AMY´S CREEK - S01E09 - A TASTE OF ASH
Disclaimer: I don´t own Dawson´s Creek or the characters from it.
1. Int. Ash´s Room. Morning.
Ash is doing her hair in her mirror.
Ash (voice over):
I know, what you must be thinking. Why would the most boring character get her own episode? You just might find out, that I´m not as boring, as you think.
We focus on a picture of her with her parents.
Ash (voice over):
You didn´t know, that I´m adopted, for instance. My birth mother was only a little older than I am, when she had me, so her and my birth dad didn´t think, that they could take proper care of me. I sometimes wonder, what they´re like, but I´m glad that they did. My parents are named Sarah and Derek. They met in college and fell in love soon after. Things were perfect, except for one thing: They couldn´t have kids of their own. I couldn´t have been luckier with them. It would have been fun to have siblings, but adoption is really expensive, so I understand, why they only did it once. They told me on my birthday last year and I could tell, that they were afraid of how I would react. I hugged them and told them, that it didn´t change anything. They´re my real parents and no one can tell me otherwise.
We focus on Ash, who decides that what she was trying, wasn´t working. A black cat with white paws sneaks in the room. Ash smiles at the sight of how it´s pretending, that she hasn´t noticed it.
Ash (voice over):
That´s Boots, our resident feline. We had a dog named Maradona before we got Boots, but we had to have him put down last year. He was 16 in human years, close to blind and had so much Arthritis, that he couldn´t get up the stairs anymore. I was sad, but we could all see, that he was hurting all the time, so it was for the best. If you´re wondering about the name, he was named after my dad´s all-time favorite soccer player, Diego Maradona. My dad and Marco´s dad watch it together, whenever there´s a big game. Amy came up with the name Boots, because of her white paws and we decided to keep it. She seems to like it too.
Ash makes eye contact with Boots.
Ash:
What are you up to today, Boots? Out to chase mice, or just lay around and do nothing?
Boots lazily yawns and lies down.
Ash:
I guess, that´s your way of answering!
Ash (voice over):
If only life was as simple, as it is for her. My life isn´t the most complicated, except for one big thing. I´ve had a hopeless crush on one of my best friends for years.
She decides on putting her hair in pigtails and looks satisfied with it.
OPENING CREDITS
2. Ext. Ash´s House. Morning.
Ash comes out to find Marco waiting for her. They smile at each other.
Marco:
You decided to go back to your old look, huh?
Ash:
It´s tried and tested!
Marco:
It always did suit you.
She looks flattered.
Ash:
Thanks. I´m glad, that you think so.
He smiles at her teasingly.
Marco:
It´s very you. Kind of whimsical and a little childish.
Ash:
I´m not whimsical!
Marco:
You so are. It´s one of the things, it´s impossible not to like about you.
Ash:
Do you really think, that I´m childish?
Marco:
Only in a good way. Are you ready for a long day of filming?
Ash:
Ready, as I´ll ever be.
They start walking up the street.
Ash (voice over):
Why does he have to be nice all the time? If he were mean to me, just once, then maybe I could get over him. But he always knows just what to say, to get me to my maximum level of happy. We can be serious together too, which is what signifies a strong friendship, if you ask me. My crush on him started, when I was ten years old and we were caught in a thunderstorm.
3. Int. Shed. Evening.
The 10 year old versions of Ash and Marco are huddled together, scared and trying to keep warm in their soaked clothes. The raggety old shed is shaking so much from the wind, that you would think, it could collapse at any moment.
Ash (voice over):
It was the 6th worst storm to hit these parts in recorded history and the worst in over two decades. The school however, was dead set on us going on our planned field trip. It ended up in disaster, when the storm hit and I slipped and got separated from the rest of them in the panic. Amy told me, that the teacher tried to stop him, but the moment he heard, that I was missing, he ran out to look. He found me cold, scared and wet, but the weather was getting so bad, that we had to find a place to hide. Marco knew where there was an old shed, that they store fishing gear in over the winter and we were lucky, that it wasn´t locked. Both of us were scared out of our minds and thinking, that the shed could blow away or collapse on us, at any moment.
Young Ash:
This place doesn´t feel safe. I´m scared, Marco!
Young Marco:
It´s gonna be okay. I won´t let anything happen to you.
Young Ash:
Do you swear?
Young Marco:
I swear.
Young Ash:
Cross your heart and hope to die?
Young Marco:
Cross my heart and hope to die. We´ll be home and safe, before we know it.
The shed shakes and squeeks. She grabs him for comfort. He holds her and quietly whispers in her ear to comfort her.
