WHAT IF? - SEASON 4 EPISODE 10 - SWEET LADY (PART 2)
1. Int. Eli´s Room. Evening.
We open on Marisol´s face, which is one with a look of pure fear on her face. We hear a girl screaming and the sound of a chainsaw grinding away at flesh, coming from the TV. She has to put her hands up to to cover her eyes.
Marisol:
Tell me, when this scene is over!
Eli stops the movie and looks very apologetic. He´s clearly starting to care for her well being more and more with ever passing day.
Eli
That was too hardcore, even for me. Are you okay?
Marisol:
I don´t know.
Eli:
Do you want me to hold you?
She nods and snuggles up in his arms, while he gently strokes her hair. It makes her smile to herself.
Marisol:
This is nice.
Eli:
It always worked on another girl, I knew once.
Marisol:
An ex-girlfriend?
Eli:
Yes and no.
Marisol:
What does that mean?
Eli:
We´d been friends for so long before we became more, that we were never gonna be a normal couple. More sort of a hybrid, if that makes any sense.
Marisol:
Is she the only girl, you´ve dated?
Eli:
So far. Have you been on many dates?
Marisol:
Only one, our Junior High Prom and it was a major disappointment. I went with Matt Miller, who only went with me to make Beverly Parker jealous. Half an hour into the prom, he went to the bathroom and the next time I saw him, they were back together.
She looks up at Eli, who in stead of laughing looks sympathetic with her.
Eli:
What a jerk!
Marisol:
You should have heard some of the names, Katie came up with for him! If you had, then you would never look at her the same way again!
Eli:
If you and me went to a dance together, not that I´m really "The Dance Type", but if we did, then I would only go there to be with you. I wouldn´t care for a second about any of the other girls there.
She smiles at his sweet words and it´s becoming hard for him too to hide, how much he´s falling for her.
Marisol:
My faith in boys took a hit after that one. Until you came along and showed me that there are good ones out there.
They make eye contact and she starts to move in to kiss him. He´s clearly torn.
Eli:
I´m not always this way. There´s many things about me, you don´t know.
Marisol:
Then let me in. Allow me to find out, who you really are, so I can make up my own mind.
Eli:
What if you don´t like what you´ll find?
Marisol:
I know that I like you. That´s all I need to know.
They move in and almost kiss. Eli stops himself, when a wave of guilt rushes in over him.
Eli:
I can´t! It´s not you, it´s me.
Marisol:
What´s wrong?
Eli:
You should go.
Marisol:
Eli ...
Eli:
Please!
He pulls himself away from her and looks like he´s on the verge of having another nervous breakdown. Marisol goes from wanting to get romantic with him to being worried about him in a matter of seconds.
Eli:
I want to kiss you and it scares me, because I´m not supposed to want to!
Marisol:
What are you talking about?
Eli:
I´m talking about her!
Marisol:
Who? You´re not making any sense.
Eli:
Go! You won´t want to see me like this.
Marisol:
Give me the chance to understand!
Eli:
I haven´t asked you for anything before, but I am now. Please leave me alone.
She stands up, looking both confused and worried about him.
Marisol:
We´ll speak tomorrow, okay?
She leaves him and he crawls into a fetal position on his couch, going into a complete nervous breakdown now.
Eli:
I´m sorry, Julia. I didn´t mean to cheat on you.
He lets go of it all and begins to cry.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Classroom. Morning.
The freshmen are ready for their first class of the day. Bianca and Imogen are sitting next to one another.
Bianca:
I actually said a prayer before going to sleep last night.
Imogen:
You´ve never struck me as the praying type.
Bianca:
I´m usually not, but this wasn´t only for myself. It was for every student here.
Imogen:
What did you pray for?
Bianca:
That no one has to sit through any classes today that are as bad as that math class was yesterday!
Imogen:
Aren´t you in the mood for more eye gougingly, ear splittingly boring lectures from someone, who´s three quarters and then some, on the way to the grave? I can´t see why, since they´re my favorite part of the week!
Bianca:
Who do we have for the first class?
Imogen:
Miss Oh. Are you okay?
Bianca:
Why wouldn´t I be?
Imogen:
Because after over two months here, you suddenly couldn´t remember which teacher we have for Geography?
Bianca:
It´s this whole Julia thing being brought up again. It has me out of whack. I feel like I need some sort of closure, but I can´t think of what it could be.
Imogen:
Do your host family know?
Bianca:
Not yet. They have such a positive image of me and I don´t want to ruin it.
Imogen:
That could be a place to start.
Bianca:
As much as I hate to admit it, you are making sense!
Eli comes into the classroom and sits by himself in the back row. Even for him, he looking on the shaggy side. They look at him with sympathy.
Imogen:
Making peace with Eli would do wonders for your conscience too.
Bianca:
It´s gonna be difficult, since he never wants to speak to me again!
