WHAT IF? - SEASON 5 EPISODE 8 - EVEN FLOW (PART 1)
I dedicate these next two episodes to all of you fellow Jay and Manny fans, who have probably been missing seeing the two of them interacting in the series.
1. Int. Record Store. Day.
Manny is applying for a job there and is waiting for someone to come and talk to her. It looks like a busy place and she looks like she would really like to work there. One of the people working there, as can be seen by his employee t-shirt, comes over to her.
Sales Clerk:
Do you need any help, miss? I´d be glad to help you.
Manny:
Can you convince your boss to hire me?
Sales Clerk:
You´re applying to work here?
She holds up her resume, that she´s brought with her.
Manny:
Hoping for the best!
Sales Clerk:
Its´a nice place to work. Here comes the boss. Good luck.
Manny:
Thanks.
He goes to tend to other customers, as the owner comes over to Manny.
Owner:
Are you the one, who´s here to apply for a job?
Manny:
That´s me!
Owner:
Did you bring a resume and your recommendations?
Manny:
I don´t have any recommendations, but I brought my resume.
Manny hands her resume, that´s one sheet long, to the owner, a woman in her early 30´s, who doesn´t look impressed with it.
Manny:
I love all kinds of music and my best friend often says that I know so much about it, that I should work in a music store. That´s what brought me here!
She tries to shoot the owner a winning smile, but it´s not really working.
Owner:
This is just your personal details and where you went to school. Don´t you have any job experience at all?
Manny:
I became a mom when I was 14 and since then, balancing that and school was hard enough without a job as well.
Owner:
You have my sympathies.
She hands the resume back to Manny, who takes it with a disappointed look on her face.
Owner:
However this isn´t a charity I´m running and I only hire people with experience in commerce. You seem like a nice girl and I´m sure you´d fit in, but I´ve had bad experiences with hiring people off the street in the past, so I don´t anymore. Sorry.
Manny:
That´s okay. It´s only my 5th job rejection of the day already!
She leaves the store looking sad and defeated. Even the owner of the store feels a little sorry for her.
2. Ext. Street. Day.
Manny comes out from the store, looking depressed. A very cute little dog, that´s waiting for it´s owner to get done shopping inside tries to get her attention and she looks down at it. It wags it´s tail and looks happy, when she looks down at it.
Manny:
Of course, you´re happy! You get to play and get spoiled all day long and you don´t have to get a job!
The dog is still happy despite her outburst and she can´t help herself from cuddling a little with it. It´s clearly decided that it likes her and why wouldn´t it? I doesn´t help much with Manny´s bad mood though, only taking the top off it.
3. Int. The Dot. Day.
Paige is having a celebration to celebrate being free from her charges with Spinner, Terri, Ellie, Jay, Alex, Marco and Olivia there as her guests. They´re sitting at a table and Paige is all smiles.
Others:
Speech! Speech!
Paige:
Okay!
She stands up and they all look at her.
Paige:
You guys are the best friends in the world, there´s no doubt about it! Whether you´re old friends like Alex, Ellie, Marco, Terri and Spinner or new friends I´ve made thanks to old friends like Jay and Olivia, I want you all to know from the bottom of my heart how much I love you. I would have seriously gone crazy this past year, if it hadn´t been for you guys!
Her friends all look glad for her and don´t notice an annoyed looking Manny come through the door.
Paige:
Ashley wanted to be here, but she has a very important test today, so let´s send her some positive thoughts. If it hadn´t been for her testifying on my behalf, I could very likely have been on my way to jail right now. Apart from that, all I have to say is let´s get this party started!
She gets hugs from her friends, all of whom are delighted on her behalf. Manny can´t help looking a little jealous, as she takes a seat by the counter. Peter is working and smiles too at how happy Paige is looking.
Manny:
Hi, Peter. I need something fattening and bad for me to take my mind off this sucky morning!
Peter:
How can you be in a bad mood on a day like this?
Manny:
I could write a book on the subject!
Peter looks sympathetic with her.
Peter:
That bad, huh? How does a double cheeseburger sound?
Manny:
Add a perverse amount of bacon and extra mayo and then you´re talking!
Peter:
I´ll make sure that the cook makes it extra disgusting for you!
Manny:
Thanks.
Peter leaves her to go and put her order in. Ellie comes over to Manny and smiles at her. Seeing her old friend again cheers Manny up a little too.
Ellie:
Hi, Manny! It´s been so long, since we´ve talked!
Manny:
Are you still haunting the halls of TU?
Ellie:
Yeah and I will be for a good while longer. I love college though, I won´t deny it!
Manny looks happy for her.
