WORLD'S FORGOTTEN BOY

The 1990s were heady days for the male cast members of "Beverly Hills, 90210." On that show's "mall tours," thousands of screaming teenage girls waited in hours-long lines, attempting to score a photo-op with their chosen dream date. A few moments in the penalty box with Jason Priestley? How about a side-out serve from Ian Ziering? Does a surfing retreat alongside Luke Perry make you Mexico-bound? Ready for some two-turntables-and-a-microphone movement with Brian Austin Green? Want science-project help from Douglas Emerson? Tax and other financial advice...Whoa! Wait a minute...Douglas Emerson? Who dat? Only David's best friend, Scott, during the two's awkward West Beverly High early years.

David and Scott, despite being "dorks," tried collegiately to improve their social standing. In the "90210" pilot, the two were uninvited guests at a rich girl's pool party. Not that it mattered much to them, but the Meat Puppets were the live entertainment, attacking "Monsters". Drunk off his ass, Steve was actually chummy with David at the get-together. Too wasted to drive in the wee hours, Steve placed his Corvette's keys in David's hand and instructed his new "friend" to cart him home. Although David barely knew his way behind a steering wheel, he managed to get Steve home in one piece (the same couldn't be said about the Vette). At school the next day, Steve's post-hangover revelation of a fender-bender made him want to kill the person responsible for the damage. When David tried to recover his hat from the Vette, his actions set off an alarm. Steve rushed outside to confront the guilty one. Somehow, David talked his way out of the inevitable beating and was even on the cusp of joining the "90210" inner circle. Wanting the same thing for his best friend, David would later excessively beg the gang to show up at Scott's birthday party. After several protestations (mainly from Steve), all of them agreed to make an appearance. "It would mean the world to him," said David, upon receiving their confirmation. Well, the celebration was straight out of a McDonald's in-house gathering. Cake, balloons, younger siblings, parents and all -- this kiddies-style spread only reinforced Scott's socially stunted behavior. "I AM OUTTA HERE!" shouted Steve, and the others (excepting David) soon followed his lead, albeit more quietly.

With the gang's departure, Scott summoned David to his father's study. He was showing off with a gun, doing some Annie Oakley-esque finger-twirls. Tragedy struck, when Scott caught the full of the trigger and shot himself dead. Returning to West Beverly, everyone (including Steve) was extremely nice to David, out of sympathy for the best friend he had lost. David saw right through the facade and blasted Steve, etc. over the school's radio station airwaves. Though in his mind the gang "ain't got time to make no apologies," he accepted theirs anyway. From that point forward, David became a part of the "in-crowd" and went on to court Donna Martin.

Funny how the death of a best friend improved David's life in the long run. Do you think Scott was in David's thoughts, when he had a backseat affair with Ariel (after performing with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds)? Was Scott there in spirit, when David went to Steve's birthday-bash (with the Goo Goo Dolls rockin' "Long Way Down" onstage)? Did Scott channel E-mail messages, assisting David and then-main squeeze Claire in pointing out the old geezer-ness of Rolling Stones' fans?

Scott: Wherever you may be -- search and destroy.