Little White Lies is the eighth episode of Season 1 of Degrassi High, and the fiftieth episode overall of the original Degrassi series. It aired on December 12, 1989.
Plot[]
In her room, Diana lights a cigarette, and takes a drag, then blows the smoke out the window. Her brother knocks on the door and tells her that she's going to be late for Greek school. Diana goes downstairs; her mother speaks to her in Greek, and her brother asks her about the smoke smell. Diana tells him that someone outside must be burning something and heads off to school.
In class, Mr. Walfish talks about The Outsiders and the author, who was only 16 when she wrote it, and so had to use a fake name to get it published. Diana tells Melanie and Kathleen that it's a great book, and she wishes that her life were like that. Kathleen points out that the book is filled with crimes, including murder; Melanie comes up and tells Kathleen that Diana is going to be able to come to the party. Kathleen asks if her brother is letting her go; Diana tells them that she lied to him and said that she was going to spend the night at her cousin's place, and that the two of them cover for each other all the time.
In the quad, Joey tells Wheels and Snake that their video is going to be on television; he wants to celebrate; Wheels and Snake suggest going to a movie and getting pizza, but Joey has a better idea; he shows them a flyer from a strip club, and says that it's half-price. They tell him that they won't be able to get in, but he assures them that he has fake ID for all of them, and that they'll get in. Snake says that he can't go tonight, because his grandparents are visiting; Joey suggests tomorrow night, and they all agree.
In the library, Diana tells Melanie that she thinks Yick is a hunk and a rebel, like Ponyboy or Sodapop from the book that they're reading for English class; Melanie tells her that she's obsessed with the book. Luke walks by the desk where they're checking books; Melanie says hi to him, and after he goes by, tells Diana that Luke probably thinks that they're nerds. Diana wonders if Luke and Yick will come to Melanie's party; Melanie says that she invited the whole class. Luke and Yick walk by on their way out of the library; Diana asks where they're going and they say that they're headed outside for a smoke. Diana tells them that she smokes too, and goes out with them. Outside, Diana bums a cigarette from Luke; as they stand behind the dumpster, smoking, Luke comments about the science project that they have to do; Yick says that it's difficult and asks if Diana has started hers yet. Diana says that she's finished hers, then, when she sees the look that Luke gives Yick, she quickly claims that her brother made her finish it, and that she usually leaves things until the last minute. Ms. Avery comes to the door and sees them smoking on school property.
In the end of science class, Diana tells Melanie that Ms. Avery said that she was disappointed to find Diana outside smoking, because she's a top student. Diana is embarrassed that she was called a "top student" in front of Yick. She tells Melanie that the school is going to phone her home about the smoking, but she doesn't care, because her brother is working days and won't be home, and her mother doesn't speak English.
Diana arrives home; George is there, and asks how she could do this. He tells her that she's grounded until Monday. Diana reminds him that she's supposed to be spending the night at her cousin's place, but George tells her that he'd agreed to that before she got in trouble, and she'll just have to call Irene and cancel. Diana runs upstairs to her room and calls Melanie; she tells Melanie that George found out about the smoking and grounded her, then blames him for the situation. Melanie suggests that Diana try talking to him, but Diana simply says that he doesn't listen. She sees the book from English class with her school things, and tells Melanie that it doesn't matter, she's coming to the party anyway.
At school, students are leaving; Joey, Wheels and Snake talk about going to the strip club in the evening. Diana tells Melanie that she's going to tell her brother that she's tired, and is going to bed early, and doesn't want to be disturbed. She'll then sneak out of the house, and leave some pillows under the covers so that it will look like she's still there if they check on her.