Manny:
I always knew you would.
Jay comes over to them and puts his arms gently around Ellie´s waist from behind. She smiles widely.
Jay:
You´re missing the party, babe!
Ellie:
I was just talking to Manny here! You remember Manny, right?
Manny:
I don´t think we´ve ever talked a single time!
Jay:
I don´t think we have either. It´s kinda funny considering that we have so many friends in common, huh?
Manny:
I guess we´ve just never had any reason to until now!
Her and Jay smile at one another.
Ellie:
Are you in college, Manny?
Manny:
I´m trying to save up to go in a few years hopefully, while also trying to save up so that me, my daughter and JT can get a place of our own and paying for everything she needs, on top of now paying rent where I already live at the same time!
Jay can´t help laughing.
Jay:
I´m sorry, Manny. I know that I shouldn´t laugh because that´s a tough situation, you´re in!
Manny has to laugh a little too at how bad it sounds.
Manny:
The one positive is that we won´t get kicked out on the streets anytime soon, but job hunting is a nightmare, when you have zero job experience and a big, huge nada on your resume! Even the people at McDonald´s were like "Don´t call us, we´ll call you"! All I need is a decently paid job, that gives me an even, steady flow of cash, so I can save it up, but it looks like it´s impossible to find!
Ellie:
First of all, I´m pretty sure that´s how McDonald´s always does it! Is there any way you can help her, Jay? For me?
Ellie smiles sweetly at him and he quickly gives in.
Jay:
How are your computer skills, Manny?
Manny´s face lights up with joy.
OPENING CREDITS
4. Int. Auto Garage. Day.
Jay is working on a car, when a widely smiling Manny comes over to him. She gets quite a few looks from his work mates too, who obviously aren´t used to having someone as attractive as Manny come down to visit them!
Manny:
Jay, you have saved my life!
Jay smiles back at her.
Jay:
All I did was recommend you to my boss.
Manny:
We both know that without that recommendation, I would have had a much smaller chance of being hired.
Jay:
I always see it as any friend of Ellie´s is a friend of mine.
Manny:
She´s such a lucky girl! Anyway, I just wanted to come down and tell you how it was going.
Jay:
Do you like your new job?
Manny:
So far I do. I´m still learning, but it´s exciting!
Jay:
I´m glad for you.
He leans in to whisper something in her ear.
Jay (whispering):
You should probably get back to work, so that the guys down here can too!
Manny (whispering):
Are they staring at us?
Jay (whispering):
This isn´t something you see here every day, so what do you think?
Manny nods in understanding and backs off. They wave goodbye to her and she walks off back to work, with nearly every guy there checking out her (very nice looking) butt as she walks away from them. One of Jay´s colleagues who don´t, a rough looking guy named Cyrus who´s the same age as Jay, makes eye contact with Jay.
Cyrus:
So, that´s why you got her the job!
Jay:
She´s my girlfriend´s friend. I´m just getting to know her!
Cyrus:
Sure you are! What was that whispering about then?
Jay:
Shut up and do your job, Cyrus!
Cyrus:
Are you proud of yourself, Jay? Sleeping around on your girlfriend with her friend? You haven´t changed at all since we were a pair of dumb kids, who hung out too much down at the Ravine!
Jay:
I said shut up! You don´t know anything, you dumbass!
Jay gets back to work on the car he was working on. It´s clear that him and Cyrus aren´t exactly the best of friends.
5. Int. Office. Day.
Manny is still in her learning phase and is getting some help from Sarah, a girl who´s a few years older than her, with making an invoice on her PC. Sarah is standing behind her and closely following everything she does, to make sure that there aren´t any mistakes to Manny´s work.
Manny:
I press print and that´s it?
Sarah:
You´ve just filled out you first invoice.
Manny clicks print and we hear the printer starting to print. Sarah goes back to sitting at her own desk, that also has a PC.
Manny:
It´s that easy?
Sarah:
The one you made were one of the easiest ones to fill out. When we have a major repair job, leave it to me for the first while, at least.
Cyrus comes in, looking out of place with as dirty as he is and puts some papers on Sarah´s desk.
Cyrus:
You´d better call up the owner of that Maserati. There´s a crack in the engine block, so we´re talking a small fortune, if he still insists on using original parts. I made him an estimate of how much it´ll cost with original parts and how much it´ll cost with replacement parts.
Sarah looks over the papers.
Sarah:
I´ll call him right away.
Cyrus:
Cool. See you later.
Sarah:
Later!
They smile at each other and he leaves them, giving Manny a small nod on the way out, that she returns. Manny´s curiousity sets in.
Manny:
Do you two know one another well?
