Fan Fiction |
by ianne
EXT. HAMPTONS - DAO MING VILLA - DAY
The men unloaded all their bags. Dao Ming Si couldn't be seen anywhere.
MEI ZHUO
Where is Ah Si? Ah Si! Help us unload the bags from the truck!
XI MEN
Where is that guy?
Xi Men looked at Shan Cai and saw she was laughing so hard she couldn't control herself.
XI MEN
Shan Cai, what's up? Why are you laughing?
Shan Cai tried to speak but could't. Everybody looked at her.
MEI ZHUO
What is it? Where's Ah Si?
SHAN CAI
It's better to show you.
Shan Cai pulled Dao Ming Si's arm to get him out of his hiding behind the SUV.
SHAN CAI
Come out! Come on, let them see you!
DAO MING SI
I don't want!
Shan Cai managed to pull Dao Ming Si from behind the van to where everybody could see him. At the sight of Dao Ming Si, all of them burst into laughter.
MEI ZHUO
What happened to your hair?!
DAO MING SI
I…we were using the top-down right? At first I thought because we were driving open roof that's why my hair is blown up.
SHAN CAI
But then when we arrived and got down, he can't make his hair come back down. His hair returned to pineapple-style!
XI MEN
How could that happen?
XI YUAN
Must be the humidity.
Dao Ming Si got annoyed and headed inside the villa, leaving everyone still laughing at him.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
The entire group had a picnic lunch and barbeque party. They played water sports the whole day. Then they had a boys vs. girls volleyball game.
NIGHT
They gathered around a bonfire and toasted marshmallows to make smores.
XI YUAN
(to Shan Cai and Dao Ming Si)
How did you two got to know each other anyway?
SHAN CAI
We were schoolmates in Ying-De. I offended him and he gave me the red tag. That pretty much started everything.
XI YUAN
Red tag?
(to F4)
You still do that?
SHAN CAI
They gave out red tags already during grade school?!
XI YUAN
I am the very first recipient of their red tag.
XI MEN
Oh yeah! I remember, it was during art class, in third or fourth grade?
XI YUAN
Third. I busted David again with one of his mischief--
DAO MING SI
And you, being the babble mouth you are, told our teacher.
XI YUAN
Of course I did. And he was made to clean blackboards after school.
MEI ZHUO
Ah Si was so mad at her. During art class, we were doing collage and painting. Ah Si took a piece of red paper and wrote "stinking roses" on it.
SHAN CAI
Why stinking roses?
XI YUAN
Really? "stinking roses" because the name of my group is "English Roses", although technically, only three girls in my group are Brits, I'm Swiss and the other was Italian.
XIAO YOU
What happened next?
XI YUAN
I left my drawing board for awhile to get some more art supplies. When I returned, there was the red tag pasted on my art work.
SHAN CAI
I bet you were mad.
MEI ZHUO
She was. She then went up to our corner and started yelling at all four of us.
XI YUAN
Yeah, I was like: "you dare call us stinking roses? What about you four?! You think you're good-smelling flowers?! You four may look like flowers but you sting like bees!" I was shouting at them, saying: ”yeah, that's right, you are stinking Flower Four!" It was meant to be an insult, a smart one for a third grader, I might say. But then it caught on. It was the English Roses VS. Flower Four.
XI MEN
And that's why our name is F4. The meaning just evolved as time went on.
DAO MING SI
So did the red tag. It became our trademark.
SHAN CAI
Wow, that's a great story. No wonder I had a good feeling about you when I met you Xi Yuan, we were both tortured by this four. They tried kicking me out you know, but they failed.
XI YUAN
They did with me.
SHAN CAI
Really?! Then you are also the first person they kicked out?
XI YUAN
Yeah, I'm a real-life F4 artifact. They didn't really kick me out, but I transferred school the following school year, recommended by our principal. One of us had to transfer in another school because we are creating too much trouble in school. Other kids' parents were complaining. They said we were bad influence to their kids.
LEI
We went back to Taiwan also after that school year.
MEI ZHUO
Yeah, they also didn't want us there anymore.
XI YUAN
Really? That I didn't know. I just thought it was decided that I have to transfer since we were migrating to the States anyway. That school must have been bored to death when we left.
SHAN CAI
I bet it was. Same thing happened to Ying-De when they left.
