
Dale:
He asked you a question.
Rick gets in their faces, not looking afraid at all.
Rick:
I´m Rick. Who the hell are you to talk to my friend that way?
Wade:
Ooh! He´s feisty!
Dale:
You won´t be so feisty, when you´re picking your teeth up off the street!
Rick:
Leave us alone.
Wade makes like he´s gonna leave, but turns around and throws a punch at Rick. Rick is too fast for him though and ducks it, before hitting him square in the solar plexus, as hard as he can. Red looks impressed, as Wade goes down. Dale tries his luck too and gets a bloody nose for his troubles. They get up and run out of there.
Red:
I can see that you´ll be handy to have around!
Rick:
Are they dangerous?
Red:
Not compared to you! Where did you learn to fight like that?
Rick:
It isn´t the first time, I´ve had to deal with A-Holes like them.
He sits down and tries to calm down.
7. Int. Darcy´s Room. Day.
Darcy is sitting on her bed and just staring out into blank space, trying to comprehend what´s happened. Clare comes in.
Clare:
Are you coming down for dinner?
Darcy:
How can I eat dinner and pretend like everything´s normal, knowing that he´s out there on his own?
Clare sits down next to her.
Clare:
Starving yourself won´t help him.
Darcy:
I can´t explain what´s going on in my brain, Clare. It´s like the lights are on, but no one´s home.
Clare:
I would say that´s understandable, everything considered.
Darcy:
If I hadn´t done what I did, then he would be safe at home right now. If I´d just come clean, when I had the chance to.
Clare:
God will forgive you. It´s what he does.
Darcy:
I pretty much went through all of the mortal sins. Maybe I´m beyond salvation.
Clare:
I don´t believe that and neither do mom or dad.
They look each other in the eyes and Clare gives her a comforting smile.
Clare:
Would it help, if we prayed for him together?
Darcy:
Do you think, it will help him?
Clare:
It can´t hurt to try, can it?
Darcy:
I guess not.
They fold their hands and close their eyes.
Darcy:
God, I hope you´re listening, because we need your help badly. Please help us to find Rick, so we can bring him home safe and sound to his mom. I can only imagine the kind of hell, she´s going through at this moment. Help Chantay too, while you´re at it. She´s going through the same thing I am and I know how much it´s tearing her up inside. Finally, when you´re done with them, if you have it in your heart, help this poor lost girl find her way again. Amen.
Clare:
Amen.
Darcy opens her eyes again and it looks like she got a bit of peace of mind out of it.
8. Int. Church. Evening.
Toby is sitting on one of the church benches in deep thought, when Chantay comes over to him.
Chantay:
Hi, Toby. Mind if I join you?
Toby:
It was a free country, last time I checked.
Chantay sits down next to him.
Chantay:
I can guess, why you´re here.
Toby:
The same reason, why you are?
Chantay:
Is it that obvious?
They smile sadly at each other.
Toby:
Have you been able to sleep?
Chantay:
Not a second. I´m so tired, that I can barely stand, but I can´t sleep either.
Toby:
I know what you mean. It feels like every moment not spent looking for him is time wasted.
Chantay:
Have you had any luck with the website?
Toby:
We´ve had a few sightings, but nothing substancial. If he dies ...
Even Toby can´t take it anymore and has to shed a few tears. Chantay gives him a hug and lets him cry it out on her shoulder.
9. Int. The Dot. Evening.
Terri is sitting at the counter, nursing a milk shake that looks pretty thin by now. Spinner comes back from being paid by a customer, who leaves the cafe.
Spinner:
It´s not that I want to kick you out, but I have to go home sometime.
He puts the money in the till, as she takes one last sip and pushes it away.
Terri:
It´s tasteless to me anyway.
Spinner:
I know, that it´s hard ...
Terri:
How can you possibly know?
She looks him in the eyes and he looks ashamed of himself.
Spinner:
I guess, I can´t. How are you holding up?
