WHAT IF - SEASON 4 EPISODE 21 - FRIENDS WILL BE FRIENDS (PART 3)
I KNOW THAT IT´S BEEN A FEW EXTRA DAYS WITH THIS ONE, BUT I WASN´T HAPPY WITH HOW IT TURNED OUT, SO I HAD TO TAKE A FEW DAYS TO THINK IT OVER AND THEN GIVE IT A MAJOR RE-WRITE. AS I´VE TOLD YOU BEFORE, I NEVER RELEASE ANYTHING, UNLESS I AM CLOSE TO 100 PERCENT HAPPY WITH THE QUALITY OF IT AND I´M SURE YOU WOULDN´T WANT THAT TO CHANGE EITHER.
IT´S ALSO BECAUSE I´VE BEEN BUSY WORKING ON A NEW EXCITING COLLABORATION PROJECT, A DEGRASSI SERIES SET IN THE PRESENT (WHICH IS WHY IT WILL BE NAMED "DEGRASSI: PRESENT DAY") AND WILL BE BEGINNING WITH THE 2021/22 SCHOOL YEAR. IT´S BEING PUT TOGETHER IN COLLABORATION WITH ANOTHER WRITER, WHICH IS A NEW AND EXCITING WAY TO WORK FOR ME. IT WILL STILL BE AT LEAST A FEW WEEKS UNTIL THE FIRST EPISODE IS READY TO BE RELEASED, SO TO LEAD UP TO THE PREMIERE I´M ADDING A SERIES OF TEASER TRAILERS AT THE END OF THE NEXT "WHAT IF?" EPISODES, STARTING WITH THIS ONE. IF YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND/OR THIS EPISODE, THAT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY, LET´S GET TO THE END OF THIS LITTLE STORY WITH ALEX!
1. Int. Sleazy Strip Club. Evening.
Alex is doing her strip routine, but she´s so drunk that she´s having problems staying on her legs, let alone managing to make it look sexy. She tries to rub up against the pole , but in stead falls on her butt, making several of the patrons laugh at her, only making her annoyed and she stares them down.
Alex:
Do you think you could do better?
Her boss comes up there and literally pulls her off stage and off to the dressing room.
2. Int. Dressing Room. Evening.
Alex is led in by her boss.
Boss:
Get your things. You´re fired.
Alex:
I didn´t do anything!
Boss:
You´ve been rude with the customers again and this isn´t the first time, you´ve turned up in this state. It´s unprofessional, disrespectful to me and your colleagues and last of all, no one gets turned on by watching a human horror show play out in front of them!
Alex tries to look apologetic, the best she can in her current state.
Alex:
Just give me one more chance, please. I promise, that I can stay sober.
Boss:
If I believed you for a moment, then I would have given you that extra chance. You´re a beautiful young woman and the other girls like you, but you need help that you´re not gonna find here. Before you do, it would be commercial suicide of me to put you back out there. I´ll give you five minutes and then I want you out of here.
He leaves her and she sits down to take the shock in. As it begins to hit her how this will affect her, she shakes her head to herself.
Alex:
What now?
She wonders what to do.
OPENING CREDITS
3. Int. Jay and Ellie´s Kitchen. Day.
Alex´s friends, consisting of Jay, Ashley, Paige and Amy have gathered to talk about what they should do.
Jay:
A guy I work with has a girlfriend, who works with Alex, or should I say worked.
Amy:
She´s been fired?
Jay nods.
Ashley:
I can´t say, that I´m not a little relieved!
Paige:
On one side it´s great, but what´s she going to do for money now?
Jay:
Going out to bars costs money and if she wants to continue to do it every day, she´ll need to make more and fast.
Amy:
There aren´t many ways to make that kind of dough, when you have no qualifications.
Paige:
There´s selling drugs.
Paige sees that she just goofed and looks away.
Paige:
I´m just saying that it´s a possibility.
Jay:
I guess, she could sell herself.
Amy:
No matter how low she´s fallen, she wouldn´t prostitute herself. Alex has never had much, but she´s always had her pride.
Ashley:
That´s true.
She turns to look Amy in the eyes.
Ashley:
But it´s also true that an addict will do just about anything to feed their addiction. Isn´t that true, Paige?
They look at Paige, who nods in agreement with Ashley.
Paige:
In my darkest days, I would have done it, if it was my only alternative to going through withdrawals. What you thought you knew about her, you can´t trust to be true anymore. Not until she gets the help she needs.
Ashley:
Any ideas, where we should look for her?
Amy:
Don´t look at the girl, who still hasn´t set foot in a bar!
