220. Too Good - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• INT. CAFE 36 - EVENING


• SHAWN sits by himself at a small table in the cafe, nursing a cup of tea.


• He plays with small, circular infuser that has symbol-shaped holes cut from it's metal surface and stares at the empty chair across from him.


• He plays with the buttons on his shirt, straightens his collar and turns back to the tea.


• Shawn starts; AMY is sitting in the chair across from him.


• SHAWN
• Who are...


• AMY
• Amy.


• SHAWN
• Shawn.


• AMY
• I'm not going to ask you if you believe in love at first sight...I think that we all half believe it, so I'm not really interested in your answer to that. But I would like to know what your fantasy of love at first love would look like.


• SHAWN
• Ok...well, I've never been asked that before and especially not by someone I don't even know.


• She cocks her head and smiles.


• SHAWN
• Fine, ok. A lot of guys are all about the pursuit; but I'm not really that interested in that.


• AMY
• You mean you think it would be way sexier to bump into someone who was so matched for you that both of you realized that you were matched for each other?


• SHAWN
• Huh...huh. You're the first person to get that. Yes, that's exactly what I would love to happen. I think the idea of two people evenly matched is ridiculously hot.


• AMY
• But it's not like you'd be clones either. They'd get a kick out of all these shared memories.


• SHAWN
• And the cool thing would be the slight difference in perspective and experience.


• AMY
• Heh. Exactly. Like I used to walk around with a mirror pointed up as a kid so I could walk on the ceiling.


• SHAWN
• Me too! Music?


• AMY
• Counting Crows changed my life, cried through Natalie Merchant's live album the first time I heard it. Polyphonic Spree makes me giggle. My collection is eclectic as hell. You know what I'm talking about.


• Shawn nods and grins.


• AMY
• Movies?


• SHAWN
• I spent two years digging through Donnie Darko and I still haven't figured out everything about that movie...and that makes me giddy. I spent two days writing after seeing both Angel-A and Paris J'Taime in one sitting.


• AMY
• And you want to buy a schooner and travel the world as a nomadic war photographer; but boy would you like a partner to keep you company.


• Shawn's eyes go wide.


• AMY
• Good, I was hoping that's what your reaction would be.


• SHAWN
• Good guess.


• AMY
• Well, it's what I want too...so I figured.


• He reaches across the table and touches her hand.


• INT. SHAWN'S BEDROOM - DAY


• Shawn jerks out of sleep and falls off his bed.


• SHAWN
• You've got to be kidding me! Frick!


• He slams his pillow into the side of the bed.


• FADE TO BLACK.

219. Haiku Break - Leaky Thoughts

• 1.
  There's a hole in space,
  Hole in my cerebellum,
  Venting my scared thoughts.


• 2.
  We brushed past each other,
  Turned and in an instant, knew
  A shared history.


• 3.
  I'm waiting for that,
  That one moment of knowing,
  A mutual smile.

218. Haiku Break - Songs of Inspiration

• 1.
  Reach out with fingertip
  Touch the surface slow, gently
  Feel the edge of dream.


• 2.
  Find your secret place
  Exhale, close your eyes and swim
  Technicolor breath.


• 3.
  Down the small tunnel,
  Find the source, follow the voice,
  Sink into the sound.

217. Haiku Break - Songs of Asceticism

• 1.
  Bread, wine, company
  Waves whisper my ear,
  Sunset ritual


• 2.
  Enter my desert,
  Silence, prayer, and refuge,
  In my quiet place.
  


• 3.
  An urban prophet,
  She sits, waits in steel deserts
  Listens to the wind.

216. Holy Moment - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• INT. KITCHEN - DAY


• MIKE finishes building a sandwich and is bringing it to his mouth when his phone rings.


• He contemplates ignoring the phone, then sighs and put the sandwich down.


• He pulls the phone off the counter and puts it to his ear.


• MIKE
• Yes?


• RAJEEV (OS)
• Dude, you need to meet me at the beach.


