WHAT IF? - SEASON 5 EPISODE 5 - NO EXCUSES (PART 1)
THE SERIES HAS REACHED A NEW MILESTONE WITH 20.000 VIEWS, SO ANOTHER BIG THANKS GOES OUT TO ALL YOU READERS WHO HAVE HELPED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN! IT LOOKS SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE MISSED THE LAST EPISODE THOUGH, PROBABLY BECAUSE IT WAS RELEASED SIMULTANEOUSLY LAST SATURDAY WITH AN EPISODE OF MY NEW SERIES "DEGRASSI: PRESENT DAY". IF YOU HAVEN´T READ IT YET, BE SURE TO CHECK IT OUT!
1. Ext. Football Field. Day.
The football team are having their try-out´s and their coach, better known as The Shep is in charge and he´s working with his two potential quarterbacks, Drew and a very attractive curly haired Greek boy named Riley Stavros, who´s a year older than him. Also with them are the three best choices for starting wide receiver: Danny, Derek and Dallas.
Shep:
Alright, people. I´ll call some plays and you will execute them! Do you require any more explanation than that?
Players:
No, Coach!
Shep:
These are things I expect you to already know. Drew, throw a screen pass to ... let´s say your girlfriend here Mike Dallas!
Derek, Riley and Danny laugh, as Drew and Dallas take the man humor in stride.
Drew:
I thought this was gonna be a challenge!
Dallas:
I have better taste than his sorry butt, coach!
Shep:
Derek, you will hike the ball to Drew and Danny and Riley, you will be the defense.
They set up for the play and Drew and Dallas execute it perfectly.
Shep:
Nice work. Same play, but with the defense and offense switched around.
They switch around, so that it´s Riley´s turn to play quarterback.
We cut to Chantay and Mia watching them from the sideline. Chantay has a notepad and a pen.
Mia:
Remind me again why you said yes to being the Degrassi Digest´s sports reporter, when you know absolutely nothing about sports and you couldn´t care less about sports to begin with?
Chantay:
Because I needed a new hobby, since I still couldn´t get into the Spirit Squad and I have all of this extra free time on my hands, now that I´m single again. Turns out that the gossip section wasn´t a job that was hard to fill, so I had to settle for the one position they had left!
Mia:
Who would have guessed? Aren´t you deep down just a tiny bit afraid, that it will shine through in your writing, that you have no clue what you´re talking about?
Chantay clearly hadn´t considered that part!
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Hallway. Day.
Dallas is getting things from his locker, when Chantay comes over to him. They smile at each other.
Dallas:
You´re that reporter girl, right?
Chantay:
The name is Chantay.
Dallas:
Ooh, how exotic!
He looks at her flirtingly, which she doesn´t seem to mind and plays along a little.
Chantay:
And you´re Mike Dallas, Sophomore at Degrassi, dual sports star and someone, who I´m guessing is fighting the girls off right and left!
Dallas´ smile fades, thinking that she´s out to get a scoop from him.
Dallas:
If you´re looking for dirt, you´ve come to the wrong guy. I don´t kiss and tell!
Chantay giggles.
Chantay:
I´m not always on the job, Dallas! I would love to get an interview with one of the new star players however. That´s where you come into the picture.
He looks interested.
We cut to Danny and Peter, watching them as they pass by. Danny looks jealous and Chantay notices it, which only makes her appear even more flirty with Dallas, who´s blissfully oblivious to what´s really going on.
3. Int. Classroom. Day.
Danny and Peter come in.
Danny:
She can´t be into him! He´s a Sophomore!
Peter:
She´s playing mind games with you! Can´t you see it? She´s probably doing it to him too, he just doesn´t know her well enough to see the signs.
They take their seats and Danny looks annoyed at the whole thing.
Danny:
All this thanks to one stupid argument!
Peter:
Have you tried apologizing again?
Danny:
I´m not apologizing twice over this! I did it once to be the bigger man, even though I didn´t mean it. She´s the one acting childish and playing games, like she was a character on one of those soap operas, she watches!
He shakes his head at how hard it can be to be Chantay´s boyfriend sometimes!
4. Int. Hallway. Day.
Drew and Dallas come down to the bulletin board to see if they made the team or not.
Dallas:
It´s not like you have to worry! You´re two guys fighting for two spots! It´s easy math!
Drew:
So easy, that even I can do it! Maybe it says who of us will be the starter.
They look over the list and Drew looks a little disappointed.
Drew:
I am a starter. Starting Tight End and back-up QB.
Dallas:
Don´t let it get you down. At least we´ll be playing on the team together.
Drew:
Congratulations, Mr. New Starting Wide Receiver!
Dallas:
I can drop a pass or two and make Riley look bad?
