CUT TO:
INT. ON THE BUS TO SCHOOL, PRESENT TIME.
JESSIE
I°.ve seen birthday blues before
and girl --this isn°.t it. What
gives?
Meilin EXHALES HEAVILY and stares out the window.
JESSIE (CONT°.D) (CONT’D)
Okay. If you don°.t wanna talk...
Meilin, still staring out the window...
MEILIN
Somethin's goin°. on at home.
JESSIE
I figured that much.
Meilin looks down at her hands in her lap.
MEILIN
I told my Mom I hated her.
31.
JESSIE
No way! Why?
MEILIN
It°.s complicated. I don°.t evenunderstand it myself.
JESSIE
Guess that beats what happened to me.
Jessie holds up her right hand. Her middle and 4th finger arebandaged together with medical tape.
JESSIE (CONT°.D) (CONT’D)
My stupid brother slammed thefridge door on it.
Broken?
MEILIN
JESSIE
Just bruised.
MEILIN
Gee, Jess. Sorry I didn't notice...
JESSIE
No biggie... Now the littlecreep°.s gotta do my chores for aweek.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET ENTRANCE, WOODLAND HILLS HS 41
The BUS pulls up to the entrance to WOODLAND HILLS HS.
CUT BACK TO:
INT. SCHOOL BUS 42
JESSIE
You sure you don't wanna talk?
Meilin shakes her head as she gathers up her heavy backpack.
JESSIE (CONT°.D) (CONT’D)
Okay then. See ya in Gym.
The two girls ease into the rush of students pushing for theexit at the front of the bus.
CUT TO:
32.
EXT. HIGH SCHOOL FRONT ENTRANCE 43
Meilin makes her way through the THRONG OF STUDENTS, and
heads inside for her locker.
CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY -- MEILIN°.S LOCKER 44
Meilin spins open her combination lock. She feels a pricklerun up her spine.
TIFFANY
Hello, chopstick.
Meilin's face drops. She turns around.
MEILIN
Stop callin°. me that!
TIFFANY
Yeah? Or what?
POSSE GIRL #1
Careful, Tiff. She might Kung-Fu
ya.
TIFFANY
In that outfit? Pa-leez!
Jerks.
MEILIN
Oooooo...
POSSE [THREE GIRLS]
Meilin tries to push past and head for her class. But thegirls block her way. When Meilin tries to go around them,
they move with her, still blocking her way.
They crowd closer, backing Meilin against her locker. Meilinbegins to panic.
MEILIN
What do you want from me?
TIFFANY
I want you to quit the team.
Why?
MEILIN
TIFFANY
°.Cause I said so.
33.
POSSE GIRL #1
°.Cause you suck!
MEILIN
You can°.t make me quit.
TIFFANY
Girl, I can make you do anything I
want. Know why? -°.Cause you°.re a
worthless little chopstick -and I
don°.t like your face.
Tiffany slaps Meilin°.s notebooks out of her hand.
TIFFANY (CONT°.D) (CONT’D)
Oops...
The BELL RINGS.
Tiffany's grin tightens into a superior smile.
TIFFANY (CONT°.D) (CONT’D)
One more thing. GOOD WILL called.
They want their clothes back.
They walk away LAUGHING.
POSSE GIRL #2
Did you see her face? I thought she
was gonna pee in her pants.
POSSE GIRL #3
What a lose-ah.
Tears fill Meilin°.s eyes as she picks up her books.
CUT TO:
INT. GYMNASIUM 3RD-PERIOD GIRLS FITNESS CLASS
COACH DANIELS
GO-GO-GO!
Coach Daniels shouts as Tiffany and ANOTHER GIRL strain to
pull themselves up the 25-FOOT CLIMBING ROPES suspended from
the Gymnasium ceiling. Tiffany°.s stronger and touches the
top of the SUPPORTING BEAM first.
COACH DANIELS (CONT°.D) (CONT’D)
Nineteen seconds.
Tiffany and the other girl slide down their ropes.