WHAT IF? - SEASON 5 EPISODE 7 - AWFUL
1. Ext. Degrassi. Morning.
Holly J is waiting outside of the school with Anya and Sav and isn´t looking too pleased. She checks her phone.
Holly J:
Why doesn´t is surprise me that "The Princess of Manhattan" runs on her own schedule?
Sav:
That´s not her actual title, is it?
Anya:
If it is, then I feel like I should have dressed up more!
Holly J:
No, it´s not, but she behaves like it is! If there´s one family in the world, that nearly matches the Sinclair´s in horribleness, it´s the Coyne´s!
Anya:
They can´t all be equally bad!
Holly J:
It´s not far from it. I used to dread it for days beforehand, every time my parents told me, that they were coming to visit! Of course it would be my job to entertain Fiona and listen to her spend nearly all the time bragging about how much better New York is than everywhere else!
Anya:
That sounds like it would get old pretty quick!
Holly J:
Try ten seconds! The only one worse was her creep brother Declan, who´s been trying to get into my pants, since we were 12!
Sav:
What you´re saying reminds me of my uncle Rajiv. The guy tells bad jokes and thinks they´re the funniest thing ever!
Anya:
I have to correct your understatement there, Sav. Rajiv tells the WORST JOKES OF ANYONE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!
Holly J:
This one just thinks that the world was created to serve her every whim! I´m moments away from leaving her on her own!
A BMW pulls up to the curb and out steps the black haired beauty Fiona Coyne, stylishly dressed and looking like she´s ready to take the school by storm. Holly J takes a deep breath, as she gets ready to deal with her. Fiona smiles at her, Anya and Sav as she comes over to them.
Fiona:
Hi, Holly J! It´s so good to see you again!
Holly J:
You too, Fiona.
Holly J looks like she would rather have to walk on hot coals, than pretend to be Fiona´s friend.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Hallway. Day.
Holly J is trying to get Fiona up to date with how things are at Degrassi. Fiona is already looking very much out of place in her new surroundings.
Fiona:
Is it always this dirty here?
Holly J:
Not as clean as the fancy prep school, you used to go to?
Fiona:
The cleaning crew there would have been fired, if they´d left it looking like this, I´m sure!
Holly J:
This is a public high school, Fiona. You can´t expect the same standards, that you get at a school that it costs tens of thousands of dollars to attend.
Fiona:
One thing I like here better already is no one has to wear uniforms. It´s almost like I´m in the middle of some grimy YA series, where I´m the young fashionista from the big city, who´s come here to right the lives of these poor, downtrodden Canadian high schoolers!
Holly J has to laugh a little at Fiona´s naivety.
Holly J:
Fiona, you´re in Canada. Even most of the poor up here don´t have it all that bad!
Fiona:
I´ve been told that there aren´t as many beggars, as there are in the big apple.
Holly J:
You can´t tell me that you get beggars come up to you asking for money on Park Avenue or at Vanderbilt Prep!
Fiona:
No, but there was one girl in my class, who claimed to have seen one, not that anyone believed her!
Holly J:
Boy, are you in for a reality check!
Fiona looks at Holly J like she wonders what she meant.
3. Int. Principal´s Office. Day.
Fiona is meeting with Hatzilakos, who hands her a student ID card, that Fiona takes and looks at.
Hatzilakos:
Welcome to Degrassi.
Fiona:
Thanks. I´m really hoping that this will be a fresh start for me.
Hatzilakos:
That´s what we´re all hoping for you, Fiona. You´re probably well aware that we have plenty of experience dealing with troubled students here. It only works though, if you play along.
Fiona:
Now that I´m in a new place and far away from old clique, it should be easier for me not to use drinking as my crutch anymore. I realize of course, that teenagers party and drink up here as well, but I plan on staying sober from now on.
Hatzilakos:
It could be easier said than done. Do you have a support network up here, that you can lean on, when things get rough?
Fiona smiles at her.
Fiona:
My mom moved with me to help me get started up here. The best part is that I already have a really good friend in Holly J Sinclair. I´ve loved coming up to visit her, ever since I was little and I´m counting on her a lot to help me make this work out.
Hatzilakos:
You´re already starting at a disadvantage, since you chose to skip a good deal of the first part of the schoolyear at your previous school. Are you sure that you´re up for the challenge?
