"EPISODE 1.6 - Directional Hazard"

Written and produced By Alex Gregg. Copyrighted 2003.
Originally Aired November 3rd 2003

Shot of the Outside of Chestaville High. Cut to the Lounge. Ling and Maria are sitting on the Sofa and Ashley is sitting on the comfy chair next to them.

Maria:  (sighs)  Money morning... What lessons shall I cut this week?

Ling:  (sarcastically) Hey, how about you try this new thing, where, wait for it... You don't cut any classes - at all. You go, and, get this, you work!

Maria:  Nah, not my style...

Ashley:  (reading the paper) Yeah, not her style... (comes across Ling's article) Oh! Look! Here it is. Ling's article.

Ling and Maria get up from the sofa and go over to sit on the arms of Ashley's chair to look at the paper.

Ashley:  (reads) "Life as a Freshman, By Ling Lee. We 9th graders are now into our first couple of months at Chestaville High. I think we're all realizing that the biggest lessons aren't learnt inside the classroom. Sure, okay we've been told what High Schools about, but you never know what its 'exactly' like until you get here. I mean we've heard what classes to take and what teachers to avoid. But, no one told us that we'd have forty pages of English homework to read practically every night, or Pop Quiz's once a week in Bio and Chem lab, or that sometimes finding a space to eat lunch is impossible. The Student handbook also forgot to tells us that Seniors run the school, and Freshman run nothing... The lesson so far seems to be that High school is definitely not what you expect. But the way to make it, is to use your head, know your surroundings, and You'll be just fine." ... Woah!

Maria:  That's Cool Ling!

Ashley:  Yeah, way to go!

Ling:  (smiles) Thanks!

Maria:  (looks at watch) Well, guys, I gotta love you and leave you.

Ashley:  Your off to meet up with Dylan?

Maria:  (gets up) Ugh, I wish! Nope I have an appointment with Taylor.

Ling:  Ouch...

Maria:  "Ouch"? Why "ouch"?

Ashley:  Maria, you go to the Principal's office for one of two things, Punishment or Praise. And I doubt yours is the latter...

Maria:  Hey guys, a girl can change! (Ashley and Ling give her a look, Maria shrugs) Just, you know, not me...

The Credits

Special Guest Stars: Abby Tumbridge
Guest Staring: Principal Taylor, Mr Lee, Mrs Lee, Lok Lee

Cut to Principal Taylor's office. He comes in and closes the door behind him. The camera starts to follow him to his desk, where Maria is seated. He walks around the desk to his chair and sits down to face her.

Principal Taylor:  Well, I'm sure you know why your in my office?

Maria:  'Cause, I've been an excellent student here at Chestaville High? (she smiles at him. He just give her a not impressed look). Guess not then...

Principal Taylor:  Does: "Plants and how they grow" mean anything to you? Or how about "Compare the differences and similarities between the Movie and Novel of Romeo and Juliet"?

Maria:  Um... They're homework assignments?

Principal Taylor:  Correct. Homework assignments that you've failed to hand in. Now, I'm sure you have a good reason for this--

Maria:  (interrupts) Well, Yeah I--

Principal Taylor:  (interrupts) Oddly enough, I'm not interested.

Maria:  Okay... 

Principal Taylor:  Failing to hand in your assignments is not the only thing I'm worried about here, Maria. Your teachers have informed me that you've been late for class on a number of occasions, occasionally not attending at all. And lets not forget about that little debacle a few weeks ago, where you seemed to think it was okay to leave class early. I've also been informed that your grades are slipping too. Care you explain this?

Maria:  Um... well... I'm under a lot of pressure?

Principal Taylor:  (doesn't buy it). Maria, I as well as you teachers don't want to see you fall behind. I've spoken to the Principal at your last school, he tells me that the trouble you had there was brought on by the same things that's beginning to happen here.

Maria:  Look, Principal Taylor, its not gonna be like that here.

Principal Taylor:  I should hope not. I want it to work for you here Maria. And I'm sure your father does too. Now, perhaps we can, in future, hand in homework assignments and turn up to classes? (Maria nods) Junior High is over, your in High school now. Your education is very import. I don't want to see you jeopardizing that, by foolish pranks. Okay?