Terri:
One moment I want to scream at him and the next, I feel completely powerless. I think, I might be losing it, Spinner.
Spinner:
The guy first hit you, then he stalked you. It´s not like he´s a saint.
Terri:
You don´t know him, like I did. All that stuff with his brain isn´t his fault, it´s something he was born with. Did I care? No, I told him to go to hell and stay away from me, when I was the only one he had. How can I call myself a good person, when I do something like that?
Spinner:
You are, Terri. I don´t know anyone, who cares as much about people they don´t know, as you do.
Terri:
What use is that, when I can´t be there for someone, who depends on me?
She shakes her head at how hopeless it all is and has to fight the tears.
10. Int. Convenience Store. Evening.
Rick and Red are looking around while the shopkeeper, a guy in his 20´s, keeps a keen eye on them. They give each other a slight nod and Rick walks up to the counter.
Rick:
A slurpee. Blue.
Guy:
Can you pay for it?
Rick holds up a five dollar note and the guy starts pouring it. Meanwhile, Red is filling his pockets as fast as he can. He gives Rick a nod and they run out of there. The shopkeeper spills the slurpee everywhere, as he turns around.
Guy:
Get back here, you punks!
He looks annoyed.
11. Ext. Park. Evening.
Rick and Red are enjoying their loot, which mostly consists of candy bars and peanuts of varying kinds.
Red:
See how much you get for a fiver?
Rick:
When you use it the right way, you do!
They laugh a little.
Rick:
What´s your story? I told you mine.
Red:
Have you heard of a virus called HIV?
Rick stops chewing and looks shocked.
Rick:
I´m so sorry. I don´t know what else to say.
Red:
In a few years, what they´ll have left to bury, won´t look anything like me. It´s a sobering thought.
Rick:
Are you getting treatment?
Red:
You´ve seen how I´m living. Does it look like I´m in treatment?
Rick:
You can´t just sit around waiting to die.
Red:
What else is there to do? It´s not like my parents give a damn, if their gay son is dying on the streets. To them, I´m a sinner, who deserves what I get.
Rick:
I´m sure, that isn´t true.
Red:
They give as little of a damn as the guy, who gave it to me. Sometimes in life you lose and there´s nothing you can do about it.
They see flashlights appearing in the distance and Red stands up.
Red:
That´s the cops. We have to get out of here.
Rick reacts quickly and they remove the evidence that they were there, before running off away from the flashlights.
12. Int. Parking Lot. Evening.
Rick and Red come walking through the parking lot and look relieved to have gotten away.
Red:
That was a close one!
Rick:
I can´t believe, you live like this every day.
Red:
Between you and me, this day has been more eventful, than they usually are.
They hear someone screaming not too far from them and look at each other.
Rick:
It sounded like a girl.
Red:
It´s better to stay out of it.
Rick:
Sorry, Red. I´m not wired that way.
Rick runs in the direction of the scream and Red reluctantly runs after him. They round a car and see Wade and Dale with a very scared looking girl (18 year old Lexy), who they´re holding down.
Lexy:
Let me go!
Dale:
Shut up, bitch!
He slaps her across the face.
Rick:
She told you to let her go!
Wade and Dale look up at them and laugh mockingly.
Wade:
If it isn´t the two fairies?
Dale:
Isn´t there a pride parade somewhere, that you can walk in?
Lexy looks at them pleadingly.
Lexy:
Please, help me!
Wade:
Keep your mouth shut, whore!
He slaps her again, this time even harder. Rick´s face says it all. He´s ready to kill someone. Red sees it and is freaked out by it.
Red:
Wade, I´d run, if I were you!
Wade:
From him? You gotta be kidding!
Dale pulls a swithblade from his pocket and the blade shines in the moonlight. He tries to stab Rick with it, but Rick evades it and lays him out with kick to the balls. He falls down on the ground groaning and Rick kicks the knife away. Wade isn´t as cocky anymore now.
Wade:
Look, we can talk about this ...
