WHAT IF? - SEASON 4 EPISODE 12 - BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY PART 2
DEDICATED TO "THE BAD GUY" SCOTT HALL
TO QUOTE THE MAN HIMSELF:
"BAD TIMES DON´T LAST, BUT BAD GUYS DO"
REST IN PEACE AND THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES, YOU LEGEND
1. Int. Sav´s Parent´s House. Evening.
Holly J and her parents are meeting with Sav and his parents to discuss how to move ahead. Holly J and Sav look like they´d rather be anywhere else.
Holly J´s Mom:
The important thing to us, is that this won´t impact Holly J´s future more than it has to.
Sav´s Father:
It´s bound to, isn´t it?
Sav´s Mom:
If they´re getting married ...
Holly J´s Dad:
Hold on! Who said anything about marriage?
Sav´s Father:
You can´t expect us to ignore this. Savtaj will do right by her, like he should.
Sav:
Mom, dad, I haven´t even discussed it with Holly J yet.
Sav´s Dad:
It is the way, it will be!
Holly J:
You don´t think I should get a say in it?
Sav´s Mom:
You are clearly not mature enough to make your own decisions!
Holly J´s Mom:
What makes you think we´ll want your kind in our family? The Sinclair´s have a pure bloodline, we can trace back to the 16th century!
Holly J´s Dad:
Our daughter giving birth to a half-breed would be an embarrassment to the entire family! She is going to marry someone that befits her, not some rice muncher, who couldn´t keep it in his pants!
Sav´s Mom:
What did you call him?
Holly J´s dad:
You heard me!
Holly J´s Mom:
The only option is for her to have an abortion.
Sav´s Dad:
Over my dead body, she will!
Sav´s Mom:
That is our grandchild, you´re talking about!
Holly J and Sav quickly make eye contact, but they can´t even look at one another at the moment. Their respective parents keep fighting, as they hang their heads in dispair.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Joey and Caitlin´s Garage. Day.
Craig and the band are rehearsing the new version of his song, but to say that they sound rusty would be the understatement of the year! Marco and Spinner are only on beat by happy accident and Jimmy is trying to sound like the second coming of Hendrix, only with a tenth of his talent at most. Angie is watching them from the couch and even she can´t pretend to be impressed. They finish playing and Craig looks like he´s ready to give up on them already.
Craig:
Guys, that was terrible!
Jimmy:
I thought we sounded alright.
Craig to Angie for answers without much hope in his facial expression.
Craig:
Was it better this time?
Angie:
It was ... interesting?
Craig:
Which is another way of saying that we suck!
Angie:
It´s better than when dad pulls out the keyboard and starts singing that song, him and his buddies wrote in Junior High!
Spinner:
I´d call that praise!
Craig:
Only because you´ve never heard Joey sing!
Marco:
I have and I agree with Craig!
Craig:
Let´s call it a night. We´ll give the neighbors some peace and quiet, that I´m sure they´ll appreciate!
Spinner gets up from behind the drum kit and the others start packing their instruments away. Craig looks like the frustration building up inside of him is starting to become too much for him.
3. Int. Living Room. Evening.
Joey is still up and is watching a "Behind the Music" on TV, when Craig comes in, looking beat.
Craig:
Do you mind, if I crash here? I´m so tired, that it´s fifty/fifty if I´ll fall asleep at the wheel.
Joey:
You know that you´re always welcome.
Craig:
Thanks.
He sits down next to Joey and looks at the TV.
Craig:
Is that "Behind the Music"?
Joey:
It´s the one on Sting. I´ve seen it before, but it´s one of the better ones. We´re about to get to the break up of his band The Police.
Craig:
Why did they break up?
Joey:
They were just tired of each other´s company, after all those years of being forced to be around one another. If you feel like you´ve outgrown the band on top of that, then it´s better to call it quits, while you´re still the number one band in the world.
Craig:
It´s hard enough, when you´re the lowest band on that list!