Paige:
It might not be the bars, where we have to look for her.
The others look to Paige.
4. Int. The Dot. Day.
Paige serves a soda for Ashley, who´s sitting at the counter.
Paige:
If you don´t tell anyone, you can have it for free. One of the perks of working here!
Ashley takes a sip of her soda and they smile at each other.
Ashley:
You´re not worried, that you´ll get "The Alex Treatment" too?
Paige:
I´ll get fired anyway, if they ship me off to the big house.
Ashley nods sadly.
Ashley:
Any news on when you´ll know if you´re going to trial?
Paige:
My lawyer tries his best to press them for information, but the DA will decide, when they feel like they can make the right decision and no sooner. That it´s driving me more crazy with every day, that goes by, means less than nothing to them.
Ashley looks sympathetic with her, despite everything.
Paige:
Don´t feel sorry for me. Feel sorry for the friends and families of that dead girl, because I don´t deserve your pity after what I did.
Ashley:
Would you really have sold yourself for drug money?
Paige:
Hon, when you´re in that addiction mindset, the idea of going cold turkey is an alien to you, as the idea of playing in the NBA would be to your stepbrother! If I hadn´t been locked up in a cell 23 hours a day, when I was going through withdrawals, I don´t think I could have done it. If she´s feeling them, then she´ll do anything to get rid of them, I can assure you that much.
Ashley:
What about afterwards?
Paige:
Afterwards, she´ll have to keep fighting through it by herself every day, just like I´m doing.
Ashley:
For what it´s worth, I´m impressed with how you´ve turned your life around.
Paige:
Thanks. It means a lot to hear you say it.
She smiles to herself. Alex looks proud of her.
5. Int. Bar. Evening.
A drunk Alex is pleading with the bartender to let her have another drink.
Alex:
Come on, man! You know I´m good fir it!
Bartender:
I can´t let you run your tab up anymore. Pay what you owe and I´ll gladly serve you.
Alex:
How much is it?
The bartender looks over his notes.
Bartender:
83 dollars.
Alex:
I will pay you back 90, if you give me a beer right now. You have my word.
Bartender:
What does that sign say?
He points up at a sign, that´s visible to all of the customers. It reads:
WE PUT OUR FAITH IN GOD. EVERYONE ELSE HAS TO PAY!
Alex looks at him pleadingly.
Alex:
Pretty please with sugar on top?
Bartender:
Sorry. It´s my ass, if you don´t pay up and I served you.
He goes to tend to other customers. Alex makes a quick decision and runs behind the bar, where she grabs a mostly full bottle of Vodka and makes a run for it. The bartender doesn´t notice until it´s too late.
Bartender
HEY! COME BACK HERE!
A bouncer comes over to him.
Bouncer:
What happened?
Bartender:
A girl took off with a bottle of Vodka.
The bounder follows after her but it´s too late though, since Alex is already long gone.
6. Ext. Bar. Evening.
The bouncer comes out and looks around for her. What he doesn´t see, is that she´s hiding just around the corner of the building. After he´s done looking around, he gives it up and heads back inside. Alex peeks around the corner and smiles to herself, that she got away with it.
Alex:
Suckers!
She unscrews the bottle cap and takes a swig from the bottle.
7. Montage - Music: "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol.
We see Alex coming down to the Ravine, where a bunch of teenagers are having a wild party for as long as they can, until the cops turn up to bust it up. Seeing as she brought booze, she´s more than welcome and trades a swig of the bottle from a few tokes of a joint with a pretty looking skater girl, who´s around 17/18. They smile at each other and the girl puts her arm around Alex, who clearly doesn´t mind.
We see Ashley, Amy and Paige out scouring the streets around where she lives for her, showing her picture to strangers and asking, if they´ve seen her. They don´t have much luck though and put their heads together to discuss a new strategy. Amy comes up with an idea.
We see Alex and the skater girl making out wildly and looking very into the moment and one another, when several flashlights appear in the distance, signalling that the party is over and it´s time to get the heck out of there! Alex sees them and they get up to run away. She forgets her bottle at first though and runs back to get it, as the skater girl waves at her to follow. Alex does and it´s with the police not far behind her. The skater girl throws her stash away into some bushes, in case she was to get caught.
We see the skater girl and her friends running away from the cops, as fast as they can with Alex trying to follow after them. She isn´t fast enough though and the cops catch up with her. Seeing that there´s no use in trying to fight it, she surrenders.
We see Ashley, Amy and Paige come down there long after the party is over. They see the skater girl looking for her stash, that she dumped earlier and approach her. She´s a little apprehensive at first, until they show her Alex´s picture. Then she nods and admits, that she knows her.
