Degrassi/Recap/S10/E16 My Body Is a Cage

"I'm standing on the stage Of fear and self-doubt It's a hollow play But they'll clap anyway"

- Arcade Fire, My Body is a Cage

A Plot
The next day at school, Principal Snake, Adam, Drew and Mrs. Torres are sitting down and talking about what happened yesterday. Mrs. Torres is concerned for Adam and wants him to transfer immediately but Adam relents saying he doesn't want to start over again. Principal Snake assures Mrs. Torres that Adam will be safe -- he'll have a teacher escort him to classes and he'll have to use a different bathroom -- the special needs bathroom.

Adam is being escorted by the LGBT advisor to classes and is drawing a lot of attention. Adam is upset and he tells Clare and Eli about it. And he's even more determined to show up for Grandma's visit as himself, and NOT Gracie. In recreation class, Adam is still partnered with Bianca. He tries to appeal that they both need to pass this class but Bianca angrily bulks and threatens to kill Adam if he touches her again.

Preparing for the dinner with Grandma Torres, Adam and his mom are shopping for clothes. Adam wants to show up as himself, but Mrs. Torres said to not even go with Adam isn't showing up. She wants him to do what's best from the family and just have a normal family dinner. She's scared Adam might start hurting himself again if he continues being him. At Little Miss Steaks, Adam shows up at the dinner -- as Gracie. The family looks at old pictures of himself as a little girl and admire what a sweet little girl he was. Adam starts to speak up about his transition, but he calms out. Mrs. Torres misses Gracie badly.

The next day, Adam's gender dysphoria grows. He shows up to school as Gracie. Bianca teases him in recreation class and calls him a "tranny." By the end of the day, Adam has had it and takes a hairclip, heats it with a lighter, and presses it onto his arm. Clare sees him and stops him. Adam breaks down and says that he would make everyone's life easier by just being Gracie. And by burning himself, it's just his way to deal. Clare helps Adam see that maybe he isn't the one that needs to change, it's everyone else.

When Mrs. Torres comes to pick Adam up, he is dressed in boy clothes. He confronts her with the question of how does she see him: as a boy or a girl? Mrs. Torres admits she stills see him as a girl. She says she's trying her best but she isn't ready to say goodbye to Gracie. Adam says he was never happy as Gracie and pleads for her to accept him and put Gracie to rest.

Later Adam, Eli, and Clare start a bonfire and burn Gracie's old things. Mr. and Mrs. Torres attend the ceremony to say goodbye to Gracie forever. Mrs. Torres brings an old photo of Gracie but Adam can't bring himself to burn it -- Gracie, despite being in the past, is still a part of him.

B Plot
Anya is detailing her mom's diagnosis to Leia - non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Leia doesn't really help Anya's fears about her mom's prognosis. Holly J then walks in and the girls shut up immediately about the discussion. Leia leaves and is never seen again. Holly J thinks Anya has found out that she's dating Sav.

At dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Macpherson are joking around despite the diagnosis and upcoming treatment. Anya can't believe they aren't taking it seriously, and can't bring herself to be with them. She flees to Degrassi to finish the project, only to find out Holly J and Sav have finished it without her. Anya, overcome with emotion about her mother possibly dying sets off the volcano and ruins the project.

Holly J and Sav are furious about the project. Holly J still mistakenly thinks Anya is mad about her dating Sav, but Anya reveals the truth. Anya cries and thinks she's a bad daughter for skipping out on the medical appointment. Holly J comforts her and all the good she's done for her mom. Anya attends the doctor's with her mom and meets Dr. Kristophulopus, or just Dr. Chris. He says that they caught the cancer early and they can fight it, but Anya is still worried.

C Plot
Dave isn't giving up on sucking up to Ms. Oh to improve his marks. He decides if he can't make her laugh, he can make the class laugh. In class, he tries to make her laugh with his Goofy Print Underwear. Ms. Oh just stonily looks at him, and says "Put your pants back on." She turns away and tries to hold back tears. Later, the Three Tenners find out the cause for Ms. Oh's sadness -- she just broke up with her biker boyfriend. The next day, Dave apologizes to Ms. Oh and offers her break-up advice. The blog presentation hit a nerve, which she admits. She tells Dave that hard work will impress her, and not his antics.