Imogen:
Have you thought about, how you´ll play match maker between him and Marisol?
Bianca:
Do you think, I should?
Imogen:
Not that she´s ever been one of my favorite class mates, but just look at him! If anyone desperately needs a small dose of joy brought into their life, it´s that sad excuse of a guy. Trust me, your positive karma will go through the roof!
Bianca:
He isn´t looking all that good, is he?
Imogen:
He looks like someone, who´s one step away from bringing a gun to school!
Bianca looks over at Eli again and her heart clearly goes out to the poor boy.
3. Int. Hallway. Morning.
Marisol comes over to her locker, where Eli is waiting for her. She smiles nervously at him.
Marisol:
Hi.
Eli:
I´m just gonna say it and get it over with. I can´t hang out with you anymore.
Her smile fades and she looks sad. Feeling bad for her, he has to look away.
Marisol:
Is this because of what happened yesterday?
Eli:
If things were different ...
Marisol:
What needs to be different? Tell me, Eli!
Eli:
I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND, OKAY?
She looks shocked and is on the verge of tears.
Marisol:
What? How could you do this to me?
Eli:
I should have told you sooner.
Marisol:
You´re damn right, you should have! Screw you!
She storms off. He´s left looking torn between his loyalties. JT, having seen the whole thing, comes over to him.
JT:
Are you okay?
Eli looks more annoyed than anything at being constantly asked that question by everyone.
Eli:
Yes, I´m okay!. She´s just another girl, it´s no big deal! There´s plenty of them out there!
JT:
Why did you lie to her just now then?
Eli looks JT in the eyes and is now starting to get angry.
Eli:
JT, I´m gonna say this in the nicest way, I´m capable of right now! I don´t need you or anyone else, who don´t know jack about my life, laying guilt trips on me or telling me what to do!
JT is a little taken aback by Eli´s outburst and raises his hands in peace, as he back off.
JT:
I was only showing concern, dude. There´s no reason to bite my head off.
Eli walks off with his head lowered, trying not to show any of those he passes, how upset he is.
4. Int. Girl´s Room. Day.
Bianca is washing her hands, when Marisol comes in, crying her eyes out. Marisol gets in one of the stalls and locks the door. Bianca looks concerned about her and knocks softly on the stall door.
Bianca:
Are you okay?
Marisol:
Leave me alone!
Bianca:
Did someone hurt you? You can talk to me.
Marisol:
Eli Goldsworthy, that human ball of slime!
Bianca looks surprised.
Bianca:
He seems like a peaceful kind of guy to me.
Marisol:
He didn´t hit me or anything like that. You´re gonna think I´m a loser, if I tell you!
Bianca:
I promise you on my forefather´s graves, that I wouldn´t dream of thinking that. You might not know it, but I can be a great listener and you look like, you could use one. The first step is you coming out of there, so we can talk eye to eye.
The stall door is unlocked and Marisol comes out. She´s stopped crying, but is still clearly upset.
Bianca:
That´s better. What exactly did Eli do?
Marisol:
He led me on. Then he tells me today, that he has a girlfriend! Just my luck!
She takes a moment to check herself in the mirror and tries to regain her composure, while Bianca wonders whether or not to tell her about Julia or not. She eventually reaches a decision.
Bianca:
I know who Eli´s "Girlfriend" is, but it´s nowhere close to how you think it is.
Marisol looks both confused and surprised.
Marisol:
How can you know?
Bianca:
Because I used to know both of them.
Marisol:
Please tell me, that she´s fat and mean to everyone! I don´t know why, but I would be a small consolation!
Bianca:
I´m not sure how to give you or anyone else this kind of news, so I´ll shoot straight from the hip. She´s been dead for three months and I don´t think he fully wants to accept, that she´s gone. She committed suicide.
Marisol is so shocked, that she has to lean again the sink for support, as she takes it in!
5. Ext. Degrassi. Day.
Marisol is still shaken up by what Bianca told her, so Bianca has taken her outside to get some fresh air. Spring has clearly arrived and she´s not the only Degrassi student, who had that idea.
Marisol:
I saw you arguing with him in the halls yesterday, but I didn´t have the guts to ask about it.
Bianca:
There were many, who had their part to play in her untimely death. Her schools, for refusing to give her special treatment, even though they knew she was struggling, thanks to her diseases. There was her dad, who all of those "Experts", that claim to know what they´re talking about, most likely without ever having met her or him, thought should have had her admitted into a mental hospital, so she wouldn´t have been able to hurt herself. Finally there was the psychiatric system, that ended up failing her so miserably. They were the ones, people were pointing their fingers at. The few of us, who should have been her friends and in stead became her tormentors, we were as much to blame, as they were.
Marisol:
You were one of them?
