WHAT IF? - SEASON 3 EPISODE 6 - GLORY DAYS
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
1. Int. Emma´s Room. Evening.
Emma is in front of her laptop and is trying her best to write, but she can´t seem to find the inspiration.
Emma (voice over):
"She felt her lips tremble, as his hands rubbed all over her naked body"
Not happy with it, she erases it again.
Emma (voice over):
All this girl does is tremble! It´s like she´s living through a constant earthquake! Think, Emma! There has to be some awesome twist, you can come up with!
She takes a moment to consider it, before she starts writing again.
Emma (voice over):
"This time when he touched her, she felt like it was time for her to take the power over him". Ooh, that´s good!
Emma smiles to herself.
Emma (voice over):
"She grabbed his hand and pushed it away, before telling him "Not tonight, my love". He looked confused and asked her "Why", to which she replied "I have homework to do".
Emma hangs her head, realizing how much what she just wrote sucked.
2. Int. Kitchen. Evening.
Emma comes down to the kitchen to find Spike and Snake making popcorn together and kissing. She rolls her eyes at it, as they notice her.
Spike:
Hi, Em. How´s the writing going?
Emma:
Awful. Whatever talent I had must have been a passing thing, because it´s gone now.
Snake:
I don´t believe that. What´s the problem?
Emma takes a seat at the kitchen table and sulks, so they sit down with her.
Emma:
Can I tell you guys a secret?
Spike:
Sure, if you want to.
Emma:
All of the other stuff I wrote, I was picturing that being me with a certain guy.
Snake:
I seriously doubt that you´re the first writer to do that.
Emma:
That guy was JT.
They both look a bit shocked.
Spike:
Emma, what about Manny?
Emma:
I´m trying my best to forget about it, okay? Which is really hard, when I have to see him every day and he´s always nice to me.
Snake:
Does he know?
Emma:
No and he never has to, but without him as my inspiration, my writing is as exciting as a triple dose of Algebra cramming!
Snake and Spike smile at each other.
Spike:
What you´re basically saying, is that you need romantic inspiration?
Emma:
If you have any to spare, now is the time to pull it out!
Snake:
Do you have time for a story?
Emma looks intrigued.
Emma:
What kind of story?
Snake:
The true story about how I met your mother.
Him and Spike smile at each other, while Emma looks ready to listen.
OPENING CREDITS
3. Int. Kitchen. Evening.
We´re back where we left off, except that the popcorn is done and is in a bowl on the table, that they´re all munching from.
Emma:
I already know the story. Didn´t you meet on the first day of Junior High?
Spike:
Actually, our first meeting was almost a year before. If things had gone a little differently, who knows if any of us would be here right now?
Emma:
Now you have me intrigued!
Snake:
T´was the year of our lord 1986. A fantastic time, where shows like "Dynasty" and "Hill Street Blues" ruled the airwaves, while "Top Gun" was the number one movie at the box office and Madonna´s "Papa Don´t Preach" was topping the charts, while freaking conservative parents out in the process.
Emma:
You´re not gonna talk that way all the way through this, are you?
Snake:
It´s called an intro, Sweetie.
Emma:
Fair enough! So, how did you meet?
Spike:
As we were about to watch an incredibly bad movie!
We fade to:
4. Ext. Movie Theather. Evening.
The writing on the marquee reads in large letters "Howard the Duck", as an 12 year old Snake and Wheels come up to the movie theater.
Snake (voice over):
I had just turned 12 at the time and me and Wheels were like two peas in a pod. We didn´t get to know Joey, until we started Junior High later that year, so it was just the two of us most of the time. But there was this very cute girl with long blonde hair, who had just moved in up the street, that I couldn´t help myself from staring at, every time I saw her.
Emma (voice over):
I take it, that was you, mom?
Spike (voice over):
I hated living on that street at first! Far away from my friends and in a place, where I didn´t know anyone yet. My mom needed a fresh start after her divorce and I tried to understand the best I could, but I missed my old neighborhood. Fortunately, I found out that the neighbor girl was easy to get along with.