Fiona:
I´m positive, that I am!
Fiona tries her best to look confident, but it´s easy for both Hatzilakos and us to see, that it´s a girl who´s trying her hardest to hide a lot of fears and insecurities, we´re looking at.
4. Int. Hallway. Day.
Sav and Anya are talking by their lockers, as they get things from them.
Anya:
That´s two hours of my life, I´m never getting back!
Sav:
Even you, who usually loves school had to admit, that these last two classes were boring as sin?
Anya:
"The Great Gatsby"? More like "The Great Bore"!
Sav:
Don´t take it too hard. We only have a hundred and fifty pages left to cover!
Anya:
I really hope that the story picks up later on in the book!
She shakes her head, clearly not looking forward to it!
Sav:
Do you think I should ask Fiona out?
Anya:
You can´t give the girl four hours at her new school to get settled, before you try to get into bed with her? That has to be a record, even for you!
Sav:
I´m not that bad, Anya!
They both close their locker and looks him in the eyes.
Anya:
Sav, I´m saying this as your friend. Ever since you and Holly J broke up, you´ve been like a bunny on Viagra!
Sav:
What are you talking about? I haven´t slept with one single girl in that entire time.
Anya:
Maybe not, but you´re checking out every girl, like you´re imagining them starring in your own private porn movie! Can´t you at least give her a few days, until you try to jump her bones?
Sav:
Alright! I promise that I won´t say anything flirty and just be plain nice to her in a friendly and non seductive way. How does that sound?
Anya:
Like a promise, you won´t be able to keep!
They head off to class.
Sav:
I also don´t look at every girl that way.
Anya:
Name three.
Sav:
That´s easy! There´s you, my little sister ...
Anya:
You and me are practically family and she is your family member! We don´t count!
Sav:
Okay, then there´s Alli´s friend Clare.
Anya:
I´ll give you that one, if only because she still looks like a twelve year old and it would be seriously creepy, if you wanted to do anything with her! That´s still only one, Sav. You need to name two more.
Sav tries hard to, but can´t come up with anyone, to even Anya´s surprise.
Anya:
Even "Bulldozer Bertha"?
Sav:
She has a pretty smile, when you get past how scary the rest of her looks!
Anya shakes her head.
5. Int. Library. Day.
Fiona is waiting by the counter with Holly J.
Fiona:
I can´t believe how old fashioned this school is! That you actually still use real books to teach with is just hilarious to me!
Holly J:
You don´t use books at Vanderbilt?
Fiona:
Holly J, that was a school that had owned up to it being the 21st century! They switched to digital years ago! I don´t get why they don´t do the same here!
Holly J:
Maybe because it would be very expensive and they don´t have that kind of money?
Fiona:
They don´t? God, it´s like living in Communist Japan!
Holly J:
I think you mean Communist China!
Fiona:
No, I´m pretty sure it´s Japan, Holly J. From what my mom tells me, the Chinese have lots of money!
Holly J shakes her head and clearly needs a break from Fiona badly! She´s saved by Sav, who comes up to the counter to join them.
Sav:
Cruising for free books too, huh?
Fiona:
You were ... ?
Sav:
My full name is Savtaj, but everyone calls me Sav.
Fiona:
You weren´t born here, I´m guessing?
Sav:
You´re right. I was born in India, but my parents came over here, when I was still a little kid.
Holly J sees the chance to get a break, now that Sav has her entertained.
Holly J:
You know what, Fiona. I have some small things, I need to do.
Fiona:
No problem. It´s not like it´s a two person job to wait!
Holly J:
Sav, can you keep her company while she waits?
Sav:
I´d be glad to!
Him and Fiona smile at each other. Holly J just looks glad to be getting a small break from Fiona.
Sav:
So, tell me about New York!
This is clearly Fiona´s favorite subject to talk about and she gets a little excited in getting to do so.
Fiona:
Where do I begin?
We quickly cut to Holly J, who´s on her way out.
Holly J:
You are so gonna regret saying that, Sav!
She still clearly doesn´t feel too bad about leaving him alone with Fiona.
6. Int. Girl´s Room. Day.
Holly J is hiding out in what is clearly the girl´s room for the freshman girls with Anya. They´re getting some stares from Jenna, who´s wondering what they´re doing there. Holly J looks at her annoyed.
