WHAT IF? - SEASON 3 EPISODE 7 - DANCING IN THE DARK
Disclaimer: I don´t own Degrassi or the characters from it.
1. Int. Dorm Common Room. Evening.
The common room is full of life and among them is Marco, who´s on the phone with Paige. He looks happy to be talking to her.
Marco:
How is Banting treating you?
Paige:
I love it, love it, love it!
He smiles to himself.
Paige:
There´s no way things could have started better here. I even have a friend with benefits, who might be into it becoming more.
Marco:
Is he hot?
Paige:
Like a Greek god, Hon! Plus, he´s kind of impossible not to like.
Marco:
It sounds close to perfect.
Paige:
How the guy situation on your end?
Marco:
They have a club here. I went to one of their meetings.
Paige:
And?
Marco:
Way too gay for my style!
Now it´s her, who has to laugh.
Paige:
Don´t worry. If a borderline hopeless case like me can find the right guy, so can you.
Marco:
It´s been fun talking, but it´s long distance and I´m hardly made of money.
Paige:
We´ll put the next one on my phone bill. Marco?
Marco:
What?
Paige:
Don´t forget to have fun!
Marco:
I´m sure, I don´t need to remind you of that!
Marco laughs, as he hangs up on her. A guy around his age comes over to him.
Guy:
The moaning from your room has stopped, if you want to try your luck.
Marco:
Thanks, buddy.
Guy:
They´ve just started dating. You know how it is.
Marco:
Yeah, of course I do.
Marco gets up from his seat, not looking too hopeful.
2. Int. Dormitory Hallway. Evening.
The dormitory is mostly quiet this time of the evening, as Marco comes walking through it.
Marco (to himself):
I wish that I knew, how it is!
He comes up to his door and puts his ear to the door and looks hopeful for a second, until we hear the unmistakable sound of a mattress, that´s being put to hard use. Even though it doesn´t surprise him, he still looks annoyed.
OPENING CREDITS
3. Int. Classroom. Morning.
Marco is waiting for class to start and looks like something the cat dragged in. A very fresh looking Ellie sits down next to him.
Ellie:
Good glorious morning, my dear friend!
Marco:
Can you spare some of that morning cheer?
Ellie:
What´s the matter?
Marco:
My room mate is in love.
Ellie:
Great for him. Which is a problem why?
Marco:
They do it all the time! It´s bad enough that I can´t get into my own room, but even when I can, it constantly smells like someone had sex in there! I can smell it on my clothes.
Ellie suddenly gets a far away look on her face.
Ellie:
I love that smell!
She doesn´t have to say anymore to paint a picture, but Marco is too tired to look happy for her.
Marco:
Maybe you do. It´s not exactly my cup of tea.
Ellie:
You could look into getting a place off campus.
Marco:
Yeah, for all the money, I don´t have!
Ellie:
There´s Face Range groups with people right here at TU, who are looking for room mates. It can´t hurt to check them out.
He sees that she´s right and nods in agreement.
4. Int. Cafeteria. Day.
Paige is staring into a half cup of coffee, while she´s trying to gather herself. Andy comes over to her and sits down with her.
Andy:
You´ve been nursing that cup for half an hour. I wouldn´t recommend drinking it.
Paige:
Has it been that long? It feels like it´s been two minutes.
Andy:
You can tell me. I promise to keep it between us.
He shoots her that charming smile, that she can´t stand for and it cheers her up a little.
Paige:
Do you know why I´ve always loved school?
Andy:
Since I´m the exact opposite, I can´t really say.
Paige:
It´s because I was great at it. Every day was like a constant confidence boost.
Andy:
It isn´t now?
Paige:
I just sat through two lectures and I honestly can´t remember any of it! Tomorrow is our first big test and for the first time ever, I seriously think that I´m gonna flunk. If I do, then everything I´ve worked so hard for since I was ten years old will go out the window.
Andy:
As much as I wish I could, I don´t have a magic wand that I can wave and fix all of your problems. You are in luck however, since I just got off work.
She smiles at him.
Paige:
As much as you know I´d like to, I really should be studying.
Andy:
Do you think that Einstein just sat down one day and thought to himself "Now I´ll come up with the theory of relativity"?
Paige:
I highly doubt, that´s how it happened.
Andy:
He allowed himself to be inspired by life, like all of the great thinkers do. All of the input he got from not only all the highly intelligent people like himself, but also the common people, who were a part of his life, they all played their part in those ideas forming in his mind.
She´s clearly having a hard time saying no to him.
Paige:
One hour and then I seriously have to get home and read up, or I´ll be completely lost!
Andy:
I can think of plenty of things, we can do in an hour.
Paige:
Andy, that one fact might be the only thing I´ve learned here so far!
He takes her hand and they leave together.