Joey:
Things not going swimmingly?
Craig:
It took me two minutes to remember why we broke up the first time. Jimmy thinks he´s Alex Lifeson from Rush and Marco can´t keep a steady rhythm, especially not when he has Spinner playing off beat and making it harder for him! I´m already beyond screwed, even before we go in to record.
Joey:
Are you thinking that it´s time to do what Sting did and drop the dead weight? You can´t say that it didn´t work for him.
Craig considers it.
4. Ext. Degrassi. Morning.
Holly J comes up to the entrance to find Sav waiting for her. Not that she´s too pleased to see him, mind you.
Holly J:
I knew I should have taken the back entrance!
Sav:
Can we talk?
Holly J:
Sure, Sav! Let´s talk about how your parents have planned our future for us, with us apparently getting no say in it!
Sav:
Like your racist parents were any better?
Holly J:
At least they respect my opinion!
Sav:
Do they? Did the idea of getting an abortion come from you or them?
Holly J:
Me.
Sav:
Why am I finding that hard to believe?
Holly J:
You can stand out here believing what you want. I have school to deal with!
She storms off, leaving him looking frustrated with how it went.
5. Int. Hallway. Day.
Holly J comes up to her locker, while trying to avoid the looks and snickers from the other students. She sees Anya coming towards her and tries smiling at her, but Anya completely ignores her, like she didn´t exist. This only makes Holly J feel worse, as a pair of girls pass by her.
Girl (while fake coughing):
Slut!
Holly J looks like she couldn´t feel any lower, than she does right at this moment.
6. Int. Classroom. Day.
Which she can, since her, Sav and Anya are spread out as much as they can in the classroom. Snake is teaching English class again.
Snake:
We only have one more book left this year and it´s one, I think most of you will enjoy. Let´s have a show of hands. How many of you like YA literature?
A good handful of hands go up.
Snake:
And how many of you like YA TV shows, like "Glee" or "Pretty Little Liars" for example?
Most of the hands go up.
Snake:
The book we´ll be reading is by many considered the first piece of modern YA literature and it was written by a girl, who was the same age you are now, when she wrote it back in the mid 60´s. I´m referring to Susan E. Hinton´s book "The Outsiders". You may think now that a book that old won´t speak to you, but the issues it deals with are in many ways the same, as the ones young people like yourselves still face today. One thing that hasn´t changed, is that our families and friendships are the cornerstones to our existence as people. Without them, life wouldn´t be the same.
His words only serve to make all three of them even sadder.
7. Int. Gymnasium. Day.
The Sophomore girls are getting ready for PE to start. Holly J tries to cautiously approach Anya, who´s still clearly very angry with her.
Holly J:
I tried calling you yesterday.
Anya:
I didn´t want to talk to you.
Holly J:
That´s fair.
Anya almost has to laugh.
Anya:
Fair? Who are you to lecture anyone on what´s fair?
Holly J:
Anya, I ...
Anya:
Was it fair, that you stuck a knife in my back, after everything I´ve done for you?
Holly J:
I´m really sorry, okay?
Anya:
Save it for someone who cares!
The other girls now notice them, which only eggs Anya on to berate Holly J even more.
Anya:
You used me, so you could get to him! I´m never trusting you again! Ever!
Holly J starts getting emotional and runs out of there. A couple of the other girls come over to Anya.
Girl #1:
Good for you, Anya!
Girl #2:
Anyone who´ll take advantage of you like that, wasn´t your friend to begin with.
Girl #1:
You´re better off without her.
Anya starts to cool down and being the eternal good girl, she quickly starts feeling bad over what she said.
8. Int. Changing Room. Day.
Anya sneaks in and she can hear Holly J weeping. Seeing her sitting on one of the benches holding her head in her hands, almost makes her heart go out to her.
Anya:
Those pregnancy hormones are a bitch, huh?
Holly J looks up at her and looks glad, that Anya is at least talking to her.