Jenna:
Aren´t you two a little old to be freshmen?
Holly J:
Let me answer with another question. How would you like to have my fist planted right in the middle of your face?
Jenna:
I was only asking!
Jenna hurries out of there. Anya looks at Holly J, a little worried about her.
Anya:
That sounded a lot more like you, from when you started here, than you from now!
Holly J:
It´s her that does it to me! The rest of my time in high school can´t be spending every day babysitting a spoiled brat from New York, who seriously needs to brush up on her Geography! It just can´t!
Anya:
So, tell you mom that you can´t do it!
Holly J:
I have to, because it´s expected of me! There´s nothing I´d like more than to tell that airheaded and snobby bimbo Fiona to take a hike, but if do, then my parents will cut off my allowance!
Anya:
They actually threatened to do that?
Holly J:
The Coyne´s have been important business partners with our family, going back to my great, great grandfather Harold Sinclair, who founded the family fortune. To my parents and everyone else in my family, doing anything to split that family union between our families is unthinkable.
Anya:
You´re basically stuck with her, whether you like it or not, is that what I´m hearing?
Holly J:
For two years more without the possibility of an early release! Although, I could do something terrible and get myself expelled!
Anya:
Won´t they just send her to the next school with you too?
Holly J:
She could end up following me around for the rest of my life! I´m officially doomed!
Holly J and Anya leave the girl´s room and we hear a toilet flush. Alli comes out from one of the stalls, looking a little shocked at what she heard.
7. Ext. Hallway. Day.
Alli comes out from the girl´s room, where Jenna is waiting for her.
Jenna:
Did you hear how one of those two mean girls threatened me? I should go to the principal and tell her.
Alli:
You missed the best part, after you ran out of there.
Jenna:
What did I miss?
Alli:
Mean girl talk taken to the extreme! I felt so bad for the poor girl, they were backtalking!
Jenna:
Don´t you just hate girls like that?
Alli:
I know one of them, she´s friends with my brother. She´s not usually like that either. The other is his ex-girlfriend, sad as I am to say it right now!
Jenna:
You should tell that girl, what they said about her!
Alli:
You´re right! I should, just like you should tell the principal, that she threatened you!
The girls nod in agreement.
8. Int. Classroom. Day.
Fiona is waiting for Holly J and has saved her a seat next to herself. Holly J comes in with Anya and tries not to look annoyed, that she has to sit with Fiona, when she would much rather sit with Anya. Fiona smiles sweetly at her though.
Fiona:
I saved you a seat, Holly J!
Holly J:
Thanks, Fiona!
Anya gives Holly J a sympathetic look, before taking a seat next to Sav. Holly J sits with Fiona, who looks glad to be back by Holly J´s side again.
Fiona:
Did you get the things done, you needed to?
Holly J:
I´d say so.
Fiona:
Sav told me about your local hangout The Dot and I was thinking that we could go there together after school with him and Anya?
Holly J:
Sure, I´ll show you The Dot. Don´t get your hopes up too high though. It´s more or less like any other cafe, except that lots of Degrassi students come there after school every day, to hang out and fill themselves with food, that probably isn´t good for them.
Fiona:
Sav told me about their famous fries, so I have to try those. Maybe afterwards we could go back to my place, order some takeout and you can help me make a plan for how I´m gonna catch up on my classes?
Holly J tries to look pleased at the prospect of it, but it´s hard to!
Holly J:
As in, us spending the whole day together?
Fiona:
Not just today! I´ll be honest, I´m gonna need a lot of private tutoring from you, if I´m gonna have any chance of catching up! Of course, this weekend you have to show me all the best places in the city! It´s one thing to have a tour guide explain things to you, but it´s when you get to experience it with a true friend like you, that you get the real experience of what the city is like!
Holly J has to go along with it, to her dismay.
Holly J:
Okay, Fiona. We´ll do that.
Hatzilakos (over the PA):
Holly Sinclair, come to the principal´s office. That´s Holly Sinclair, would you please come to the principal´s office?
Holly J looks surprised, then remembers.
Fiona:
What could that be about?
Holly J:
I might have done something dumb.
Fiona:
I´ll make sure that no one steals your seat, while you´re gone.
Holly J:
That´s nice of you, Fiona.
Holly J leaves the classroom, while she tries to calm down.