Maria:  Okay.

Principal Taylor:  Right, well I think that's about it, for now.

Cut the Girls walking home.

Ashley:  So, you guys wanna meet up later?

Maria:  Ugh... I gotta help Dad in the store, punishment for coming home late the other night...

Ashley:  Li, what about you? You busy?

Ling:  Nup, I got nothing to do... the homework can wait.

They get to the end of Town Street, Mara goes her separate way home. Ashley and Ling head to West Avenue.

Ashley:  Wanna meet up after dinner?

Ling:  Yup. Do you wanna go to the Mall?

Ashley:  Sounds good.

Cut to Ling's house. She walks though the door and finds Lok and her Mom sitting in the front room. Looking very unhappy.

Ling:  What's going on?

Mrs Lee:  (sadly) Come and sit with us honey...

Ling:  (goes to the sofa, sits next to her mom) What's happened?

Mrs Lee:  Ling, its Grampa...

Cut to Ashley's house. Cut to her room. She and Ling are sitting on her bed.

Ashley:  (very sympathetically) God, I am so sorry...

Ling:  (crying) He was gonna come over at Christmas...

Ashley:  (softly) Li? Shouldn't you be with your family right now?

Ling:  (wipes her eyes) My family? Yeah right... Dad won't talk, Lok's walked out of the house... But, if its not okay for me to be here, I can go...

Ashley:  No, I didn't mean that... sure its okay for you to be here. (softly) So, what happened? (Ling looks up at her best friend) I mean, If you don't wanna talk about it I understand...

Ling:  (takes a deep breath) No, its okay....

Its dark, a shot of Mr Harris's Store. Maria's sitting in the Kitchen at the table, she's on the phone to Ashley.

Maria:  (shocked) Oh my god...

Ashley:  Yeah... Ling said he had a stroke...

Maria:  How is she?

Cut to Ashley's House. She's sitting in the living room on the sofa.

Ashley:  Not good...

Maria:  Do you think I should give her a call?

Ashley:  I donno.... Maybe tomorrow?

Cut to Maria.

Maria:  Yeah, your probably right.

Ashley:  I better go, mom wants the phone..

Maria:  Okay, see you at school... (hangs up).

The next day at school. Ashley and Maria are sitting at a table in the Quad.

Maria:  Man, I hope She's gonna be okay.

Ashley:  Yeah, me too.

Maria:  Was, she you know... Close to him? 

Ashley:  Pretty much. He lived in Hong Kong, but he was over here a lot. You know, Christmas, Holidays, Birthdays... He was really nice. (remembers, laughs) He always wanted to hang out with us. He was cool like that.

Maria:  Wish I'd met him. 

Ling enters the Quad though the west door and approaches her friends.

Ling:  Hey, guys...

Ashley:  Ling! What are you doing at school?

Ling:  Um... (sits next to Ashley) Its a school day?

Maria:  Yeah but, what happened... You shouldn't be here.

Ling:  I needed a brake. Its awful at home...

Ashley:  Is Lok at school today?

Ling:  (stakes her head). He didn't come in.

Maria:  Yeah, he's the smart one...

Ling:  Look, guys. I get what your trying to do. I do. And thanks. But, I just need to take my mind off it all. You understand? (Ashley and Maria nod).

Ashley Voice Over:  I feel so bad for Ling, I can't imagine what she and her family are going though... It must be so awful. I don't really know what to say or do to make her feel better... I guess there's nothing that I can do, except be there for her. I don't get what she's doing at School today, I mean I know she said she needs a brake... but is school really the place she should be? Maybe she just needs to be around her friends right now...

Cut to Math class. Ashley is sitting in the forth row, Ling is sitting to her left and Maria is sitting in front of Ashley. Abby is sitting in the back row next to one of the members of her groupies.

Teacher:  In an equation, we are using a letter to stand for a missing number, we have to find the value, or values, of the missing number. Here's a typical equation.

He writes "6z + 7 = 25" on the blackboard.