His words fall on deaf ears and Rick attacks his with the fury of someone, who´s fighting for their life. The first few punches get him down on the ground, where Rick flies on him and starts wailing away at his face. It´s clear that he´s completely lost control and Red tries to get him off him. Dale also tries to come to Wade´s rescue, but Lexy clocks him and he falls down unconscious.
Red:
Stop or you´ll kill him!
Rick:
He doesn´t deserve to live!
Rick switches to choking him, but there´s no fighting back left in Wade. Red makes one last attempt at pulling Rick off and succeeds in pulling him backwards. Rick finally starts to calm down, as Red holds him in a tight grip. A shocked crawls over to Wade´s lifeless body and checks his pulse.
Lexy:
He´s dead.
Her words hit Rick like a ton of bricks. He wrestles free from Red´s grip and stands up. He then walks over to Wade´s body and looks at it in disbelief of what he did.
Rick:
What did I do?
They see a small group of people approaching them, seemingly unaware of what has happened. Lexy grabs his hand and leads him away in a hurry, with Red following after them. Unfortunately they reach a place, where they´re easily visible and Rick looks back at the victims. This gives the witnesses a good look at him, before the other two drag him off.
13. Int. Lexy´s Apartment. Evening.
The look of Lexy´s place shows that she´s probably more of a squatter than anything else. Rick is getting his bloody knuckles cleaned up by her, who looks like this isn´t the first time, she´s done it. Red is sleeping on an old couch. Rick is still in shock, but Lexy gives him a comforting smile.
Lexy:
You did the right thing.
Rick:
I´m going to jail for the rest of my life, aren´t I?
Lexy:
I can´t guarantee you, that you won´t, but you have my eternal gratitude. I wish, there were more guys like you in the world.
Rick:
You don´t know me or what I´ve done. If you did, then you wouldn´t think that way.
She finishes cleaning them and rolls out a bandage, that she starts wrapping them in.
Lexy:
What did you do?
Rick:
A lot of things, I regret now.
Lexy:
Join the club. Everyone around here has done things, they wish that they could take back.
Rick:
I have this chemical imbalance in my brain. Without medication, it makes me do things, I can´t control.
Lexy:
I do that too, only in my case they call it hormones.
She finishes the bandaging and he pulls away from her. It makes her smile.
Lexy:
You don´t have to be afraid of me.
Rick:
It´s myself, that I´m afraid of.
Lexy:
I´m not afraid of you.
She sits down on his lap and puts her arm around him.
Lexy:
Is there a lucky girl somewhere, who calls you her sweetheart?
Her words get a small sad smile out of him.
Rick:
There used to be.
Lexy:
Then she won´t mind, if we do this.
Lexy kisses him and he´s soon caught up in the passion of it.
14. Int. Hallway. Morning.
Toby is waiting outside of the principal´s office. Darcy comes over to him.
Darcy:
You were called too, huh?
Toby:
Do you think, it´s about Rick?
Darcy:
I guess, we´ll find out soon enough.
The door to the office opens and Hatzilakos stands there. A police officer is standing behind her, making Toby and Darcy worried.
15. Montage - Music: "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" by Radiohead.
We see Toby and Darcy being briefed on the situation by Hatzilakos and the police officer. They´re both shocked to their core at the news and we can see from Hatzilakos´ facial expression, that this is hitting her hard too.
We see Terri and Chantay hugging, as they try to grasp the news of what has happened. Chantay looks like she´s on the verge of a breakdown, but Terri tries her best to stay strong for the both of them. When Chantay can´t see though, the image of Terri´s face says it all. She´s trying her best to stay strong, but it´s a losing battle that she can´t keep on fighting forever.
We see a shocked Dale being questioned by the police and nodding, when they show him a picture of Rick. We can easily see that he mouths "That´s him. I´m sure of it".
We see Rick and Lexy lying on her bed, only covered by a sheet. She´s sound asleep, while he looks up at the ceiling and wondering what his next move will be.
CLOSING CREDITS