REALITI EPISODE 8 DRAFT 6
BY DZOFRAIN AZMI
TEASER
INT. STOREROOM -- DAY
OPEN ON a geeky looking TEENAGER being
cornered, fear in his eyes. We see JOE is leaning in over him, threatening
him. They're surrounded by shelves of
VCDS. A beaten-up old TV sits in one
corner.
JOE
Saya faham, bisness slow, polis raid
banyak. OK. Tapi sekarang bunga tu kena
lebih sikit.
The teenager looks scared. He just nods
quickly.
JOE
Faham?
Suddenly, they are interrupted by a phone
ringing. BURN is in the shop as well.
He's rapidly digging into his pockets, trying to extract his phone. It's a
phone call from Mac. Burn just hits the off button.
BURN
Sorry.
The tension cut, JOE tries to intimidate the
teenager again, but now the kid's attention is focused on Burn.
VCD SELLER
Eh... you Burn, ke? Dari Malaysian Star?
Burn looks up. He just shakes his head. The teenager is now
completely focused on Burn. He ignores Joe completely.
VCD SELLER
Yahlah.
Burn. Dude!
(to Joe)
Sebab dia-lah... sebab dia kita rugi besar
bulan ni.
Joe looks at BURN quizically.
BURN
Eh... You orang main
dengan Malaysian Star ke?
Wait a sec... you're taking bets on me?
VCD SELLER
Semua nak main Malaysian Star sekarang, lah.
Everyone's betting on Malaysian Star these days, man.
The TEENAGER changes the channel on one of
the TVs to Pop TV. Visual of POP TV
ANNOUNCER appears on screen.
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Ya, selepas persembahan Amir yang sungguh
mengelirukan, ramai yang tanya Kenapa dia masih di dalam Malaysian Star-
VCD SELLER
I pasti budak kampung tu akan kalah. Semua bet I angle begitu. Tapi...
(beat)
Eh, Kenapa you perform teruk sangat malam
tu?
JOE slaps the TEENAGER on the head..
JOE
Oi, baik kau respek
sedikit. You tak kenal dia? You tahu apa dia buat dulu sebelum dia masuk M
Star?
Yo, you show my
homie some respect, okay. Before he
joined that sorry-ass show, you know what he was known for on the street?
(beat)
Huh?!
Burn is just watching the TV.
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Tapi berita yang terhangat, yang terpanas,
sampai jari I berlepuh, ialah satu dari peserta Malaysian Star terpaksa menarik
diri.
But the biggest news at the moment is that one more Malaysian Star terpaksa menarik diri. Who is it?
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- DAY
CAMERA POV: MAC standing in front of the
camera, surrounded by press.
MAC
We regret to inform you that last night,
Melody Yeoh has been admitted to hospital for exhaustion. Whether Melody stays on the show or not will
depend on how her condition develops.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- DAY
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Keletihan. Ya,
Melody Yeoh didapti tidak mampu bila dibawah sinaran terang kemasyuran.
Exhaustion. The same thing has happened to stars like Mariah Carey and
Britney Spears. Stay tuned to Pop TV for
a full report.
(beat)
Jangan sentuh remote kamu, kami kembali
secepat mungkin.
Stay tuned to Pop TV for a full report.
CUT TO:
INT. STOREROOM -- CONTINUOUS
BURN watches TV, reacting.
On BURN'S expression, we
CUT TO:
OPENING MONTAGE
END OF
ACT
INT. HOSPITAL RECEPTION -- DAY
OPEN ON MEL lying in a hospital bed, tubes
sticking out of her.
MAC and JAY peer in.
JAY
Tak bagus, man.
This isn't good, man.
MAC is silent.
JAY
I dah cakap dengan
TV station dan sponsor. Semua tak happy, Mac.
I've been on the phone with the TV station and the sponsors all day. They're not happy, man.
(beat)
Kalau tak dapat
empat peserta... undian SMS ada problem-lah.
We've got to have four contestants... or the SMS votes all get screwed up.
MAC
(sarcastic)
Apa? Tak cukup
untung?
You mean you guys stand to lose money from it.
JAY
Oi. You ingat show
ni siapa yang bayar?
How d'you think this show is paid for, man?
(beat)
SMS-lah.
The SMSes. That's what brings in the money.
MAC
Jay, aku tak mahu
discuss sekarang. Kalau you nak peserta baru-
Jay... I'm not going to discuss this now. You want to bring a 4th contestant in... you handle it.
JAY
Mac, I dah ada plan,
tahu. Tapi I kena check dengan you dulu.
I've already thought of a plan. I
just need to know that you're okay with it.
MAC is silent.
They're interrupted by some commotion down
the corridor.
It's BURN walking down the corridor, pursued
by a NURSE trying to stop him.
JAY
Speak of the devil...
JAY turns to the NURSE.
JAY
Nurse... it's okay.
The NURSE reluctantly lets BURN through.
BURN glares at both MEL and JAY, then enters the room.
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL WARD -- DAY
BURN walks cautiously towards Melody. As he looks at her, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR -- DAY
MAC and JAY stand side by side and look in.
MAC
You nak dia - dia,
Burn, dia - balik ke show?
You want HIM back on the show?
JAY
Dan your idea apa?
You got a better idea?
Then they turn, hearing voices from down the
corridor.
It's DAVID, walking down the corridor with
an HOSPITAL OFFICIAL.
DAVID
What do you mean? She's got insurance,
right?
OFFICIAL
Yes, but you have to cover the day-to-day
expenses yourself, then claim from them.
DAVID
You think so easy, ah? You think I'm made of
money, what?
JAY
(to Mac)
Better get him out of there, man.
MAC quickly enters the hospital room.
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL WARD -- CONTINUOUS
MAC approaches BURN.
MAC
Burn, I rasa baik
you balik sekarang-
You've got to go, now.
Then DAVID enters, sees BURN and reacts.