5. Int. Andy´s Apartment. Day.
Andy and Paige are getting dressed after we can easily guess, what they´ve been doing this past hour.
Andy:
I gotta get ready for band rehearsal anyway. I promised the guys, that I´d work on some lyrics.
Paige:
Are you gonna write a song about me?
Andy:
If you want me to. That´s sort of beyond a friends with benefits thing though, isn´t it?
She lights up in a smile.
Paige:
Are you asking me to be your exclusive girlfriend?
Andy:
It can´t hurt to try. I mean, I like you and you clearly like me ...
Paige:
Right there, we have all of the reasons we need! Quick kiss, before I´m out the door, she said wishing that she could stay?
Andy:
At least make it sexy.
They kiss and yes, it is quite sexy. Paige has without a doubt fallen head over heels for him and it would appear to be the same the other way around.
Andy:
It´ll do!
Paige:
If only my test tomorrow was on pleasing you.
Andy:
In that case, you´d ace it. Are you scared?
Paige:
Like I´ve never been scared of anything in my life and I´m not over doing it by saying so!
Andy:
Some of the guys in the band go to TU and they have a trick, you could say, to deal with their exam anxiety. They´re not totally unfamiliar with turning up for tests unprepared.
Paige:
I´d sure love to know it. Exam anxiety has always been a bitch for me.
He gets up and goes to a drawer. He pulls out a very small bag with a tiny bit of white powder left in it.
Paige:
Is that Coke?
Andy:
You would be right. It makes you feel like you´re on top of the world and takes away all of the doubts, you have in yourself.
He hands her the baggy and she takes it, but just stares at it at first.
Andy:
I only do it for gigs now and again. Believe it or not, I have a tendency to get stage fright.
Paige:
This cures it?
Andy:
I can still think clearly, but at the same time I feel like, I can´t fail. It´s up to you, but I thought you should have the option.
Paige:
I´ve never done anything like it before. How do I know how much to take?
Andy:
There´s very little left in that baggy. If you´re in doubt, stick to doing half.
Paige:
I´m still not sure, if I want to.
Andy:
I won´t look at you any differently, no matter what you choose. You´ll still be Paige, the incredible girl from Toronto, who I´m so lucky has worked her way into my life.
She smiles at his words, but at the same time she can´t get her eyes off the baggy.
6. Int. Apartment. Day.
Marco is being shown a large apartment by a guy in a Cannibal Corpse T-Shirt with the sleeves cut off, several tattoos on both of his arms and a Mohawk. It looks more like a squatters apartment than anything else.
Guy:
It´s 130 a month plus 20 for utilities.
Marco:
I guess that isn´t too bad.
Guy:
We got a good deal on it. Some people can´t stand living in an apartment, where someone was murdered.
Marco gulps, as the guy opens the door to what could be his new room. It´s dingy to say the least.
Guy:
It happened right in here. Can you believe that they stabbed that guy over two hundred times? They must have really wanted him dead!
Marco:
How long ago was this?
Guy:
Ages ago, almost two years. The guy who used to live here claimed that the room was haunted, but you don´t believe in ghosts, do you?
Marco looks around and makes a quick decision.
7. Int. Apartment. Day.
Marco is being shown another apartment, this time a much more clean looking one that looks close to perfect. The one showing him around is a very conservatively dressed girl.
Marco:
You have a nice place here.
Girl:
Thanks, I try to keep it that way. You´re not messy, are you?
Marco:
No more than the average guy.
Girl:
Because I can´t stand it, if I have to come home to a mess! Messes aren´t allowed!
She gets herself worked up and Marco makes wide eyes at the sight of it.
Girl:
Sorry, but my mom installed certain values in me. She´s very big on cleanliness.
Marco:
I can imagine.
Girl:
Out here we have the kitchen.
She leads him into the kitchen, that´s looking pretty good like the rest of it.
Marco:
It looks good.
Girl:
My last room mate was such a messy head! I kept telling her, Audrey, her name was Audrey, how can you expect me to do your dishes for you? Dishes are supposed to be done right after you´re done eating, don´t you agree?
Marco:
It´s not something that I have a strong opinion on.
Girl:
I do. When I see dirty dishes sitting in the sink, it drives me crazy! I thought that a gay guy would understand.
Marco:
We´re not all the exact same, you know?
Girl:
No, but you are known for keeping clean. Not like Audrey, who kept leaving her clothes lying everywhere until one day I just snapped!
He makes a face at that last remark.
Marco:
Excuse me?
Girl:
Oh, don´t worry! She´ll look almost the same, after they do the plastic surgery.
Marco clearly can´t get out of there fast enough!
