WHAT IF? - SEASON 3 EPISODE 21 - ROULETTE
1. Ext. Park. Day.
Paige is looking very nervous, as she´s standing by a tree and waiting for someone. The dealer, who we met in an earlier episode, quickly approaches her and she tries her best to hide her disgust for him.
Paige:
You´re late.
Dealer:
I had an issue to deal with.
Paige:
What kind of issue?
Dealer:
That´s none of your business. Do you have the dough?
She slyly hands him a stack of money notes and he hands her a small shopping bag. She quickly hides it under her shirt. The dealer looks pleased with her.
Dealer:
You sold it in three days. For a rookie, that´s decent.
Paige:
This is the last time. I´m getting clean after this.
He smiles to himself, which only makes her more annoyed.
Paige:
You don´t think, I can do it?
Dealer:
I´ve heard dozens of addicts say it and I can count on one hand, how many did it. You´re damaged, Toronto. The drug owns you.
Paige:
No one and nothing owns me!
Dealer:
Is that true?
He leaves her and she looks sad at thought of knowing, what she´s become.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Ashley and Paige´s Room. Day.
Paige looks into the shopping bag and sees that it´s full of small, pre-weighed baggies of Cocaine, ready to be sold. She gets some of them out and shoves them down her panties, before putting the rest in a drawer, taking care to hide it behind everything else in there. She closes it, just before Ashley comes in, giving her a startle.
Paige:
You scared the Bejesus out of me!
Ashley:
You think, I´m scary? You should have seen the exam, I just took!
She closes the door and lies down on her bed.
Ashley:
I´ll be lucky, if I get a C and that´s despite spending every waking hour these past three days preparing!
Paige:
My first one is tomorrow. I can´t exactly say, I´m looking forward to it.
Ashley:
Do you feel like, you´re prepared for it?
Paige:
Like the snowball is prepared for it´s vacation in hell!
Ashley giggles.
Paige:
I´m gonna show up and do my best and if that isn´t enough, then fate has spoken. I´ll be forever doomed to be the biggest loser out of our entire graduating class! Did you hear about Spinner? He´s getting straight A´s in culinary school!
Ashley:
On one hand you´re happy for him, but it´s Spinner.
Paige:
Exactly! I love him and he´s one of my best friends, but the natural order is that I´m great in school and he´s terrible, so I get to feel superior over him!
Ashley:
That sounds a lot like Paige from a few years ago, pre JT.
Paige:
A leopard can´t change it´s spots. Only in this case, the leopard has three broken legs and has to catch a gazelle on it´s one working leg!
Ashley:
Nice analogy!
Paige:
Thanks. I´m outta here.
Ashley:
Where to?
Paige:
Anywhere, where I can take my mind off this.
Ashley:
You could stop by the campus cafe and say hi to Andy.
Paige smiles at Ashley, happy that she doesn´t know about her double life.
Paige:
I just might do that. Don´t worry about your mid terms, Ash. You´ll pass all of them, because you´re much smarter, than I am.
Ashley:
You will too, if you believe in it.
Paige:
That logic only works for Peter Pan.
Paige leaves her and Ashley looks worried about her.
3. Int. The Dot. Day.
Sean is working behind the counter with Jane and looks like he´s had enough of this job, when he has to deal with an angry customer.
Customer:
This is the third time I´ve come in here, where you´ve gotten my order wrong! What kind of an amateur outfit are you running?
Sean:
I can´t turn pro, or I wouldn´t be allowed to compete in this at the Olympics! You see, this is what I´ve always of doing, standing here and listening to a ...
Jane:
We´re very sorry! The food you had is on the house, of course.
Customer:
I´m never coming back in here! You hear that? NEVER!
The customer storms out of there and Sean tries to calm down by closing his eyes and holding his breath, while he counts to ten. He opens them again and still looks annoyed.
Sean:
It didn´t work.
Jane:
Sean, I enjoy your company, when we work together, most of the time. The rest of it, I´m trying to avoid you getting both of us fired and I happen to like my job!
Sean:
How can you like this? It took me two days, until I started hating every customer, who walks in here. Even the ones I like, when I´m not working!
Jane:
I´m saying this as your friend and co-worker. You need to find a new job today!
Sean:
Do you know where there´s a great job that´s open for a guy, who´s still in high school and was fired from his last job for breaking the law?
Jane:
You can´t find another job as a mechanic?
Sean:
Not considering that I used the garage off hours to install what are technically illegal parts, while being paid under the table and not telling my boss, who found out from the cops.
Jane:
Is there at least a sweet girl in your life, who can offer you some comfort?
Sean:
The only girl I like is happily dating my best friend.
Jane:
You can´t sink much lower, can you? Sorry, I shouldn´t have said that!
Sean:
Sad as it is, you´re right. It´s gonna be a lonely and miserable Christmas this year!