Bianca:
Please don´t tell anyone. I´m not like that anymore and I´m horribly ashamed of every single thing, I did to her. There´s nothing I wouldn´t give, to be able to change that part of my past.
Marisol:
I won´t.
She sighs and shakes her head at this crazy situation, she´s gotten herself involved in.
Marisol:
You meet a boy. You like him, he likes you and you think, that´s the job done! It´s smooth sailing from there!
Bianca:
I won´t blame you, if this scares you away. I´m sure you can find someone, where it is as simple, as you said. Not that I´ve tried dating one, but I lived with someone, who has psychological issues, for the first 13 years of my life. It takes an extra effort and a lot of patience with them, to make a relationship with one work. You need to be ready to accept that, before you become involved with him, or you´ll be doomed from the start.
She gives Marisol a moment to think about it and she does.
Marisol:
What you´re warning me, is that I have a bumpy road ahead?
Bianca smiles at her response.
Bianca:
It doesn´t scare you off?
Marisol:
I´m not giving any guarantees in the long run, but not for now, it doesn´t. If an extra effort is what it will take, then that´s just the way it is. Only, what about the fact, that Eli doesn´t want to hang out anymore?
Bianca:
As someone who´s known him for most of our lives, I can tell that he didn´t mean it. Now that you know his secret, it doesn´t have to come between you anymore and if you´re worried if he likes you or not, then take it from me: There isn´t one single boy our age who gets upset over a girl, unless it´s someone, he has serious feelings for!
Her words get a small smile out of Marisol.
6. Int. Auditorium. Day.
Eli is working on a set piece to try to get his mind off the situation with Marisol. It isn´t working though, to his frustration. Marisol comes on stage to join him and looks nervous.
Eli:
I didn´t hear you come in.
Marisol:
I snuck in the back. I heard from Bianca, who heard from JT, that you were in here.
He goes on with his work, trying to appear unfazed, but it´s a struggle for him.
Eli:
Are you hanging out with her now? I guess, she´s good company, if you plan on spending your adulthood in a women´s prison with her.
Marisol:
She told me about Julia.
A shock goes over Eli, who stops his work and looks her in the eyes in a way, that´s almost threatening and it scares her.
Eli:
What did she tell you exactly?
Marisol:
Eli, you´re scaring me!
Eli:
WHAT DID SHE TELL YOU?
Marisol:
SHE TOLD TOLD ME THAT SHE´S DEAD, OKAY? How couldn´t you have told me something so important about yourself, Eli?
Eli:
Because I knew that if I did, then you would start looking at me, the way you do now!
Marisol:
I´m not looking at you any differently!
Eli:
You are, even if you don´t know it yet! From now on, you´re never gonna stop thinking of me as a basket case. What ever chance we had at becoming more, she´s taken away from us now. Can´t you see that?
Eli starts crying and it makes it impossible for Marisol not to get emotional too. It all becomes too much for him and he jumps off the stage, down to the floor.
Eli:
I can´t stay here right now. If anyone asks, tell them ... tell them what you want, I don´t care!
He hurries out of the auditorium, leaving Marisol crying on the stage.
7. Int. Hallway. Day.
Marisol is being consoled by Katie and is still pretty upset.
Marisol:
Do you think, I need to tell the principal or some other adult? He was really upset, Katie.
Katie:
Are you afraid, that he´ll hurt himself?
Marisol nods.
Marisol:
I´ve never seen him like that before. It was like he turned into someone else at the flick of a switch.
Katie:
From what I´ve read, people with mental problems tend to do that.
Marisol looks at Katie, like she doesn´t want to believe her.
Marisol:
He´s not insane! He´s going through something and there´s an enormous difference between those two things!
Katie:
That´s possible too and I hope with all of my heart for your sake, that it´s true. But it´s a possibility you have to be prepared for, Mare.
They´re interrupted by Bianca, who comes over to them.
Bianca;
How did it go?
Marisol:
It couldn´t have gone worse! I tried to approach him gently with it, but it blew up in my face instantly.
Bianca looks almost as annoyed with herself, as Katie does with her.
Bianca:
Sorry. That isn´t how I thought or hoped, it would go.
Katie:
Haven´t you done enough to ruin their lives, Bianca? Leave her alone.
Bianca, usually the tough girl, now looks very meek and apologetic, as she turns around to walk away.
Marisol:
I´ll forgive you, if you can find him for me. He ran off after yelling at me.
Bianca turns back around and looks a little more like herself again.
Marisol:
You probably have a better idea of where he would go, than I do.
Bianca:
There´s one place, I think he could have run off to.
Katie:
Where´s that?
Bianca:
To see her.
Bianca makes eye contact with Marisol, who gets who she´s talking about without it needing to be said out loud.
8. Ext. Graveyard. Day.
Eli is sitting by Julia´s grave, a tasteful little plot, that´s clearly being cared for with love by someone. Bianca cautiously approaches him and he looks up at her. The stare he gives her however, says it all.
