"EPISODE 1.2 - Downfall"

Written and produced By Alex Gregg. Copyrighted 2003.
Originally Aired October 6th 2003

The Camera shows the front entrance of the school. Students hang about outside, chatting, while others head inside. Cut to the semi crowed halls. Ling is at her locker. Maria has just arrived and goes over to her friend.

Maria:  Hey!

Ling:  Hey!

Maria:  Where's Ashley?

Ling: (puts some books into her locker) Donno.

Maria:  Oh. Wait! But, you guys live next door...

Ling:  Yeah... and?

Maria:  Well... you guys live next door...

Ling:  (laughs) well, I stopped by her house on my way here, but her Mom said she left already...

Maria:  Oh.

Ling:  (closes her locker) She's probably at the Skater Park. Its the 'Under Sixteen's Skater's Comp' on Sunday, remember?

They begin to walk down the hall towards the Quad.

Maria:  (sarcastically) Hmm, now how could I forget?

Ling:  Skateboarding's Ashley's thing, you know. We've gotta be supportive.

Maria:  Oh yeah! I'm on board with the whole supporting thing.

They reach the Quad, find an empty table and sit down.

Ling:  Ugh, math homework took me ages last night. Did you do it?

Maria:  You pretty much know my answer, right?

Ling:  (laughs) I guess. But, another detention? Maria...

Maria:  (shrugs) Big deal. They give, I go. They waste my time, I waste theirs... you know, nothin' new there...

Ling can't help but laugh. Ashley arrives.

Ashley:  Hey Guys!

Ling/Maria:  Hey!

Ashley:  (sits) Oh, my, god! You will *never* believe who's coming to town on Sunday to judge the Skater's comp!

Ling:  Uh... Ben Affleck?!

Ashley:  No.

Maria:  Uhm... Coldplay?

Ashley:  (looks at Maria) No... Why would a *band* be coming to judge a *Skater's* Comp?

Maria:  (shrugs) Why not?

Ashley:  (gives her a look) The Coolness himself, *Cade* Davis! I mean, how Cool is *that*?!

Maria:  Cade who?

Ashley:  Davis. Cade Davis.

Ling:  (to Maria) The Skater Guy.

Maria: Oh, the guy posted all over your room?

Ashley:  (smiles) That's the one!

Ling:  Wow, a famous person coming to our town. Cool!

The bell rings. The girls head to their first class.
  

The Credits

Special Guest Stars: Abby Tumbridge
Guest Staring: Coach Kelsey, Mrs Ross, Cade Davis

  
Ashley Voice Over:  Okay, the guys aren't as excited as me. But they agree its gonna be cool to have a famous person here in Chestaville. considering our town is barely marked on the map. So if I can just make it until Sunday with out screaming about it *too* much, I think I'll still have some friends.

Cut to the Sports Hall. Its Gym Class. The students are sitting on bleachers and Coach Kelsey the Gym Teacher stands in front.

Coach Kelsey:  Today I want you to divide into the same groups of three from last week's class, and carry on from were you left off.

The students get up from the bleachers, go down to the floor, and form groups. Ashley, Ling and Maria are in one group.

Ashley:  So, are you guys coming with after school?

Maria:  Where?

Ashley:  The Skater Park, I gotta practice some more.

Ling:  Yeah, count me in. I got nothin' else to do.

Ashley:  Okay! (turns to the others) Maria?

Maria:  Yeah, okay.

Coach Kelsey:  (walks over to them) Girls you can discuss your after School socializing at Lunch, right now, (points to the mats in front of them) you should be working on your routine. (to the class) You have fifteen minutes to practice, then each group will perform to the rest of the class. Okay, go.

Fade to after School at the Skater Park. Ashley is already on the ramps. Ling and Maria are sitting on the grass by the side lines, chatting.

Ling:  So, have you finished your room yet?

Maria:  Mostly. I mean its decorated and stuff, I've just gotta unpack the last few boxes. You guys will have to come round.

Ling:  Sure. We're there.

Maria:  How about tomorrow?

Ling:  Um... Sure! Ah! No wait.. I can't. I gotta do Mr DeCole's Bio Homework. (Maria gives her a look) What? Okay, so its not in until Monday... but I'm not gonna do it Sunday night like Ashley. Or in your case, not at all.

Maria:  Hey... I do homework....

Ling:  Oh yeah? When's that? Once every blue moon, when the earth rotates backwards?

Maria:  Yup. (nods) That about sums it up. 

Ashley comes over to them.

Ashley:  Hey guys. (dumps her skateboard down and, sits on top of it) What you chattin' about then?