Holly J:
To think that this is only the beginning!
Anya:
You´re gonna have it?
Holly J:
I´m not sure. I could really use my best friend to help me decide.
Anya:
I hope for your sake, that you´ll find one. I can´t be friends with you anymore, after what you did.
Anya leaves her to basically have a nervous breakdown. She clearly feels bad for her, but is dishing out some tough love.
9. Int. The Dot. Day.
Craig is drinking his troubles away with a large coke at the counter, when Holly J joins him. Jane is their trusty waitress.
Holly J:
I need something disgustingly fattening, Jane!
Jane:
There´s the Paige Special. That´ll do the trick!
Holly J:
One of those and a medium Sprite. On second thought, make it a large.
Jane:
Okay, but you know eating all that junk food will only clog up your arteries and lead to regrets later!
Jane leaves them to put her order in. Craig and Holly J make eye contact and it´s still a little weird between them.
Craig:
How´s it going?
Holly J:
Let´s see, I´m sixteen and knocked up, the one true friend I´ve had in my entire life, told me that she can´t be friends with me anymore and the family of the guy I´ve been dating for a grand total of three weeks, apparently think they own my uterus! How´s your day going so far?
Craig has to take a second to consider how to respond to her rant.
Craig:
Not as bad as yours, by the sound of it!
He has to laugh and it makes her annoyed.
Holly J:
It´s not funny!
Craig:
I know, but you remind me of Manny, when she first found out.
His words get her to calm down and even gets a small smile out of her.
Holly J:
I´ll take that as a compliment.
Craig:
She was as just as scared and confused as you are. I can guarantee you, that Sav has those same feelings, because I had them in abundance.
Holly J:
Would you still have had it, knowing what you know now?
Craig:
I couldn´t imagine life without my daughter in it. She´s my reason for wanting to better myself and my motivation for getting up in the morning. Even though me and her mom didn´t last, it´s led us to where we are now. Me and Manny are better off as friends anyway, than we ever were as a couple.
Holly J:
You think, I should have it?
Craig:
I can´t tell you what to do, any more than someone you meet on the street can. Only you know in your heart, what the right decision is.
She nods in understanding.
Holly J:
Why do you have the blues?
Craig takes a sip from his soda and tries to look aloof.
Craig:
Why would you think that?
Holly J:
Craig, we take drama together. I can tell when you´re acting or not.
Craig:
I have to fire my friends and I´m not looking forward to telling them. They were really looking forward to trying what it´s like to record in a proper studio.
Holly J:
Are they that bad?
Craig:
Yeah and I don´t see them getting better overnight!
Holly J:
As someone, who barely has a friend in the world, I can tell you that life without them really sucks. Real ones aren´t easy to come by.
Jane comes back with her soda.
Jane:
You´ll always have a friend in me.
Craig:
You have one in me too, if you need it.
Jane:
It´s not like you´re the first one in our school to mess up. I´m sure that once Anya cools down, she´ll see it too.
Holly J smiles to herself and takes a sip of her soda. Craig takes in what she said.
10. Int. Joey and Caitlyn´s Garage. Evening.
Craig is setting up for the evening´s rehearsal, when his band mates come in, looking in high spirits.
Craig:
Hi, guys!
Jimmy:
Are we ready to rock?
Craig:
In a minute.
Marco:
Make it quick! I´ve been looking forward to this all day!
Jimmy:
Me too. I totally zoned out of three lectures, because I was day dreaming about the four of us in a studio.
Spinner:
To think, when we started out jamming, that we would get this far!
Hearing how excited they are isn´t making this easier on Craig and he starts to lose his nerve.
Marco:
What did you want to talk about?
Craig:
I think that ...
Spinner:
Sorry to interrupt, but before I forget. Terri wants to have the three of you over for dinner, so we can celebrate. We can´t afford to serve anything fancy, but she was so proud of me, that I couldn´t say no to her.
Marco:
My parents have her beat.