8. Ext. Police Station. Morning.
Alex comes out from the police station, looking like she´s nursing a big hangover. Paige is there waiting for her, making Alex surprised.
Alex:
You´re the one, who bailed me out?
Paige:
I had to serve a lot of junk food to get that money, so I expect you to pay me back!
Alex:
Sure, once I´ve paid off everyone else, I owe!
Paige:
How are you gonna do that, when you spend every cent on booze?
Alex:
I don´t need you or anyone else to preach to me! I´ll drop by the Dot with a check, when I get a new job.
She tries to walk away, but Paige follows after her.
Paige:
How low are you gonna stoop next, Alex?
Alex:
That´s none of your business!
Paige:
It is because we used to be friends! Because I know what it´s like to be heading to rock bottom and making yourself believe, that everyone else is wrong, when they tell you to quit! There´s people that care about you, so let them help you!
Alex turns around and looks Paige in the eyes, while trying her best not to start crying.
Alex:
Where were any of those so-called friends, when my life was falling apart? Can you tell me that?
Paige:
You can keep blaming everyone else or you can own up to what you´ve become, Hon. If you don´t, then I can tell you how it´ll end and it won´t be pretty.
She hands a slip of paper to Alex, who takes it.
Paige:
I can´t force you to get help, but if you want it, then I´ll help you all I can. That´s all I can promise you right now.
Alex looks down at the piece of paper, since she´s too ashamed of herself to look her in the eyes.
Alex:
Did Ashley put you up to this?
Paige:
She still loves you. You´d be surprised how many of us do.
Paige leaves her to think about it.
9. Int. The Dot. Morning.
Paige comes in. Amy, Jay and Ashley are already waiting for her and she walks over to them.
Paige:
It´s up to her now.
Jay:
It doesn´t feel right to me, to sit around and do nothing.
Paige:
If she doesn´t want to get help, then even her going to rehab won´t work. She´ll be back on the bottle, first chance she gets.
Amy:
I can´t believe, this is really happening! When we finished high school, I was sure that she was on the right course.
Ashley:
High school seems like it was forever ago now, doesn´t it?
Amy nods in agreement.
Jay:
What do we do, if she tries to contact one of us, not that I think she will?
Paige:
You can try to talk some sense into her and hope, that it gets through to her.
Ashley:
Can´t we just gang up on her and send her off to rehab, like you see on TV?
Paige:
This is real life, Ash. She has to want to quit drinking, before she can.
Ashley doesn´t entirely like it, but trusts Paige on the matter.
10. Int. Strip Club. Evening.
Alex (dressed to look her best, without going too overboard) is trying to get a job working at a more high end strip club, than the one she used to work at. She´s talking to the manager, a woman in her 40´s, who´s looking over her CV and isn´t looking too impressed.
Woman:
Why were you only at your last job for two months?
Alex:
It wasn´t a nice place to work. Not anywhere close to as nice, as it looks in here.
Woman:
That´s why it´s a popular place to work.
Alex:
I bet the tips are good too, right?
The woman puts her CV down and looks her in the eyes. It´s clear from Alex´s expression, that even she isn´t believing much in her chances.
Woman:
I happen to know the man, who owns that club. If I was to call him up and ask about you, what do you think he would tell me?
The last hope goes away from Alex´s face and the woman doesn´t look too surprised. She hands her CV back to her.
Woman:
The rings under your eyes told me everything, I needed to know. Good day.
Alex takes her CV back and the woman leaves her. A well off looking man in his 30´s comes over to her.
Man:
Interested in making some quick cash?
Alex looks up at him, fearing the worst.
11. Int. Car. Evening.
The man undoes his fly and starts to pull his pants down. Alex looks both scared and disgusted with him at the same time.
Alex:
Isn´t there some other way?
Man:
Not if you want money to party for!
Alex:
I don´t even like guys that way.
Man:
Why should I care? Look, I don´t have all night, so either you get your panties off and get to work, or I´ll find a girl, who will. Understood?
Alex:
Understood.
Man:
You´ll get fifty and another fifty, if I´m satisfied.
Alex:
Fifty bucks? That´s all you think, I´m worth?
Man:
You can make double that, if you keep me happy. Hearing you yap isn´t doing that for me, so stop wasting my time or get out!
Alex is torn on what to do, but decides that she can´t bring herself do it and makes a run for it.
