Degrassi/Recap/S10/E19 Still Fighting It

"Everybody knows It hurts to grow up And everybody does It's so weird to be back here Let me tell you what The years go on and We're still fighting it, we're still fighting it"

- Ben Folds, Still Fightin' It

A Plot
The student bachelor's auction is coming up, and Anya pressures Riley to sign up. But Riley is still messed up about Zane - they're talking again, but that's it. Riley approaches Zane in the locker room and offers to take him to coffee. Owen comes in with a homophobic remark, and proceeds to joke around with the locker room laughing at Zane and the joke. Even Riley joins in, thinking it's all in good sport but Zane is mad and walks off. Riley dismisses the jokes and thinks Zane is being sensitive. He tells Anya this and Anya tells him about the GLBT roundtable Zane is attending so Riley can prove he's not like the other guys.

At his house, Riley is preparing to go to the roundtable. His mom is thinking he's going on a date with a girl, and tells him to impress her -- and tells him to pick another shirt that doesn't look "zesty." At the roundtable, the speaker speaks on homophobia and talks about homophobia jokes. Zane speaks on his experiences in the locker room -- he knows the team is joking, but it makes him feel different. He speaks on "a player still in the closet" participating in the teasing and it hurts him deeply. The speaker speaks on internalized homophobia and how it can be formed from friends and family and Riley is aghast -- he realizes he is a homophobe.

At school the next day, Riley decides to take a stand against homophobia. In the locker room, thanks to a suggestion of Anya via Spartacus, he passes out pink shirts that he dyed in the laundry. Riley says that the locker room is no place for homophobia. Riley is happy and he's back in Zane's good graces...until walks outside and sees "HOMO" etched in his locker with soap.

B Plot
Ms. Dawes assigns a project in English class; the students will be filming modern versions of Shakespeare scenes. Eli, Clare, and Adam are working together and are assigned to do Romeo and Juliet. Clare is happy but she and Eli haven't taken that first step to the relationship level. Adam suggests for her to make the first move.

Eli, Clare, and Adam are working out their scene -- instead of Romeo dying right away, Juliet will wake up early and find him dying and they have one final kiss. They act out their scene, in which Clare and Eli kiss. The next day, Clare thinks she finally reached the next level with Eli but Eli starts to freeze her out. She talks with Ms. Dawes and she gives her advice on properly communicating to her partner. The next day, Clare meets up with Eli and confronts him but Eli continues Playing Hard to Get and tells Clare he's sorry he leads her on. Clare huffs, and rides off on her bike.

C Plot
Wesley has it bad for Anya. He awkwardly asks her to be added to the bachelor's auction. He's hopeful Anya will bid on him but Dave kills his hope and tells him girls like Anya go for guys like Drew. Wesley decides that he wants to learn more on how to attract girls. Wesley approaches Drew and offers to tutor him in science class (taught by his uncle) so he can learn from him. Drew offers to help Wesley, provided he gets a good grade to which Wesley accepts.