"EPISODE 1.4 - Picture Perfect, Almost"

Written and produced By Alex Gregg. Copyrighted 2003.
Originally Aired October 20th 2003

Chestaville High. Cut to the library. Ling is helping Abby study.

Ling:  So, Photosynthesis needs? (Abby doesn't know, Ling is frustrated, sighs) chlorophyll, carbon dioxide, sunlight and water...

Abby:  Got it! Chlorophyll, carbon dioxide, sunlight and water.

Ling:  Right.

Abby:  You know, the test isn't for a couple of weeks, so why are we here? 

Ling:  (sighs) Because its gonna take a couple of weeks to go through it all. Next question. Photosynthesis produces?

Abby:  Okay, before we go any further, I've just gotta say: If this gets out, if you and your friends say anything about you helping me study, You're gonna be so *very* beyond sorry. Understand?

Ling:  (bored) Perfectly... So, can we get back on topic here?

Abby:  Hey.

Ling:  Look, Abby, I'm all for helping you out. Mostly, cos I gotta. But you know what? If your just gonna waste my time, I'm outta here, okay? And you can flunk the nest Biology test...

Abby:  Okay, fine. I'm studying...

Cut to Ashley (wrist still bandaged), Ling and Maria as they come out of their math classroom, into the hall and head down the stairs leading to the Quad.

Ashley:  So, Year book pictures tomorrow...

Maria:  Yup, perfect excuse to buy a new out fit!

Ling:  Ohh! So, Mall after school? 

Maria:  I'm there!

Ashley:  Me too!

They reach the bottom of the stairs, find an empty table and sit down. Ling gets out her Computer Science notes and starts to read.

Maria:  Ling, its lunch... and your studying?

Ling:  We've got that Computer Science test next, last minute cramming.

Ashley:  We have?! Uh oh... (gets out her text book too).

Maria:  Guys, if you don't know it now you never will.

Ashley:  (considers) Yeah... your right... (puts it back into her bag).

Ling:  (looks up) I find it hard to believe that you know it all?

Maria:  Never said I did. I know I'm gonna get my usual "D-" so...

Ling:  Maybe if you actually took the time to study, you'd get a---

Ashley:  (interrupts) "D"?! (Maria thumps her on the arm) Ow!

Ling:  (gives Ashley look). Don't be mean! (to Maria) I was gonna say at least a "C+", maybe a "B" - *If* you worked hard.

Maria:  Work hard?! At school work?! (sarcastically) Yeah, okay...

Ling gives her a look then studies, while Ashley and Maria Chat.
  

The Credits

Special Guest Stars: Dylan Matthews, Abby Tumbrigde
Guest Staring: Mrs Moran, Mrs Ross, Rick

 
Ashley Voice Over: Our first high school year book picture day is this week. Picture day, isn't that one of the days that every school kid hates? Ah well... I guess there's a good side to it: Its an excuse to buy a new outfit. We're gonna head to the mall after school, see if we can find anything.

Cut to after school at the Mall. The camera pans up past a boy and his girlfriend to the second floor and over the railing where the girls are walking. Maria has a shopping bag in each hand, Ashley and Ling don't have any.

Ling:  (sees the "Tommy Hilfiger" store) Hilfiger, I gotta go in there.

Ashley:  Me too. 

Maria:  Okay, you guys go to Hilfiger, I've gotta go to GAP. So, meet you at the food court, say in about fifteen minutes?

Ling:  Okay.

Ashley:  Yup.

Ashley and Ling head for "Tommy Hilfiger" and Maria goes back the way they came and heads for "GAP". Cut to the escalators. Maria gets on to go to the ground floor. She looks around as she descends. She reaches the bottom. Suddenly some one calls her name. She looks behind her. Its Dylan. 

Dylan:  (catches her up) Hey, You here by yourself?

Maria:  Hey! Oh, no. Girlie shopping trip thing going on. I'm meeting Ashley and Ling in the food court later.

Dylan:  Right.

They head off towards the GAP store. Later, cut to the food court. Ashley and Ling are waiting for Maria. Looking very bored. Maria comes walking in and spots her friends. Ashley looks up as she arrives.

Ashley:  Where have you been?!

Ling:  Yeah, we said fifteen its been (looks at watch) thirty.

Maria:  Yeah, sorry. I got sidetracked talking to Dylan.

Ashley:  He's at the mall?