• MIKE
• Now? I just made a sandwich.


• RAJEEV (OS)
• Now. Remember we were talking about Waking Life and "the Holy Moment"? Just meet me at the beach.


• MIKE
• Dude, it's California, you have to be more specific than that.


• RAJEEV (OS)
• North Malibu...that little cove you spotted a few weeks ok.


• MIKE
• Ok, I'll see you there in a bit.


• He hangs up, looks at his sandwich, then sighs, wraps it in plastic and shoves it in the refrigerator.


• Mike crouches, checking his reflection in the microwave door and pats his head, making sure no unruly strands are visible.


• He stands, grabs his keys, and leaves the apartment.


• EXT. MALIBU COVE - DUSK


• Mike parks on the side of the PCH and jogs across the road.


• Ducking through foliage, he finds himself on a bluff overlooking a small patch of isolated beach.


• RAJEEV sits cross-legged below, watching the sun descend.


• Mike picks his way down the cliff and walks to Rajeev, sitting next to him.


• Rajeev nods at him and he smiles back in reply.


• They sit, watching light play on the water.


• Rajeev reaches for his backpack and pulls two bottles of kosher grape juice out followed by a package of flat bread.


• He pulls two wine glasses from his pack.


• He hands one bottle to Mike and goblet to Mike.


• Mike pours some of the juice into the goblet and takes a sip.


• MIKE
• Oh! That's good. Screw this.


• He finishes the little bit left in the glass and begins to drink straight from the bottle.


• Rajeev chuckles and follows suit.


• They sit, tearing pieces of bread off and eating.


• The sun sets and Rajeev stretches.


• RAJEEV
• A holy moment.


• MIKE
• A holy moment.


• He waves his hands through the air as if he can feel God around him.


• He stands, frowning as he brushes sand off his dress shoes.


• RAJEEV
• Mike dude, you don't have to dress up everywhere you go...no one's here I don't care.


• Mike slaps at him and Rajeev laughs.


• They stand and walk together toward the bluffs, the ocean lapping softly behind them.


• FADE TO BLACK.

215. WWJD - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• INT. THE REFUGE - DAY


• The Refuge is a unique space, two storefronts linked by a doorway in the wall between them.


• The smaller of the spaces is a barbershop where five tattooed and pierced barbers work busily.


• The larger space is home to a restaurant staffed by equally alternative-looking staff.


• GRACE sits in the mama-san chairs scattered around the waiting area of the barbershop reading an Adbusters magazine.


• JEANIE, one of the barbers whose arms covered in red tattoos, looks at her appointment list.


• JEANIE
• Grace?


• Grace looks up from the magazine and walks to the chair.


• GRACE
• Hey.


• JEANIE
• Hey there. Grace is a one of my favorite names, by the way.


• GRACE
• Thanks.


• JEANIE
• So what can I do for you?


• GRACE
• I dunno, this is getting too long for me...this is my first time here, but my friend Angie told me I should just trust you, that you guys were amazing...so, uh, something short and spiky...with some nice highlights?


• JEANIE
• Cool, coming right up.


• She goes over to her work station and starts selecting the tools she needs.


• She begins cutting and they sit silent as she starts.


• Jeanie snips away, skilfully shaping Grace's hair.


• GRACE
• So you one of those rare native Angelenos or one of us immigrants?


• JEANIE
• Well, I'm a Californian, but I grew up in the OC.


• GRACE
• Oh yeah?


• JEANIE
• Yeah and God I am glad to be here.


• GRACE
• That bad?


• JEANIE
• Was about to kill myself; not literally you know...well maybe. All the hypocrisy and well, the happy, peppy, Jesus people.


• She mimics.


• GRACE
• "Oh hi, honey, do you go to church?" or on the really crappy days "Have you been saved?" And that was just how people said hello. And if you say no, then you get "Oh, well I'll be praying for you then." Sometimes I'd just say yes to avoid the whole thing.