DAVID
What the hell is he doing here?
BURN turns and reacts.
DAVID
Get out!
MAC
Let's go.
MAC puts his hand on BURN'S shoulder. BURN just flings it aside.
BURN
What the hell's your problem, man?
DAVID
My problem?
You're one of the reasons why she's here in the first place.
BURN
What?!
Who's the one who pushed her, huh?!
Who wanted her to be so perfect?
The two face off. MAC drags BURN away.
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL RECEPTION -- DAY
MAC drags BURN down the corridor.
BURN
Dude, kalau you tak
lepaskan I-
Get your hands
off me, man.
MAC lets go.
BURN
Apa problem dia?
What's his problem, man?!
MAC
Anak dia dalam koma, dia tak mampu bayar
bill... what do you think?
His daughter is in a coma and he can't afford to pay the hospital... that's his problem.
BURN
Rubbish-lah.
Production macam ni tak ada insurance?
What... big
production like this... you guys don't have insurance for things like that?
MAC
Burn, O.D. tak ada
insurance.
She O.D.ed
Burn, you think our insurance covers that?
BURN reacts.
MAC
And that's between us.
BURN is silent.
MAC
Kami perlu empat
peserta, Burn. Sekarang ni Mel-
Now that Mel's
gone, we need a replacement on the show.
BURN
Melampau. Bila pasal
duit, you guys cepat sungguh, ya?
You guys really
move fast, huh?
MAC
They want you back.
Burn gives an ironic laugh and shakes his
head.
BURN
Dude. I dah out. I
memang tak mahu in dari dulu pun.
And you guys
really think I'm going back to that freakshow?
MAC
Ikut suka you-lah.
Kau ni tak berbaloi.
Up to you. You're rude, mean and a sore loser.
(beat)
Buat apa I kisah?
So I don't give
a damn.
MAC walks away. On BURN'S expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- DAY
OPEN ON AMIR surrounded by press.
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Jadi, Amir. Apa yang
terjadi pada rancangan minggu lepas?
So tell us,
Amir... what happened at the last showdown?
AMIR
Amir gelisah. Tak
selesa.
Like I said, I
got stagefright.
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Jadi stage fright?
Betul ke? Ada tak cerita lain dibelakangnya?
Stage
fright? Is that it, Amir? Or is there more you're not telling us?
AMIR
Misalnya?
What d'you mean?
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Bagaimana dengan
berita baru yang mengatakan kamu kelah dengan sengaja supaya Baby boleh menang?
What about the
rumours that you performed badly on purpose so that Baby could win.
AMIR
Apa?!
What?!
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Ada yang mengatakan
Amir dan Baby sekarang lebih dari kawan biasa.
Yah, because
some people have noticed that you've been getting close to Baby.
AMIR
Kalau macam tu, kau tahulah apa Baby kata
hari tu... saya tak cukup standard.
And you heard what Baby said... saya tak cukup standard.
JAY sidles up beside AMIR.
JAY
Amir sekarang fokus
kepada satu benda saja. Pertandingan ini.
Amir is only focused on one thing at the moment... this competition.
(beat)
Kamu tunggu untuk
showdown minggu ni.
And he'll prove in the next showdown that his stage fright is a thing of the past.
(to Amir)
Ya, Amir?
On AMIR'S expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. REHEARSAL HALL -- DAY
OPEN ON AMIR and JAY alone in the rehearsal
hall.
JAY
Lain kali, Amir kena
nyanyi betul-betul! You tak boleh
tiba-tiba stop macam Minggu Lepas.
Next showdown,
you've gotta sing! You tak boleh
tiba-tiba stop macam Minggu Lepas.
Amir is silent.
JAY
Suspicious sangat.
Dan macam orang tak percaya yang Amir gelisah malam tu.
And people
don't seem to be buying the stage fright story.
(beat)
Tak apa. Jay panggil
PC. Bagi tahu ayah hang uzur, kena masuk
hospital-
I'll call a PC. Tell them ayah hang uzur, kena masuk hospital-
AMIR
Jay...
(beat)
Amir tak mahu buat ni lagi.
JAY
Bagus! Cakap begitu.
Kata ibu Amir-
Great! You say that to the press. Kata, ibu kamu-
AMIR
Amir tak mahu kalah dengan sengaja lagi.
JAY
Amir, jangan putus
asa. I tahu Amir takut, tapi kalau Amir betul-betul-
Hey, hey,
hey... this isn't the time to back out,
bro. I know you're scared, but if we
play this right-
AMIR
Jay, Amir tak rasa
benda ni "betul". Amir tak mahu buat benda ni lagi.
It doesn't feel
right, okay. I'm out.
A beat.
JAY realizes AMIR'S made up his mind.
JAY
Amir, pikir dulu
sekejap. Bagaimana dengan ayah Amir? Siapa nak bayar bill dia?
You're not
thinking straight, bro. What about your dad?
You drop out now, and how you going to afford his medical bills.
AMIR
Amir cari jalan
lain-lah. Jalan Amir sendiri.
I'll think of
something.
AMIR walks off.
JAY
Amir, come on.
AMIR doesn't stop walking.
JAY
Amir!!
On JAY'S expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL CAFE -- DAY
OPEN ON NICKSON on the phone, having a
heated discussion.
NICKSON
How could you have let him say that to
Calvin?
(beat)
Come on ma, stop making excuses for
him. He's-
(beat)
It's not about how close I am to Calvin,
what matters is that he's my friend!
BABY sits by herself, her lunch in front of
her, looking at NICKSON.
AMIR approaches.
BABY
Ayah dia gaduh
dengan Calvin semalam.
Apparently, his
dad was nasty to Calvin last night.
BABY gives AMIR a look. AMIR slumps down on the seat.
BABY
You baca tak paper pagi tadi.
AMIR
Sikit.
BABY
You setuju tak?
