WHAT IF? - SEASON 4 EPISODE 20 - FRIENDS WILL BE FRIENDS (PART 2)
1. Int. Living Room. Day.
Imogen is trying to enjoy herself by being the perfect daughter to her dad, who´s trying to get some writing done. She brings him a sandwich and a cup of tea with a big smile on her face. He stops working and smiles back at her.
Imogen:
It´s time we got some lunch in you. You haven´t eaten since breakfast and that was four hours ago.
Imogen´s Dad:
I don´t need you to be my full time nurse, Immy.
Imogen:
I´m doing it, because I want to.
Imogen´s Dad:
You´re going back to school tomorrow. I mean it this time!
He looks at her kindly, but also firmly. She doesn´t take his threats too seriously though.
Imogen:
We´ll see.
Imogen´s Dad:
It´s not that I don´t appreciate how much you care for me, but even if I´m sick, I won´t die from day to day. I don´t want to be the reason, why you spent your teens cooped up in here, when you should be out in the world and enjoying these years.
Imogen:
I am enjoying them. All I need is my daddy and I´m perfectly fine!
She gives him a hug and he gives up on debating it any further.
Imogen´s Dad:
Which do you prefer? "Due to health issues, I´m forced to take a sabbatical" or the more neutral "Due to unforeseen circumstances, I will not be able to perform my duties as a teacher for an unspecified period of time".
Imogen:
They´re kind of the same, aren´t they?
Their conversation is interrupted, when his phone rings. They both stare at it for a second, since the display reads "Doctor".
Imogen´s Dad:
I guess, we´re about to find out what the low down is, huh?
Imogen:
Good luck.
He presses the keypad and puts the phone up to his ear.
Imogen´s Dad:
Hello, Doctor. Any news?
Imogen paces anxiously, as she awaits the result.
Imogen´s Dad:
You got the result from the tests you did back? I see.
His face tells more then a thousand words could and it´s not in a good way. He has to put the phone down, as Imogen tries to deal with the shock. After a few seconds, he puts the phone up his ear again.
Imogen´s Dad:
Yeah, I´m still here. Can I call you back tomorrow? Both me and my daughter need to let this sink in.
He hangs the phone up and puts it away, before looking her sadly in the eyes.
Imogen´s Dad:
I suppose I have to start over, seeing as it´s going to be a resignation letter now.
Imogen is so shocked, that the words probably went in one ear and out the other.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Hallway. Morning.
Imogen and Bianca are heading to their first class of the day. Imogen doesn´t look like, she particularly wants to be there.
Imogen:
I just know that he´s going to forget taking his pills, when I´m not there to remind him.
Bianca:
You can´t spend all your time worrying about him or it´ll make you lose your mind.
Imogen:
That´s easy for you to say!
Bianca:
I worry about my mom too, but what happens to her is out of my control. At some point, you have to try go back to some kind of normal life.
Imogen:
How can anyone expect me to keep my mind on school at a time like this?
Bianca:
I´m pretty sure you have more leeway these days, than the average student here.
They´re interrupted by Drew and Dallas, who come over to them, for once not with the intention of hitting on Bianca.
Dallas:
We heard about your dad, Imogen. That really sucks.
Drew:
No one deserves to have that happen to them.
Dallas:
Anyway, it´s nice to see that you´re back.
Imogen and Bianca are so surprised at how friendly and mature Drew and Dallas are being compared to usual, that they don´t know how to react.
Imogen:
Thanks, I guess!
Drew:
You look nice today, Bianca. Not that you don´t always.
The boys leave them, as they try to take in what happened.
Bianca:
Did the two of them get personality transplants?
Imogen:
I smell a wolf in sheep´s clothing!
Bianca:
Maybe they really are concerned for you.
Imogen:
How did they even know? You haven´t told anyone, have you?
Bianca:
No.
Imogen looks an apologetic Bianca in the eyes and Bianca gives in.