Sarah:
We should, considering that we´ve been married three years and have two kids together!
She holds up her hand to show Manny her wedding ring. Manny looks happy for Sarah, that she has a small family of her own too and that they have something in common.
6. Int. Kitchen. Evening.
Manny and Angie are setting the table for the dinner that Caitlin almost has ready.
Caitlin:
How was your first day on the job market?
Manny:
It was exciting. I don´t know what I pictured having a job would be like, but if this is what´s it like, then I don´t mind it!
Angie:
Wouldn´t you still rather go to college?
Manny:
Of course, I would, but it could be a good thing for me, to get some work experience before I start college.
Caitlin:
It never hurts to have something on your resume, especially if it´s blank! I had to knock on a lot of doors too and face a lot of rejections like you did, before someone gave me a chance.
Angie:
That doesn´t add up with what they tell us in school! They make it out to seem like if you get an education, then you´re sure you´ll get a job!
Caitlin:
If only that were true!
Caitlin finished stirring and brings her dish over to put it on the table. She sits down and they start digging in. It looks to be some sort of stew.
Angie:
Why bother with getting one then, if you´re not sure you can get work as it?
Caitlin:
Because to get the best jobs, you need more training and learning than you can learn in a week or two, like it is with Manny´s job.
Manny:
You wouldn´t want to have a a surgeon, who has never done surgery before and knows nothing about the human body operating on you, would you?
Angie:
I´ll admit, I would have second thoughts over it!
Caitlin:
It´s also not as easy as saying "there´s a job in my field, so I´ll naturally apply for it". You have to make it work with your personal life or it won´t work out in the long run, no matter how much you want it to. I´ve tried as hard as I could, believe me.
Manny:
This one seems like one I could have for a long time without minding it too much. The girl I work with is nice, not too different from me and the pay is pretty good.
Caitlin:
Have you thanked this Jay for getting you the job?
Manny:
A lot of his co-workers stared at us, when I did!
Angie:
Why?
Caitlin:
Honey, you don´t find many girls, who are as pretty as Manny is working in places like an auto garage!
Manny:
If you want a good description, it felt like I was the first woman to ever come to a caveman village!
Angie giggles.
Caitlin:
You´d better watch out though. If a rumor of something going on between you gets started ...
Manny:
Let me stop you right there! Me and Jay have now spoken a total of three times and none of those conversations have lasted a minute! I´d say we´re one tiny step above being complete strangers!
Caitlin:
I´m just saying that especially in a small workplace like the one you´re working at, it doesn´t take a lot for a rumor to be seen as fact. You need to tread lightly from now on and only talk to him, when you absolutely need to.
Manny:
Caitlin, you´re paranoid!
Caitlin:
No Manny, I´m realistic and I´ve been in the job market a lot longer than someone, who´s just finished her first day in it!
Manny:
Okay then, I´ll stay away from him!
She doesn´t look like she plans much to, though.
7. Int. Jay and Ellie´s Apartment. Evening.
Jay is trying to watch a football game, while Ellie is doing her homework.
Ellie:
You won´t believe how interesting the Russian Revolution was from a geopolitical point of view!
Jay:
I care more about the Packers executing this next 3rd down, than I do about the Russian Revolution, Honey!
Ellie:
It changed the world!
Jay:
This won´t, but it could win me five bucks!
She looks a little disappointed in him that he´s gambling.
Ellie:
Gambling, Jay and on something as dumb as football? It´s a meaningless display of violence to show between commercial breaks!
Jay:
If you tried learning the rules, like I´ve tried to teach you a hundred times ...
Ellie:
Jay, I am never, ever, ever going to care about football, no matter how much you´d like me to!
Jay:
Just like I´m not gonna care about what some Russians did a thousand years ago!
Ellie:
It was only 90 years ago!
Jay:
Can we have one evening without an argument? I´m trying to relax, so I´ll be ready for work tomorrow!
He looks annoyed at what happens on the TV!
Jay:
Why can´t you just retire, Brett Favre? That´s five bucks out the window!
She sees that he needs some cheering up and puts her books away before turning the TV off. He doesn´t look like he minds.
Jay:
I´m sorry that I lost my head again, Ellie.
Ellie smiles sweetly at him.
Ellie:
Jay, it´s fine! We both knew when we went into this, that we were different. That´s why we work so well.
They kiss and she snuggles up in his arms.
Jay:
Let´s make a pact that we won´t have another argument for the next month.
Ellie:
Don´t you think, that´s a little too ambitious?
Jay:
A week then?
Ellie:
Okay. Did you talk to Manny at work?
Jay:
She came down and said hi.