Snake:
Maybe we should save our money. I read a review that said it´s really bad.
Wheels:
It´s from the same guy, who did "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones". I can´t believe that it´s bad, if it´s from the guy, who did those movies. Plus, it´s based on a comic that I hear is really funny.
Snake:
Okay, I guess.
He doesn´t look as enthusiastic as Wheels is, but it changes a little when he sees a 12 year old Spike approaching with an equally aged Alexa by her side.
Snake:
There´s that girl again. Who is she?
Wheels:
You could try asking her what her name is?
Snake:
I´m too shy to.
Wheels:
Do you want me to ask her for you?
Snake:
Let´s just go and watch the movie.
They head inside, as we cut to Spike and Alexa. Much like Snake and Wheels, here one is a bit reluctant, while the other is very excited. I´ll let you guess which is which.
Alexa:
I have a feeling, that this will be the best movie, I´ve ever seen!
Spike:
A movie named "Howard the Duck"?
Alexa:
Cheer up, Christine! So your parents are splitting up. If they fought all the time anyway, isn´t it for the better?
Spike:
Maybe. It´s gonna be weird not having my dad around to talk to.
Alexa:
Look at it this way. From now on you´ll get two birthday presents and two Christmas presents out of them and they´ll probably be so wrecked with guilt over splitting your family up, that they´ll spend big these next couple of years.
Alexa´s cheery nature can´t help bringing a small smile out of Spike.
Spike:
You really are a "Glass Half Full" kind of girl, aren´t you?
Alexa:
What´s the point in not being one? You´re only making yourself miserable by being negative.
Spike:
I guess, there´s some truth to that statement!
Alexa:
Put on your happy face, because we are gonna have fun, fun, fun!
She smiles cheerily at Spike, as they head inside.
5. Int. Movie Theater Lobby. Evening.
Snake and Wheels are in the back of the line for one of the concession stands and are trying to make up their minds on what to get.
Snake:
On one hand, I want popcorn. On the other hand, I don´t want to pay so much for it!
Wheels:
Get something else then!
Snake:
Maybe some beanie babies or something.
Wheels:
Don´t look, but your crush is coming over here.
Snake:
She´s not my crush!
Spike and Alexa get in line behind them and he gets nervous.
Alexa:
Hi, guys. You´ve met Christine, haven´t you?
Snake:
Christine. That´s such a pretty name.
Alexa:
Then I guess, you haven´t! Archie and Wheels meet Christine and vice versa!
Snake and Spike smile shyly at each other.
Spike:
Do you live on our street?
Snake:
Yeah, ehm ... for many years now!
Wheels:
My name is Derek, but they call me Wheels, because I´m into cars and stuff.
Spike:
It´s nice to meet you guys. So far, people have just called me Christine.
Snake sees his chance to start a conversation with Spike.
Snake:
What are you getting?
Spike:
I´m not sure. I love movie theater popcorn, but it´s so expensive.
Wheels:
That´s exactly what he just said.
Alexa:
What do you know? You already have something in common!
Snake looks happy, that it´s going so well.
6. Ext. Park. Day.
It´s a beautiful summer´s day and Snake and Spike are getting an ice cream cone together.
Snake (voice over):
I couldn´t concentrate on the movie at all. Every time I would look over at your mom, it felt like I melted inside.
Spike (voice over):
You didn´t miss out!
Snake (voice over):
The day after, Wheels dared me to ask your mom to go out for ice cream. I´d never been so nervous in my life or so thrilled, when she said yes.
Emma (voice over):
Did you like him already too, mom?
Spike (voice over):
Kind of. I´d never liked a boy that way before, so how was I to know? All I knew was that I thought he was cute and nice and I wanted to get to know him.
Snake´s ice cream begins to melt and he has to lick the cone up the side to stop it from getting on his hands.
Snake:
Sorry.
Spike:
Why are you sorry? It was either that or get your hands dirty!
They smile at each other and there´s clearly already a spark there, even at this young of an age.
Snake:
I´ve met you mom, but I haven´t seen you dad yet.