She gives him a friendly pad on the shoulder and clearly feels sorry for him.
4. Int. Pizza Parlor. Evening.
Jane and Mia are sharing a pizza.
Jane:
I feel bad for the poor guy. How many guys would love a girl so much, that he´s willing to put his own happiness aside, so she can find it with his best friend?
Mia:
At our school? Half a dozen at best!
Jane:
He should be rewarded, not punished for it! With a sweet and nice girl, perhaps someone who´s been unlucky in love too and could use a guy like him to put a smile on her face with the holidays coming up.
Mia:
Where are we gonna find one of those?
Just as she says that, Amy comes in and walks up to the counter. They notice her.
Mia:
Isn´t that Spinner´s ex girlfriend?
Jane:
Amy. I always liked her, not counting that one time, she almost beat me up.
We cut back to the counter, where Amy is arguing with the guy behind the counter.
Amy:
Your coupon states that I get one free pizza, for every five I buy!
Guy:
What I´m trying to explain, is that the offer ended on midnight November 30th, as it says on the coupon! As much as I´d like to give you a free pizza, I can´t!
Amy looks at the coupon and is annoyed, that he´s right.
Amy:
Please? I´m broke and I´ve had a really bad day. I found out that my boyfriend was cheating on me again and I broke up with him.
Guy:
That´s very sad and my heart goes out to you, but I can´t give you the pizza for free, or I´ll get fired.
Jane and Mia get a collective idea. They come up to the counter.
Jane:
How much is it?
Amy:
Jane?
Jane:
Hi, Amy. How much?
Guy:
11.99.
Jane:
I only have ten left on me.
Mia:
I have two.
They pay the guy, who gives Amy her pizza.
Guy:
There you go. For what it´s worth, don´t go back to that cheating bastard! Some guys don´t change.
He goes to clear some tables. Amy smiles at the kindness, she´s just been shown.
Amy:
I don´t know what to say ...
Jane:
Amy, how would you like to share that pizza with someone, who could also use some cheering up?
Amy:
I guess, it´s the least I can do. Who is it?
Mia and Jane just smile at one another.
5. Ext. Night Club. Evening.
Paige is being padded down for weapons by a large bouncer outside of what looks to be a pretty seedy club. He gives her the okay and lets her in. We see that the club is called "The Star Club".
6. Int. Night Club. Evening.
Paige takes a sigh of relief, that she got in without getting caught. A DJ is playing loud techno to a crowd that´s mostly in their late teens or early 20´s. She goes through it and walks over to a pair of girls, who can´t be more than a month or two over the legal age to get in, if they´re that.
Paige:
Some party, huh? Are you girls looking for something to make it better?
Girl #1:
What do you have?
Paige:
The best blow in town. Only 30 bucks for a baggie, that will send both of you two to the skies twice over and back again.
Girl #2:
I don´t know. I´ve never done that stuff before.
Paige:
Then you´re in for the high of a lifetime! What do you say, girls? I can have you on cloud nine in five minutes or you can spend the rest of the night wondering, what you missed out on? Your call.
The two girls look at each other.
Girl #1:
It wouldn´t hurt to try this one time, if it´s as good as she says, it is.
Girl #2:
I guess, if you´re trying it, it´s okay.
Paige:
Follow me.
They follow her into the girl´s room.
7. Int. Night Club (later). Evening.
The two girls are dancing like crazy with a more subdued Paige, who´s looking like she´s getting high off her own supply.
Girl #2:
This is the greatest feeling ever!
Paige:
I knew, you´d like it!
Girl #1:
Wooooooooooooooo!
Paige smiles, as she dances away from them and over to some more potential customers, a trio of frat guys who look more than eager to buy, what she´s selling.
8. Int. Sean´s Apartment. Evening.
Sean and Amy are enjoying talking again. The empty pizza box is on the table in front of them.
Amy:
Here I´ve been telling my college friends about my ex-boyfriend, who turned from crime to walking the straight and narrow. What am I gonna tell them now?
Sean:
That he still isn´t the smartest guy in the world. It was easy money, but I should have known to quit, while I was ahead. What about you? How´s your life going?
Amy:
You mean except for the bastard, who seduced me two weeks into the school year, made me fall in love with him, only so he could cheat on me with half the girls in my dorm?
Sean:
Ouch!
Amy:
I´m through with his cheating and lying ass! Be glad, that you have that little blondie of yours. The dating scene is a nightmare!
Sean:
We haven´t been a couple for a year. She´s with Craig now.
Amy:
Craig, who used to go to Degrassi and became a pop star?
Sean:
Craig, whose pop star career failed and is back at Degrassi. He first had a thing with this cute sophomore, but they were too different. As it turns out, him and Emma aren´t.
She looks full of sympathy for him.
