Production Code: 309

Air Date: 05 Dec 2004

Episode Title: Hunting High and Low

Summary: After all the trouble her friends have gone through with boys, Abby has decided they’re hardly worth the trouble. So when she finds herself getting strangely close to a certain someone, how will she react?

[At School…]

(Abby’s sitting with Emma and Manny in the library when Sean walks by. Emma, of course, glares.)

Emma: Why aren’t you two glaring?

Manny: What?

Emma: Glare! Glare! Make him leave!

Abby: Leave what?

Emma: The Earth, if we’re lucky.

(Sean walks closer, looking at book)

Emma: GLARE!

(Sean looks up)

Abby: Oh, um, hey Sean.

(Emma hits Abby)

Sean: Manny, is something wrong?

Manny: I’m glaring – can’t you tell?

Sean: No, you look kind of –

Emma: Sean, go away.

Sean: What?

Emma: I don’t want to talk to you.

Sean: What about Abby and Manny?

Emma: They don’t want to talk to you, either.

Sean: Have you asked them that?

Emma: Girls?

Manny: Glaring! Glaring!

Emma: See?

(Sean sighs and walks away)

Abby: Em, don’t you think you’re being kind of – mean?

Emma: Are you kidding? After what Sean did to me? That idiot deserves everything he gets.

Abby: Yeah… I guess you’re right.

[Scene Ends]

[After School…]

(Abby is walking home with JT and Toby)

Toby: Where are Manny and Emma?

Abby: Emma’s SITE thing.

JT: Shouldn’t you be there?

Abby: Well, technically. But I told Emma I have a doctor’s appointment, so I couldn’t go.

Toby: She fell for that?

Abby: Yep. (grins)

JT: Speaking of Emma, is she still pissed at Sean?

Abby: Like you wouldn’t imagine.

JT: That sucks for him. Emma’s wrath is mighty and – well – scary.

Abby: Tell me about it! I can’t even look at him nicely without her yelling at me.

Toby: And you guys are good friends, too.

Abby: Were. Back when I was allowed to talk to him.

JT: Girls suck.

Abby: Boys suck more!

JT: Hmph. Girls act like they’re your best friend until they come back all hot and ditch you for some stupid Grade 10 who can’t tell his brain from – from a walnut!

Toby: Lame metaphor!

Abby: Boys pretend to like you until they decide that you’re too young or too perfect. Then they go and – and – break your heart.

Toby: Girls have scary older brothers and like you until they decide they’re sick of you and that you’re “smothering” them.

JT: I’m over girls.

Toby: Same, man.

Abby: Well, I’m over boys. Seriously. They’re too much trouble.

JT: Girls are too much trouble.

Toby: You know what? People are too much trouble.

[Scene Ends]

[At school the next day…]

(Abby’s in history class, doing work, when Sean comes and sits down next to her.)

Sean: Do you hate me?

Abby: What?

Sean: Do you hate me?

Abby: No! What made you think that?

Sean: You haven’t talked to me in nearly a month. I just figured that I pissed you off or something –

Abby: No, no – never. You didn’t do anything. To me, at least.

Sean: What’s that mean? Is this about –

Abby: Emma? Yeah.

Sean: What do me and her have to do with me and you?

Abby: She’s my best friend, Sean. And you completely crushed her. It’s against the rules for me to like you.

Sean: That’s stupid.

Abby: Welcome to the rules of girl-dom, my friend.

Sean: If it’s against the rules, how come you’re talking to me?

Abby: Emma’s not in this class. I’m safe from her wrath here.

(Considerable Pause)

Sean: I – I – I didn’t mean to hurt her that much, you know. And it’s been a long time since that even happened.

Abby: Yeah, I know. You’re not a bad guy, you just made a mistake. But Emma, I’m afraid, is the grudge type. At this rate, you’re screwed until we graduate.

Sean: (snorts) Perfect.

Abby: You could try apologizing. Maybe then she wouldn’t hate you. (pause) As much.

Sean: She won’t go within five feet of me! You saw her at the library yesterday.

Abby: I don’t know what to tell you, buddy. You made your cake, now you have to lie in it.

Sean: That makes no sense –

Abby: You’re a smart guy. You get the gist.

Sean: (smiles and goes back to his seat)

(The two share smiles)

(Still At School…)

(Abby and Manny are at her locker)

Manny: Either my eyes aren’t as good as they used to be, or I saw you flirting with a certain someone during history class!

Abby: Who? Sean? No way!

Manny: I know what I saw, Abby, and I saw you flip your hair, bat your eyes – all the classic moves.