Spike:
He´s still living in our old house. My parents got divorced a few months ago.
Snake:
I´m sorry to hear that.
Spike:
I´m getting better at dealing with it every day. There´s advantages to it too, like meeting you. That wouldn´t have happened, if they hadn´t split up.
Snake gets a little shy, not being used to being flirted with in even the slightest of ways.
Snake:
I´m no one special, really.
Spike:
Says who? I haven´t known you for a day and you´re already special to me.
He can´t help smiling.
Snake:
I am?
Spike:
Yeah, you are. Alexa is a sweetheart, don´t get me wrong, but she´s so chatty! I have to tune my ears out to half of what she says, just to have time to process everything else she´s said!
He laughs a little.
Snake:
It sounds like hard work.
Spike:
With you, I mean, you´re kinda like me. Someone I can enjoy the quiet with too.
He´s so taken with her that he doesn´t notice until it´s too late, that his ice cream is about to melt down over his hand, that he´s holding the cone with. When it hits his hand, it´s like a shock to him and he drops his cone on the ground.
Snake:
Aww, Narbos!
She hands him a napkin, that he uses to wipe his hand clean again.
Spike:
That´s okay. We can share mine.
She offers him a bite and he takes it. There´s definitely some puppy love going on here!
Emma (voice over):
This story is so adorable! I love you guys!
Snake (voice over):
We love you too, Em.
Spike (voice over):
It only took us roughly 15 years after that, until we finally went on a real date!
Emma (voice over):
Why? It must have been obvious from space, that you two were meant for each other!
Snake (voice over):
Maybe now it is, but all of this was completely new to both of us. None of us had any idea how to deal with having a crush on someone.
Spike (voice over):
We were as clueless on how to deal with it, as all kids that age would be. Not knowing what to do next, I went to Alexa for advice.
7. Int. Alexa´s Room. Evening.
The walls of Alexa´s room are lined from top to bottom with posters of the pop stars of the day. She´s looking very excited, as Spike tells her about her "date".
Spike:
It was very sweet. We talked a whole lot and we shared my cone.
Alexa:
If we were a little older, that would mean something completely different! Go on.
Spike:
There isn´t much else to tell. Afterwards he walked me home, so he could get back to his house in time for dinner.
Alexa:
What are they having?
Spike:
Meat loaf.
Alexa:
I wish, it were me. I love a nice piece of meat loaf.
Spike smiles to herself, seeing as it´s now Alexa who´s guilty of making double entendres.
Alexa:
He didn´t try to hold your hand?
Spike:
Should he have? I mean, I wouldn´t have minded, if he had ...
Alexa:
Duh? It´s like the first step to scoring!
Spike:
According to who?
Alexa:
Seventeen magazine, of course! You start with holding hands and from there you make your way to kissing.
Spike gets a little apprehensive.
Spike:
Kissing? Isn´t that a little soon?
Alexa:
No one says that you have to kiss him right now! He´s probably as nervous, as you are.
Snake (voice over):
If she only knew, how right she was!
8. Int. Snake´s Room. Evening.
Snake´s room is very different from Alexa´s in that he only has one poster up, that of a happy looking smiley face. He´s pacing the room, as Wheels patiently hears him out.
Snake:
I´ve decided that I like her. Now what?
Wheels:
I can see why. She is kinda cute and seems nice.
Snake:
I don´t need you stating facts at me!
Wheels:
How should I know? I´ve never done anything with a girl either!
Snake:
If you wanted to hold hands with some girl, what would you do?
Wheels:
Get her alone and ask her, if it´s okay that I hold her hand?
Snake:
That would be the rational way to go, I suppose. What if she says no?
Wheels:
Then you remind yourself, that she´s the same age we are and might not be ready. You can´t blame her, if she isn´t.
Snake:
That´s true. I need to do it as kindly and gently as possible, so she knows that I´m okay with whatever she chooses. The last thing I want to do is pressure her.
Wheels:
Even if it doesn´t happen right away, who knows what things will look like in a year or two? There´s no need to rush anything.