Amy:
That´s gotta royally suck!
Sean:
She´s happy and that´s what matters.
Amy:
I meant for you! Jesus, Sean. It´s okay to be the tiniest bit selfish, when it comes to love! Does it mean that you haven´t had sex for a year too?
Sean:
385 days and around 3 hours.
He looks at his phone.
Sean:
It´s closer to four now.
Amy smiles at him and to his surprise, takes her shirt and T-shirt off, leaving her topless except for her bra.
Sean:
Amy, it´s not that I´m not tempted, believe me!
Amy:
I need a rebound bang to get that jerk off my mind and you desperately need to get laid! Think of this as us doing one another a favor.
She starts kissing him and he does nothing to fight it.
9. Int. Sean´s Bedroom. Morning.
Sean wakes up and yawns, as he sits up. Amy is already getting dressed.
Amy:
Great, you´re up. Now I won´t have to leave you a note.
Sean:
Where are you going this early?
Amy:
School. It´s time you got going too.
He looks at his alarm clock and tries to shake the cobwebs from his mind.
Sean:
Yeah, you´re right. Can I call you later?
Amy:
If you want. You still have my number, don´t you?
Sean:
I do. Thanks, Amy. You gave me a cheering up, I really needed.
Amy:
You weren´t the only one, who got something out of it.
Sean:
I take it, you´re done with your cheating ex?
Amy:
I´m debating with myself whether to kick him in the nuts, the first chance I get!
Sean:
That would be a yes then!
They smile at each other.
Amy:
I wouldn´t mind doing this again tonight.
Sean:
I´ll give you a call after school.
Amy:
Later, Sean.
Sean:
Later, Amy.
She leaves him and he lies down again, trying to take in what happened to him.
Sean (to himself):
You had sex with a college girl! Nice!
He thinks back on it with a wide smile on his face.
10. Int. Ashley and Paige´s Room. Morning.
Paige is getting dressed for the day, when Ashley comes in, reading a newspaper.
Ashley:
Morning.
Paige:
Same to you. Is the world still standing?
Ashley:
Apart from wars, terrorism, starvation, extreme pollution, global warming, corruption, hate crimes, rapes, entire species being wiped off the planet, innocent people being persecuted, countless blatant injustices and the world as a whole going to hell? Nah, it´s doing fine!
She gets a small smile out of Paige.
Paige:
It´s good to start the day with positive thoughts.
Ashley:
Banting made the papers today, but not for something we´d want to be know for.
Paige:
Is the Dean a pervert? He always gave off that vibe to me!
Ashley:
It wouldn´t surprise me either. No, it´s for something a lot sadder, I´m afraid. A freshman girl died from a Cocaine overdose down at a club last night.
Paige´s face turns to stone at the news.
Ashley:
It´s so sad, when something like that happens. Just imagine what her poor friends and family are going through right now.
Paige:
Did they say which club it was?
Ashley looks over the article again.
Ashley:
The Star Club. I´ve been down there! Creepy, huh?
Paige:
Yeah, me too. I should get going.
Ashley:
Good luck on your exam.
Paige:
What? Oh, that. Thanks, I guess.
Ashley:
That story really shocked you, didn´t it?
Paige:
It could have been one of us.
Ashley:
Except we´re not dumb enough to put that crap into our bodies.
Paige shakes her head and hurries out of there. Ashley goes back to reading the last of her paper.
11. Int. Banting Hallway. Day.
Paige comes down the hallway, trying her best not to completely go into a panic. It isn´t helped, when she sees police officers who are questioning students, all of them blonde girls who are around the same height as her. She considers turning around and running, but has to pass them to get to the auditorium. As she walks up to them, a police officer stands in her way.
Paige:
If you´ll excuse me, I have an exam to get to!
Officer:
Hold it there.
The other officer looks at a police sketch and it looks un-mistakenly like Paige. He gives his partner a small nod.
Officer:
Turn around.
Paige sees that she´s caught and in her desperation, tries to make a run for it. She runs into another student, who was off in his own world and falls down on top of him. The officers drag her up and she´s put in handcuffs, as shocked students look on.
Officer:
It is 8.54 and you´re under arrest. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
Paige starts to cry, letting her emotions run loose, now that there´s nothing left to lose.
Paige:
I´m sorry. I never meant for that girl to die! I´m so sorry!
She continues crying, not paying much attention to what the officer is saying.
12. Int. Degrassi Hallway. Day.
Sean comes up the hallway, whistling Rod Stewart´s old song "Some Guys Have All the Luck" to himself. Jane comes up to him and looks happy for him.
Jane:
This is a change compared to yesterday!
He gets twelve dollars from his pocket and hands it to her.
Sean:
For what Amy told me, two of those are Mia´s.
Jane:
I´ll make sure that she gets them.
She puts it in her pocket and looks at him curiously.