Abby: Sean and I are just friends –

Manny: Oh, sure. The way Chris and Emma are?

Abby: I don’t like him Manny. Not like that. And even if I did – what would Emma say?

Manny: It’s been forever since they broke up. She should be over him by now.

Abby: But she’s not! And I’ve decided boys are stupid.

Manny: (gasps) Don’t say that! Boys are God.

(Sully walks by)

Sully: Hey, Manuella.

Manny: (giggly) Hey, Sully! (turns to Abby) See?

Abby: See what? That you completely changed your image – who you are – just so some dumb jock would say hi to you in the halls and gawk at you?

Manny: At least I actually have boys that like me!

Abby: What happened to Sean being into me?

Manny: How could he be into such a prissy little – little?

Abby: At least everyone knows why Sully’s into you – look at you!

Manny: Are you calling me a whore?

Abby: You said it, not me.

(Manny storms off angrily)

[At school…]

(Abby’s in MI class, sitting next to Emma, when Manny walks in and glares at her.)

Emma: Since when are you fighting with Manny?

Abby: Since she became a pompous little slut.

Emma: Join the club. I’m still mad at her for what she did to poor JT. He was practically in love with her and she picked Sully. The stupidest guy in the school!

Abby: Seriously.

(Abby’s computer dings – she has a message!)

Emma: Who’s that from?

Abby: Dunno.

(She goes to open it, but then sees it’s from Sean and quickly minimizes it.)

Abby: (laughing nervously) Just a stupid forward.

Emma: I hate those!

Abby: Um – yeah. Me too.

Emma: Oh, god, I left my binder in my locker. (raises hand) Mr. Simpson, can I please go get my binder?

Mr. Simpson: Make it quick, Emma.

Emma: Don’t worry, I’ll be fast.

(Emma leaves and Abby opens up her mail. It’s from Sean.)

Sean’s Message:  I need help with the math homework. Could we meet up after school, so you could explain it to me?

(Abby looks shocked, mad – and slightly pleased.)

Abby’s Reply: What about Emma?

Sean’s Message: She doesn’t need to know.

(Abby’s torn)

Abby: You. Me. The Dot. 3PM. ALL I’M DOING IS TUTORING YOU!

(Sean gets his message and smiles)

[Scene Ends]

[In front of Abby’s house]

(Sean and Abby are standing there)

Abby: Are you completely sure you at least SORT of get what’s going on?

Sean: Yeah, I do. Thanks for, you know, this. It really helped.

Abby: No big deal. Really.

Sean: Maybe we could – do it again sometime?

Abby: (smiles) I’d like that.

Sean: I should probably get going – plenty of other homework to do, right?

Abby: Yeah.

(Sean begins to leave, but then turns around suddenly.)

Sean: You know, I’m glad you don’t hate me.

Abby: Well, I’m glad you don’t hate me.

Sean: How could anyone ever hate you?

Abby: (smiles) Bye, Sean.

Sean: Bye, Abby.

(As Sean is walking away, Abby grins)

[Scene Ends]

[Abby’s House…]

(Abby is standing in front of Charlie’s door, knocking loudly)

Abby: Open up! I know you’re in there!

Charlie: Fine, fine! (opens door) What do you want, squirt?

Abby: First off, I hate it when you call me squirt. Second, I NEED YOUR HELP!

(Abby collapses on to Charlie’s bed)

Charlie: Is it boy trouble?

Abby: Yes. Very much so.

Charlie: Why don’t you just talk to Lizby, then, or at least a girl - ?

Abby: Manny and I are currently not speaking, I can so not talk to Emma about this, and Lizby is at work.

Charlie: Oh, so I’m the last resort?

Abby: Um. Yes.

Charlie: (sits down) Spill.

Abby: Okay, so Emma and Sean used to date, right?

Charlie: I’m with you.

Abby: But then they broke up because he acted like crap and ditched her and broke her heart. It’s been like two months and she STILL hasn’t forgiven him.

Charlie: A bit clingy?

Abby: So now I think I might like Sean, and I think he might like me – but Emma says I’m not allowed to talk to him!

Charlie: Since when do you let her order you around?

Abby: But I can see where she’s coming from, you know? She’s pissed. He did something bad.

Charlie: Has he apologized?

Abby: He’s tried. She won’t talk to him.

Charlie: Wow. Bitch.

Abby: So what do I do?

Charlie: Hmm. Good question.

(There’s a considerable pause as Charlie thinks. Abby is visibly frustrated.)

Abby: Well, come on! You’re the big brother! You’re supposed to dole out sage advice whenever I need it!