Ling:  Oh, nothin' much, homework. (Ashley gives her a look) Oh, not homework in the sense of, you know, learning. Homework in the sense of me doing it tomorrow night and Maria never doing it.

Ashley:  Oh...

Cut to later. Cut to Ashley on the ramps. She's doing some smart moves. She boards off the edge of the north ramp at quite a speed, as she twist round she suddenly looses her footing and tumbles down the ramp.

Cut to the girls who are watching this. They see her fall.

Ling:  Oh my God!

Maria:  Ashley!

They get up and run over to her.

Night. Cut to Ashley's House. Cut to her bedroom, She's laying on her bed, listening to music. There's a knock at her door. 

Ashley:  Come in...

The door opens and Ashley's Mom looks in.

Mrs Ross:  Ashley, honey? Ling's here, you up to seeing her?

Ashley:  Yeah, sure.

Mrs Ross fully opens the door and Ling walks in. She gives them both a smile, then closes the door and leaves them to it.

Ling:  Hey, Ash. How you feeling?

Ashley:  (turns off her stereo with the remote) Yeah, Fine. (holds up her left wrist which is banged up) Sprained wrist. Not like its the end of the world.

Ling just looks at her, unsure what to say or do next. She can tell her friend is somewhere between upset and pissed off.

Ashley:  (realizes she's being cold towards her friend) Li, I'm sorry. (sighs) You didn't deserve that...

Ling:  Hey, its okay. (sits on the bed) Your upset, I get that.

Ashley:  Thanks... (sighs) You know what? I don't know what's worse, not being able to compete on Sunday, or making myself look like the town idiot.

Ling:  You didn't look like a idiot...

Ashley:  No?!

Ling:  (with certainty) No! So, you came off your Skateboard, that's all. Big deal, you know? (more sympatheticly) It happens...

Ashley:  (smiles a little) Thanks.

Ling Smiles back at her. Glad that she's cheered Ashley up a little.

Cut to the next day at school. Cut to Ashley, Ling and Maria entering through the main entrance.

Maria:  So, how long is it gonna take to heal?

Ashley:  The ER guy said about three to four weeks...

As they walk down the halls students look at Ashley and begin to whisper.

Ashley:  (sighs) The benefits of a small town... (to Ling) See? I mean, what'd I tell you? The town idiot...

Ling:  Ashley...

They continue to walk down the hall. They get to their lockers, students are still looking at Ashley. By now She's feeling pretty uncomfortable, and her friends see this. Maria finally shows her frustration at people looking at and whispering about her friend.

Maria:  (in a loud voice) Okay people! So she came off her Skateboard, big deal! It Happens! (points down the hall) Move it a long, nothing to see here!

Students slowly begin to walk away as she speaks.

Ashley:  (smiles at Maria) Thanks.

Maria:  (smiles back) No problem.

As they round the corner, Abby and some of her "gang" are heading towards them from the opposite direction.

Ashley:  (sighs) Oh, great...

Abby:  (laughs) Wow, Ashley! Love the new addition to your outfit! You know what? It just screams "I-fell-off-my-skateboard".

Maria:  Well, you know, Abby, its gotta be better then your outfit. (laughs) Hey, where'd you get it? "sluts-wear-daily?".

Abby:  (fake laugh) Ha ha ha. Funny, Harris. (walks past them) Funny...

Cut to Math class. Ling, Ashley and Maria are all sitting in the back row. The teacher is drawing Scatter diagrams on the blackboard. The students are copying it into their books. He finishes them and turns to the class.

Teacher:  Okay, so, if there is correlation between two sets of data, it means that they are connected in some way.

Ashley:  (whispers) You know, I had to go and sprain my left wrist didn't I? I couldn't be my right, could it.

Ling:  (tries to concentrate on math, whispers) Unlucky I guess...

Maria:  (whispers) Hey Ash. If you don't wanna be here, just walk out...

Teacher:  We have seen that as temperature increases, the number of ice-creams sold (points to the "X" axis on the board) also increases.

Ashley:  (whispers) Are you serous?!

Maria:  (whispers) All of us used to do it on the City...

Ling:  (stops to join in, whispers) Yeah, but Maria where not in the city. You cant get away with that stuff in a small town school.

Teacher:  The results are approximately in a straight line with a positive gradient. We therefore say that there is positive correlation.

Ashley:  (whispers) I don't see you going first.

Ling:  (whispers) Ashley, don't encourage her!

Teacher:  So now we come to, Negative correlation.

Maria:  (whispers) Hey, you wanna see me walk out? (shrugs) I'll walk out. 

With that she gets up, picks up her books and heads for the door.

Teacher:  Maria? Where are you going?

Maria:  Uh.. home? (opens the door and exits the room).