Snake nods as if he understands.
9. Ext. Garden Party. Day.
There´s a large garden party going on at Snake´s house and apart from himself, Wheels, Alexa and Spike are also there. He´s getting a pep talk from Wheels, just like Spike is from Alexa.
Snake (voice over):
I picked my family´s annual summer barbecue as the place to make my move. The entire evening before I spent thinking up exactly how it would go, what I would say and what to say, if your mom replied this or that.
Emma (voice over):
Did it work?
Snake (voice over):
Plans like that never do.
Snake takes a deep breath for confidence, as he prepares to make his move.
Snake:
Maybe I should wait for a better opportunity!
Wheels:
You´ve spent three weeks since you had ice cream with her, working your nerve up for this. If you don´t strike while the iron is at minimum lukewarm, she´ll think that you´ve lost interest.
Snake:
I don´t want that either.
Wheels:
I´ll take care of Alexa. I have no idea how, but I´m sure that I´ll come up with something. Are you ready?
Snake:
No.
Wheels:
That´s good enough!
Snake is still looking like he´d rather back out.
We cut over to Alexa and Spike. Alexa smiles widely at her.
Alexa:
They´re coming over here!
Spike:
It´s probably just to say thanks for coming.
Alexa:
Don´t be a Negative Nancy! I´ll get rid of Wheels, so you and Archie can have some private time.
Spike:
As private as it can be in a garden full of people!
Alexa:
Relax and be yourself. There´s absolutely nothing to be afraid of.
Snake and Wheels come over to them.
Snake:
Hi, guys. Thanks for coming!
Spike:
Thanks for inviting us.
Wheels:
So, Alexa ...
Alexa:
Do you want to check out the cool cars parked outside, Wheels? I´m sure that you can tell me all about them.
Wheels:
Yeah, sure.
He looks surprised at how easy it was and they walk away from Spike and Snake, who both get a little shy being put on the spot like this.
Snake (voice over):
So, here we were. The time for me to make the first big romantic move of my young life. Needless to say, it didn´t go as I planned it in my head.
Snake:
How are you settling in?
Spike:
Pretty good. It´s a nice street to live on.
Snake:
Do you maybe wanna ...
He´s interrupted by a large woman in her 40´s, who looks glad to see him.
Bertha:
Archie! I was afraid that you weren´t here!
Snake:
Hi, aunt Bertha. This is Christine, who recently moved in up the road.
Christine:
It´s nice to meet you.
Bertha:
Oh, aren´t you two adorable! Not that Archie hasn´t always been, mind you. Oh, the stories I could tell!
Snake:
I´m sure that she´d rather not ...
Bertha:
I remember when him and his parents would come over back when he was little and how we would run around naked in the garden, whenever the weather was for it. I tell you, he did not like wearing clothes at that age!
Snake gets embarrassed. Spike isn´t sure how to react.
Bertha:
Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Christine. You´ve found yourself a cutie pie there, Archie boy!
She pads him on the cheek and she leaves them. He looks apologetically at Spike.
Snake:
I wish you hadn´t heard that.
Spike:
It´s okay.
Snake:
It is?
Spike:
We all do dumb stuff, when were little. It´s the time of your life, when you´re allowed to do dumb stuff and people will think it´s cute.
He lights up in a smile.
Snake:
It´s not something that I do anymore, I assure you!
She smiles shyly back at him.
Spike:
Wanna get a burger?
Snake:
Sure!
He looks pleased to be back on track and they go over to the grill, that´s manned by his older brother Glenn, who at this time is 16.
Snake:
Christine, this is my brother Glenn. Glenn, this is Christine from up the street.
Glenn:
Hi, Christine from up the street. You never thought of changing your name to something shorter, like only Christine perhaps?
Spike:
Either that or some cool nickname.
Snake:
Two burgers.
Glenn:
I have a pair of them ready right here.
He puts a pair of burgers with matching buns on a pair of paper plates and hands it to them. They move over to the condiments table.
Snake:
What do you like on your burger?
