WHAT IF? - SEASON 5 EPISODE 15 - I AM ONE (PART 1)
KATIE HAS BEEN SADLY M.I.A. FOR MOST OF THE SEASON, SO IT´S TIME I DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT. HERE ARE A COUPLE OF EPISODES THAT ARE MAINLY FOCUSED ON HER FOR YOU. THEY´RE NAMED AFTER AN OLD SMASHING PUMPKINS SONG.
1. Int. Katie´s Room. Evening.
Katie is trying to get some homework done, but it´s not easy for her to concentrate, since her mind is elsewhere. She looks at picture she has on her desk of her, Eli and Marisol from the previous summer and puts her thumb over Eli, so that he can´t be seen. She clearly likes that version of the picture better and smiles to herself. There´s a knock on the door.
Maya (off screen):
Can I come in?
Katie:
Yeah, sure!
The door opens and Katie´s quite adorable 11 year old little sister Maya comes in.
Maya:
Mom is taking me down to the video store to rent a movie. Wanna come?
Katie:
I´m not really in a movie watching mood.
Maya:
Suit yourself. What ya doing?
Katie:
Dreaming of a world, where Eli Goldsworthy never came to Degrassi.
Maya rolls her eyes and sits down next to her.
Maya:
If Marisol spending too much time with him bothers you, just tell her! If she´s your real friend, then she´ll understand and make time for you.
Katie:
Is there any way you can make me sound more like a charity case?
Maya:
I didn´t mean to. Sorry.
Katie:
It´s okay, Maya. It´s not your fault that your older sister couldn´t make a new friend, if her life depended on it and that boys would rather date a wart hog than her!
Maya:
What about the girls from your soccer team? Can´t you hang out with one of them?
Katie:
Most of them only tolerate me on the pitch, because they have to. After practice is over, I go back to being a nobody to them.
Maya:
Is this all about you being worried, that no one will come to your sweet sixteen party?
Katie:
Who would want to come to the birthday of someone, they´ve never talked to?
Maya:
I would.
Katie:
You would do it just for the free birthday cake!
Maya:
That true.
Katie:
So far the guest list consists of three people plus you and me. It´s gonna be a very small party, if something doesn´t change drastically in the next three days.
Maya feels sorry for her sister, that she´s feeling like such a loner.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Int. Hallway. Morning.
Marisol is having a not so secret meeting with Dallas.
Marisol:
She can´t know that I set it up, or she´ll become defiant.
Dallas:
Riley is a pretty smart guy. I wouldn´t worry over him blabbering.
Marisol:
You´re really nice for doing this for her. I owe you one.
Dallas:
You´re sure, she likes him?
Marisol:
She´s always saying how handsome she thinks he is. Only with how shy she is with boys, the chances that she´ll get a date with him without my help, are around the same as the odds, that my great grandmother will somehow come back from the dead!
Dallas:
Then she´s perfect for Riley. I don´t think I´ve ever met a guy who´s as shy as he is, when it comes to hitting on girls.
Marisol:
You´re sure that he´s not secretly some big player?
Dallas:
If he´s what you would call a player, then I´m double O seven in comparison!
Marisol giggles a little.
Dallas:
It will be fumbling and most likely awkward, but it would be good for his self esteem to have a girl like Katie to boost it for him.
Marisol:
Lord knows, she could use some cheering up. I´m starting to feel bad for not having been a good friend lately and being too wrapped up in other things. If I can do this for her, maybe I´ll feel a little better over it.
Dallas:
Her birthday is still on for Friday, right?
Marisol:
Yeah, why wouldn´t it be?
Dallas:
It´s just that I don´t hear anyone talking about it.
Marisol:
Don´t worry. Once word that her and Riley have been seen flirting gets around, they´ll be lining up around the block to come to her sweet sixteen party.
She looks sure in her case.
3. Int. Cafeteria. Day.
Katie and Marisol are eating lunch together among the rest of the students.