Ellie:
She´s one of those people that I´ve always liked, from the first moment I met her. It wasn´t her fault, what happened with Craig, that was all him taking advantage of her.
Jay:
What happened?
Ellie:
Right! Sometimes I forget, that you weren´t part of our friend group back then.
Jay:
I remember hearing some rumors back in the day, but I´ve forgotten all of them years ago.
Ellie:
You should probably find yourself a snack and a drink first, because it´s a long story!
He looks interested.
8. Int. Auto Garage. Day.
Jay is testing the engine of a car by turning the key, but it´s not making any sound at all when he does. Manny comes down to say hi to him and has brought come papers with her.
Manny:
Hi, Jay. I have your latest work orders for you.
Jay:
You could have just left it in my folder.
Manny:
Okay, so maybe I wanted a change of scenerery for two minutes and this is my excuse to!
He smiles at her.
Jay:
Now you know why I would rather throw myself head first out of a third story window, than work in an office!
Manny giggles.
Manny:
It´s honestly not that bad!
Jay:
It´s just that compared to going to high school, where you would hang out with your best friends in the breaks and had variation in the classes you went to, it´s kind of monotenous, am I right?
Manny nods.
Manny:
I´ll get used to it, after I´ve been here a while. It´s only while it´s new, I´m sure.
Jay:
Which is what subconsciously brings you to me. I´m your link to the past or as Freud would have put it, your security blanket.
Manny:
I can hear that someone has spent hours listening to Ellie ramble on about Freud!
Jay:
I let most of it go in one ear and out the other, but some of it sticks!
He scratches his head, wondering what could be wrong with the car.
Jay (to himself):
You´ve changed the starter, checked all of the cables, put in a new battery. Why won´t it start?
Manny:
Are you sure that it´s the right key? That´s the only thing, I can come up with!
Jay:
Of course, it´s ...
He checks it an extra time and looks annoyed.
Jay:
Cyrus!
Cyrus comes over to him and Manny.
Cyrus:
What is it, Jay?
Jay:
You couldn´t have "accidentally" swapped the key to this car with the key to the other car of the exact same model and year, that you´re working on?
Cyrus:
You know what? It could have happened! Try this one.
He hands Jay another key and he tries it. The engine sparks to life immediately.
Cyrus:
My bad! That must mean you have the key to my car.
Jay hands it to him and turns the engine off again, as Cyrus goes back to work.
Manny:
Yay for me for being right, but what´s the deal between you two?
Jay:
He´s been a horse´s ass since I met him back in our Ravine days and he´s continued to be one ever since! If I could get rid of him from here, then my life would be complete!
Manny:
I should get back to work. See ya!
Jay:
See ya, Manny!
Manny heads back to the office. Jay can see that Cyrus doesn´t believe for a moment, that him and Manny aren´t having an affair behind Ellie´s back, but tries to ignore it.
9. Ext. Street. Day.
Manny comes running down to her bus stop, just as the bus is driving away in the distance and she doesn´t catch it. She looks annoyed and checks over the bus schedule.
Manny:
Half an hour! Great!
She gets her cell phone out and calls Joey with a little hope on her face.
Manny:
Hi, Joey. Is there any way that you could pick me up from work?
The hope quickly goes out of her face.
Manny:
No, it´s okay. I´ll wait for the next bus, it´ll get here faster anyway. Bye.
She puts her phone away. A car pulls up to the curb and she sees that it´s Jay. They smile at one another.
Jay:
Is someone coming to pick you up, like your boyfriend for example?
Manny:
He sold his car to save money. Which usually wouldn´t be a problem, except that I missed my bus home and it´s half an hour until the next one gets here!
Jay:
I can give you a ride. Get in.
Manny:
You don´t think, it´ll make people talk?
Jay:
It´s just a ride, Manny!
Manny:
Okay, then!
She gets in the car, just as another one passes them.
10. Int. Car. Day.
We see that inside the car is Cyrus, who´s driving and Sarah in the passenger seat. She has her mouth open at what she sees.
Cyrus:
See, Sarah? I told you that guys like him don´t change!
Sarah:
But she seems like such a nice girl!
Cyrus:
I´m not saying, that she isn´t! You know her a lot better, than I do.
Sarah:
I feel so bad for his girlfriend!
Cyrus:
Don´t worry. If Jay is using his job as a front for his affair, all we have to do is expose him and he´ll be fired!
Sarah:
Cyrus, don´t! It´s none of our business and Manny will get fired too!
Cyrus:
This is my chance to finally get rid of him. I´m not letting it pass me by!
Sarah looks worried over what could happen.
CLOSING CREDITS