8. Int. Common Area. Evening.
Marco is trying to get some homework done, but it´s hard when there´s a party going on around him. Someone nearly spills a drink on the table, where he has his books on and he has to move fast to save them from getting drenched. The guy from the day before sits down next to him and is looking a little drunk.
Guy:
Join the party, bro! It´s little Friday!
Marco:
I have to get this done, or I´m screwed. If only I had a quiet place, where I could study in peace.
Guy:
It´s a real bummer with your room mate. What a selfish jerk.
Marco:
I tried looking at some apartments today and apparently I have the choice between living in the house from Poltergeist or living with the teenage version of Serial Mom!
The guy laughs.
Guy:
There´s some real weirdos, who go here! If you´re looking for a place, you could have asked me.
Marco looks up from his books and is immediately interested.
Marco:
I´m listening.
Guy:
My sister Olivia is looking for a room mate. Her place isn´t anything fancy, but it´s close to and she´s both nice and very considerate. I´m sure that the two of you would get along splendidly.
Marco:
Where´s the catch? It is like super expensive or something?
Guy:
It can´t be, if she can afford to live there. Do you want her number?
Marco:
Absolutely!
He gets his phone out and can´t believe his luck.
9. Int. Paige and Ashley´s Room. Evening.
The girls are both trying to study, but Paige´s head clearly isn´t in it.
Paige:
What´s the point? I keep forgetting everything I´m reading anyway.
Ashley smiles cheekily at her.
Ashley:
Because there´s something else clouding you mind, perhaps?
Paige puts her book away and smiles back at her.
Paige:
He asked me to be his girlfriend.
Ashley:
Score! Of course, I knew that you would hit it off, the moment I met him.
Paige:
You can take some credit, if you want!
Ashley:
Credit hereby taken!
Paige:
With him I don´t have any past, that can get in the way, like it would have at Degrassi. It´s like when I´m here, I´m a brand new Paige, who gets to start from zero all over again.
Ashley:
If only the classes were as easy, as they were at Degrassi.
Paige:
I know. Believe it or not, I miss mister Simpson.
Ashley:
What about miss Oh or miss Kwan? We had it great there, even if we didn´t appreciate it all the time.
Paige:
You can´t keep up either, huh?
Ashley:
I´ve been playing catch up from day one.
Paige looks a little glad, that at least she isn´t alone in it.
Paige:
Ash, if you could get an advantage in a test, would you do it?
Ashley:
Like cheating?
Paige:
No, it´s not against the rules, per se. There is a moral issue though.
Ashley:
As long as you´re not breaking any rules, I can´t see why not. Are you gonna tell me what it is?
Paige:
It´s this thing to deal with exam anxiety, that Andy told me about.
Ashley:
I´ve never had problems with it, but as much as you have, I´d give it a try. What can it hurt?
Paige looks to be taking Ashley´s words to heart, which in this case probably isn´t a good thing.
10. Int. Olivia´s Apartment. Evening.
Marco is being shown the apartment by Olivia, a beautiful 19 year old with an infectious smile, that makes everyone she´s with smile too. The apartment is only two rooms, a small kitchen and a very small shower/bathroom, but it´s homely looking.
Marco:
Why did you old room mate leave?
Olivia:
She got homesick and transferred to a school back in Quebec. It´s a shame, though. She was a sweet gal. Look, Marco. I´m a little on the fence about living with a guy, no offense.
Marco:
None taken. For all intends and purposes, I might as well be a girl.
She giggles, a very cute sound, that it´s impossible not to like.
Marco:
That might have come out wrong!
Olivia:
You think?
Marco:
Two out of my four best friends in high school were girls and it never got in the way of anything.
Olivia:
You never dated any of them?
Marco looks surprised, that she didn´t know.
Marco:
Olivia, I don´t like girls that way. No offense.
She´s a little embarrassed.
Olivia:
That takes away one of my fears, that you would fall for me.
Marco:
If I was straight, I´m sure that I would have!
Olivia:
Let´s do a small test. Favorite Movie?
Marco:
At the moment, I would say it´s "Brazil".
Olivia:
That is a really good movie! Favorite and least favorite musical artists?
Marco:
Lady Gaga and LMFAO. I mean, come on!
Olivia:
You really are gay, aren´t you? One last one. Favorite song?
He has to take a moment to consider it.
Marco:
"How Bizarre" by the Otara Millionaire´s Club, also known as OMC.
Olivia:
Why that one?
Marco:
It´s like nothing else, that´s come before it or since. I´d like to think, that I´m the same.
She smiles to herself and seems to like her.
Olivia:
Did you know, that it´s a joke name? Otara is one of the poorest districts in New Zealand and you´re sure not to find any millionaires there!
Marco:
I didn´t. That´s pretty cool.
Olivia:
It´s one of my favorites too. See, just like you, I don´t want to be a copy of everyone else. So, when can you move in?