Katie:
I told my mom this morning, that she shouldn´t plan for there being too many guests at my sweet sixteen. Yet another low point in a year, that´s been too full of them already!
Marisol:
Do you want to hear something, that´s sure to cheer you up?
Katie:
Did they permanently erase the date of my birthday from the calendar?
Marisol:
Riley has been asking Dallas and Drew about you.
Katie looks surprised and like she´s having trouble believing it.
Katie:
Why would he be interested in me? We´ve never interacted in any way.
Marisol:
Dallas told me, that he didn´t ask for you specifically, in stead referring to you as "That Extremely Beautiful Red Head" in our grade. Since the only other two are the girl most in need of a nose job in the world and Bulldozer Bertha, he figured that it had to be you, Riley meant.
Katie smiles to herself and Marisol is glad to see, that she´s buying it.
Katie:
What now? Do I try talking to him or wait for him to make the first move?
Marisol:
Just follow my lead. I´ll be there to hold your hand through all of it, I promise.
They smile at each other.
4. Int. Hallway. Day.
Riley is talking to Drew and is looking nervous, while they´re waiting for Katie and Marisol.
Drew:
One last time and then I won´t ask again. Are you sure this is a good idea?
Riley:
She´s the perfect girl for it, from what you told me. If she´s never had a boyfriend, she´ll be fine with us taking it slow ...
Drew:
As in ultra, ultra slow?
Riley:
A snail´s pace, if not slower than that! If the starting quarterback goes dateless all year, people will start asking questions and I´m not ready to come clean yet. It would make my mom happy too, if I finally brought a girlfriend home to meet her.
Drew:
Mine has so far only scared them away!
Dallas comes hurrying down to them.
Dallas:
Still waiting?
Riley:
You´re sure she passes by this way after lunch?
Drew:
It´s the safest bet, you´ll make in your lifetime!
They see Marisol and Katie rounding a corner and approaching them. Riley smiles at Katie, who shyly smiles back at him.
Marisol:
Just hanging out, boys?
Drew:
Guilty as charged!
Dallas:
I know that you have, Marisol, but Katie, have you met Riley?
Katie:
I don´t believe, I´ve had the pleasure.
Riley:
It´s my pleasure. I hear that you´re turning sixteen on Friday?
Katie:
You can come to my party, if you want to.
Riley:
Sure, I´m not doing anything that evening.
Katie looks pleased, to Marisol´s delight.
Marisol:
Dallas tells me that you´re a soccer fan, Riley. Katie here is a very good player.
Riley:
I come from a pretty soccer crazy family, where we all gather to watch when the Greek international team is playing. I used to play as a kid too, but I´ve always been much better at throwing than kicking.
Katie:
It´s been a passion of mine, for as long as I can remember.
Drew:
Don´t you two have a lot in common?
Dallas:
Who would have guessed?
Riley:
Are you coming to The Dot after school? We can talk some more soccer.
Katie:
Yeah, sure!
Riley:
Cool!
Katie is practically radiating with joy.
5. Int. The Dot. Day.
Riley and Katie are sitting at a table and are really hitting it off over a couple of bottles of water.
Riley:
You didn´t see Greece winning the 2004 European championship final live!
Katie:
I have the pictures at home to prove it.
Riley:
Were you rooting for Greece or Portugal? Be honest.
Katie:
We rooted for Portugal, because I was the world´s biggest Cristiano Ronaldo fan.
Riley:
You´re so lucky! I´ve only been to games here in Toronto. I´d love though to see a huge game in person someday, like a World Cup Final or something like that.
Katie:
You can sign me up too!
They smile at each other.
Riley:
Is Ronaldo still your favorite player?
Katie:
I don´t even know if I have a favorite player anymore. That magic that the sport held for me as a kid, is disappearing more with every year that passes by. Sometimes I think back to that girl, who was the same age my little sister is now and wonder, where all her childish enthusiasm disappeared off to. I hope that she same thing won´t happen to her.