As the night worn out, Everyone, especially the couples, peeled out from the group. When Xiao You saw Dao Ming Si & Shan Cai leave, she decided to take off also. Xi Men held her back.
XI MEN
You have this terrible habit of taking off without a word, Xiao You.
XIAO YOU
And you have this terrible habit of not caring. We don’t need to start now.
XI MEN
You love your disappearing acts, don’t you?
XIAO YOU
What disappearing acts?
XI MEN
Which one? The first time when you migrated to Canada -
XIAO YOU
You’re the first person I told
XI MEN
On less than 24 hours notice. Or your ‘second coming’?
XIAO YOU
i had school in Canada, i had to come back--
XI MEN
Or when you left for the third time--
XIAO YOU
I gave you my resignation letter.
XI MEN
Yeah, it was very heartwarming. My favorite part was, “irrevocable resignation effective immediately.” You drop your bombs on me, three times, and still leave everything hanging. Only you, Xiao You, can do that.
XIAO YOU
Beats your one-week policy, does it?
XI MEN
How hard is it to say goodbye? As your friend, I think I deserve one.
XIAO YOU
You don’t need one.
XI MEN
You can’t come in and out of my life as you please, Xiao You.
XIAO YOU
I can’t, ‘coz you never let me in. I’m always unwelcomed in your life, Xi Men. And when Xiao Gen came back, I stopped inviting myself in. I’m crazy about you, but not stupid. I’m not gonna wait for you to dump me.
Xiao You walked away. Xi Men watched her go. He ran his hands through his face and hair in frustration
♫When your day is long
And the night is your’s alone
When you think you’ve had enough
Of this life, Hang on♫
SEASHORE
Hand in hand, Mei Zhuo and Xiao Qiao walked along the shore. Mei Zhuo was quiet and Xiao Qiao noticed.
XIAO QIAO
Penny for your thoughts. What are you thinking?
MEI ZHUO
Nothing. Just us.
XIAO QIAO
What about us?
MEI ZHUO
Umm…do you enjoy playing at Carnegie Hall?
XIAO QIAO
Yeah, very much. I'm glad you convinced me to push through with it. It’s such a great experience, being with all those musical geniuses and learning so much from them.
MEI ZHUO
I’m glad too.
But a sad look registered on Mei Zhuo face. Xiao Qiao saw it.
XIAO QIAO
You don’t look glad.
MEI ZHUO
I...I just want you happy. You can continue playing here in New York; even join the philharmonic world tour.
XIAO QIAO
If you want me happy, why are you sending me away?
MEI ZHUO
No, I am not! You deserve your music. I don't want you to be cut off from it because of me.
Xiao Qiao removed her hand away from Mei Zhuo's grasp.
XIAO QIAO
What you just said is no different from the worn-out you-deserve-better speech. If you want to break up with me, just say so. Don't make my music an excuse.
Xiao Qiao turned to leave, leaving Mei Zhuo standing at the shore. Mei Zhuo watched Xiao Qiao walk away, then kicks the sand in frustration.
♫Sometimes everything is wrong
Now it’s time to sing along
When your day is night hold on
If you feel like letting go(hold on)♫
Lei sat at the other side of the beach, staring at the sea. Feeling sleepy, he decided to head back to the villa.
He stood up and turned around, and saw Jing standing a few feet away from him. She looked like she was standing there from quite sometime.
When neither of them spoke, Lei walked ahead. He just passed by Jing, then she called him out. Lei stopped his tracks. Jing turned around but Lei didn't.
JING
Lei, how are you? You must have been very busy not to return my calls. It's ok. I have been busy in France too. Sometimes, I think of going back to Taiwan--
LEI
You know other people's business, I don't care about.
JING
I'm not other people, right? We're friends, to say the least.
LEI
We haven't been friends for a long time, Jing.
JING
If we aren't friends, then what are we?
Lei didn't answer and walked away, leaving Jing behind.
♫If you’re on your own in this life
The days and nights are long
You’re sure you’ve had too much
Of this life to hang on♫
BENDED TREE
Shan Cai and Dao Ming Si sat on the trunk of a bended tree.
DAO MING SI
Had fun today?
SHAN CAI
Yes, I had so much fun. What about you?
DAO MING SI
You know I do, as long as I'm with you. Do you miss Taiwan?