Ashley looks at Ling who's at her desk looking out the of window.

Ashley:  (whispers) Ling? You okay?

Ling:  (turns round to look at her friend, whispers) Yeah.

Teacher:  This means that we are looking for a number, represented here by "z". Which, when we multiply it by "6" and add "7", gives the answer "25". The answer is: "z = 3".

He writes "z = 3" on the blackboard.

Teacher:  Now, the best way to solve an equation is using "inverses", or undoing what the equation is doing...

Suddenly Ling gets up out of her seat, grabs her bag and runs out of the room. Ashley gets up and goes after her.

Teacher:  Excuse me! (calls after them) Girls!

Abby:  (to a friend) What on earth is their deal?

Cut to the halls. Ling comes out of the classroom. Ashley is right behind her.

Ashley:  Ling, come on, wait! Look I get what your going through...

Ling:  (crying, turns to her friend) No you don't, Ashley... Okay? You have *no* idea what I'm going though!

Ashley:  No. Okay, I don't. But, I wanna help.

Ling:  (crying) You Can't...

Ashley:  Well... maybe, we could go somewhere and talk and--

Ling:  (interrupts, shouts) Just leave me alone!

She runs from the hall, leaving Ashley just standing there. Maria comes out of the class room in time to see Ling round the corner.

Maria:  Aren't you going after her?

Ashley:  No... (looks at Maria) She told me to leave her alone...

Just then the Teacher comes out into the hall.

Teacher:  Girls! What's going on?!

Cut to Ling, she's  slowly walking along the beach, she has her arms are wrapped round herself in comfort, looking very unhappy. In the background "Everything", by Lifehouse, begins to play over the scene.

Lyrics:  Find me here / And speak to me

As she walks she wipes away a tear with her sleeve.

Lyrics:  I want to feel you / I need to hear you / You are the light

Ling stops and turns to look out at the ocean for a moment.

Lyrics:  That's leading me to the place / Where I find peace again
 
She then carries on walking down the beach.

Lyrics:  You are the strength / That keeps me walking / You are the hope

Cut to Ashley and Maria as class ends, they walk out of the doors.

Maria:  Are you sure we shouldn't look for her?

Ashley:  I think she just needs sometime by herself.

Lyrics:  That keeps me trusting / You are the light to my soul

Cut back to Ling. She's sitting on the edge of a low cliff looking out over the ocean. Tears are running down her face.

Lyrics:  You are my purpose / You're everything

The slowly music fades out. Cut to the cafeteria. Ling looks over at Ashley and Maria sitting at a table eating their lunch. She decides to go over.

Ling:  Guys? Is it okay if I sit down?

Maria:  Hey. Sure.

Ashley:  Are you okay?

Ling:  (stakes her had) No, not really... (to Ashley) Look, Ash, I'm sorry about before. I just... (sighs) I guess I just lost it... Sorry...

Ashley:  Its okay, really. You know, Li, you can shout at me all you want, if it makes you feel any better...

Maria:  (nods) Yeah me too.

Ling:  Thanks... but I wont be doing anymore shouting...

Just then Abby comes over to the Table.

Abby:  (to Ling) So, Library, 5th period?

Ling:  Um... Abby, you think we could skip it today?

Abby:  Hey, the test is on Friday! I need to study!

Ling looks at her, gets up and walks out.

Abby:  (calls after her) Hey!

Ashley:  Good one, Abby!

Abby:  (turns back to them) What?!

Maria:  I don't think Ling's in the mood to help you study, when her Grampa died yesterday. Okay? So just leave her alone!

Abby:  Oh. (sympathetically) Is she okay?

Ashley and Maria look at each other in shock. Abby cares?

Maria:  (sarcastically) It looks like Abby Tumbridge, but the words she speaks are just so weird... Don't you agree, Ashley?

Abby:  I just know what its like, okay? (walks off).

Cut to after school. A Shot of Ling's House. Cut to her living room. Ling comes through the front door. She can hear her Parents and Lok arguing. The Kitchen door opens and Lok comes storming out.

Lok:  (heads for the stairs) There's no way!