Riley:
I´m the same way with football. Our kind, not what the world outside of the US and Canada call football. I play because I´m good at it and it´s a potential way to a college scholarship, but compared to when I was a kid and would re-watch old games I had on VHS tapes out of the pure joy of the game, it´s not anywhere near the same anymore. I´m also kind of shy, when it comes to meeting new people, in case you haven´t noticed.
They both look glad to have met a kindred spirit in that regard.
6. Ext. The Dot. Day.
Katie and Riley come out.
Katie:
Why is it so hard for us to make friends? Other people can do it!
Riley:
I know!
Katie:
It´s not like I don´t want to talk to them or have more friends, there´s just something inside my head, that won´t let me initiate it.
Riley:
Like a blockade inside your brain, that tells you every negative thing that could happen and makes you lose your nerve.
Katie:
Exactly. You know that it´s irrational to think that way and that chances of those things happening are slim to none, but you can´t shut it out!
Riley:
I can´t tell you how much of a relief it is to talk to someone, who understands.
Katie:
Same here. We really do have a lot in common, don´t we?
Riley:
Katie, would it be okay with you, if I asked you to come over for dinner tonight? I just know that my mom would love you.
Katie smiles widely.
Katie:
Absolutely. I have to call my mom to let her know, but I´m sure she´ll be okay with it.
Riley:
I´ll get my mom to drive you home right after dinner, so yours doesn´t think there´s anything more going on between us.
Katie:
Isn´t there? I wouldn´t mind it, if there is.
She winks at him and grabs her phone to call her mom. He looks satisfied with how things are progressing.
7. Int. Riley´s Room. Evening.
Riley is showing Katie his room, that´s got several posters of either pro wrestlers or football players on his walls. All of them are muscular men who show off their well trained upper bodies.
Riley:
You´ll have to excuse my posters. I´ve been meaning to replace them for a long time, I just haven´t figured out what to replace them with yet.
Katie:
My walls were lined with pictures of soccer players for most of my childhood.
Riley:
What did you put up on your walls in stead of them?
Katie:
Some of those generic posters, that it seems like everyone have. Man, it sounds boring, when I say it out loud!
Riley:
You´re talking to a guy who´s had the same posters up, since he was 12! I can´t point fingers at anyone.
Katie sees her chance to hit on him and moves in close to him. He tries to play it cool.
Katie:
Have you had a lot of girls up here?
Riley:
Actually you´re the first.
She looks surprised.
Katie:
Not any girls at all?
Riley:
There´s been friends of course, but not in the sense of someone, who´s a ... never mind!
Katie:
A potential girlfriend?
Riley:
If you want to be blunt about it.
She moves in so close that their lips are only a few inches apart, which he has to battle within himself not to show her how uncomfortable it is to him.
Katie:
Wanna kiss on it?
He finally can´t take it anymore and takes a step back from her. She gets the picture and becomes embarrassed.
Katie:
I´m sorry! That was too pushy, wasn´t it?
Riley:
A little, yeah! Can´t we go on a romantic date or two first, before we get to the kissing part?
Katie looks pleased, that he didn´t get turned off from her.
Katie:
Sure, we can! I´m not as experienced as Marisol or nearly all of the other girls at school are, when it comes to this. I´ll try not to be pushy again.
Riley:
It´s okay, Katie. I´m just kind of old fashioned that way. Can you settle for a hug for now?
Katie:
Only if it´s a big one!
He delivers on his promise and they hug tightly. She gives him a kiss on the cheek too.
8. Int. Katie´s Room. Evening.
Katie is explaining the evening´s events to Maya, who looks excited for her.
Katie:
It´s amazing how one day can turn everything upside down! This morning, I was feeling so low, that I didn´t want to get out of bed. Now I can´t wait for school tomorrow, so I can see him again.