Bianca:
Yes. People were asking about you and I didn´t think you´d mind.
Imogen:
You didn´t think I´d mind, that everyone knows my dad is losing his mind? Is your brain made of hot glue?
Imogen storms off looking angry. Bianca looks annoyed at herself.
3. Int. Train Station. Day.
A train pulls up and we see Jay waiting for someone. Passengers begin filing out and as one of the first ones, we see Ashley coming out with a small travel suitcase in her hand. He walks over to her.
Jay:
Thanks for coming.
Ashley:
I wish I could say that it was my pleasure.
Jay:
Want a hand with your massive amount of luggage?
His joke gets a small smile out of her.
Ashley:
I´m pretty sure, that I can manage! I could go for a decent cup of coffee though.
Jay:
I know just the place.
They walk off together.
4. Int. The Dot. Day.
Jay and Ashley are getting that cup of coffee, they talked about. Ashley looks around and gets filled with nostalgia.
Ashley:
I have so many memories from in here! All of the countless hours talking to Terri and ...
Jay:
Paige?
Ashley scowls at the mention of her name.
Ashley:
Yeah, her!
Jay:
She works here now, while she´s waiting for her trial to begin.
Ashley tries to look like it doesn´t affect her, but it still clearly does.
Ashley:
Not that I care, but how do you know?
Jay:
I come down for a burger once in a while, usually when Ellie has decided that we should go vegetarian for the day!
Ashley can´t help giggling.
Ashley:
You´ll never change, will you, Jay?
Jay:
You don´t think, I have?
Ashley:
Are you kidding? When I first saw you, I wanted to run the other way! The first time Alex talked to me, I was scoping for an escape route!
Jay:
She really misses you.
Ashley:
Yeah, I miss her too. Is it bad with her?
Jay nods sadly.
Jay:
She needs you now more than ever before.
Ashley takes a sip from her cup and looks ready to deal with it.
5. Int. Classroom. Day.
The attendance bell rings on the last class of the day for the freshmen, Snake´s English class. Imogen gets up from her seat with the others, who pretty much all look glad that the school day is over.
Snake:
Have a nice weekend, everyone! Imogen, can you stay for a minute?
Imogen comes up to him, as the rest of her classmates file out. Snake smiles warmly at her, making her at ease.
Snake:
Hatzilakos told me about your dad. How are you holding up?
Imogen:
As well as can be expected, I guess.
Snake:
She wanted me to let you know, that she´ll be understanding, when it comes to you needing time off to care for him. Some things go beyond school.
Imogen:
Tell her, that I said thanks.
Snake:
I will. If there´s anything we can do to help you, be it extra tutoring or arranging for you to be home schooled for a while, if that´s what you need, it´s what we´re here for. Have you talked to the school counsellor about it?
Imogen:
Not yet, but I plan to. Can I go now?
Snake:
Remember what I told you. It´s not the strong students, whose biggest problem is finding a date for the weekend, that need our help. It´s helping kids like you, that are why we do this.
She nods in understanding and leaves him. He´s clearly full of sympathy for her.
6. Int. The Dot. Day.
Bianca is sulking over a soda, when JT and Manny come in holding hands. They see her sitting there alone and come over to her.
Manny:
Got the blues, B?
Bianca:
Plus the greens, the yellows and the purples!
JT:
What´s the matter, sis?
Bianca:
Friend trouble.
Manny:
That sounds like my area of expertise!
JT:
I´ll leave you two girls to it then. Do you want a drink, Manny?
Manny:
I´m in an orange soda mood.
JT:
Coming up!
JT leaves them and Manny sits down with Bianca.
Manny:
Tell aunt Manny what happened.
Bianca:
I told people something about Imogen, that she didn´t want anyone to know.
Manny:
Is it about her dad? JT told me about him.
Bianca:
He has Alzheimer´s.
Manny looks sad for him.