Joey, Snake, and Wheels arrive at the strip club; Joey hands out the fake IDs and Snake notices that both he and Joey are "Joey Jeremiah," and says that they won't get in. Joey says that they will, but both Wheels and Snake remind him that things always go wrong for them. They go in and show the bouncer their ID and Joey gives him $15 for the entrance fee, but the bouncer tells him it's not enough. Joey shows the flyer that says it's half-price, but the bouncer points out that that's only during the week, not the weekend. The guys pool their money and find that they have just enough for all of them to get in, but then they remember that they're going to have to buy drinks as well, so that leaves only enough for two of them, with drinks. Joey says that since the strip club was his idea, he should get to go in, but Snake and Wheels don't like that, so they do "odd man out" and Joey loses. Snake and Wheels go into the club, and Joey heads outside.
At Diana's place, she sneaks downstairs and checks to see where her mother is; she's in the kitchen with her back to where Diana is. Diana sneaks out without her mother's knowledge. At Melanie's place, the party is on; Diana arrives and asks if Yick is there yet, but he's not. She has a bottle of ouzo with her, and tells them that her mother and George don't drink, so they won't miss it. They see Arthur there, and ask him if Yick is coming, but he says that Yick and Luke went to play video games.
At the strip club, Snake and Wheels are inside, and Joey is outside. He wanders to the side of the building to wait; there are two women there, leaning on the wall. One of them comes over to Joey and asks if he's waiting for someone; she tells him that she knows where there's a great party, but Joey says no thanks. She asks him if he likes to party, and that they could party together, just the two of them; Joey is nervous and tells her that he has to go home and do homework. Inside the strip club, Snake and Wheels are sitting near the stage; a waitress asks if they want to order anything and when they say no, she tells them that they have to drink if they want to watch the show. She then motions to the bouncer who comes over and kicks Wheels and Snake out.
At the party, people are dancing and Diana is smoking, and drinking Ouzo out of the bottle; Arthur sniffs it and asks how they can drink it. Melanie is drinking it too; Diana talks about how unfair her brother is; Arthur asks about her mother, and Diana says that when her dad died 12 years ago, her brother took over. She tells them that her mom is the boss, but her brother is too, then asks about Arthur's background. He says that he's Polish, and she asks if he has to go to Polish school. When he says no, she tells him that he gets to be normal. The doorbell rings; Alex comes over and tells Diana that it's for her. George comes in and first blames Melanie for making Diana come to the party, but Diana says that she did it on her own, that she did what she wanted to do, and that she did it because he never lets her do anything, he always says no, and now he's embarrassed her in front of her friends, and she hates him. She runs out of the house.
At home, George brings Diana some water; he tells her that she'll thank him for it later, but she won't take it from him. He tells her that he's sorry that he embarrassed her, but she shouldn't have done what she did... the smoking, the stealing the alcohol and drinking, and lying to him. She tells him it's not her fault; he says that if she wants to be treated like an adult, she should act like one; he adds that she needs to talk to him, but Diana tells him that he never listens to her; he makes her stay home, and go to Greek school. He points out that that's their background, but Diana says she doesn't care about her background, she cares about the present, and he has to let her make mistakes.
At school, Snake and Wheels lie to Joey about what happened inside the strip club, saying that it was amazing and the strippers danced on their table. Joey tells them that some chick tried to pick him up outside, but they don't believe him. Melanie asks Diana how George found out where she was; Diana says that he forced her cousin to tell, and now she's grounded for a month. Melanie says that her mother found out that she'd been drinking and grounded her too. Diana says that she and George talked and came to a compromise: he'll give her more freedom if she'll quit smoking and go to Greek school. Melanie asks if Diana thinks she'll really be able to quit smoking, and Diana just shrugs.
- The character featured in the final freeze frame for this episode was Diana.
- This marks the first episode featuring a plot with Diana Economopoulos.
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| A New Start • Breaking Up is Hard to Do • Dream On • Everybody Wants Something • Nobody's Perfect • Just Friends • Little White Lies • Sixteen • All in a Good Cause • Natural Attraction • Testing One, Two, Three... • It Creeps!! • Stressed Out |