Ash (voice over):
It took the five scariest hours of my life, for that storm to pass. I shudder to think, what could have happened, if it hadn´t been for his heroism. He held me that entire time and kept talking, so I would have something else to think about. He even spent the rest of the day with me and made sure that I wasn´t scared anymore, until he went home. Afterwards, the police made him an honorary officer and Marco´s mom called it a miracle. Considering the devastation of the storm, it´s amazing, how the shed got through it. Some thought, it was an act of God and others said, that it was the old fashioned craftsmanship, that kept it standing. It could have been blind luck, for all we know. Either way, he earned himself a place in my heart that day.
4. Ext. Street. Morning.
Marco kisses Paige hello outside her house.
Ash:
There´s a lot of kids at school, I don´t envy and Paige is top of the list. She lives on our street and her mom´s infamous drinking problem has been the source of dinner table conversations, since before her dad left them. Only a few people were surprised, when he did. I don´t think, she notices, when they call her "Poor Girl" behind her back, but I hope, that she doesn´t. I wouldn´t want people to think of me that way and I´m sure, she wouldn´t either. Some say, that they´ve seen her mom hit her and I wouldn´t be surprised for a second, if that´s the case. It´s another reason, why I´m not mad, that she´s Marco´s girlfriend. She needs it infinitely more, than I do and my heart goes out to her. Hopefully some day, her and her mom will get the help, they need, For now, she can have Marco to console her. He´s great at that.
Paige has a shopping bag filled with clothes with her. She hands it to Ash.
Paige:
From me to you.
Ash:
Are you sure? There must a hundred dollars worth!
Paige:
They represent my dad´s failed attempts, to buy my love. They´re still nice clothes, though and you´ve been talking about spicing up your wardrobe.
Ash:
Wow! Thanks!
Paige:
There´s the cutest skirt in there, that will look amazing on you!
Ash:
I can´t wait to try it on.
Paige:
There´s a pretty girl hiding inside you. It´s my humanitarian duty, to get her out!
Marco smiles at the sight of them.
Marco:
It´s nice to see you get along.
Paige:
I wish, we had started sooner, but better late than never, right, Ash?
Ash:
I´m glad, that we could put the past behind us.
The girls smile at each other and they all get in Paige´s mom´s car.
Ash (voice over):
It was so much easier, when I didn´t like her. When I could see her as the witch, who stole my Marco away from me. But we´ve talked about the past and she explained, that she only teased me and Amy, because she was jealous, that we played with Marco all the time and he didn´t want to play with her. Her bad home life no doubt, played into it too. I can understand her, now that he´s playing games with her, I´d rather not know about. I still know more, than I want to. I´m the only one, she feels like, she can talk to about it and she loves to talk! I guess, talking to his ex or her lesbian lover about his current, just wouldn´t seem right. They haven´t had sex yet, but they have been talking about it. It´s comforting to know, that they haven´t gone there yet, but I´ll try to avoid hearing the details, when it happens.
5. Int. Joey´s House. Morning.
Joey is talking to Ash, Paige, Vicki, Marco and Amy. They have their filming equipment with them.
Joey:
I want things back the way they were and if you break anything, I expect you to replace it.
Amy:
You know, you can trust me. Go and enjoy your weekend away with Pacey.
Joey:
No parties, under any circumstances!
Amy:
You won´t be able to tell, that we´ve been here.
Ash:
You have my promise too.
Joey:
That calms me a little. You always were the responsible one, Ash.
Ash:
That´s me!
Joey:
Have a good weekend, just not too good.
Amy:
Get out of here! Pacey is waiting for you.
Joey hugs Amy goodbye and waves goodbye to the others, before leaving.
Vicki:
Time to get out the beer!
Amy:
I´ll call the male stripper agency!
Marco:
Male! How is that fun for me?
Paige gives him a kiss.
Paige:
I could give you a private show?
Marco:
We´ll save that for later.
Amy covers her ears.
Amy:
LA, LA, LA, LA, LA, LA! I DON´T WANT TO KNOW!
Vicki removes Amy´s hands from her ears and kisses her.
Vicki:
He doesn´t have to be the only one, who get´s a private show.
Ash:
Now it´s me, who doesn´t want to know!
Paige:
Come on, Ash. I think, it´s cute, that they found each other.
Ash:
It´s not like, I´m a homophobe.
Vicki:
You´re just not the lesbian porn type?
Ash:
I´m not any kind of porn type! Are we gonna stand here and talk all day or get some work done?
Vicki:
Work, miss Director.
They get to work, setting up.
Ash (voice over):
That´s become my new nickname, at least on set. Here I´m calling it a set, when it´s just Joey´s living room, but it feels like it to me. I´ve always wished, that I had something, I was passionate about and now, I´ve found it. It´s given me the courage to speak up, when something isn´t right, so I guess, I sort of am the director.
Paige:
When is our guest star getting here?