Manny:
The poor guy! I can´t imagine what it´s like for her!
Bianca:
I didn´t think she´d mind, since they were gonna find out eventually anyway. So I told one girl, who told everyone else. Now she´s mad at me and won´t text me back.
Manny:
You definitely owe her a huge apology!
Bianca:
I already tried, but she got angry and stormed off! Imogen usually never gets angry about anything, not even when people call her a freak for dressing and looking like she wants to. It´s part of why I love her so much.
Manny:
She sounds like the kind of friend, that doesn´t come along every day.
Bianca:
She so is! If it hadn´t been for her, I would probably hate going to Degrassi, like I hated going to all of the other schools, I went to. Thanks to her and I almost can´t believe I´m saying these words, I love it there!
Manny smiles warmly at her.
Bianca:
All of the dumb and horny boys, who constantly try to get into my panties or all of the many girls, who hate me solely based on what they´ve heard, don´t matter as much, because all it takes is one smile from her to make me forget about them.
Manny:
That´s what you call a true friend. Do you know how blessed you are to have found one of those?
Bianca:
You don´t need to tell me.
Manny:
I don´t know her that well, but she seems like a very sweet and forgiving girl. I´m sure she´ll forgive you, if you apologize nicely.
Bianca:
Are you sure?
Manny:
Positive! Compared to what you girls are gonna go through for the rest of high school, this is one of the easier problems to solve.
Bianca looks a little re-assured, as JT comes back with Manny´s drink.
JT:
Did you figure it out?
Bianca:
More or less.
She still clearly sad that Imogen is mad at her though.
7. Ext. TU Dorms. Day.
Jay has dropped Ashley off in front of the TU dorms.
Jay:
Are you sure, you don´t want me to come with you?
Ashley:
It´s better if it´s just me and her.
Jay:
Do you even know which dorm room, she lives in? It´s a pretty big place!
Ashley:
She told me a while ago, in case I wanted to come for a visit.
Jay:
Good luck, then. I´m afraid, you´ll need it!
Ashley:
You and me both!
He drives off and she walks up towards the entrance.
8. Int. Hallway. Day.
Ashley comes up to a door and checks it with the note, she´s brought. After a few seconds to work up her nerve, she knocks on the door. Some rummaging from inside is heard and the door is opened by a girl, we haven´t seen before.
Girl:
Yeah?
Ashley:
Are you Alex´s room mate?
Girl:
No, she doesn´t live here anymore.
Ashley looks surprised.
Ashley:
Did she move rooms or something?
Girl:
You have to be a student at TU to live here. When they kick you out, you lose that right. Bye.
She tries to close the door, but Ashley sticks her foot in it.
Ashley:
Please, I´m a friend of hers and I´m worried about her. Can´t you tell me more?
The girl opens the door fully.
Girl:
Maybe it´s better, if you came in.
She invites Ashley in and Ashley obliges.
9. Int. Dorm Room. Day.
The girl shows Ashley a picture. It´s of the girl and Alex having a blast at some college party and both of them are looking pretty drunk.
Girl:
At first I thought it was the universe or some higher power, that had to have paired us up as room mates, so we could become more than that. It´s not that I wanted to break up with Alex, but at the same time I knew that if we´d stayed together, she would have dragged me down with her. What was your name again?
Ashley:
It´s Ashley. Alex might have mentioned me.
The girl doesn´t look too surprised.
Girl:
I should have guessed. You were her favorite subject to talk about, when we started school back in the fall.
Ashley:
What did she tell you about me?
Girl:
Only that you were the love of her life and later on that she hated herself for messing things up with you. My gut told me from the beginning that we wouldn´t stand a chance, but she can be very hard to say no to, you know?
Ashley:
Don´t I know it!
They smile sadly at each other.
Ashley:
Anything you can tell me will be a help.