• JEANIE
• Wow, I'm sorry, that sounds pretty bad.


• GRACE
• Oh geez, you have no idea. I mean, ergggh.


• JEANIE
• I have more idea than you think, and I completely agree.


• GRACE
• Thank God for LA.


• JEANIE
• Indeed. I suppose, in full disclosure, I should tell you that we're all pastors here.


• Grace blanches and Jeanie grins at her.


• GRACE
• Oh no! I hope I didn't offend you.


• JEANIE
• Don't worry about it at all, you could ask any one of us and we'd completely agree with you.


• GRACE
• You're seriously not offended?


• JEANIE
• No way, you have every right to be offended.


• GRACE
• Not sure I'd though I'd ever hear the day when a Christian, much less a pastor said that.


• Jeanie chuckles.


• GRACE
• Why in the world did a bunch of pastors start a restaurant and barbershop up...and what kind of combination is that anyway...food and a haircut?


• JEANIE
• To answer your second question, hey, it works. As for us clergy, heh, we just loved the idea and thought this would do a letter better than our churches.


• GRACE
• For what?


• JEANIE
• What I imagine those OC folk are trying to do in all the wrong ways; start up dialog about our beliefs, your beliefs...and just life in general.


• GRACE
• Wow. Look I don't want to put anymore feet in my mouth, but ahh politics?


• JEANIE
• I'm a socialist. Greg over there is a hardcore anarchist.


• GRACE
• Ohhh, wow. You really aren't kidding when you say you're doing this religion thing in a new way.


• JEANIE
• Never said that.


• GRACE
• You might as well have.


• Jeanie pulls out hand mirror and shows Grace the cut.


• GRACE
• Wow, amazing...thanks. I'll have to come back to eat soon...see what you crazy Christians have up your sleeves next.


• She hands Jeanie the money for the cut, slides out of the chair and walks out the door.


• Jeanie looks after her and smiles, shaking her head, then returns to her appointment list.


• JEANIE
• Autumn?


• FADE TO BLACK.

214. Unveiled - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• EXT. DECK - DAY


• INAYA and JUDY sit on comfortable deck chairs watching their friends splash around in the pool.


• Inaya adjusts her hijab and laughs as one of the BOYS does a bellyflop.


• Judy watches her adjust the cloth.


• JUDY
• I'm sorry, I don't mean to offend you or anything, but why do you still wear that thing?


• Inaya turns to her, surprised.


• INAYA
• That's loaded statement. It's not a thing. It's a Hijab. I'm pretty sure I know what you want to say, but I don't jump to conclusions, so spit it out.


• JUDY
• I mean, it's a symbol of oppression; you're a feminist, a strong woman, and yet you're chained to that.


• INAYA
• Wow, you keep going with the loaded words. Chained? Really? This is a choice.


• JUDY
• But women are forced to wear those to protect some man's ego and sense of piety.


• INAYA
• I was not forced to wear this. I made a choice because I felt it honored my religion.


• She reaches over and touches the crucifix on Judy's neck.


• INAYA
• I could say that you shouldn't wear that because it stands for hundreds of years of oppression and war; but I don't, because I understand that it stands for something much deeper and much purer than that. You wear it to honor and celebrate your beliefs. The same reasons I wear my hijab.


• JUDY
• Wow.


• INAYA
• And don't assume every man whose wife wears a hijab is a misogynist pig. My mother wore a burkha all her life but that says nothing about my father. He loved as much as a man can love a woman and respected her.


• JUDY
• I'm sorry, I guess I should be more careful about getting caught up in stereotypes.


• Inaya relaxes her shoulders.


• INAYA
• No worries...I forget how foreign all this must seem sometimes.


• They sit in silence for a bit.


• JUDY
• I think I'm going to have to recover from the tongue-lashing, but when I do, I'd like to hear more. Now you've got me intrigued.


• Inaya blushes.


• Judy stands and walks into the house.


• FADE TO BLACK.