Ling:  (to her brother) What's going on?

He ignores her as he walks past and stomps up the stairs. Ling dumps her school bag on the Sofa and heads into the kitchen. Just as she gets inside she hears Lok's bedroom door slam.

Mrs Lee:  Hello, sweetheart.

Ling:  Hey. (sits at the table) What's wrong with Lok?

Mrs Lee looks from Ling, to Mr Lee and back to Ling.

Mrs Lee:  We've had some news.

Ling:  Is it bad?

Mr Lee:  It depends if you take it the same way as your brother. (Ling waits for him to carry on) Dad-- Grampa made a will before he, uh... He's left me, well us, uncle Shan and his family the restaurant.

Ling:  (confused) Okay... how is that bad?

Mr Lee:  Ling, we're considering a partnership with uncle Shan, to run the place. Which means moving back to Hong Kong.

Ling:  (shocked) What? You mean, move away from California? (shakes her head) No! (gets up from her seat) There's no way!

Mr Lee:  Its a great opportunity, for all of us. 

Ling:  (upset and angry) No! Stuff the opportunity!

Mrs Lee:  (angry at her tone of voice) Ling!

Ling:  No! (to her mom) He's talkin' about us moving to a whole different country, starting a new school, making new friends, living a *whole* new way of life! (to her dad) No, you can't do that to us! You can't. Its not fair!

Mr Lee:  I know its a lot to ask of you and your brother, but Ling I'm thinking of our family and of your futures.

Ling:  (looks at her mom) You don't think he's right, do you? 

Mrs Lee:  I do agree that its a great opportunity, for all of us...

Ling:  (upset, almost crying) Dad, please, I don't wanna leave... and its obvious Lok doesn't want to either...

Mr Lee:  Ling, sweetheart. Think about it. It'll be a new start. For all of us.

Ling:  (shakes her head) We don't need a new start. We're fine. (getting angry) I'm not going. And you cant make me.

Mr Lee:  (getting angry also) You are a minor, Ling. So I'm afraid I can.

Ling:  (almost shouting) You can't just suddenly decide to do something like this and expect us all to follow you on it! 

Mr Lee:  (almost shouting) Ling, I am your father and you'll do as I say!

Mrs Lee:  (to her husband) Honey, come on. (to her daughter) Ling you too. Things are bad enough, we shouldn't be yelling at each other.

Ling:  Well, if he wasn't being so pig-headed about the whole thing, we wouldn't be! I mean he's acting like... he's the boss, no questions asked!

Mr Lee:  (tries to cam down) Ling, that's not what I'm dong.

Ling:  (through her teeth) Looks like it from here!

Ling heads for the kitchen door, goes out and slams it behind her.

Mrs Lee:  (sighs) Well, where do we go from here?

Mr Lee:  (gets up) If it all works out, We're going.

He heads into the living room, leaving Mrs Lee sitting at the table.

Cut to Ashley in her back yard. She's shooting hoops. Her basketball net is located above the garage door. Ling sits down on her porch bench and hugs her arms around herself. Ashley notices her.

Ashley:  (calls from the fence) Hey, (holds up the ball) Are you up for a little game of one on one? I've gotta warn you though, I'm back on form, 'cause of the--(sees her friend not responding). Ling?

Ashley walks over to the fence and sees that her friend's crying. She drops her basketball and climbs over the fence and goes up to the porch 

Ashley:  (sits next to her) Hey... (softly) Li, what's wrong?

Ling:  (faces her, crying) Dad wants to move back to Hong Kong...

Ashley:  (shocked) What? Why?

Ling:  (crying) Grampa left him and my uncle his restaurant, and Dad wants to move back and run it with my uncle... Ash, I don't wanna leave... I don't wanna leave, I don't wanna leave...

Ashley puts her arms around her best friend and holds her as she cries. She's almost crying herself at the thought of losing her best friend. From inside Mrs Lee hears crying and goes to the window. She sees the two friends together on the porch bench. She's upset by what she sees.

Cut to Ling and Ashley, The Camera slowly pulls back as it fades out. 

...TO BE CONTINUED...