Maya:
Tell me every detail and don´t leave anything out!
Katie:
He was the perfect gentleman the entire time and his mom is almost as nice as ours is. She´s that nice! He likes soccer, he´s got manners, he´s super hot. Basically the kind of guy, I never thought in a million years would look my way!
Maya:
Did you kiss?
Katie:
Not yet. He said that he wants to take me on a romantic date or two first, before we get there.
Maya:
Are you sure it´s not an act? No one can be that perfect!
Katie:
Riley is. He´s so different from all other boys at Degrassi, it´s crazy!
Katie clearly doesn´t know how right she is.
9. Ext. Degrassi. Morning.
Katie arrives for school, just in time to catch up with Eli and Marisol, who are walking hand in hand. She´s still one big smile from the day before.
Katie:
Isn´t it a great morning, you guys?
She comes up next to her and both of them immediately notice how happy she looks.
Eli:
It is, if you´re a fan of Thursdays!
Katie:
Today, I am.
Marisol:
Is this because you´re looking forward to seeing Riley?
Katie:
It could be!
Eli:
Allow me to applaud you for how "She´s All That" of you it is, to start dating the school´s starting quarterback.
Katie looks surprised that he´s seen "She´s All That" and he nods towards Marisol.
Eli:
She made me watch it with her!
Marisol:
Don´t try to rewrite history, Eli! I remember like it was yesterday, who of us suggested that we watched it!
Eli:
Only to get out of watching "Bring It On 2"! That´s where I draw the line!
Katie:
It is almost like I´m living in a teen rom-com right now, isn´t it?
Marisol:
Enjoy it while it lasts. Sooner or later, it´ll become Monday again and that initial feeling of excitement is replaced with a general feeling of happiness, that you don´t think about as much, but is always there.
Eli:
I´d still watch myself, if I were you, Katie. Guys like him don´t have the best reputation.
Katie::
You´re only saying that because you don´t know him.
Marisol:
He´s not that different from you actually.
Eli:
Maybe it´s time I introduced myself to him then.
They head inside.
10. Int. Hallway. Morning.
Riley is getting things out of his locker while chatting to Dallas.
Dallas:
Did you get to make out with her?
Riley:
There was never really an opportunity to.
Dallas:
Don´t worry, you´ll get plenty of time to make out with her in the future. I won´t say that I haven´t considered it too, but I probably made too much of a bad first impression on her, that she´d ever want to go on a date with me.
Riley:
What did you do?
Dallas:
Me and Drew sprayed her and Marisol with water guns. We were only 12 years old, I should add.
Riley:
I doubt if she´ll hold it against you now.
Dallas:
We were so immature, me and Drew, you don´t know the half of it. It´s no wonder that none of the girls, who knew us pre high school want to date either of us with the kind of dumb things, we got up to.
Riley:
I was always the shy kid, who was too nervous of not being liked, to be anything except for friendly with everyone.
Dallas:
I wish, I´d been more like that. Thankfully there´s plenty of fish in the sea, right?
Riley:
I know that it sounds old fashioned, but I´d rather find one I really like and then only be with them.
Dallas:
I still have a bit of playing the field to go before I´m ready to try my luck with anything steady. Are we on for extra practice after school on the football field?
Riley:
Sure. I´ll bring my balls, if you bring yours!
Dallas:
Very funny, Stavros! See ya later.
Dallas walks off to class and Riley looks rather pleased with ow it´s all progressing for him.
11. Int. Library. Day.
Riley is looking for a book, when Eli comes over to him.
Eli:
Which book are you looking for?
Riley:
I was hoping to find "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", but it looks like they either don´t have it or it´s out on loan.
Eli:
My money are on option number one. My dad has a copy of it at home. It´s his favorite book, which should tell you all you need to know about him! I´m sure he´ll let you loan it, if I vouch for you. I´m Eli, by the way.