SHAN CAI
Frankly, I do. The day I left Taiwan seems so long ago. It feels like I've been here forever.
DAO MING SI
Oh.
SHAN CAI
What I mean is, it feels like forever because I'm with you. Every time we're together, I feel like we're not going to separate.
Dao Ming Si smiled and gave Shan Cai a short kiss. Then they looked at the stars in the sky.
SHAN CAI
Do you think there will be a meteor shower tonight?
DAO MING SI
Do you still believe that our fate lies within the stars?
SHAN CAI
I guess so. But I have more faith in us than in anything else.
DAO MING SI
(long pause)
They want me to become president of our company
already. Here, in New York.
SHAN CAI
Oh...well...we could still...I mean... you...me... so what? We'd have a long-distance relationship then. We can handle it. I mean, lots of other couples do.
DAO MIMG SI
Come on, it's you and me. Even if we could, I don’t want to. It’s not an option for us.
Shan Cai looked at Dao Ming Si and saw how forlorn he was.
SHAN CAI
Dao Ming Si, don't lose hope. We still got some time. Something will come up, don't worry.
Dao Ming Si nodded, reassured. But in their faces, they knew whatever time they had left, they're running out of it.
♫Don’t let yourself go
’cause everybody cries
And everybody hurts
Take comfort in your friends
cause everybody hurts, sometimes♫
Though drunk, Xi Yuan got to witness all their drama from her posture.
XI YUAN
(mumbles)
Geez, what's with these people? Why don't they just make out and get it over with?
Xi Yuan took out some fireworks and lit them up.
Shan Cai saw the fireworks, and remembered the time Lei lights up fireworks at the Ying-De rooftop and the story of it.
Shan Cai wanted to tell Dao Ming Si about it so that they can make a wish together. She looked at him, and saw he already had bowed his head, his eyes closed, and seemed to be already making his wish. Shan Cai followed suit.
Everyone saw the fireworks. They all silently madeke their wishes while admiring the beauty of the fireworks.
♫Yeah everybody hurts
Sometimes
Everybody cries
Sometimes
Everybody hurts
Sometimes♫
EXT. BEACH - NEXT DAY
Everyone was lined lying down on beach benches. They were enjoying the cool breeze and the appropriately sunny weather. They w ere having coconuts and cocktail drinks while they peacefully watched the clouds in the sky and quietly listened to the sounds of waves crashing to the shore.
XI YUAN
We got to be heading back.
SHAN CAI
She's right, we haven't got all day.
DAO MING SI
Yes we do...
They continued to lie down there. After sometime, they started to get up one by one.
Shan Cai was among the last to stand up. Instead of heading back, she walked to the shore and looked straight at the horizon. Lei noticed her and signaled Dao Ming Si. They both approached her and stood beside her. Mei Zhuo and Xi Men looked back at them.
MEI ZHUO
Hey! Everyone headed back already, what the three of you are still doing there?
XI MEN
Hey! Do you hear us? Let's go!
The three didn't answer, and the two walked up to them. Mei Zhuo stood beside Lei and Xi Men stood at the other end beside Dao Ming Si. They saw the three of them staring at the horizon.
SHAN CAI
What do you think is beyond that horizon?
XI MEN
It could be just about anything.
LEI
Could be light or the mountains.
DAO MING SI
But we'll never know unless we get there.
MEI ZHUO
So we need to "jia you," right Shan Cai?
Shan Cai answered by shouting "jia you" to the sea. Mei Zhuo followed. The three started shouting too.
They were all shouting "jia you" randomly. For the last "jia you," they shouted at the same time and raised their arms up in the air [like they did in the opening sequence of Meteor Garden (season 1)].
♫Won't you come see about me?
I'll be alone, dancing you know it baby
Tell me your troubles and doubts
Giving me everything inside and out and
Love's strange so real in the dark
Think of the tender things that we were working on
Slow change may pull us apart
When the light gets into your heart, baby
Don't You Forget About Me
Don't Don't Don't Don't
Don't You Forget About Me
Don't you try to pretend
It's my feeling we'll win in the end
I won't harm you or touch your defenses
Vanity and security
Don't you forget about me
I'll be alone, dancing you know it baby
Going to take you apart
I'll put us back together at heart, baby
As you walk on by
Will you call my name?
As you walk on by
Will you call my name?
When you walk away♫