AMIR
Yang Melody berkerja terlalu keras?
BABY
No-lah.
Yang Amir tak patut dalam Malaysian Star lagi.
AMIR gives her a look.
BABY
Kenapa Amir tak
nyanyi minggu lepas?
Why did you
walk off the other night?
AMIR
Sebab Amir risau
saja.
No reason. Stage fright.
BABY
Amir. I tahu bila
you bohong.
Amir... I can
tell when you're lying.
AMIR
Ya ka? Mestilah. Kau
kan dah banyak practice sendiri.
Really? It takes one to know one.
BABY reacts, hurt. AMIR is about to say something, when...
NICKSON slumps down in his seat.
BABY
Nickson, you baca tak paper pagi tadi?
NICKSON
Yang kata Melody
berkerja terlalu keras?
The one that
said Melody was pushed too hard?
Amir shoots a "you see?" look to
Baby.
BABY
Nevermind.
As AMIR and BABY exchange glances, we
CUT TO:
INT. STOREROOM -- DAY
OPEN ON VCD SELLER, packing Cds in the
storeroom. There's a banging on the
door.
VCD SELLER
Siapa?
JOE
Yo, dude... open up.
VCD SELLER
(panics)
I dah janji... hari Khamis nanti I bereskan
semua.
You said you'll give me till Thursday to pay.
JOE
Buka ajelah. Kami datang untuk bisness lain.
Just open up okay, we're here for something else.
VCD SELLER hesitates, then opens the door.
VCD SELLER
(still nervous)
Jadi?
So... what's up?
JOE
Kami nak main
betting sikit.
We want in on
your little betting scam.
VCD SELLER
Joe, I janji, semua
hutang-
You want a cut
from that too?! Come on, man-
JOE
Relax, lah. Nak buat
bet saja.
Relax! We just want to place a bet in it lah.
VCD SELLER
Bet untuk apa?
Okay... who you
wanna bet on?
JOE
Burn. Dia akan dapat
markah tertinggi minggu ni.
Burn. Getting top points at the next showdown.
VCD SELLER
Eh, apa dengan you?
Burn kan dah kalah? Dia takkan perform pun.
You guys think
I'm stupid?! Dude's not even in the
show, man.
JOE
You wanna bet?
VCD SELLER
(hesitates, then)
Berapa you nak?
Okay, how much
you wanna put on it?
JOE pulls out a really thick wad of notes.
JOE
Berapa you boleh
ambil?
Go ahead, count
it.
The VCD seller stares. On his expression, we
FADE TO BLACK
END OF
ACT
EXT. CITY -- NEW DAY
EST.
SHOTS as a new day dawns on the city.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- NEW DAY
CAMERA POV: POP TV ANNOUNCER faces the
camera.
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Kepada semua yang
tak boleh tunggu-tunggu untuk mengetahui pekembangan baru, ini adalah satu
kejutan istimewa...
And for all of
you out there wondering what's going to happen at the next showdown with only
three contestants, here's a big surprise...
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- CONTINUOUS
CAMERA POV: BURN faces the camera.
BURN
Kepada semua
honey-honeys di sana... keringkan air matamu, Burn is Back!
This is a
message out to all you B-boys out there... Burn is back, ya better believe it!
CUT TO:
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Siapa yang sangka yang Burn - yah, Burn bad
boy Malaysian Star - akan kembali ke rancangan Ini?
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- DAY
CAMERA POV: TALKING HEADS of fans facing the
camera.
FAN 1
Burn?
Back?
(beat)
How can?!
Unfair langsung!!
FAN 2
Mesti boleh!
Kalau orang tu cool, apa yang tak boleh?
Lagipun, Amir yang sepatutnya kena buang Minggu Lepas.
FAN 1
Yo, don't you dare talk like that about
Amir, man! He's not the one who got
kicked out last week!
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- DAY
CAMERA POV: POP TV ANNOUNCER faces the
camera.
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Tapi – dan dengan serius sekarang – Burn
dapat undian terkurang minggu lepas; dia mesti akan gagal minggu ni pun.
Let's be brutally honest here... if Burn was knocked out last week, won't he be the one to go again this week?
PAN TO JAY standing beside her.
JAY
Malaysian Star
mengikut undian. Rasa kami tukar dari minggu ke seminggu. Minggu lepas, kami
suka ice cream Haagen Daz.
The great thing
about Malaysian star is... every week's different. Someone who's weakest one week might just
turn out to be the strongest the next.
(beat)
Minggu ni, sambal
petai. Sebab inilah Malaysian Star menark. Tapi kamu mesti undi, kalau tak, menu
tetap sama aje.
That's what
makes it so exciting. So don't forget to
vote!
CUT TO:
INT. REHEARSAL HALL -- DAY
The kids all sit together on the floor. BURN sits a little away from the rest.
MAC stands in front.
MAC
Melody sekarang
berehat. Doktor kata, dengan masa, dia akan pulih semula.
Melody is
making a slow but steady recovery. For
now, she needs rest.
(beat)
Hospital tidak
membenar pelawat untuk Melody, tapi kalau you guys nak kirimkan apa-apa... I
boleh pass on.
The hospital is
limiting the number of visitors, so you guys can't see her, but if you need to
pass her anything... just let me know.
MAC starts passing sheets of paper around.
MAC
Pilihan lagu untuk
showdown minggu ni.
Song selections
for the next showdown.
The kids take their sheets, looking
downcast. MAC senses the mood.
MAC
Banyak yang berlaku
minggu ni. Suasana tidak sesuai untuk performance.
A lot's happened this past week. But let's not forget why we're here.
(beat)
Esok, sudah showdown
kedua. Bagaimana kamu nak bersedia?
This time tomorrow... you'll be facing your second showdown. You're going to need all your energy, all your focus, to get through it.