Charlie: Wait – wait – give me a second! (thinks) Maybe you should try talking to Emma. She might be more over Sean than you thought. And you can’t let her dictate your life … It’s not like dating Sean is betraying her.

Abby: That’s exactly the problem. In her eyes, it totally is.

Charlie: That girl has really got to loosen up.

Abby: And how do I go about doing that?

Charlie: I know! She have her eye on any guys?

Abby: (thinks) I dunno – wait! Chris Sharpe!

Charlie: Sharpe? As in, DJ Mad Bullets? Man, that dude is tight!

Abby: Like that even matters! Where are you going with this, anyway?

Charlie: Set her up with that Sharpe kid. Then she’ll be so in love she’ll forget that she hates – um – whatever your guy’s name is.

Abby: Sean, you moron. And there’s only one problem. Chris totally has a girlfriend.

Charlie: That’s fairly sucky.

Abby: (snorts) No kidding.

(Abby sighs and falls back on to the bed. Charlie falls back next to her as they stare at the ceiling, deep in thought.)

Abby: So what do I do?

Charlie: (pause) Do you really really like this kid?

Abby: I don’t know. I might.

Charlie: Is he awesome enough to risk your friendship with Emma? Basically – is he a clone of me?

Abby: (laughs) Don’t flatter yourself! (pauses) I don’t know if he is. Maybe.

Charlie: You’re going to have to decide that for yourself before you do anything else, squirt.
(Abby sighs)

[Scene Ends]

[At school the next day…]

(Abby is standing behind Sean, who’s on a computer and doesn’t notice her. She looks nervous. Taking a deep breath, she sits down next to him. Sean doesn’t notice she’s there.)

Abby: Uh, Sean?

Sean: Oh, hey! What’s up?

Abby: How’d you do on that math test?

Sean: A lot better, thanks to you. (swivels around to face her)

Abby: No problem. Listen, Sean … We need to talk.

Sean: About what?

Abby: Do you like me? Like, you know, like me?

Sean: Why – do you  like me?

Abby: The truth? Yeah.

Sean: (Smiles, looks excited) Really? Because, I was wondering –

Abby: The thing is, Sean, us? Could never happen.

Sean: This isn’t because of Emma, is it?

Abby: I just – I can’t date you while she’s still –

Sean: Why?

Abby: Listen, Sean. I already lost one of my best friends in the world because of a stupid fight over a guy. I really like you – a lot – but I’m not planning on losing another one. She’s my rock. I can’t lose her. I won’t. I – I love her.

(Pause. Sean turns back around, and looks disapointed.)

Sean: I really thought we could work. Just so you know.

Abby: (smiles sadly) I know. Me too.

Sean: I’d never do it again – what I did to Emma. Especially not to you.

Abby: I know. I appreciate that.

Sean: So – uh – friends?

Abby: Friends. And maybe more. Someday.

Sean: Someday – that sounds good.

(Abby squeezes Sean hand and gets up to go sit down at her computer. Emma sits down next to her, all bubbly.)

Emma: Abby, guess what?

Abby: Mmhmm?

Emma: Chris asked me out!

(Abby’s eyes light up, for more reasons than one. She turns to Emma, excited.)

Abby: What happened to that Melinda skank?

Emma: (squeals) They broke up!

Abby: Omigosh, that’s awesome! When are you going out?

Emma: Today, after school! We’re buying milkshakes!

Abby: Oh, that’s so romantic!

Emma: Isn’t it?

Abby: Em, I’m so excited for you! You really need this.

Emma: Yeah – I think I’m finally over Sean. I mean, water under the bridge and all that, right?

Abby: Yeah – (laughs nervously) – the past is the past.

Emma: Now, all we need to do is find you the perfect guy. We can – (giggles) – double date!

(Abby glances at Sean, then Emma, debating something in her head. Finally, she takes a deep breath.)

Abby: Actually – I sort of have someone in mind.

(Emma looks interested.)

[Scene Ends]

[After School…]

(Sean is standing with Jay and Alex and that crew, talking. Abby is seen running down Degrassi’s steps, looking happy. She taps Sean on the back and as he turns around, she grins.)

Abby: I have to talk to you.

(Sean glances at Jay and Alex, who have amused looks on their faces. He glares at them and leads Abby a little ways away to talk.)

Sean: About what?

Abby: Emma’s over you!

(Sean raises his eyebrows.)

Abby: Chris her asked her out, and she said she’s finally over you! So, I took a chance and told her that I liked you, and – get this! She’s okay with it!

Sean: (begins to smile) Really?

Abby: Yes!

(They hug.)

Sean: So – about that date…

(Abby grins)

(freezes)