12. Ext. Street. Evening.
Having turned down the guy, Alex is down to the last and most humiliating option, begging outside of a liquor store. The withdrawals are starting to hit her hard too and are making her shake, along with the cold from the evening air. She tries to approach a guy, who´s heading inside, but he completely ignores her. It´s enough to make her usual hard shell start to crack and it isn´t long until she starts having a breakdown, not caring anymore who sees it. She gets the slip of paper that Paige gave her out of her coat pocket and looks at it.
13. Int. Train Station. Evening.
Ashley has her suitcase and is waiting with Paige, Amy and Jay. She looks at her watch to check the time.
Ashley:
She has ten more minutes.
Amy:
Ash, I know you wanted to get this all sorted out, before you went back to school, but you can´t wait forever.
Ashley:
Then why does it feel like I´m abandoning her again?
Jay:
You tried, Ash. That´s all I asked of you.
Paige:
She knows how to reach us, when she´s ready. Trying to force her into doing something she doesn´t want to, could end up making it worse.
Ashley:
It´s hard to see, how it could be worse!
Amy:
Until you´re dead, it always can!
Their talk is interrupted by the sound of Paige´s phone ringing. She gets it from her purse and smiles, when she sees who it is.
Paige:
She sure cut it close!
Ashley and the other two look glad too.
Ashley:
It´s her?
Paige nods and puts the phone up to her ear.
Paige:
Hi. Where are you?
Ashley looks relieved and her and Amy hug. Jay´s face is full of relief too.
14. Int. The Dot. Evening.
Alex, whose hands are shaking from her withdrawals, looks relieved to be with people, who only want the best for her at The (otherwise empty) Dot. She´s at a table with Jay, Paige and Ashley.
Alex:
After I got dumped, I felt like I needed to let out some steam, you know?
Jay:
Only you let out enough steam to fire up an old fashioned steam engine.
Alex nods in sad agreement.
Alex:
It wasn´t that I didn´t know which way it was heading, long before I sunk this low, but I guess I didn´t want to admit it to myself.
Paige:
It was the same thing with me. What began with a line to get over exam anxiety, turned into me doing a line in the bathroom as the first thing I did every morning, just so I could feel normal.
Ashley:
I didn´t know it was that bad.
Paige:
The way I was going, I would have hit rock bottom sooner or later. It was only a matter of time.
Amy:
It´s times like this that I´m glad, I got out of that life early!
Paige:
Learn from us two and don´t get back into it, Amy. It´s not worth it.
Jay:
I hate to break up this love fest, but it´s a long drive and I have to get up early tomorrow, so ...
Alex:
That´s okay, Jay. Thanks for being such a good friend.
Jay:
It´s nothing.
She smiles at him.
Alex:
Jay, it´s thanks to you, that I´m ready to deal with this. You´ve always sold yourself short, but when it comes down to it, you´re one hell of a great guy.
She gets a smile out of him and Paige stands up.
Paige:
One more thing, before you go!
She runs to the back and soon comes back with an employee T-shirt.
Paige:
Even if I don´t go to jail, I don´t plan on staying here forever, but you´ll need a job when you get out of rehab, so ...
She hands the T-Shirt to Alex, who smiles.
Alex:
Are you serious?
Paige:
It´s not that different from working at the movie theater and you were great at that, so I can´t see why you wouldn´t be at this. Try it on.
Alex does and it fits her nicely.
Ashley:
Can you just hand her a job like this?
Amy:
Won´t your boss have a say in it?
Paige:
Please! I know how to work him, like he´s putty in my hands!
She gets the phone out and sets the timer for it to take a picture, before putting it on the counter. All four of them smile for the camera, as we hear it take a picture. Paige picks it up again and sends the picture to Alex´s phone.
Paige:
Now you have a reminder, that you have people who love you and won´t give up on you.
Alex looks glad and gives hugs first to Paige, then Amy and finally Ashley, who gets an extra long one. Neither of them look like they want to let go.
Ashley:
Give me a call, when you get settled in.
Alex:
I´ll do that.
Ashley:
I don´t want us to ever become estranged again.
Alex:
Me neither.
They finally let go and Alex leaves with Jay. The others look relieved, knowing that she´s in good hands.
15. Int. Car. Evening.
Jay and Alex are driving to the rehab clinic, she´s going to.
Alex:
I wonder what rehab will be like. You hear stories, but it´s probably not like that in reality.
Jay:
My guess is that it´s a lot of dealing with your emotions and stuff like that.
Alex:
Isn´t that perfect for someone, who´s always hated having to share her´s with others?
Jay:
You weren´t afraid to tell me off, when you found out about my cheating on you!
They laugh, when thinking back on it.