Spike:
A bit of this and a bit of that.
Snake:
Good answer.
He puts his plate on the table and picks up a tube of ketchup. He tries to put some of it on his burger, but it´s not coming out.
Spike:
Maybe you should try shaking it.
He does and in a complete brain fart, presses it while it´s pointed at Spike to test, if the ketchup can come out now. It can and sprays all over Spike´s shirt. He´s shocked at what he just did.
Snake:
Oh, God! I´m so sorry!
Spike:
It´s only ketchup, right?
Snake:
We have a laundry machine and a drier in the house. We´ll get it clean in no time, I promise.
Spike:
Okay.
He´s looking very nervous, now that things are starting to go wrong.
10. Int. Snake´s Parent´s House. Day.
Snake and Spike come in just as his mom comes out of the kitchen carrying a cake with chocolate frosting on it.
Snake:
Mom, can you help Christine with her shirt? We had a ketchup accident.
Snake´s Mom:
It´s what happens. You can borrow a T-Shirt from me, while it´s being washed.
Spike:
Thanks, Mrs. Simpson.
Snake´s Mom:
Will you take this out to the garden for me, Archie?
Snake:
Of course, mom.
She hands him the cake and leads Spike off to be helped with her laundry issue. Snake only has time to look relieved for a moment, before his dad comes in.
Dad:
We need to bring another table out. Help out your old man, will ya?
Snake:
But the cake ...
Dad:
I guarantee you that no one is dying from a food shortage out there! Gimme a hand with the kitchen table.
Snake puts the cake down on a chair and helps his dad with the table, but it´s pretty unhandy to get through the narrow corridor. Snake begins to lose his balance and in another case of incredibly bad luck, loses it at just the right time, that he ends up bottom first sitting on the cake. His dad can´t help himself from laughing.
Dad:
Sorry, kid!
Snake stands up and it looks like he soiled his pants in a big way. He laughs at it a little too, until Spike and his mom come in and she sees it. She makes a face at the sight of it and he begins to panic.
Snake:
It´s not what it looks like!
Spike:
I should go and find Alexa.
She walks past him and out the door. He hangs his head in disbelief at how horribly it went for him.
11. Int. Kitchen. Evening.
We´re back where we left off.
Emma (while laughing):
You seriously thought he´d had an accident of the toiletary kind?
Spike:
What was I supposed to think? It looked that way!
Snake:
I was so embarrassed, that I didn´t dare talk to her for months afterwards. When we finally did, I thought it was better not to mention it.
Emma:
I can see why! When did you find out the truth?
Spike:
Sometime during high school. By then, he was with Michelle.
Emma:
It´s a cute story, but it´s not the big romance story, I was looking for.
Spike:
Isn´t it? When we left Degrassi behind, I thought that our chance had come and gone. If anyone had told me, that I would still end up getting him after all of that time, where I could have told him that I liked him and was too shy to, there´s no way I would have believed you. I was certain that he would be snatched up by some other girl in no time.
Snake:
What she didn´t know, was how that childhood crush refused to go away, even as the years went on and I didn´t see her. When I did again, it didn´t take two seconds for those emotions to come flooding back. I knew at that moment, that I was going to give it a fighting try this time.
Spike:
I´m so glad, we did.
They give each other a small kiss, as Emma watches them with a wide smile on her face.
12. Int. Emma´s Room. Evening.
Emma is back to trying to write her story on her laptop.
Emma (voice over):
"At that moment, as he held her hand, it all became clear to her. Love isn´t only about making love, although it´s a nice part of it. It´s about creating a real connection between two people, that will never go away no matter what happens or how far they are apart. One that stands the test of time, as they go on to experience life´s twists and turns together, with their love being the glue that binds them and leads them to making the right choices. That was what she wanted for herself and she decided that she wouldn´t allow herself to settle for less. Part of her wanted it to be with him, but a doubt began to creep into her mind. Because what if her real true love was somewhere out there and she hadn´t met him yet"?
She smiles to herself and looks happy with what she just wrote.
CLOSING CREDITS