Maria:  Yeah, he caught up with me at the escalators.

Ashley/Ling:  Ooo!

Maria:  (gives them a look) He asked me to go out again...

Ashley:  And you said "Of course" Right?

Maria:  I said I'd let him know at school tomorrow.

Cut to the next day at school. Cut to the Hall and Auditorium. The Yearbook pictures are being taken. Abby gives the camera a glowing smile, and her picture is taken. Dylan just stares blankly into the camera with a thin smile on his face. Ashley is up next, and she gives the camera a dimpled smile as the flash goes off. Ling hops up onto the stool and gives the camera a grin. Maria looks into the camera with a smile. After their pictures are taken, the girls walk out of the Hall and Auditorium towards the Cafeteria.

Maria:  So, it wasn't that bad huh?

Ashley:  Nah, it was okay.

Ling:  I guess we'll find out when the year book gets printed.

Maria:  (spots Dylan standing opposite the bathrooms) Oo! I gotta see Dylan. Meet you guys in the Cafeteria?

Ling:  Sure.

Ashley:  Okay.

Ashley and Ling carry on walking down the hall as Maria stops to talk to Dylan. Cut to later, the Cafeteria. After paying for her lunch Maria comes over to her friends' table with her tray.

Maria:  (sits) Hey guys.

Ling:  Hey.

Ashley:  (takes a bite out of her lunch, mouth full) Ro-Row'dit-ro-wif-Rylin?

Maria:  (gives Ashley a look) Okay, once more minus the mouth full.

Ashley:  (swallows) Sorry. So, how'd it go with Dylan?

Maria:  We're going out tonight.

Ling:  Ooo! Where's he taking you?

Maria:  (shrugs) I have no idea, he said its a surprise. But he did say to "wear something warm"...

Ashley And Ling give her a confused look.

Cut to later. English Class. Miss Moran is standing at the front of the class. Ashley, Ling and Maria are all seated in the back row.

Miss Moran:   Okay, now that we have finished Romeo and Juliet, next lesson we will studying Macbeth. We will be looking at how the character's of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth develop throughout the play. The relationships between these two characters. Who's to blame for the tragedy. And the over all shape of the play.

The beg rings.

Miss Moran:   Oh, Ling, can I see you before you go?

Ling:  Uh, sure...

Ashley:  Well meet you at the lockers?

Ling:  Okay.

Ashley and Maria head out of class. Ling approaches Miss Moran.
 
Miss Moran:  Ling, I've looked at your work over the past few weeks and I've noticed that you have very good writing skills when it comes to journalism. Now I realize its quite a way off, but have you thought about what you want to do after you graduate?

Ling:  Yeah, actually, I wanna go to collage to study journalism.

Miss Moran:  Mm, seems like you've found your calling then. And with the talent you have at fourteen I'm sure you'll make it.

Ling:  (smiles) Thanks.

Miss Moran:  Now, I've had a word with Debbie Thompson, the editor of the school paper? And if your interested, she'd be happy for you to write an article. Called it... Work experience.

Ling:  Really? Yeah, I'd love to!

Cut to the halls. Ling comes out of the class room and closes the door behind her. Cut to their lockers.

Maria:  So, you in trouble?

Ling:  Nope...

They begin to walk down the hall.

Ashley:  So, what did she want?

Ling:  Um... She said I can write an article for the school paper.

Ashley:  Cool!

Maria:  Don't the seniors do the school paper?

Ling:  Usually, but she thinks I can handle it... so I've gotta go and see Debbie Thompson who's the editor, see what she wants me to do...

Ashley:  Right.

Ling:  Well, I gotta go now, so you guys can go on home...

Ashley:  Actually, nah I'll wait for you. Rick's moving his stuff in today, I'm *so* gonna just try to avoid the whole thing...

Ling:  Oh, okay. Sure.

Maria:  I'm gonna go if you guys don't mind. As I'm going out with Dylan tonight I gotta find something "warm" to wear.

Ling:  Oh, yeah, well have a good time...

Ashley:  Yeah, we'll want all the info in the morning!

Maria:  (laughs) Okay....

Ashley Voice Over:  That's pretty cool news for Ling. I mean she's wanted to be a journalist ever since I can remember. And writing an article for the school paper is a start. Even Lois Lane had to start somewhere, right? And Maria, another date with Dylan... I wonder what he's got planned... "wear something warm" What can that mean? An outside activity?