Alex:
Man, that seems like something that happened in a different lifetime already, doesn´t it?
Jay:
It´s like it´s something that happened to two completely different people.
Alex:
Do you think, I can do this, Jay. Honestly?
Jay:
I know that you both can and will.
Alex:
I wish, I had your faith in me.
She looks ready to deal with the future, whatever it may bring her.
CLOSING CREDITS
DEGRASSI: PRESENT DAY
TEASER TRAILER #1
THE SHOT OPENS ON THE FRONT ENTRANCE TO DEGRASSI WITH ELLIE NASH GREETING US, WITH HER HOLDING HER FOUR YEAR OLD SON´S HAND. SHE´S STILL STUNNING LOOKING FOR HER AGE, BY THE WAY.
ELLIE:
Welcome to Degrassi, as it looks now that we´re only a week away from the grand re-opening, after the long and un-planned break we all got thanks to Covid-19. I´d like you all to meet my son Jackson Thomas Nash. or JT, as pretty much everyone calls him.
JT waves at us.
JT:
Hi!
Ellie:
Do you want to go inside and see what´s going on?
JT:
Sure!
Ellie takes his hand and gently leads him inside.
We cut to a hallway, where workers are carrying tables and chairs to the classrooms. Ellie and JT are met by Zig Novak (that despite having aged a few years still looks like the same old Zig), who comes rolling over to them sitting on an office chair, making JT giggle.
ELLIE:
Aren´t you a little old for that, Zig?
ZIG:
You´re never too old to play! Am I right, buddy?
JT nods in agreement.
ELLIE:
This is our janitor, Zig Novak. Say hi to everyone, Zig.
He plays up to the camera and tries to make himself look important.
ZIG:
I´m the one, who makes sure this place doesn´t fall apart, along with adding to the looks factor among the faculty!
Maya Matlin comes rolling around the corner on an office chair of her own and is going so fast, that she almost crashes into the wall, but manages to save it at the last moment. She looks a little embarrassed when she sees the camera and tries to look more adult.
MAYA:
I wish, you hadn´t seen that, principal Nash! I guarantee, that I´m not usually this childish. It´s him, who brings it out in me!
ELLIE:
Do you want to introduce yourself?
MAYA:
Sure! I´m Maya Matlin and I share an apartment with Zig.
ZIG:
We´re just friends though!
MAYA:
I´ve also been hired to start teaching here, which makes me more and more nervous, the closer we get to school re-opening!
Ellie smiles at her re-assuringly.
ELLIE:
I wouldn´t have hired you, if I didn´t think you would be great at it.
Maya looks a little re-assured, but she´s still clearly nervous over it.
ELLIE:
Do you want to see one of the classrooms, where I used to have classes, JT?
JT nods and they head up the hallway.
MAYA:
Have fun!
Once they´re gone, she gives Zig a playful little punch on the shoulder, that he pretends hurts.
We cut to a classroom, where Isabella Jones (now 16 and dressed more or less like a young Holly J) is helping with hanging up posters, along with her close friend Samantha O´Connor (or Sam, as everyone calls her), a red haired beauty who´s the same age as her.
ELLIE:
I see that we have a pair of early birds!
The girls get a little nervous at being noticed and stops what they´re doing.
IZZY:
Principal Nash, hi!
SAM:
Before you say anything, I´m only here because she was so annoying about her election campaign, that I had to say yes, so she would shut up about it!
ELLIE:
Take it easy, girls! JT, say hi to Samantha and Isabella. They´re students here, who will be starting their Junior year soon.
JT:
Hi!
The girl´s hearts to out to the little guy immediately and they smile at him.
IZZY:
Hi, JT.
SAM:
Are you starting school here next week too?
He shakes his head.
JT:
No, I´m still in Kindergarten.
ELLIE:
You two will both be long gone, by the time he starts here!
JT:
You really went to school here, mom?
ELLIE:
I had some of the best years of my life here, kiddo.
IZZY:
We love it here too!
SAM:
No one loves school more than you, Izzy! It would be impossible for someone to love it more!
IZZY:
Is it okay, that we finish hanging my posters up?
ELLIE:
As long as you make sure to tell Zig, before you leave.
Ellie and JT leave them and they get back to work.
We cut to the famous school sign, that Ellie and JT are standing in front of.
ELLIE:
I hope you enjoyed this first little sneak peek into what is to come this coming school year. It´s my first real school year as a principal in many ways and I´m as excited as the students are to bring life back to this school, that I love so dearly. Say goodbye to the nice people, JT.
JT:
Bye!
They wave goodbye to us and we fade to black.