9. Int. Principal´s Office. Day.
Holly J takes a seat next to Jenna across from Hatzilakos, who stares her in the eyes menacingly.
Holly J:
I can guess what this is regarding.
Hatzilakos:
What made you think it was okay to threaten Jenna here, with punching her in the face?
Holly J:
I´m having a bad day, so I snapped at her.
Holly J looks Jenna in the eyes.
Holly J:
I´m very sorry, if I scared you, Jenna. I´m not someone who goes around and beats up girls younger than me, but I can see how there was no way for you to know that, since you´ve just started here and how it could have been frightening for you. I most likely would have been a little frightened too, if an older girl had talked that way to me, when I was your age and again, you have my sincerest apologies.
Hatzilakos:
Was that a good enough apology for you, Jenna?
Jenna:
I accept her apology, as long as she promises not to do it again.
Holly J:
You have my word on it, Jenna.
Hatzilakos:
Unfortunately for you, Holly J, I´m bound by the school code of conduct to punish you. Older students threatening the younger students with physical violence is something we quite simply won´t accept at this school, under any circumstances.
Holly J:
I can fully understand that, Miss Hatzilakos and I´ll take whatever punishment you see fit to give me.
Hatzilakos:
A week´s detention, starting after school today.
Holly J tries not to smile at it giving her some free time from Fiona and just nods in acceptance of her punishment.
10. Int. Hallway. Day.
Fiona and Sav are saying so long to Holly J.
Holly J:
You know that I wish, I could go with you!
Fiona:
I´ll wait at The Dot for you. It´s a shame, that Anya couldn´t come.
Holly J:
I´m sure, she´s torn up over it.
Fiona:
Will you keep me company, Sav?
Sav:
It´ll be my pleasure!
Holly J:
You two are really getting on, aren´t you?
Sav:
She´s an easy girl to talk to.
Fiona:
Like you´re not the world´s easiest guy to talk to, after my brother?
Holly J:
I´ll see you guys later.
She walks off to her detention.
11. Int. The Dot. Day.
Sav and Fiona are sharing a portion of fries at one of the tables.
Sav:
Are they as good as I said or what?
Fiona:
I´ll call them pretty good. For the best fries, you need to go to New York, I still say.
Sav:
Do you miss it?
Fiona:
Yeah, I do. It´s so nice how you and Holly J have made me feel at home though. If it had been me alone at that school, I would have felt nervous and frightened all the time. In case you can´t tell, I´m really not good with being alone too much of the time.
Alli comes in and walks over to Sav and Fiona.
Alli:
I hope, I´m not interrupting anything!
Fiona:
I´ll take a wild guess. You´re Sav´s little sister?
Sav:
Alli, this is Fiona, who just had her first day at Degrassi today. Fiona, this is Alli, my little sister, as you correctly guessed.
Alli quickly puts two and two together.
Alli:
You´re the Fiona, who´s friends with Anya and Holly J too?
Fiona looks at Sav.
Fiona:
Is she always this good at guessing?
Sav:
She´s smart for her age!
Alli:
Sav, can I talk to Fiona alone for a minute, please?
Sav looks a little confused and stands up, letting Alli take his seat.
Sav:
I´ll get us something to drink, while you talk.
Fiona:
Water is fine for me, thanks.
Sav:
You really are a New Yorker, aren´t you?
They smile at each other and Sav leaves them. Alli tries to be as friendly with Fiona as she can.
Fiona:
If this is because you´re worried about me dating your brother, you don´t have to be. We´re just friends. As someone with a brother I love very much too, I think it´s nice that you´re looking out for him.
Alli:
I try to, but this isn´t about that. Look, what I´m about to say won´t be easy to hear, so I´ll just say it. Holly J isn´t your friend. She´s only pretending to be, because she feels like she has to be nice to you, for her family´s sake. I overheard her saying some very mean things about you in the girl´s bathroom and I thought, you should know.
Fiona:
You must have misunderstood, what she said!
Alli:
There was nothing that could be misunderstood. I´m sorry, Fiona.
She gets up from her seat, just as Sav comes back. Fiona looks shocked at what she was told by Alli.
Alli:
I kept your seat is nice and warm for you, Sav.
Sav:
Thanks, now get your butt out of here!