Amy:
We told him 12 o´clock. He should be here soon.
The doorbell rings.
Amy:
Your on screen boyfriend is here, Paige.
Paige:
I´ll get it!
She runs to the door and opens it. Max (the EMO boy from episode 1) comes in.
Paige:
Hello, boyfriend!
Max looks confused.
Max:
Did I miss something?
Ash (voice over):
This should be interesting!
Ash shyly smiles at Max, who smiles back at her.
6. Int. Joey´s House. Day.
Ash is trying to keep a straight face, as she holds the camera. Marco holds the boom mike.
Ash (voice over):
Filmmaking is exciting, no doubt about it. It´s also a challenge, when you only have one decent actor out of four.
Paige looks at her.
Paige:
How was it this time?
Ash:
You got almost half the lines right!
Paige:
Is it usable?
Marco:
Honey, you said some things, that made no sense at all! Like a complete word jumble!
Paige:
I suck!
Ash:
You got more lines right, than Amy did.
Amy looks disappointed in herself.
Amy:
Really?
Ash:
You said, that she had "Broken your hearts".
Amy:
So?
Ash:
You don´t have several of them.
Max:
How was I?
Ash:
Your tone of voice was way off, like as far off, as it could be!
Max:
Thanks for the brutal truth!
Ash:
I have to be honest. You were still in the top half, as far as performances go!
Marco:
We´ll try it again.
Vicki:
We´ve been at it for hours and we haven´t shot one usable second. It´s time to re-think this.
Ash:
We don´t have time to re-write the script.
Vicki:
We can re-cast.
Ash:
With who? Me and Marco are the only ones here, who aren´t in it!
Amy:
It would be perfect! Maybe it would help me to be calmer, if I had you in the scenes with me. Please, Ash!
Max:
I know how to operate the camera.
Paige:
Holding a boom mike isn´t brain surgery. I can do that.
Marco and Ash make eye contact and she seems to give in.
Marco:
It sounds like, we don´t have a choice.
Ash:
We can try it.
Paige:
You can wear your new clothes!
Ash shakes her head.
Ash:
Don´t tell me ...
Vicki:
It´s time for an old timey make over!
Ash (voice over):
What did I agree to? Oh well, it´s easier to just roll with it.
Ash tries to look enthusiastic.
7. Int. Bedroom. Day.
Ash is modelling her new clothes to Vicki and Paige. They´re more feminine, than what she usually wears, but they suit her and she looks great. She´s also wearing a bit of make up for once.
Vicki:
Total knockout!
Ash:
You´re just saying that!
Paige:
You will make jaws drop!
Ash looks herself in the mirror and looks pleased with it.
Paige:
It needs one more change. Let your hair hang down.
Ash:
I never do, except when I´m sleeping or showering. It´s always in a pony tail or pig tails.
Vicki:
Pig tails can be adorable ... on little girls.
Paige:
And very funny on men, under the right circumstances!
Vicki:
You´re not a little girl anymore, Ash. It´s time to let loose.
Ash removes the hair bands from her hair and ruffles it a little, to make it look natural.
8. Int. Living Room. Day:
Ash comes in, trying to look comfortable. Amy, Max and Marco have their eyes closed. Vicki and Paige look at Ash and smile.
Ash:
You can open your eyes.
They do and all of them are taken with how great Ash looks.
Amy:
What did you do with Ash?
Marco:
Are you the same girl, I picked up from your house this morning?
Ash:
Same one!
Amy:
I had no idea, that you could look this good!
Ash:
It´s thanks to Paige and Vicki.
Paige:
No, it isn´t. We just had to bring the beauty out in you.
Vicki:
Which wasn´t hard, by the way!
Max:
You look breathtaking!
Ash is flattered by the praise.
Ash:
Thanks.
Marco:
They´re right. You look like, you belong in a movie.
Ash (voice over):
I don´t know, if I would wear this every day, but it is fun to play princess for a night!
Max is clearly finding it hard to look away from her, to her delight.
9. Int. Bedroom. Evening.
Vicki is freshening up Ash´s make up.
Ash (voice over):
After the cast change, we started banging out one scene after another. We threw in a Pizza break to get our energy back and I think, we´re all getting pumped for this now!
Vicki:
Close your eyes.
Ash does and Vicki freshens up her mascara.
Ash:
I should know, how to do that by myself.
Vicki:
I can teach you. You can open them again.
Ash does and looks at herself in the mirror.
Ash:
Good as new!
Vicki smiles at her.
Vicki:
Just like you. You took the breath away, from those boys.
Ash:
It was ... very new, to have them look at me like that.
Vicki:
Would you say yes, if Max asked you out?
Ash:
I don´t know. I´ll find out, if he does, I guess.