Girl:
After we broke up, was when the partying really started to get out of control. Most nights she wouldn´t come home until three or four in the morning, always stumbling drunk, if she came home at all. Eventually she got kicked out for not doing her assignments and constantly showing up for the early classes drunk from the night before. That was a few weeks after the Christmas break and since then, I haven´t heard from her. I worry about her too, but she needs a whole lot more help, than I can offer.
Ashley:
I should have been there for her, knowing how fragile, she can be.
Girl:
She told me that she was moving back in with her mom. That´s all I know.
Ashley:
It´s something, at least.
Ashley is starting to see what kind of a challenge, this will be.
10. Ext. Imogen´s House. Evening.
Bianca rings the doorbell and waits anxiously for Imogen to open. She does and Bianca smiles nervously at her.
Bianca:
Before you say anything, just know that I will do absolutely anything to not have you be mad at me anymore! I I´ll beg on my knees, I´ll plead with crying eyes, I´ll even kiss your naked butt, if that´s what I have to!
Imogen tries to look tough, but can´t help smiling a little, giving Bianca hope.
Bianca:
Just please don´t be mad at me. You´re the best friend I´ve ever had and I don´t know what I´d do without you!
Imogen takes another moment to consider it, while Bianca holds her breath in anticipation.
Imogen:
You would actually demean yourself enough to kiss my naked butt?
Bianca:
I don´t have to, do I?
Imogen laughs, making Bianca smile.
Imogen:
I don´t think we need to take it that far! You´ve apologized and as far as I´m concerned, that´s the end of it.
Bianca:
I should have asked you first, if it was okay that I told people.
Imogen:
It´s safe to say, that we´re all learning on the job here!
Bianca:
How´s your dad doing?
Imogen:
Why don´t you ask him?
Bianca takes her coat off and looks happy, that she´s seemingly forgiven.
11. Montage - Music: "Cradle of Love" by Billy Idol.
We see Ashley enter a sleazy looking strip club, where the hot looking girls behind the bar are wearing bikini´s. We recognize both the place and a few of dancers from JT wild night out in season 2, where this was where he ended up. Alex is doing her best pole dancing routine in an outfit, that doesn´t leave a whole lot to the imagination! Ashley shakes her head at it and looks disgusted with her. They make eye contact and Alex is ashamed for a moment, before running back out through the curtain. A few guys boo her, but another girl soon comes out to take her place, making them happy again. Ashley heads to the door to the backstage area, that´s guarded by a large bouncer. She talks to him and he agrees to let her in.
12. Int. Dressing Room. Evening.
Alex gets a half full bottle of Vodka from her bag and takes a large swig from it. There´s a knock on the door and she quickly hides it away again. The bouncer sticks his head in.
Bouncer:
A girl says that she´s been looking for you. Do you wanna talk to her?
Alex:
Yeah, sure.
Bouncer:
Don´t be too long. They don´t pay you to hang around in the dressing room all night!
Ashley is let in and the door is closed behind her. They make eye contact and Alex looks defiant.
Alex:
What was I suppose to do, Huh, Ash? You´re the one, who left me behind and took off!
Ashley:
So your solution is to take your clothes off for money, so you can get hammered every night?
Alex:
It´s not every night!
Ashley:
How often is it then? Four, five times a week?
Alex:
It´s none of your business, is what it is!
Ashley:
Is that what you told them, when they kicked you butt out of TU?
Alex:
What the hell do you know? You weren´t here!
Ashley sees that the confrontational style isn´t getting her anywhere and tries a different approach.
Ashley:
Can we get out of here and talk somewhere?
Alex:
This is as good a place as anywhere.
Ashley:
It´s a sleazy dump, Alex! You don´t belong here!
Alex:
This is my life from now on until I lose my looks, Ash. Shaking my ass is all I´ve ever been good for, it turns out.
Ashley
That and drinking you brain away!
Alex gets angry and looks away from Ashley.