He takes Alli´s seat and puts their drinks on the table. Fiona quickly gets up from hers though, looking shaken up.
Fiona:
Sorry, Sav. I forgot that my mom is waiting for me at home.
Fiona hurries out of there and Sav looks annoyed.
Sav:
She couldn´t have told me that before I spent two dollars on a bottle of water for her?
He tries a sip of her water and clearly can´t see what all of the fuss is about.
12. Ext. Degrassi. Morning.
Fiona arrives for school, where Holly J is waiting for her.
Holly J:
I´m so sorry that I didn´t come to the Dot after detention yesterday.
Fiona:
Or call me?
Holly J:
Looking back, I should have.
Fiona:
Just admit it, Holly J. You were glad to be rid of me.
Holly J tries to pretend like that isn´t the case, but Fiona isn´t forgiving her this easily.
Holly J:
Fiona, I just forgot, honestly!
Fiona:
How can you stand there and lie to my face and pretend, that we´re friends, when you clearly can´t stand being around me?
Holly J:
Who told you that?
Fiona:
So it is true?
Holly J:
No, I ...
Fiona:
You still keep on lying to me! If I can´t trust you, then I don´t need your pretend friendship. I can find real friends, who actually do want to spend time getting to know the real me.
Holly J:
So do I!
Fiona:
Since it appears to be all you care about, I won´t tell my parents about this. You also don´t have to worry about me annoying you anymore, because I´m never speaking to you again!
Fiona storms off into the school. Holly J looks a little relieved but also puzzled as to how Fiona could have found out.
13. Int. Girl´s Room. Morning.
Fiona comes in and kicks a stall door in frustration. It slams into the wall with a big thud. Bianca is watching her, as she´s drying her hands and looks a little shocked.
Bianca:
Bad morning?
Fiona:
It´s only my second day and I already hate it here!
Bianca:
I know exactly how you´re feeling. I´m Bianca, by the way.
Fiona:
I don´t you think you could, Bianca.
Bianca:
If you´re feeling like I did on my second day at Degrassi, then you´re feeling lonely, alienated, scared that you´ll never make any friends and in general like wanting to run away to anywhere that isn´t here?
She gets a small smile out of Fiona.
Fiona:
That about sums it up! I´m Fiona.
Bianca:
You´re American, aren´t you?
Fiona:
New York, born and bred. Only now I´m up here, where I´m starting practically from zero. I know one guy a little and the only girl I thought I knew, it turns out that I didn´t know anyway.
Bianca:
Would you look at that, Fiona? Now you already know one girl here! I can introduce you to one more, so you can double up on that number, if you want?
Fiona nods and looks glad to have met Bianca.
14. Int. Cafeteria. Day.
Fiona is sitting with Imogen and Bianca for lunch and looks to be enjoying herself thoroughly and quickly be making friends with the both of them. They in turn look like they´re finding it hard not to like her.
We cut to Holly J, Sav and Anya, who are sitting together. Sav looks glad on Fiona´s behalf, that she´s making real friends of her own. They smile at each other, which only makes Holly J feel even guilty.
Holly J:
Don´t tell me, that you like her too!
Sav:
She´s on the chatty side for sure, but I´d hang out with her again!
Anya:
Are you starting to admit to yourself, that you should have been more open minded with her, Holly J?
Holly J nods and looks a little sad.
Holly J:
All she tried to do was be my friend and all I cared about was what my parents would think! That is such a Sinclair thing to do! Which also goes directly against my goal of not being like everyone else in my messed up family!
Sav:
You still have close to two years left to make up with her, since she looks like she won´t be going anywhere. That´s a long time to hold a grudge against someone.
Anya:
What I still don´t get is how she found out!
Holly J:
You were there at the Dot, Sav. Did anything happen?
Sav, not wanting to get his little sister in trouble, just shakes his head.
Sav:
Nothing special. We talked for a while and after that she went home.
Holly J:
You didn´t say anything bad about me, did you?
Sav:
Not that I remember. It could have been your body language, she read.
Anya:
To be honest with you, Holly J, it felt like it screamed pent up hostility for most of the day!
Holly J:
That must be it! I can only hope that she forgives me someday now.
Holly J looks over at Fiona, who´s laughing with Imogen and Bianca and looks glad, that she didn´t completely mess everything up for her.
CLOSING CREDITS