Vicki:
Because, I don´t see you getting Marco.
Ash looks evasive.
Ash:
I don´t "want" Marco. He´s just my friend.
Vicki:
A friend, who´s the perfect fantasy boyfriend. If I were straight, I would fall for him too.
Ash:
Don´t tell Paige.
Vicki:
I won´t. It´s just sad to see you pining after someone, who doesn´t feel the way, you do. I´ve been there, which is why I could see the signs.
Ash:
It´s not like I would act on it, unless he did first. I wish, I could stop feeling this way, but I can´t.
Vicki:
It might make for good song lyrics, but I know, that it isn´t fun to live through. Before I moved here, I had a long time crush on a girl, who only saw me as a friend.
Ash:
Did you act on it?
Vicki:
No and I´m glad, I didn´t, because it could have ruined our friendship. What you have with Marco is special and goes beyond, what a relationship with him would be. Lovers come and go, but real friendships last forever.
Ash sees, that she´s right.
Ash:
Amy would probably be weirded out by it.
Vicki:
I think, we can call that a guarantee!
Ash:
Max is kind of cute, don´t you think?
Vicki:
You would be a better judge of that, than me.
They smile at each other through the mirror.
10. Ext. Joey´s House. Evening.
Ash and Max are saying goodbye to the others. She´s back in her normal clothes.
Ash (voice over):
We didn´t get all the filming done, we had planned, but what we shot was good. We have the house for one more day, so we should get there. It turns out that me and Marco have great chemistry as an on screen couple and Amy even improved drastically, now that she had us with her.
Amy:
You don´t have to go home yet.
Ash:
I´d feel like the litteral fifth wheel. Plus, I´d rather sleep in my bed, than on Joey´s floor.
Marco:
That´s understandable. Get her home safely, Max.
Max:
No worries, man.
Paige:
See you tomorrow, guys,
Vicki:
Don´t do anything, we wouldn´t do.
Vicki winks at her and she smiles back at her.
11. Ext. Harbor. Evening.
Ash and Max are walking along the harbor.
Ash (voice over):
Max became our friend a few years ago. Amy immediately said, that him and me would make the perfect couple, because we´re both quiet most of the time. A lot of kids at school think that he´s gay, but I don´t think he is. Not with the way he looked at me. What was that about? Does he like me? Can I just ask him?
Ash:
Max, are you gay?
Max looks annoyed.
Max:
Not you too! I´m not gay!
Ash:
It´s just that you hear people talking ...
Max:
They don´t know, what they´re talking about. I just haven´t found the right girl yet. Most of the girls here are either shallow, stuck up or both!
Ash:
What about me?
He looks apologetic.
Max:
I didn´t mean you! Please, don´t think, that I did!
She gives him a calming smile.
Ash:
I won´t.
Max:
You looked gorgeous in those clothes.
Ash:
More importantly, how was my acting?
Max:
Don´t change the subject! It was like seeing a new side to you.
Ash smiles nervously.
Ash:
It was?
Max:
Who knew, that there was a pretty girl beneath those sweaters?
Ash:
Are you flirting with me?
Max:
Is it okay?
Ash nods.
Ash:
It´s just, that I´ve never been flirted with before.
Max:
You´re the first one, I´ve flirted with. How am I doing?
Ash:
Not bad. You´re given me some nice compliments, without getting into creepy territory. I would say, that you´re well ahead.
Max:
Try flirting back. It´s customary.
Ash:
I don´t know, what to say!
Max:
What do you like about me?
Ash:
You have really cool hair and I like the way you dress.
Max:
I´ll take that! What else?
Ash:
You´re nice and you´re not like most of the other boys at our school. I admire you, because you´re not afraid to express yourself, in how you look. I would be too worried, what everyone would think, if I wore anything that stood out.
They smile at each other.
Max:
I´ve also never asked anyone out. It´s a bit frightening.
Ash:
I would say yes, if you asked me out to a movie tomorrow. I hope, that helps.
Max:
It does. It creates a nice comfort bubble.
Ash:
So?
Max:
Will you go out with me tomorrow?
Ash facepalms.
Ash:
Shucks! I can´t!
Max:
I like that you´re full of surprises, but I didn´t see that one coming!
Ash:
You can´t either. We have a movie to shoot, remember?
Max:
What about the day after tomorrow?
Ash:
We can say that.
Max:
Would it be okay, if I held your hand, now that we´re dating?
Ash:
I guess so.
They take each other´s hand.
Ash (voice over):
If I can´t have Marco, then Max is a good second choice. I´m not gonna sit around forever and wait for Marco to maybe look my way someday. Vicki and Paige were right. It´s time, I started letting my hair down.
She smiles to herself.
CLOSING CREDITS