Jimmy:
Let Craig talk! What´s on your mind, pal?
They look to Craig, who loses his nerve completely.
Craig:
We should cut the bridge down from 16 bars to 8. It´s way too long.
Jimmy:
Whatever you say. It´s your song.
Spinner:
We´re just excited to be along for the ride. Here I was afraid that we would drift apart and it´s like we´re back in school again!
Marco:
Isn´t that awesome? I´ve really missed you guys!
Jimmy:
Same here. New friends are great, but there´s nothing like your old compadres.
Craig smiles to himself.
Craig:
No, there isn´t. Let´s make the neighbors regret that they bought a house here!
Spinner:
It´s always been what we´ve done best!
He gets behind the drum kit and does a drum roll, that goes almost like it should.
11. Int. Anya´s Parent´s Living Room. Evening.
Anya is chilling out and is watching TV with her mom.
Anya´s Mom:
Not that it isn´t nice to have you home in the evening for a change ...
Anya:
I´m not always out in the evening!
Anya´s Mom:
It´s not like I´m blaming you for having a social life, Sweetheart. If would be more worried, if you didn´t. But even when you are home, you´re usually up in your room with Sav or Holly J.
Anya:
Could you please refrain from mentioning them? Like ever again!
Anya´s mom smiles at her with sympathy.
Anya´s Mom:
You´ll become friends with them again, after things have cooled down.
Anya:
They´re gonna have their own lives together, where there won´t be room for me anymore.
Anya´s Mom:
Is that why you got so angry? Because you think, they´re excluding you?
Anya:
A little bit of it was probably that. It´s mostly that they didn´t tell me and snuck around behind my back for weeks, that I´m disappointed over.
Anya´s Mom:
Cross your heart and hope to die. How would you have reacted, if they had told you?
Anya:
Probably more or less the same way. But you have to agree with me, that going after Sav, when she knew I liked him, was wrong of her.
Anya´s Mom:
Honey, the three of you are at an age, where you´re going to make mistakes of the heart. I made them and I don´t know anyone my age, who hasn´t at some point.
Anya:
Were you ever the one, who got hurt?
Anya´s Mom:
A time or two, but if you ask me, you´re not the one, who´s hurt here. It´s the pregnant girl, who´s going through a wealth of emotions right now and doesn´t have her best friend to help her. We didn´t raise you to be the kind of girl, who would do that to someone, that needs you.
Anya still looks a little reluctant.
12. Int. Kitchen. Evening.
Holly J gets her dinner for the evening out of the fridge, that´s neatly wrapped for her in plastic containers and looks like it´s from a take out place. There´s a note on top of it and she reads it.
Holly J:
Arrange on a plate ... duh! ... and heat in the microwave for five minutes. I´m not a child, mom! Jeez!
She shakes her head at her mom and gets out a plate from a cupboard. She´s about to open one of the containers, when she looks out of the window and smiles to herself. She sees Sav standing out there and waving a white flag. She lets her dinner be for now and goes out to meet him.
13. Ext. Sinclair Mansion. Evening.
Holly J comes out to meet him and he looks glad, that she did.
Sav:
I come in peace.
Holly J:
So I see.
Sav:
Can we sit down and talk like adults about this, without it ending in another argument? I don´t know about you, but I´m sick of those.
Holly J:
You´re not the only one. Sav, I´m gonna let you, your family or my own family, for that matter, decide what I´m going to do. Even though I still don´t know what that will be, I want it to be my choice. No one else´s.
Sav nods in understanding.
Sav:
I don´t get a say at all?
He smiles at her hopefully and is relieved to get a small one back.
Holly J:
It´s okay for you to make suggestions. What do you think, we should do?
Sav:
You think, I have any idea? I´m still in the beginning of the shock phase! I´ll start to form an opinion, when I´ve moved on to acceptance.
Holly J:
I suppose that´s understandable. Are you hungry?
Sav:
Always. Why?
