American Shaolin Page #16

DREW:

Master, I can't tell you how sorry I am. I appreciate you both going to bat like that for me. I won't let it happen again.

SAN DE:

Neither will we. You must leave the temple in the morning.

DREW:

But I thought... the police...

D.S.

You do not deserve to leave the country as a criminal, but you cannot stay.

Drew sits for a moment, looking back and forth between San De and the D.S. His eyes are filling with tears, and he wipes at them.

DREW (CONT'D)

I'm sorry, Master.

SAN DE:

As am I.

Drew gets up and walks out of the chamber.

EXT. COURTYARD – SAME NIGHT

DREW WALKS BACK TO THE DORM ROOM, SLOWLY.

INT. DORM ROOM – SAME NIGHT

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DREW WITH THE OTHER GUYS AROUND HIM.

He has just finished telling the disciples what is going on.

They are shocked.

GAO:

Why only you?

Drew shrugs and goes over to his bed, lying down with a sigh.

LI:

The D.S. always told us that we're all responsible for what happens.

WU:

It's not fair.

DREW:

It doesn't have to be fair...

DISSOLVE TO:

ANGLE ON DREW LYING IN THE DARK

Everyone else is asleep, but not Drew. He is staring at the ceiling.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. DORM ROOM – MORNING

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DREW WAKING UP TO AN EMPTY ROOM.

Everyone is gone already, their beds made up. Drew gets up quickly and gathers up his few things. He puts on his New

York Yankees cap and shoulders his back pack, then looks around the room one last time.

DREW:

I hate long goodbyes anyway...

He exits the room.

EXT. SHAOLIN COURTYARD – SAME DAY

ANGLE ON DREW:

Walking through the courtyard, for the last time. Only a few monks are around, and they don't meet Drew's eyes.

The sounds of training can be heard O.S. Drew stops to listen to those sounds for a moment, then heads for the door.

EXT. SHAOLIN TEMPLE – SAME DAY

ANGLE ON DREW:

As he leaves the temple. He pauses for a moment with the door open, then shuts it sadly. He looks out over the courtyard, which is completely deserted. Drew sighs, hitches his backpack onto his back and starts out.

As he comes out of the doorway and into the courtyard proper, he sees...

THE ENTIRE CLASS OF DISCIPLES

Dressed in street clothes with their bags packed. Li and Gao are in the front, their bags in their hands, smiling.

GAO:

You're either with us or against us, remember?

DREW:

(smiling)

I'm with you!

A cheer goes up from the entire group as Drew, Li and Gao embrace. In the b.g. can be seen the D.S., who is observing all this.

INT. SAN DE CHAMBER – DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF SAN DE'S CHAMBER, SAN DE WAITING FOR DREW IN ONE OF THE CHAIRS.

The door opens and Drew walks in, the D.S. can be seen in the b.g. San De indicates one of the chairs for him to sit in. He does.

SAN DE:

Quite a show of solidarity, yes?

Drew nods, trying to hide a smile. He is trying his best to appear humble.

SAN DE (CONT'D)

Why did you come to the Shaolin Temple?

DREW:

(caught off guard)

To train, Master.

SAN DE (CONT'D)

Yet you rebel at every rule, and blame the training for your inability to learn and progress?

No response from Drew, who is just looking down at the ground.

SAN DE (CONT'D)

You are like someone swimming in fresh water crying "I thirst!". What you seek is all around you. Don't fight with the ways of the temple, the battle is within yourself.

DREW:

Within myself?

SAN DE:

You must accept the responsibility for your life. If we force you out of the temple, you can always blame the temple for your failure – it never has to be your fault.

(beat)

Life without committment is no life at all.

DREW:

What if I can't handle it? What if I fail?

SAN DE:

Live for the moment, Drew. The future will take care of itself. If you go through your days here, squeezing every last bit of life out of every minute, you need not fear failure.

DREW:

(after a beat)

Then, it's up to me.

SAN DE (CONT'D)

Yes. Your fellow disciples stood up for you. It's your turn.

DREW:

I don't want to let them down.

SAN DE:

Don't let yourself down.

He bows to San De and then leaves the chamber.

EXT. CHAMBER – SAME NIGHT

DREW COMES OUT, FINDING GAO AND LI WAITING FOR HIM.

GAO:

Are you staying?

Drew waits for a moment, studying their hopeful faces.

DREW:

Yeah, I'm staying. If only to keep you guys out of trouble!

They walk off, and just as they round a corner, a BANG is heard as one of the monks drops the heavy wooden lid of a storage barrell. Drew jumps, spinning around in the direction of the sound.

LI:

Drew! Are you allright?

DREW:

Yeah, I'm just a little on edge, that's all. Ever since I got to the temple, some nut has been attacking me with a stick – at night, in the toilet... anywhere! It's driving me crazy...

Gao and Li look at each other, nodding.

DREW (CONT'D)

What? Honest, it's happening! I...

GAO:

Every class of disciples, the one with the most potential is singled out for special training. We were wondering who it was... now, we know.

DREW:

Special training? You mean...?

Gao and Li nod, and Drew walks with them, shaking his head.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE – MORNING

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF ASHEMA STANDING NEXT TO THE STREAM, WATCHING THE WATER RUSH BY.

In the b.g. comes Drew, dressed in his monastic robes, no hat on his head. He is making no attempt to hide the fact that he is a monk.

Drew walks up to Ashema and takes her hand, and they stand like that for a moment. She then turns to him, and starts to say something. Drew stops her with a finger on her lips, then strokes her cheek.

DREW:

Ashema, beautiful Ashema, I can't see you anymore. I will... miss you and remember you... always.

Ashema closes her eyes against the tears there, and buries her head against Drew's shoulder.

ASHEMA:

Are they making you do this?

She wants to hear that they are, even if it's not true. She NEEDS to hear it.

Drew pulls her head away from his shoulder, looking into her eyes. It would be so easy not to take the blame for hurting her like this.

DREW:

No. It is my choice, and my responsibility. I'm sorry...

He embraces her for the last time, and she openly begins to cry. He holds her for a moment, then breaks the embrace and with one last long look at Ashema, walks away.

EXT. TRAINING AREA – DAY 103 (SPRING TIME)

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DREW WORKING ON THE "WOODEN MAN", A TRAINING DEVICE.

The D.S. in the b.g. comes up and corrects his technique, and Drew immediately does it his way.

EXT. POLE AREA – EVENING

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DREW WORKING ON THE POLES.

He is doing well, jumping from pole to pole, kicking and punching. He tries an especially difficult sequence of moves, and falls with a THUMP to the ground. Immediately, he is back up and onto the poles. He tries the same set of moves, falls again. Instead of being angry, Drew just laughs at himself, then climbs back up on the poles.

INT. MEDITATION HALL – NIGHT

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF BARE CHESTED DREW, SOAKED IN SWEAT.

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