(beat)
Petanda star yang
sebenar bukan setakat memberi performance hebat pada suatu hari. Tapi jika kau
boleh ulanginya esok. Dan hari selepas tu.
The true mark of a star is not how well you do in one show, but how consistent you are... show after show.
(beat)
Bayangkan, orang
macam Siti. Atau Ning. Tiap-tiap hari, mesti dia menghadapi masalah tersendiri.
Tapi, bila naik pentas... magic. Tiap-tiap kali.
People like Siti... Ning... they're on the go every day... performing in shopping centers, in the studio... and being the best they can be. Every single time.
(beat)
Bagaimana?
How do they do that?
MAC taps his head.
MAC
Fokus. Konsentrasi.
Focus. Concentration.
(beat)
Tutup mata kamu.
Close your eyes.
Everyone looks at
each other.
MAC
Tutuplah.
Close them.
Everyone closes them
reluctantly.
MAC
Bayangkan pentas.
Dan penonton. Bayangkan... tiap satu yang datang untuk mendengari mu.
Imagine yourself on stage. Imagine... you can see each and every person in the audience.
(beat)
Kamu kenali tiap
satu dari mereka. Ada keluarga... ada kawan... orang yang kamu sayangi.
Imagine that you know every one of them. They're your family, friends, people you love and care for.
(beat)
Tapi, ada juga
mereka yang kamu tak suka. Atau mereka tak suka kamu. Benci. Dengki. Iri hati.
Imagine that the people who put you down, who have never been nice to you... they're there too.
(beat)
Kamu tak kisah. Kamu
akan memberi persembahan yang terbagus. Bukan saja untuk mereka yang sayang
kamu, tapi juga untuk mereka yang bencikan kamu. Sesuatu persembahan yang akan
mengilhamkan hati mereka sehingga... sehingga mereka tak sanggup benci lagi.
You're looking
out at this sea of faces. And you're
going to perform for them. You're going
to give your best ever performance because you want to impress the ones you
like. And for the ones you don't... you
want to show them that they never had a right to put you down.
Everyone is silent. In their own little world.
MAC
Okay. Buka mata.
Open your eyes.
Everyone opens their
eyes and looks around.
MAC
Ready untuk perform?
Now we're ready to rehearse.
On everyone's expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR -- DAY
As the kids walk out of the rehearsal hall,
AMIR makes a call on his phone.
AMIR
Ibu? Ibu panggil ke?
Mak, you called just now?
AMIR'S MUM
Syukur
Alhamdullillah, Amir!
Thank you so much, Mir!!
AMIR
Kenapa bu?
For what, mak?
AMIR'S MUM
Sampai bu tak
sanggup nak percaya... check pagi tadi...
I couldn't believe it... when I got the cheque this morning.
AMIR
Check apa tu?
AMIR'S MUM
Check yang Amir
hantar... mana Amir dapat duit tu?
The cheque you sent? Where did
you get so much money?
On AMIR'S expression, we see NICKSON walk
past and waves to...
CALVIN, waiting for him.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- LATER
OPEN ON a ticket for Malaysian Star. Widen to reveal NICKSON passing it to CALVIN.
CALVIN
Am I sitting next to your Dad again?
NICKSON
No. They're not coming.
(beat)
Sorry-ah about Dad. I already complained to Mum about him...
CALVIN
Why?
NICKSON
She's on his side-lah. Don't know why.
CALVIN
No, why are you talking to your Mum and not
your Dad?
NICKSON is silent.
CALVIN
You don't get it, do you? How do you expect your Mum to ever stand up
to your Dad...
(beat)
...If you don't do it yourself?!
On NICKSON'S expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL CAFE -- DAY
JAY is on the mobile.
JAY
Ya, ya. Exclusive,
on Burn... perasaan dia, mengapa dia kembali...
Yah, it's going to be an exclusive on Burn... how he feels about being back in the race. How he's determined to do better. That kind of stuff.
(beat)
Aku tak kisah, last
minute ke tak. Siapa yang beli ad space dalam paper you?
Look, I don't care if its last minute, you remind your boss who's buying the ad space in his paper, you got that?
(beat)
Dan jangan lambat
kali ni.
And don't get
back to me too late, you got that?
Just as he hangs up, AMIR approaches.
AMIR
Ibu kata dia dapat
check pagi ni. Untuk sepuluh ribu ringgit.
My mak tells me
that she got a cheque for ten thousand ringgit this morning.
JAY
Cool-kan, I baru
hantar semalam.
So she got it
huh, cool!
AMIR
Kenapa?
Why?
JAY
Memang PosLaju
hantar esok harinya.
AMIR
Tak, kenapa Jay
sanggup tolong Amir?
JAY
Kenapa tak? Mereka
perlukannya, kan?
(beat)
Kan Jay dah janji
untuk tolong Amir.
Why not? They need it, bro. I told you I would take care of them, right?
AMIR
Amir masih akan
menyanyi cara Amir.
This is not going to make me change my mind.
A beat.
JAY
Amir tak kisah ke?
Amir sanggup lihat ayah Amir mendera di hospital? Sebab Amir nak menang gelaran
Malaysian Star?
So you're telling me you would rather your Dad suffer... so that you can win some worthless trophy.
AMIR
Ayah Amir selalu
ajar Amir untuk buat benda yang betul.
My Dad always taught me to do the right thing. That's what I'm doing now.
JAY
Jadi, menghargai
diri sendiri lebih mustahak daripada menghargai ibubapa?
What so right about putting yourself over your parents?!
(beat)
You tell me that.
JAY'S phone rings.
JAY
Yo, Rob.
(beat, smiles)
Kan I kata.
Guarantee kita boleh run cerita tu. Bila you nak datanag?
Yah, I knew
your boss would come to his senses. So
when you coming to do the story?
On AMIR'S expression, we
CUT TO:
EXT. CITY -- NIGHT
EST.
SHOTS as night falls over the city.