Holly J:
I was about to heat up my dinner. I don´t even know what it is yet.
Sav:
Is it okay that I pass, if it looks icky?
Holly J:
If it looks icky, we´re ordering a pizza. Come.
She takes his hand and they head inside.
14. Int. Kitchen. Evening.
Holly J and Sav are eating dinner together at the kitchen table. It looks like some kind of spaghetti dish, by the looks of it. They look glad to get some alone time together.
Sav:
I´ve missed having you to myself.
Holly J:
I still remember the last time, you did.
Sav:
That was some evening!
Holly J:
Do you know what I thought to myself, right after we did it, when you were holding me?
Sav:
I can´t say, I do.
Holly J:
I thought "If it hadn´t been for Anya, then this would have been the best moment in my life so far".
Sav:
That´s pretty much what I was thinking too. I feel bad for her, but it´s not like we ever dated or I gave any kind of commitment to her, that we would.
Holly J:
You were her first love. Those are hard to get over.
Sav:
Are you over yours?
Holly J:
No, I´m not.
He looks disappointed, thinking that she´s referring to Craig.
Holly J:
I´m still in love with you.
He looks relieved.
15. Int. Classroom. Morning.
Craig is playing the recording from the day before to Allison, who winces at the sound of what she´s hearing in his ear buds. She takes them out and hands them to him.
Craig:
I know what you´re gonna say ...
Allison:
Do you? I can come up with some very interesting comments to whatever that was!
Craig:
It´s a rough mix, we recorded through a cheap PA. The real recording is gonna sound much more professional.
Allison:
I hope so, for you sake. You´re not getting into to that program, if that ´s what you´re presenting them with.
Craig:
Maybe not. But I´ll get to experience something special with three guys, who are all special to me in their own way. I couldn´t imagine going into that studio with anyone else. Sorry.
Allison:
It´s okay. Just know that there goes your special dedication on my first solo record.
They smile at each other, as Manny tries to push through and passes by them.
Craig:
Hey, Manny! Wanna check out what the new and improved Downtown Sasquatch sound like?
Manny:
Not particularly.
Craig:
You were a fan of ours back in the day, weren´t you?
Manny:
I was also 14 and in love with the lead singer.
Craig:
What can it hurt?
Allison:
I´m not going to comment on that statement!
Manny gives in and puts the ear buds in. Craig presses play and she listens to around five seconds of it, before taking them out again and handing them back to him.
Manny:
You sound exactly like the old Downtown Sasquatch did!
She goes to take her seat.
Allison:
Some things never change, Craig. They´re not gonna get better all of a sudden, no matter how much you want them to.
Craig still looks fine with his decision.
14. Int. Hallway. Day.
Anya comes up to her locker, that has a note taped to it. She reads it and looks torn on what to do.
15. Int. Classroom. Day.
Holly J and Sav are already there, when Anya comes in. She looks apprehensive, but open to talking.
Holly J:
Thanks for coming.
Anya:
I thought that I could at least hear you out.
Sav:
Don´t go around thinking that you´re not still important to me, because you are. You´re the best friend, I have or have ever had. I love you and you know I always will, just not in the way you hoped, I would.
Holly J:
When I started here, I thought that all of the girls were gonna be like the worst ones at my other schools. Untrustworthy, backstabbing little bitches, who would sell their own grandma to get ahead. I can´t help thinking that way, because those are the kind of screwed up people, I grew up around. Then I get to know you and you completely turn my opinion upside down. I thought that people, who are as kind and sweet as you are, only existed in fiction, but it´s who you are through and through. I´m sorry that I lied to you and all I can say, is that I promise not to do it again, if you´ll forgive me.
Sav:
Our child, should we choose to keep it, is gonna need it´s aunt Anya to teach it right from wrong.
They get a small smile out of her, giving them hope.
Anya:
Of course, it´s gonna have it´s aunt Anya! That goes without saying!
They pull her in for a group hug.
CLOSING CREDITS