Riley:
Riley. Thanks, Eli.
Eli:
My girlfriend couldn´t stop talking about you and Katie last night, so I figured that I should introduce myself.
Riley:
Marisol?
Eli:
Disco! She tells me that you two have a ton in common.
Riley:
It´s like we were born just so we could meet someday.
Eli:
You know, you´re nothing like the typical high school quarterback star. It´s kind of refreshing.
Riley:
My parents made a big deal out of raising me to respect others. It´s to their credit, that I ´ve turned out, like I have.
Eli looks like he likes Riley already too.
Eli:
I have to be honest, I´m also here on a selfish errand. You see, anything that happens to Katie directly influences my life. If she´s sad, then Marisol gets sad and I have to be there to console her. When Katie is in the kind of mood, she was this morning, I get a girlfriend, who´s constantly in the mood to please! You get what I´m saying?
Riley nods in understanding.
Riley:
I´m not someone, who´s out to break her heart. Don´t worry.
Eli:
I hope not or Marisol will come after you!
Riley smiles to himself, but Eli looks serious.
Eli:
You can smile, but I mean it! If you hurt Katie emotionally or physically, it´ll be like you hurt the twin sister, she´s never had. I can´t guarantee, that I´ll be able to control her. It´s not that I want to scare you off from seeing Katie, but you should know, what you´ll be getting yourself into.
Riley´s smile quickly fades.
12. Int. Hallway. Day.
Riley and Drew are talking.
Riley:
I´m starting to get cold feet. This isn´t right!
Drew:
You can´t dump her the day before her birthday. That would be way too cruel.
Riley:
We´ve only spent one afternoon and half of an evening together.
Drew:
Which is no doubt the closest she´s come to finding a boyfriend. If you do it now, she´ll spend her entire sweet sixteen party being depressed. I know that you´re not some kind of douche, who would do something that mean to a girl.
Riley:
Where´s a time machine, when you need one?
Drew:
You said yourself, that she´s okay with going on a few dates first. Wait a week or two and then let her down gently. Plus, if you do it now, then there´s a short African American girl, who I wouldn´t bet against trying to cut off a part of your body, you don´t want to be without!
Riley shakes his head in frustration at what he´s gotten himself into.
13. Ext. Football Field. Day.
Riley is clearing his head after school by doing some extra practice with Dallas, who catches deep passes from him so that they can build up a chemistry. Katie approaches them, just before Riley throws the last ball he has. It flies 40 yards and lands right in the arms of Dallas, who holds it up to show him and points out Katie to him. Riley turns to look at her and they smile at one another, as Dallas starts gathering their balls,
Katie:
If you can throw like that come game time, Degrassi will have a winning season on our hands!
Riley:
It helps to have a receiver like Dallas to throw to. I´ve been meaning to find you all day, so we could talk some more, I just haven´t had the time.
Katie:
I´ve had a busy day too. All of a sudden, it´s like everyone wants to come to my party!
Riley:
Maybe you´re not as unpopular, as you thought you were.
Katie:
Let´s not jump to any conclusions.
Riley:
I needed to ask you, if there´s anything you´re wishing for.
Katie:
You don´t have to get me anything. We´ve only just met yesterday, so it wouldn´t be fair of me to expect it from you.
Riley:
I can bring a good mood and a willingness to dance, as my present to you. Does that sound good?
Katie:
Perfect! I was also thinking, that we could go and see Toronto FC play on Sunday, if you´re up for it. They´re playing the Chicago Fire, so it should be a good game.
Riley:
Sounds like, it should be fun. Maybe we could go for something to eat afterwards?
Katie:
It´s a date. Of course, if you include my birthday as our first date, that means you´ll have to live up to what you promised.
Riley tries his best to look excited for it, but it´s mixed with so much dread that it´s a tough job. Katie looks none the wiser though.
CLOSING CREDITS