Jane:
How did your evening with the lovely miss Amy turn out?
Sean:
Jane, I would get you a huge Christmas present, if I could afford it! You´ll have to settle for imagining, what it would have been though.
She laughs.
Jane:
Are you and Amy an item?
Sean:
I´m not sure what we are, but we´re hanging out again tonight.
Jane:
Did you do it? You did, didn´t you?
Sean:
A gentleman doesn´t kiss and tell!
Jane:
You so did it! Didn´t you?
He leaves her to her curiosity and smiles to himself.
Jane:
I put up most of the money for that pizza! It´s only fair, that you tell me!
She still looks happy for him, even though he didn´t answer her.
13. Int. Classroom. Morning.
Sean comes in, looking on top of the world and takes a seat next to Emma, who smiles at him. She´s sitting next to Craig.
Emma:
What´s with the good mood?
Sean:
Do I need a reason?
Emma:
No, but usually the first word we get out of you in the morning is an annoyed grunt!
Craig:
I know that look!
Sean and Craig make eye contact and nod at each other knowingly. Emma doesn´t like it.
Emma:
If there´s some sort of silent guy talk you´re talking right now, I´d like some subtitles!
Craig:
What´s her name?
Sean:
Amy.
Emma puts two and two together and is shocked.
Emma:
You ... had sex ... with Amy, your ex girlfriend?
Sean:
As I also told Jane, a gentleman doesn´t kiss and tell.
He looks pleased, but the exact opposite can be said for Emma. Craig looks happy for him though.
14. Int. Computer Lab. Day.
Manny is checking out the latest celebrity gossip on one of the PC´s, when Emma sits down next to her.
Emma:
We have a code red!
Manny:
Look, Tara Reid had another awards show boob slip!
Emma:
Like she doesn´t do that on purpose, so they´ll think, she´s still relevant! This is much more important!
Manny:
What´s up?
Emma:
Sean has moved on!
Manny:
Isn´t that a good thing?
Emma:
With Amy, his ex girlfriend!
Manny:
Again, it all sounds good. She´s changed from when they first dated and he must have been lonely without you. It´s not like I´ve seen him with other girls.
Emma:
This means that him and me are over! Done! A thing of the past! We will be an ex couple, who have ceased to be! Do I need to spell it out?
Manny looks concerned about her friend.
Manny:
Emma, you have issues!
Emma nods in agreement.
Emma:
I´m not disagreeing with that, but I can´t knowingly let it happen and not do anything to stop it!
Manny:
Remind me. Aren´t you still dating Craig?
Emma:
Oops. I completely forgot about him, the moment I found out about Sean and Amy.
Manny:
That´s not a good sign, Em!
Emma:
I thought that I could move on from Sean, if I found someone else, who made me feel the same way he did.
Manny:
It´s not working?
Emma:
It was, until I found out that he was moving on too! Am I a complete nut-job, Manny?
Manny:
What you are is a girl, who needs to find out exactly what and which guy she wants, before it´s too late. If him and Amy are getting back together, that decision has to be made soon.
Emma sees that she´s right, but doesn´t like it.
15. Int. Cell. Evening.
Paige is lying on her prison mattress, staring up at the ceiling and wondering how she screwed up her life this bad. The cell door opens and Ashley is let in. The door is closed behind her, as Paige stands up and looks apologetic.
Paige:
Ash, I can explain ...
Ash:
Shut up, Paige! They only allowed me to talk to you, to see if I get could get you to give up your supplier. Make no mistake, we´re not friends anymore!
Paige:
I understand.
Ashley:
Do you? They searched our room and found your stash! Because of you, I´ve been kicked out of the dorm and suspended indefinitely by the school, pending further investigation! What the hell were you thinking, you selfish bitch?
Paige:
I wasn´t.
Ashley:
All this time, you´ve been lying to me and living a double life?
Paige:
I need help, Ash.
Ashley:
That´s the understatement of the year! If you don´t confess to everything, I´ll be expelled and under criminal investigation. Is that how you want our friendship to end?
Paige shakes her head and starts sobbing.
Paige:
Ashley, I´m so sorry! I don´t know what else to say!
Ashley:
Tell them everything. After that, if want to do me a favor: Try never contacting me again!
Ashley knocks on the door and it´s opened. The jailor lets her out.
Paige:
Jailor, I´d like you to tell the investigators, that I´m willing to talk. I´ll tell them anything, they want to know.
Ashley looks back at her one last time and smiles sadly at her. Paige smiles sadly back at her.
CLOSING CREDITS
THERE´S ONLY ONE MORE EPISODE LEFT OF THIS SEASON. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF IT IN THE REVIEW SECTION AND YOU´LL HELP TO BRIGHTEN MY DAY! IN ANY CASE, I WISH YOU A GOOD DAY.