Drew shakes his head and they smile at each other.
Drew:
The Shep would tear both of us a new one, if he found out!
Dallas:
Here´s to a great season!
They fist bump on it, just as Riley also comes over to check. They try to look as friendly with him, as they can, now that they´re team mates.
Riley:
Hi, guys.
Drew:
You don´t need to look. You made starting QB.
Riley smiles widely and looks glad.
Riley:
Awesome! You´re a good Quarterback too, Drew.
Drew:
Thanks, but you´re more accurate on the long passes. Don´t get complacent though, because I plan on giving you an run for your money!
Riley:
I wouldn´t have it any other way.
Dallas:
Look at us! We´re already starting to become a team!
Derek and Danny also come over to check. Danny looks pleased, but Derek looks angry.
Derek:
That´s so unfair!
The other three notice them, thanks to Derek´s outburst.
Riley:
What is?
Derek:
I´m the 3rd choice wide receiver and kick returner! I´ll be on the pitch for twenty plays in every game, if I´m lucky!
Danny:
You´ll still be on the team.
Dallas:
It was a fair competition!
Derek:
Was it? Why did I only get half the reps, you and Danny did then?
Drew:
Are you saying that he´d already made up his mind before tryouts?
Derek:
I´m saying that he saw two athletic black guys, who look like football players and a white kid, who in his mind can´t be lucky enough to be born with the same natural abilities, Danny and Dallas have! I never stood a chance!
He storms off in anger, while the others try to take in what he said.
5. Int. The Dot. Day.
Drew, Riley and Dallas are talking about what happened.
Drew:
Do you think he could be right?
Dallas:
I still can´t decide if what he said was racist or not!
Riley:
Are preconceived favoritism and racism the same?
Drew:
This is why I stay away from ethical questions and just mind my own business!
Riley:
On one hand he´s the coach and it wouldn´t be right to force him to pick a player, he doesn´t want on the team.
Dallas:
On the other hand, should he be the coach, if he doesn´t give everyone a fair shake? I want to play, of course I do, but I want it to be because I deserve to, not for any other reason!
Drew and Riley look a little surprised at what Dallas said. He gets uncomfortable at them staring at him.
Dallas:
What?
Drew:
Nothing. It´s just that you wouldn´t think that a ... guy like you ...
Riley:
Would stand up for the white guy in this situation.
Dallas:
You mean because I´m black?
Both Drew and Riley become uncomfortable, that he said it out loud.
Dallas:
Racism goes both ways, but this isn´t about that. If you ask me, the least we as students can expect is that our school is a free zone from prejudice, no matter who you are and what skin color you have. Especially if it´s someone with authority doing it openly and those above him ignoring it, so he can keep on doing it year after year. It´s not like that all the time, but it should be and if it isn´t, then something should be done about it.
Chantay comes in, ending their conversation.
Drew:
There´s your interview date!
Riley:
You´re sure, she´s not just fishing for a juicy story?
Dallas gets an idea.
Dallas:
If she is, then maybe I should give her a juicy scoop to follow up on.
He looks at the other two, who get what he means and they all nod in agreement. Chantay comes over to them and get up from their seats.
Chantay:
Hi, guys. There´s no need to leave on my behalf.
Riley:
Dallas has something to tell you.
Drew:
Something you´ll be very interested in hearing!
Chantay looks intrigued and sits down, as the other two leave them to find a table of their own.
Dallas:
Did you bring your pad and pen? You´ll want to take notes.
She takes the two from her purse and is ready to write.
Chantay:
I always carry them with me these days!
Dallas:
This didn´t come from me, so you can´t quote me on anything.
We cut to Drew and Riley watching them from their own table. They look like they´re starting to get along pretty well.
Riley:
Do you think he´ll score with her?
Drew:
I think that she´ll lead him on until she has her story and then she´ll never talk to him again!
Riley:
Ditto!
They laugh together.
Drew:
Sometimes girls can be the worst, right?
Riley pretends to know what he´s talking about.
Riley:
Yeah! The worst of the worst! My last girlfriend turned out to be a nightmare!
Drew looks at him with sympathy.
Drew:
I´m sorry, man! Did you go out with her for a long time?
Riley tries to think fast to keep his lie going.
Riley:
A few months.
Drew:
What did she do that was so bad?
Riley:
Oh, she ... you know ... was just way too girly all the time!
Drew:
I´m the same as you. I can handle it in small doses, but not more than that!
Riley:
You and me have a lot in common.
Drew:
Do you want to come over to my place and play video games? I just got a new one.
Riley:
Yeah, that would be cool! I haven´t really made that many friends at Degrassi yet.
Drew:
New, huh?
Riley:
Just started at the beginning of the school year.