CUT TO:
INT. GUY'S HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT
NICKSON is on the phone.
NICKSON
Hi, Mum... I was wondering if you and pa are
free for dinner.
(beat)
Nothing la.
I just had some stuff to talk about.
(beat)
How about 8 o'clock?
Nearby, BURN puts on a hooded sweatshirt and
sneakers.
NICKSON
(on phone)
Okay, see you later. Bye.
He hangs up and turns to BURN.
NICKSON
Where you going?
BURN
You think you're the only one who's allowed
to have dinner with your parents?
BURN exits.
NICKSON
Oy! I
thought your parents were dead?
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL RECEPTION -- NIGHT
BURN enters the reception. He sees...
A sign that says "Visiting Hours 12-2pm
4-6pm" with nurses in reception next to it.
Nearby, he sees... a patient sleeping in the
waiting area, with a pair of crutches on the chair beside him. BURN thinks, then messes his hair up a
little...
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR -- LATER
BURN, using the crutches, limps down the
corridor... towards Mel's ward.
As he peers in, he sees... Mel on the
bed. As BURN puts the crutches aside, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL WARD -- NIGHT
BURN approaches Mel cautiously.
He sits down beside her and holds her hand.
Then he hears... sounds... coming from the
shadows.
He looks and sees... DAVID, just waking up
in a chair, Mel's journal on his chest.
As he rubs his eyes...
BURN starts to get up, not sure whether to
go or stay.
But too late... DAVID sees him.
They exchange looks for a few seconds. Then...
DAVID
Stay if you want.
BURN, unsure, sits back down. DAVID notices Mel's diary, and puts it on the
table beside him.
DAVID
Do you think I push my daughter too hard?
BURN is silent.
DAVID
All I ever wanted was the best for her.
(beat)
Only to find out that she hates me for it.
He indicates at MEL'S journal.
DAVID
Never read your daughter's diary. You never know what you might find.
A beat.
BURN
She's not you. She doesn't want the same things you do.
DAVID
So you think you know what she wants?
BURN doesn't answer.
DAVID
(sarcastic)
How many grams did you give her?
BURN
I never gave her drugs. I would never hurt her.
The both of them sit in silence. Then DAVID'S phone rings.
DAVID sees the number and sighs.
DAVID
Damn insurance company again. Another good reason not to take drugs?
(beat)
It's not covered by your insurance.
DAVID walks out. BURN continues sitting there.
He sees Mel's diary on the table.
On his expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. CHINESE RESTAURANT -- NIGHT
NICKSON enters the Chinese retaurant and
sees...
His MUM, sitting by herself.
NICKSON reacts... then approaches the table.
NICKSON
Where's Pa?
NICKSON'S MUM
He can't come.
NICKSON
Why not?
He looks at his MUM intently. She's quiet, downcast.
NICKSON
Ma, did something happen just now?
Nickson starts examining his mum's face.
MUM
Aiyah... what are you looking for, boy?
NICKSON stops looking and stares staight
into his mum's eyes.
NICKSON
He hit you again, right?
NICKSON'S MUM
No lah!
NICKSON notices his mother trying to pull
down the sleeves of her dress. He pulls back on the sleeve and sees a bruise on
his mother's arm.
NICKSON
Ma!!
NICKSON'S MUM
It's nothing okay.
NICKSON
Nothing?!
(beat)
Why do you always let him do this to you?
NICKSON'S MUM
He wanted to watch TV. And we were already late for dinner with you.
(beat)
I must have nagged him too much, made him lose
his temper.
NICKSON
Ma, stop making excuses for him. It's not your fault, it's his!!
(beat)
Does a man who loves you do this to you?
NICKSON'S MUM is silent.
NICKSON
You're going to stay at the hotel with me
tonight.
NICKSON'S MUM
No la, what will your father think?
NICKSON
Forget about what that damn idiot thinks,
okay?! You're staying here! Then you can come watch my show on Thursay.
They both sit there, lost in their own
thoughts. Then...
NICKSON'S MUM
So what did you want to talk to us about?
NICKSON
Nothing...
On NICKSON'S expression, we
CUT TO:
EXT. SWIMMING POOL -- NIGHT
AMIR is waiting on his phone...
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL BAR -- NIGHT
JAY is seated by the bar. He answers the phone.
JAY
Yo!
CUT TO:
AMIR
Amir akan bayar Jay
balik. Jangan hantar duit lagi.
I'll pay you
back the ten thousand somehow. And
please stop sending my family anymore money.
(beat)
Amir tak mahu hutang lagi.
I don't want to owe you any more favours.
CUT TO:
JAY
Amir pasti?
You sure about this?
CUT TO:
AMIR
Pasti.
Yes.
CUT TO:
JAY
Pasti yang Amir takkan kesal?
You know that you're going to regret this, right?
CUT TO:
AMIR
Pasti yang Amir sanggup akibat pilihan Amir.
I guess I'll just have to live with it.
AMIR hangs up. On his expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. GIRL'S HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT
BABY looks at her photo of FAZRINA and
CONSTANCE. As she places it carefully
within a book and in her drawer, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT
NICKSON helps his MUM move into her room.
CUT TO:
INT. GUY'S HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT
BURN enters the room. He carefully takes out...
MEL'S journal.
As he looks at it, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL WARD -- NIGHT
DAVID grips his daughters hand as he drifts
to sleep.
FADE TO BLACK
END OF
ACT
EXT. CITY -- NEW DAY
EST.
SHOTS as a new day dawns on the city.
CUT TO:
INT. REHEARSAL HALL -- NEW DAY
OPEN ON BURN hard at work, learning his
moves. MAC and JAY are intently watching
him.
MAC
Okay, bagus, tapi
ingat, pace yourself. You takkan sampai
akhir lagu kalau selalu intense macam tu.