They go there separate ways as they reach the east stairs. Cut to Ashley and Ling, they're walking home, they reach the bottom of their street.

Ashley:  So, what you gotta write about?

Ling:  Um, the views of being a Freshman. Normally they'd interview some one, but they want me to write a piece on it.

Ashley:  Cool! (sees Rick's car parked in the drive, trunk open) Oh Great... 

Ling:  (also sees it) Ash, why don't you just tell your Mom that your not comfortable with the whole idea of Rick moving in?

Ashley:  I can't do that... Mom really wants this... besides, I'm hardly at home anyway, I mean, if I'm not at school, I'm out with you guys. So, its only dinner times I've actually gotta face him, Right?

Ling doesn't look so sure.

Cut to Ashley's House. Cut to the kitchen. Ashley, her Mom and Rick are sitting at the table finishing dinner.

Mrs Ross:  So Ashley, how was your day.

Ashley:  Uh, fine...

Mrs Ross:  (to Rick) Oh, honey, did you sort out those tickets?

Rick:  Uh, Yeah. (to Ashley) Ashley, I managed to get some Skater tickets for the weekend, maybe you and I could go?

Ashley:  Uhm.. yeah.. I guess...

Mrs Ross:  (pleased) Well, that's settled then. (smiles) I'm sure you'll both have a great time. Desert anyone?

Cut to later. Its almost dark. Dylan and Maria are at the beach.

Dylan:  Okay, here we are.

Maria:  The beach?

Dylan:  Not just the beach, exactly... come on, this way...

He leads her a little way down the beach and over to some caves. They climb over and up some simple rocks.

Dylan:  Okay, this is it...

Dylan points to a view on the ocean, Its a beautiful view. They can see lights from passing boats and the waves rolling in.

Maria:  (shocked) Woah... Dylan... its... its really nice.

Dylan:  I sometimes come up here... just to look at the ocean...

Dylan puts down a small blanket. They sit and watch the view.

Cut to Ling's house. There's a knock at the door. Mrs Lee answers.

Mrs Lee:  Oh, Hello Ashley.

Ashley:  Hey, Mrs Lee, is Ling here?

Mrs Lee:  Yes she's up in her room, come on in.

Cut to Ling's Room. Ashley knocks on the door and enters.

Ling:  Hey. 

Ashley:  Hey, thought I'd come see what you're doing....

Ling:  I'm Just doing this article. So how'd it go with Rick?

Ashley:  Ugh! He's got these tickets for us to go a skating Comp...

Ling:  Oh. Well, at least he's making an effort, right?

Ashley:  (sits on her bed) Effort? (shakes her head) No, he's just doing this to please mom. This has nothing to do with me.

Ling:  Ash, you don't know that. Why not give him a chance?

Ashley:  Because he's a jerk?

Ling:  (changes the subject) Well, wanna hear what I've got so far?

Ashley:  Sure!

Cut to Dylan and Maria at the beach.

Dylan:  So, uh... You looking really--(sees Maria is shivering) well I was gonna go with nice, but you look really cold...

Maria:  (nods) Just a little...

Dylan:  Here.

He takes off his Chestaville High jacket and puts it around Maria's shoulders.

Maria:  Thanks.

Dylan:  My pleasure, Miss Harris. (Maria smiles). So...

Maria:  Yeah...

They gaze into each other's eyes. Dylan leans towards her, she leans towards him and they kiss, they continue kissing as we cut to the next day at Chestaville High. Ashley and Ling are sitting at a table in the Quad. Maria comes over to them looking very happy.

Maria:  Hey!

Ashley/Ling:  Hey.

Ashley:  You look very happy today...

Ling:  Yeah, how'd it go last night?

Maria:  Very well! Very, very, very well!

Ashley and Ling look at each other the back at Maria.

Ling:  Okay, spill...

Maria smiles at them and she sits down to chat.

Ashley Voice Over:  Looks like Maria had a good time with Dylan. Ling finished her article and they liked it! Its gonna be published in the next edition, so Ling is really pleased. As for me... I've gotta deal with the whole issue of Rick as my stepfather, I mean take this Skateboarding Ticket issue... You can totally tell he doesn't wanna take me and I don't wanna particularly go with him... Ah well... I guess we're both doing it for Mom...

The Camera fades to black as the girls continue to chat.