Drew:
You´ve made two in me and Dallas. You´re a pretty cool guy, Riley. My sister is a bit of a weirdo, but I´m sure you´ll get along fine too. You don´t need to be afraid of her being girly either. She´s practically a guy with boobs.
Riley looks glad to feel accepted.
6. Int. Cinema Lobby. Evening.
Chantay, Mia, Darcy and Jane are having a girl´s night out at the movies. The other three look like they´re in a great mood, but Chantay looks lost in her thoughts.
Mia:
Who wants to bet that Mila Kunis ends up with the guy she clearly had a crush on in the trailer, we saw the last time we were here?
Jane:
I´ll give you odds of 1 to 1.0000000001!
Darcy:
Even I wouldn´t take that bet!
Mia:
What do you think, Chantay?
Chantay:
Huh? What were you saying?
Jane:
We were talking about the movie, that you insisted we went and saw together?
Chantay:
Sorry, my mind has been all over the place since this afternoon!
Her friends smile knowingly at each other, like that´s not exactly something new for Chantay.
Jane:
What about?
Chantay:
If you knew that something that´s wrong could be going on at the school, but it would be hard to prove, would you try to forget it or do something about it?
Her friends get serious for a moment and look at her.
Darcy:
It´s not something sexual with a teacher and a student is it, because I heard the creepiest story from the Degrassi of the late 80´s, that sickened me to my stomach!
Chantay:
No, but it is very unethical too. Not on the same level, but it certainly isn´t right either, if it´s true.
Mia:
Does it involve a teacher?
Chantay nods.
Jane:
In that case, you can´t let it slide. Teachers are meant to be our roll models, not the problem!
Darcy:
Whether you knew it or not at the time, you accepted an ethical obligation to at least see what you can dig up, when you said yes to joining the school paper.
Chantay nods in understanding and wonders what to do.
7. Int. Drew´s Room. Evening.
Drew, Riley and Gracie are playing "WWE Raw vs. Smackdown" on his console and are having an intense 3-way match! Drew and Gracie both have their own self made characters (named Drew-zilla and The Grace-anator), while Riley plays as The Rock. He´s not as used to it as the two siblings though, who have clearly played it a lot against each other, but he´s still enjoying himself a lot.
Gracie:
Did you order a piledriver, Drew?
Gracie´s character hits a big piledriver on Drew´s, who´s down for the count. Gracie smiles.
Gracie:
Got ya!
Drew:
That was luck!
Gracie turns her head to stick out her tongue at him and doesn´t notice Riley´s character fumblingly approaching Gracie´s and rolling her up from behind, but Drew does and decides to get one over on his sister.
Drew:
Bet you can´t do it again!
Gracie:
You´re on!
By the time she turns her head, it´s too late though and Riley has already won! Drew and him both laugh that her cockiness got the better of her.
Riley:
I have no idea what I did! I was just mashing buttons!
Drew:
What´s the best wrestling move in the world, sis? The distraction!
Gracie:
I want a rematch!
Her cell phone rings though and she picks it up. She smiles when she sees who it is.
Gracie:
It´ll have to be later!
She puts the phone to her ear and looks ten times more glad than before.
Gracie:
Hi, Jenna! What´s up? You want to hang out? Sure!
Gracie leaves them and they smile at each other.
Drew:
You can consider that rematch postponed indefinitely! When Jenna calls, Gracie forgets about everything and everyone else.
Riley:
It almost sounds like she has a crush on her.
Drew:
Would it surprise you too much, if she did?
Riley gets what he means.
Riley:
I can´t say it didn´t cross my mind, that she could be gay. She is clearly very boyish, if that´s a word.
Drew:
Between you and me, sometimes I forget that she´s my sister and I treat her like I would a brother. Then I have to remind myself, that she isn´t a boy and that there are differences between the two sexes.
Riley:
Are you sure that she´s gay?
Drew:
She describes herself as non-practicing with intent to in the future. When she met Jenna, I was hoping so bad, that something would finally work out for her, but Jenna only likes boys.
Riley:
It can´t be easy to go through. Especially when you´re as young, as she is.
Drew:
I feel so bad for her, that she can´t have it as easy as everyone else, but she´s my sister and I´m not gonna stop loving her, because she´s not afraid to be who she is.
Riley looks glad to find out that Drew is acceptant of gays, at least in some way.
Riley:
Aren´t you worried that it´ll be at least a little weird, seeing her kissing another girl?
Drew:
Would you think it was?
Riley:
I´m an only child.
Drew:
I meant, if you had a sister or brother for that matter, who was like Gracie is?
Riley thinks about it.
Riley:
I think that something like that is always weird for people to get used to. When she comes out, she can probably expect to get teased and perhaps even bullied at school.