Alex:
You don´t have any right to judge me, so do us both a favor and go back to your perfect Ivy League life and forget about me!
Ashley:
Alex, I can´t do that! I still care about you.
Alex:
Walk out that door and don´t look back, because I´ll only end up ruining your life, like I´ve ruined my own and I don´t want that to happen.
Ashley can now see how defeated Alex looks underneath the flashy make-up, she´s wearing for her stripper job. Alex becomes self conscious about it and turns away from her, since she doesn´t want Ashley to see her this way.
Alex:
Just go. You´re better off without me.
Ashley:
I don´t believe that, but I´ll leave you alone for now. I´ll be seeing you around.
Ashley leaves her and Alex immediately goes to her bag and takes the bottle out. She takes another large sip and tries to calm down, but it´s hard to for her.
13. Int. Imogen´s Room. Evening.
Imogen and Bianca are trying to study.
Bianca:
I wish, I could be more help. You know that I tend to zone out in most classes, especially when you´re not there.
Imogen:
What subjects did you think about, while I was gone?
Bianca:
Oh, I got through all kinds of stuff, from which girls wear way too much make-up, to a long thought out debate in my head over who the dumbest boy at school is!
They smile at one another.
Bianca/Imogen:
Drew!
They giggle. Bianca looks glad, that she can help Imogen get her mind off everything.
Bianca:
Your laugh is the best sound in the world to me right now.
Imogen:
I won´t lie, it feels nice to be laughing again, even if reality will hit me again tomorrow. I´m so scared, Bianca. Scared that he´ll change from the man, who´s the greatest dad I ever could have wanted to someone, who won´t even recognize me anymore.
Bianca:
He´ll always recognize you! Don´t be silly!
Imogen:
It´s not unlikely to happen, when we reach the last stage. God, I can´t even wrap my head around what that´s going to be like!
Bianca:
You don´t have to yet, Im.
Bianca sees that her friend needs it and invites her friend in for a hug. It makes Imogen smile a little.
Imogen:
I thought you were an anti-hugger!
Bianca:
Not when it comes to you.
The girls hug and Bianca can hear Imogen starting to sob.
Bianca:
No matter what happens, you´ll always have me. I´ll never abandon you.
Imogen:
Promise?
Bianca:
I promise.
Imogen smiles to herself, as she hugs Bianca tightly.
14. Int. The Dot. Evening.
Paige and Peter are closing up for the night.
Paige:
What an evening, huh?
Peter:
At least Degrassi won, so the tips were extra good!
Paige:
From my calculations we made a little over two hundred.
Peter smiles widely.
Peter:
Score!
Paige:
It just sucks, that we have to pay taxes off them!
Peter:
Score slightly less, but still score!
They high five.
Paige:
Do me a favor and spend some of your half on Mia. I´m sure she deserves it for putting up with you for this long!
Peter laughs and we hear the door open, as a customer walks in. Paige looks a little annoyed.
Paige:
Can´t you read the sign? We´re ...
She turn to face the one, who´s walked in and it makes her speechless.
Paige:
Closed. Hi, Ashley.
It´s an awkward moment, as they finally meet again. Peter quickly feels like a fifth wheel.
Peter:
You can set the alarm and lock up by yourself, Paige. I´m guessing that you two have a whole lot to discuss!
He grabs his coat and heads out.
Paige:
See ya tomorrow, Peter!
Peter:
See ya!
Paige smiles nervously at Ashley, who still clearly hasn´t entirely forgiven her for what went down at Banting.
Paige:
Does this mean that I´m forgiven?
Ashley:
It means that I need you help. You and Alex were close once.
Paige looks worried.
Paige:
What´s wrong with her?
Ashley:
It´s bad enough, that I´m willing to set my grudge with you aside to help her.
Paige:
I´ll do anything, if it means you´ll forgive me.
Ashley:
Let´s see how this goes first.
The girls smile at each other.
CLOSING CREDITS