Bianca:
You´re not the only one, who´s a frequent visitor.
Eli doesn´t say anything at first, but she sits down across from him anyway.
Bianca:
I come here to apologize to her. It´s ridiculous, I know, but it makes me feel a tiny bit better. Eli, if I had a time machine, I would ...
Eli:
Were you at her funeral?
Bianca shakes her head.
Bianca:
I felt like I would have been a hypocrite, if I´d shown up.
Eli:
Practically her entire family were there. I had to sit there listening to them say things like "Someone has to be blamed for this" or "How couldn´t they have seen it coming"? WHAT THE HELL DO THEY KNOW!
He starts sobbing and it makes Bianca start getting emotional too.
Eli:
All of them sat there and pretended like they knew her, but not one of them did by the end. Once things got tough, they wiped her hands clean of her and her dad and left them to be someone else´s problem. They´re the real hypocrites.
Bianca:
There´s nothing I can say or do, that will change what I did. I would like to help you to get a fresh start, because I think you deserve it, not only because I feel guilty for my big part in bringing all of this misery upon you. I can at least do one nice thing for her, that I know, she would have liked.
Eli:
Everyone keeps telling me to move on and they have all of these supposed great pieces of advice on what worked for this and that guy! They´re all wasting my time and it makes me want to punch them!
Bianca:
Being angry is okay.
Eli:
Don´t you start with me!
Bianca:
I think that it´s healthy to let the anger out sometimes. If everyone were more honest about their pent up anger, we´d all be better off. But allowing anger dominate your life isn´t the way to go and I think, you know that too. If someone as thick headed as me me can get that message, then it shouldn´t be a problem for a genius like you.
She gets a small laugh out of him, which pleases her.
Bianca:
You and me have a chance for a fresh start at Degrassi. A chance to leave our sad pasts behind. Can you think of a better way to honor Julia, than to find the things, she wanted you to have? Love, happiness and all of that stuff?
Eli:
Perhaps not.
Bianca:
Maybe you and Marisol could name a daughter after her someday. But that´s only gonna happen, if start being open to her about what´s going on inside of you. Otherwise, it´ll never work.
Eli:
What if she can´t handle it?
Bianca:
Then you´ll know. Isn´t that better than not knowing and spending the rest of your life wondering, if she could have or not?
Eli nods in agreement. Bianca looks glad that she managed to break the ice between the two of them. After a few moments, he starts to cry again.
Eli:
I just miss her so much, you know?
Bianca:
Yeah, I do. I miss her too.
They hold each other, while they cry for her together.
9. Montage - Music: "I Died in My Teens" by Psyched Up Janis.
We see Bianca telling the story of what happened with Julia to JT, Emma and her parents. They look shocked at what they´re hearing and Bianca becomes emotional at having it all brought out again. It´s cathartic for her though to tell them and by the end, she looks glad that she did, even if it was tough for all of them to hear.
We see Eli being greeted in the doorway by Marisol, who´s so relieved to see him safe, that she practically throws herself in his arms. They hug each other tightly, like they never want to let go of each other again.
We see them in his room, sitting on his sofa. He´s holding her as he tells her stories about him and Julia from their childhood, while they look at pictures of the two of them. Marisol looks just as glad, that he´s allowed her into this part of his life, as he is.
We see Bianca and her new family visiting the grave after dark. Bianca puts a lit candle next to her grave and they stand there in solemn silence, looking at what is sadly Julia´s final resting place.
We finish on a shot of her head stone. The inscription reads:
Julia Edwards
March 8th 1994 - January 2nd 2009
May you find peace in heaven, our sweet princess.
CLOSING CREDITS
THESE LAST EPISODES DEALT WITH SOME VERY HEAVY SUBJECT MATTER AND IF YOU WERE AFFECTED EMOTIONALLY, THEN I HOPE IT WAS IN THE RIGHT WAY. IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW ARE HARBORING SUICIDAL THOUGHTS, THEN PLEASE TELL SOMEONE, WHO´S IN A POSITION TO HELP OR TRY TO HELP THEM YOURSELF.
IN LIFE, WE DON´T GET DO-OVERS AND IT´S ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY, WHEN IT COMES TO SOMEONE´S WELL BEING, BE IT PHYSICAL OR MENTAL. YOU COULD NOT ONLY BE SAVING THEIR´S OR YOUR OWN LIFE, BUT ALSO MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF ALL OF THOSE, WHO WOULD BE AFFECTED, WHETHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY.
ANY ALTERNATIVE IS BETTER THAN SUICIDE!
THANK YOU FOR READING AND MAKE SURE TO TELL THOSE YOU LOVE, HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THEM. SOMETIMES IT´S SMALL THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE TO SOMEONE, WHO´S GOING THROUGH HARD TIMES.