Drew:
Don´t tell anyone, but things got really bad for her at one of the last schools she went to, after she came out to a girl, she thought was her friend. We´re talking constant bullying, even a physical assault against her, that landed her in the hospital, on school grounds and everything. Those who did got away almost Scott free.
Drew can see that what he´s telling Riley is deeply affecting him.
Drew:
Are you okay? I didn´t bring you here to bum you out, I promise!
Riley:
Yeah, I´m fine. I feel really bad on your sister´s behalf.
Drew:
If you see me being over protective of her, now you´ll know why. I´m not letting it happen to her again, if I can help it.
Riley:
No, of course not.
The door opens and Audra sticks her head in.
Audra:
Is your friend staying for dinner, Drew?
Riley:
What are you having?
Audra:
Nothing special. Just Spaghetti.
Drew:
My mom´s Spaghetti sauce is second to none. You gotta try it!
Riley:
In that case, sure!
Audra looks pleased.
Audra:
It´s great to see you bringing home such a nice boy for once, Drew!
She leaves them and Riley looks glad that he´s feeling so welcome.
8. Ext. Drew´s House. Evening.
Riley is saying goodbye to Drew.
Drew:
You´re sure I shouldn´t ask my mom to drive you home?
Riley:
It´s only a few miles to my house, if I take the shortcut through the woods. Anyway, it probably wouldn´t hurt me to run some of this off!
He pads his stomach and him and Drew smile at each other.
Drew:
I saw how you chowed down! Have you ever thought of entering an eating contest?
Riley laughs.
Riley:
I´ll stick to football. See ya.
Drew:
See ya.
Riley jogs off towards the woods.
9. Ext. Woods. Evening.
It´s still bright light outside, since it´s the late part of the summer. Riley comes running through the woods and looks around for someone. He sees another runner, a boy around his own age come running towards him and they look glad to see each other.
Riley:
I was starting to get afraid, that I was too late!
Riley´s Boyfriend:
Don´t you know that I would have waited for you? This is the highlight of my day too.
The two boys smile at each other and kiss. Riley looks like he´s finally feeling free and allowing himself to be who he is and not the persona that he feels like he has to put on for the world to see.
10. Int. Computer Lab. Day.
Chantay is going over some old files on one of the PC´s, but she´s not getting much from it, to her frustration. It´s pretty much just a list of all of the players, who have played for the Degrassi football team over the years and what their stats were.
Chantay (whispering to herself):
This is giving me nothing!
She tries to come up with a plan, then gets an idea.
11. Int. Library. Day.
Chantay comes up to the counter. The librarian looks friendly and ready to help her.
Chantay:
Hi. I was wondering if you could tell me where your yearbooks are?
Librarian:
The fourth row on your left.
Chantay:
Thanks!
She goes to look for it.
We cut to her with a big stack of yearbooks going back 30 years, that she´s compiled. She starts looking through the first one and sees the Degrassi football team from 1977. The haircuts and styles that the boys wore makes her smile a little. She then starts looking over the names and all three of the wide receivers were African American and both quarterbacks were white.
Chantay:
One for one.
She puts it away and finds the football team picture in the next one. She´s already starting to see a pattern forming, that can´t be denied. Again the receivers are African American and the quarterbacks were white.
Chantay:
Two for two.
She continues her work.
12. Int. Hallway. Day.
Danny is coming down the hallway, where he´s met by Chantay, who wants to talk to him.
Chantay:
We need to talk, Danny!
Danny:
Look, if this is to scold me again or say something mean ...
Chantay:
Why won´t you just give me a proper apology, so we can go back to normal?
Danny:
Okay, if that´s what it takes, here goes: I´m sorry that I said Beyonce´s last single sucked, okay?
Chantay:
Do you really mean it?
Danny:
Yes. Now what were you going to tell me?
Chantay smiles widely at him.
Chantay:
I´m so glad, we´re back together!
Danny:
Chantay?
Chantay:
Oh, right! Guess who looked through 30 years of yearbooks to dig up dirt on Degrassi´s football program.
Danny:
Is this about that thing with Derek? It´s sour grapes on his part.
Chantay:
I don´t think so! Guess how many white starting wide receivers Degrassi has had in that period?
Danny:
How should I know?
Chantay:
None.
Danny now starts looking suspicious too.
Danny:
Not a single one?
She shakes her head.
Chantay:
Can you guess how many black or ethnic starting quarterbacks they´ve had?
Danny:
The same?
Chantay nods and Danny sees too that she could be on to something.
Chantay:
I didn´t go further back, but it could go back even longer than that. There is a clear pattern of racial discrimination in the football program and someone needs to stop it!
Danny nods in agreement and she looks determined to something about it.
CLOSING CREDITS