Ling and Ashley are completely dumfounded and have no idea how to react.

Ashley Voice Over:  Oh, my god! She walked out. She actually walked out of class! Okay, now I was *joking* when I said "I don't see you going first". I didn't think she'd actually go and do it. Man, did she get in major trouble with Principal Taylor... and her dad. (sighs) Its just my luck, a sprained wrist. And with Cade coming to town too, I *so* wanted to compete. I decided that I wasn't gonna go on Sunday, but the guys talked me into it...

Cut to Sunday, the Skater Park.

Commentator.  Welcome to Chestaviille's 25th Annual Under Sixteen's Skater's Competition! Its bright afternoon and we have a good crowd.

Cut to a view of the judging Stage.

Commentator.  Here today we have, a celebrity to judge this years competition. Nineteen year old, three years winner of the under twenty's National Skater's Championships. Caaade Davis!

The Crowd Cheers as Cade waves. Cut to the girls.

Ashley:  Man, I still cant believe you walked out of class yesterday.

Maria:  (shrugs it off) It was no big...

Ling:  No big?! Maria, you got sent to Principal Taylor, you've gotta do a two thousand word essay on "Behavior In School" *and* your dad grounded you for a week. And its "no big" to you?

Maria:  Ling, Taylor is a softy compared to the Principal I had back in the city, he's never gonna get his essay, and Dad? well, I'm here now aren't I?

Ling:  (is not sure how to answer, but comes up with) That's not the point!

Ashley:  (smiles) It was kinda cool how you just walked-- (stops when she see Ling's not impressed look) Uh, I mean... (wags her finger at Maria) Maria, that's not the point! What you did was very wrong! (to Ling) Better?

Ling just gives Ashley a still not impressed look and shakes her head in disgust. She looks back at the stage to watch what's going on. Ashley and Maria grin at each other then go back to watching too.
 
Cut to later. Cut to a boy finishing his Skating act. Cade holds up a "8" ticket. Cut to the girls, clapping. They're all having a good time but its obvious to the others that Ashley wishes she was out there. Cut to even later. Another boy finishes his Skating act. The crowd claps once more and Cade holds up a another ticket. Its a "7". Cut to the girls.

Maria:  (to Ling) Uh, you wanna come help get some snacks?

Ling:  Sure.

Maria:  Ash, you gonna be okay here?

Ashley:  (still watching Cade up on stage) Um, sure, yeah, you guys go. (looks at them) I don't want anything.

Ling:  Okay.

The girls head off to the snack bar. Cut to the girls in the line.

Ling:  Man, I feel really bad for dragging Ashley out with us.

Maria:  I know...  its so obvious she wants to be out there...

Ling:  Yeah... I wish we could make her feel batter...

Commentator.  Okay, We'll take a short intermission now.

Maria:  Hey! I've got a Awesome idea! Come on!

Fade to later. After the Competition, most people have left and the groundskeeper's are cleaning up. Ashley is sitting on one of the benches. Suddenly someone comes up behind her.

Voice:  Hey, is this seat taken?

Ashley:  (not looking at the person) Nah..

Voice:  (sits) So, you like Skateboarding?

Ashley:  Yeah, you? (looks at the person, then does a double-take when she sees who it is) Oh, my God... (then laughs with embarrassment).

Cade:  (laughs) So, your a fan?

Ashley:  Am I?! I'm your biggest!

Cade:  (smiles) Cool. So, your friends tell me that you should've been out the today (points to the ramps). Is that right?

Ashley:  (still in shock) Uhm... Yeah. But, (points to her wrist) I sprained this while I was practicing a few days a go. It kinda took me outta the running...

Cade:  Yeah, I've been there. But after it happens you can't be put off, you know? You've gotta get back on. Its like, the thing with the horse?

Ashley:  Yeah.

Just then Ling and Maria come over.

Cade:  (to Ashley) You've got some really good friends there...

Ashley:  (looks at them and smiles) I know!

Cade:  Well, it was nice to meet you Ashley.

Ashley:  (nods) You too!

Maria:  Oh! Um, Cade... (pulls out a Camera from her bag) Do you mind a couple of photos before you take off?

Cade:  (smiles at Ashley) Sure, why not!

Cade and Ashley face the Camera and Maria snaps the shot.

Cut to the girls at the Store looking at the developed photos.

Ashley Voice Over:  Wow! I met Cade Davis! He even signed my napkin too! Ling says that Maria told him about me not being able to enter the competition, and that I was his biggest fan. So after a little persuading he said he'd come and meet me! Maria says Ling helped her persuade him too. All I can say is that I'll be owing them both favors for the rest of my life!

The camera pulls back slowly as the girls, look at the photos.