Marco smiles widely.
11. Int. Ashley and Paige´s Room. Day.
Ashley is studying, when Paige comes in with a wide smile on her face and looking all kinds of hyper.
Paige:
It worked!
Ashley:
Congratulations.
Paige:
It was like once I got into it, all of a sudden I understood all of it. I think that I could be getting at least a B. Ahh, this is such a relief!
Ashley:
I can imagine. Be sure to thank Andy.
Paige:
Oh, I will in a major way!
Ashley smiles to herself.
Ashley:
I can do without hearing the details.
Paige:
I feel like I should be celebrating! What do you say we go down to the campus cafe and get one of those super delicious bran muffins?
Ashley:
A bran muffin! Aren´t you the wild party girl? I wish that I could, but I have a test coming up in less than two hours.
Paige:
Or I could stop by Andy´s and thank him before work.
Ashley:
I´m sure, he´d like that.
Paige:
Good luck on your test.
Ashley:
Thanks. The way things look, I´ll need all the luck I can get.
Paige leaves the room and Ashley can´t help looking happy for her.
12. Ext. TU Dorms. Day.
Marco and Ellie are dragging his few belongings up to the curb, where they take a rest. Both of them are looking beat.
Ellie:
You seriously couldn´t have gotten Spinner or Sean, you know someone stronger, to help you?
Marco:
Spinner is at work and Sean has started taking school seriously. It was between you and my mom.
Ellie:
Fair enough. Just know that this counts as two favors!
Marco:
Which means you owe me around ten now.
Ellie:
What kind of car are we looking out for?
Marco:
All she told me was that it was a black van.
Ellie:
Like that one?
She points at a black van, that pulls up on the curb next to them. Olivia gets out of the driver´s side and comes over to them. She smiles in a very friendly way at Ellie, who smiles back at her.
Olivia:
Is this one Paige or Ellie?
Ellie:
Ellie Nash, pleased to meet you.
Olivia:
Olivia Adams. Right back at ya, Ellie.
Marco:
Where did you score this sweet ride?
Olivia:
It´s a loaner and we only have it for a few hours, so let´s save the pleasantries for later, shall we?
She slides the door open and Marco and Ellie are a little surprised to see that it looks to be a family van, with four extra seats put in the back.
Olivia:
We can fold those down, if we need to.
Marco and Ellie shrug, as they start filling up the van.
13. Int. Andy´s Apartment. Day.
Andy and Paige are lying on his bed kissing. She´s still over the moon.
Andy:
Are you still high?
Paige:
Nah, it´s wearing off. Am I gonna have any side effects?
Andy:
Your mind will feel a little slow for the rest of the day. Apart from that, there won´t be anything.
Paige:
If I need it again, can you get some for me?
Andy:
Not if it becomes a crutch for you. I´m not being responsible for turning you into Courtney Love Part 2!
Paige:
I don´t mean every time, just when I really need it.
Andy:
You liked it, didn´t you?
She nods.
Paige:
I´ve never felt that way.
Andy:
It´s a dangerous feeling. It scares me sometimes, how much I like it.
Paige:
I just wanted to do more. Which sounds incredibly after school special like, but it´s true.
Andy:
Tonight is Friday, isn´t it? The start of the weekend, a time to go a little wild ...
Paige:
Yeah?
Andy:
Do you not see, where I´m going with this?
They smile at each other.
14. Int. Marco´s Room. Evening.
Marco and Olivia are celebrating his moving in with some pizza, while they watch "Brazil".
Marco:
It´s very nice of you, but I should at least pay for my own pizza.
Olivia:
Are you kidding? I´ve been having sleepless nights, thinking that I´d never find a decent room mate again. You are the answer to all of my problems!
Marco:
I could say the same to you. I guess that now we´re becoming friends, I can finally ask you.
Olivia:
Ask me what?
Marco:
Why there isn´t a boyfriend living here with you?
She takes one last bite of her pizza, then puts the box away.
Olivia:
Do you consider yourself to be open minded, Marco?
Marco:
I´d say so.
Olivia:
Have you heard of something called sugar dating?
He was about to take a bite of his pizza, but has to put it down, as he takes it in.
Marco:
You date old guys for money?
Olivia:
Money, presents, favors ...
Marco:
I get the picture!
Olivia:
I meet them online and I chat with them for a while first, to make sure they´re legit. At the moment, I have four clients, all of which I´ve had for a while.
Marco:
Do you have sex with them?
Olivia:
It doesn´t make me a prostitute, if that´s what you think.
Marco:
I don´t, I promise! Look, if you want to do that, then it´s your choice. I´m not gonna be one to judge you.
Olivia:
We´re still cool?
Marco:
Yeah. We´re cool.
He smiles to himself.
CLOSING CREDITS