Okay, bagus,
tapi ingat, pace yourself. You can't go
this hard the entire song. You'll wear
yourself out.
BURN nods.
He's sweating.
MAC
Take five.
Burn walks off to find a towel.
JAY
Not bad.
MAC
Actually, very good.
(beat)
You tahu tak... tadi pukul lapan dia dah
masuk dah?
JAY
Kan I kata... it's good to have him back,
right?
JAY'S phone rings. As JAY walks off, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- DAY
OPEN ON a camera crew waiting. The lift doors slide open. AMIR and NICKSON step forward...
The crew rushes... past NICKSON... towards
AMIR.
NICKSON
How come he gets all the attention?
The REPORTER, JEFF, thrusts his camera into
AMIR'S face.
JEFF
Benarkah ayah Amir
tidak sihat?
We hear that your father is very sick back in Kedah. Is that true?
AMIR
Macam mana kamu
dapat tahu?
How did you find out about that?
JEFF
Ya atau tidak.
Just answer yes or no, please.
AMIR
Memang benar. Amir
risau tentang dia.
Yes, it's true. I'm very worried about him.
JEFF
Kenapa Amir tak
balik ke kampung supaya boleh dekat dengan ayah amir?
Will you go back to visit him?
AMIR
Memang Amir nak
balik... tapi ibu pesan kepada Amir. Semua mahu Amir menang pertandingan ini.
God knows I want to. But I spoke to my Mother... she tells me that everyone back home wants me to stay on the competition.
(beat)
Pada masa ini, Amir
masih di dalam Malaysian Star.
At this point in time, I'm staying.
JEFF
Jadi pertandingan
ini lebih penting dari ayah Amir?
So you would put winning this competition over your own father?
AMIR
Amir nak menang
Malaysian Star. Untuk Ayah Amir.
I want to win this competition FOR my father.
In the background, JAY watches. On his expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- DAY
NICKSON is watching AMIR when he's
interrupted by someone shouting...
NICKSON'S DAD
Ah Soon!
NICKSON turns to see... his DAD, storming
towards him.
NICKSON'S DAD
Where's your mother?
NICKSON
She's upstairs.
NICKSON'S DAD
Get her to come down now.
NICKSON
No.
NICKSON'S DAD
What did you say?
NICKSON hesitates, then...
CALVIN
Leave him alone.
They turn.
CALVIN approaches them.
DAD turns to NICKSON in disdain.
NICKSON'S DAD
Wah!
Your boyfriend is here to save you is it?
NICKSON reacts. CALVIN grabs NICKSON'S hand.
CALVIN
(to Nickson)
Come on, let's go.
They walk away.
NICKSON'S DAD
Yah, go la!
(beat)
Let's see how long your boyfriend can
protect you!!
As CALVIN and NICKSON walk away... the
cameras start snapping.
NICKSON notices, and immediately lets go of
CALVIN'S hand.
CALVIN reacts, stunned.
CALVIN
What's wrong?
NICKSON
I have to go...
A beat.
Then CALVIN walks away, disgusted.
On NICKSON'S expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. REHEARSAL HALL -- DAY
Its after rehearsals. As the kids walk out, MAC calls for...
MAC
Nickson, stay back.
NICKSON turns.
CUT TO:
INT. REHEARSAL HALL -- LATER
JAY, MAC and NICKSON are alone in the room.
JAY
If photos of you holding hands with a guy
comes out, sure kita dapat complain. From the viewers, the sponsors, the TV
station... the censors.
If photos of you holding hands with a guy comes out, we're going to get complains from the viewers, the sponsors, the TV station... the censors.
(beat)
They can even shut us down, man.
NICKSON
So what d'you want me to do?!
JAY
Jay boleh arrang PC. You kata, gambar tu
semua out of context. You were sharing chewing gum or something.
I'll arrange a press conference... you say that those photos were taken out of context. That guy... he was passing you some chewing gum or something, man.
NICKSON
Chewing gum?
JAY
And is he coming to the show?
NICKSON
Calvin?
Yah...
JAY
Well, he can't.
NICKSON
What?!
JAY
Dude's got to disappear... do you see
Beckham's mistress going and watching him play a match?
NICKSON
Calvin is not my mistress.
JAY
What you call him in private is not my
business. Tapi bila audience nampak nanti...
Call him whatever you want, but the viewers are just going to see what they wanna see.
(beat)
Do you still want to win this thing?
NICKSON
Of course I do.
JAY
Most of your votes are going to come from
teenage girls, right?
(beat)
They want to vote for somebody who they
think can fall in love with them.
Which teenage girl is going to vote for you if they think you swing both ways?
JAY'S phone rings.
JAY
Yah?
He walks off. NICKSON turns to MAC...
MAC
Jay's right.
(beat)
If you want to win this thing... then that's
what you have to do.
(beat)
But sooner or later, you have to decide who
you really are.
On NICKSON'S expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. REHEARSAL HALL -- NIGHT
OPEN ON DVCAM POV: BURN dances under a
spotlight, by himself in the rehearsal hall.
We hear...
JOE
Jadi? You nak buat
apa dengan share you?
So dude, what you going to do wit all that money, man?
BURN
Share I?
WIDEN TO reveal JOE
holding a DVCAM, recording BURN.
JOE
Duit yang kita bet
tu.
Yo, the money that we're going to win lah.
(beat)
Kalau you menang,
lah.
That's if you win this next round lah.
BURN ignores him and
keeps on training.
JOE
I nak beli rims
baru.
I figure first thing I'm gonna do is get a new set of rims, man.
(beat)
Stereo yang
boombastic. Siap degan woofer ganas.
Or maybe a new sound system for the car. With the woofers and tweeters and everything.
BURN
Joe, shuddup dude. I
tak boleh fokus ni.
Yo, will you shut up, man. I can't focus!
JOE
Yo, chill, man.
He continues
recording.
JOE
Kenapa serius
sangat? Sebab duit tu ke?
Why you so serious all the sudden. Nothing like some cold hard cash to motivate you, right, dude?
BURN stops dancing,
sweating.
BURN
Asalkan budak you
boleh bagi payout...
You just make sure that boy of your pays us at the end of the day, man.
JOE
Jangan risau, man.
Itukan speciality ku.
Leave the collection to me... that's my specialty lah.
BURN
Bagi I kamera tu.
Gimme that thing.
JOE passes the Dvcam
to BURN. BURN plays to watch it.
BURN
Kenapa blur sangat?
Yo, why's it all shaky and blur man?
JOE
You ingat I jurukamera RTM or something?
What, do I look like a cameraman to you?
His phone beeps with a message. He checks it.
JOE
(to Burn)
Okay. Ada business.
Right. Got some business to handle.
(beat)
Later.
He and BURN do a handshake, then he exits.
BURN slumps down on the floor, tired.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL BATHROOM -- DAY
NICKSON is on the phone.
NICKSON
Cal?
CALVIN (V.O.)
Yah?
NICKSON
I'm sorry.
About this morning.
No answer.
NICKSON
You're still coming tomorrow, right?
CALVIN (V.O.)
What for?
I'm just going to embarrass you, right?
On NICKSON'S expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL ROOM -- DAY
OPEN ON NICKSON'S MUM watching TV. NICKSON enters from the bathroom.
NICKSON
So ma... what d'you want for dinner?
MUM doesn't answer. She's staring at the TV screen.
NICKSON turns and sees...
On the TV screen... NICKSON holding hands
with CALVIN.
CUT TO CAMERA POV: POP TV ANNOUNCER facing
the camera.
POP TV ANNOUNCER
The question on everyone's lips is... are
they just good friends? Or something
more?
MUM turns to NICKSON.
On NICKSON'S expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. REHEARSAL HALL -- NIGHT
BURN takes out his handphone. He dials a number and listens.
His phone goes straight to his VOICEMAIL.
VOICEMAIL
You have three saved messages. To play them, please press-
BURN presses the number.
VOICEMAIL
First saved message...
Then we hear MEL'S voice.
MEL (V.O.)
Hi, I'm calling just to tell you that I'm
sorry. I just got scared, you know, when
I saw the crowd. I didn't think I could
handle it without taking-
(beat)
Look, please call me, okay. so that we can
talk?
VOICEMAIL
To save this message, press 9, to listen to
it again, press-
BURN presses a button.
VOICEMAIL
Message saved. Next saved message.
MEL'S voice appears again. This time, we can hear music in the
background. MEL also sounds slightly
intoxicated.
MEL
Hey, why haven't you called? I feel... empty without you. I need to talk to you. Call me.
Please.
VOICEMAIL
To save this message, press-
BURN presses another button.
VOICEMAIL
Message saved. Next message.
This time, music almost drowns MEL'S
voice. She sounds hysterical... like
she's been crying.
MEL
Burn... Burn, I'm sorry...
MEL is just sobbing. The message doesn't go off. We hear her sobbing... more and more.
BURN doesn't switch it off. As he continues listening, we PULL OUT and
FADE TO BLACK
END OF
ACT
EXT. CITY -- NEW DAY
EST. SHOTS
as a new day dawns on the city.
CUT TO:
INT. GUY'S HOTEL ROOM -- DAY
The guys are all asleep. They're startled by the hotel phone ringing.
BURN picks up, then...
BURN
Yo, Mir... it's for you, man.
AMIR reaches over for the phone.
AMIR
Hello?
On his expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. MAC'S HOTEL ROOM -- DAY
MAC opens the door for AMIR, who still looks
dishevelled from sleep.
AMIR
Kenapa boss?
What's up,
coach?
MAC hands him a newspaper. AMIR looks and reacts.
On the cover, it reads: MALAYSIAN STAR
CHOOSES STARDOM OVER FAMILY?
On AMIR'S expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- DAY
POP TV ANNOUNCER faces the camera.
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Inilah sedutan
temuduga yang Amir berikan semalam kepada Jeff Chong dari Music Now.
Yesterday, Amir was interviewed by Jeff Chong of Music Now about his father, who is apparently very ill.
(beat)
Let's take a
look at the controversial video...
CUT TO:
VIDEO FOOTAGE OF INTERVIEW:
JEFF
Benarkah ayah Amir
tidak sihat?
We hear that your father is very sick back in Kedah. Is that true?
AMIR
Memang benar.
Yes, it's true.
JEFF
Kenapa Amir tak
balik ke kampung supaya boleh dekat dengan ayah amir?
Will you go back to visit him?
AMIR
Amir masih di dalam
Malaysian Star.
I'm staying.
JEFF
Jadi pertandingan
ini lebih penting dari ayah Amir?
So you would put winning this competition over your own father?
AMIR
Amir nak menang
Malaysian Star
I want to win this competition.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- CONTINUOUS
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Adakah ini Amir yang
sebenar? Bukan Amir budak baik dari Alor Setar, tapi seorang yang sanggup buat
apa saja untuk memenangi Malaysian Star?
Fans are up in arms. Is this the same sweet kampung boy everyone loves? Or is this a ruthless contender who will stop at nothing to win?
(beat)
Even if
it's at the expense of a sick father?
CUT TO:
INT. MAC'S HOTEL ROOM -- CONTINUOUS
OPEN ON TV SCREEN: AMIR and MAC are
watching.
AMIR
Memang Amir kata
benda tu, tapi...
I said those things but...
(beat)
Ada banyak yang
dipotong!
There were other things I said. They cut it all out!
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- DAY
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Bara membakar di
forum Internet, dikibar oleh pengakuan Amir.
The chat forums
have been ablaze with fans offering their own two cents over Amir's statement.
She holds up a sheet.
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Misalnya...
Listen to
this...
(reading)
"Dulu bila mentah... budak kampung...
datang ke bandar, cari kerja. Jumpa
jodoh yang beriman, siap nikah."
(beat)
"Tiba2 jadi Malaysian Star. Kononlah, macam lupa semua - lupa kpd
ibubapa, lupa budi baiknya, lupa tunangnya."
CUT TO:
INT. MAC'S HOTEL ROOM -- CONTINUOUS
MAC and AMIR still watch the screen.
MAC
Bagaimana mereka
tahu ayah Amir tak sihat?
How d'you think they found out that your Dad is sick?
AMIR
Mungkin ada orang
kat kampung...
Maybe someone from the kampung said something. Or...
AMIR thinks to himself, realizing something.
MAC dials his phone. On his expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- CONTINUOUS
WAHIDA
So... macam mana,
Mac?
Mac, when are you joining the party?
WIDEN TO reveal that
the lobby is crowded with press and fans.
MAC
Amir kata tape tu
dah edit.
My boy says that he's been re-edited. You know anything about this?
WAHIDA
Dan Jeff sanggup
buat apa-apa untuk eksklusif.
I know that Jeff will do anything just to get his face out there.
WAHIDA
So... macam mana,
Mac?
Mac, when are you joining the party?
WIDEN TO reveal that
the lobby is crowded with press and fans.
MAC
Amir kata tape tu
dah edit.
My boy says that he's been re-edited. You know anything about this?
WAHIDA
Dan Jeff sanggup
buat apa-apa untuk eksklusif.
I know that Jeff will do anything just to get his face out there.
WAHIDA looks at Mac.
WAHIDA
Unless
someone is coordinating the whole thing.
MAC
Please. I want a
name.
Just help me find out where he got that info.
MAC hangs up. AMIR is sitting, very quiet.
MAC
You tahu tak siapa
yang buat
You know who did this?
AMIR
Tak.
He gets up and walks out straight away.
On MAC'S expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- DAY
JAY walks through the lobby, on the phone.
JAY
Yah, I heard about
the news.
(beat)
Yah. Jangan risau. I
boleh handle.
Yah. Don't worry. I'll handle it.
JAY walks past...
POP TV ANNOUNCER facing the cameras.
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Selepas hari ini,
kami hanya dengar nama Amir, Amir Amir. Tapi kami tak lupa, fokus rancangan ini
dalah sebenarnya Malaysian Star, dan malam ini – showdown.
And with all the hue and cry over Amir... it seems that the focus has shifted from what really matters... tonight's showdown!
CUT TO:
INT. SERVICE CORRIDOR -- DAY
OPEN ON a worker rolling out a rubbish bin,
almost knocking into...
The Malaysian Stars, walking through the
corridor. BABY looks around
distastefully.
BABY
Sebab press gila
Amir, kita semua harus sorok.
So if he's the one they want to see... why do the rest of us have to avoid the press.
BURN
Dan Nickson? Sure, tunjuk press boyfriend
dia.
The press wanna see Nickson too, what? Find out if he has a boyfriend.
NICKSON
Shut up, Burn.
BURN
Whooa... I'm scared, man.
BABY
Yah, shut up, Burn.
BURN keeps quiet.
NICKSON
You kata benda-benda
tu ke?
So did you really say those things?
AMIR
Tak.
No.
BURN
Nampak macam you
dekat video tu.
Looked a lot like you on that video.
BURN'S phone rings. BURN answers it.
BURN
Yo!
CUT TO:
INT. VCD SHOPLOT -- DAY
JOE and the VCD SELLER stare at the screen.
JOE
Yo! Sure Amir tu dah
mati. Malam ni jackpot, beb.
Yo, dude! The way that guy Amir looks, we're set for a
jackpot tonight, man.
CUT TO:
BURN steals a glance at AMIR.
BURN
Yah, whatever, man.
CUT TO:
JOE
Eh, you kena
deliver, dude. Don't screw up.
Just don't screw
up tonight, man.
CUT TO:
BURN
I won't.
CUT TO:
INT. CARPARK -- DAY
The kids exit into the carpark. Their van is already waiting.
JAY is standing beside it, with a
walkie-talkie.
JAY
Cepat guys. Dah
nearly showtime.
Get in quick,
we don't have much time.
The kids all bundle in. As AMIR walks past JAY, he looks him in the
eye.
JAY
Jangan risau. Fans
senang lupa.
Don't worry...
the fans forget easily.
AMIR doesn't answer... just gets into the
van.
Once everyone's in... JAY taps on the van.
JAY
Okay, go.
The van starts driving. Suddenly, it screeches to a halt.
A camera crew is in their way... lights and
cameras pointed straight at them.
The kids hear some sounds from the
back. They turn to find... press
reporters running towards the van.
The van starts honking. But none of the reporters are budging.
BURN
Tekan accelerator
saja lah. Apa nak takut?
Just drive
straight through. See what they'll do.
MAC winds down his wondow and calls out to
JAY.
MAC
Hey! You kata
carpark secure!
I thought you
said the damn carpark was supposed to be secure!!
JAY
I tak tahu, siapa
yang leak?
I don't
know. Someone must have leaked it, man.
AMIR hesitates, then...
He pulls open the door and gets out.
MAC
Amir!!
AMIR steps out. The cameras surround him immediately.
JAY tries to block them.
JAY
Apa you buat, Amir?
Yo, dude, what
the hell you doing, man?
A REPORTER shoves past JAY.
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Amir... adakah
kemenangan mustahak sangat yang Amir sanggup mengorbankan keluarga Amir?
Amir, tell us... is winning so important that you'll sacrifice your family?
AMIR
Keluarga Amir
mustahak kepada Amir. Amir memang nak balik kepada mereka. Tapi semua mintak
Amir, duduk kat KL. Menang Malaysian Star.
Nothing can be more important than my family. In that interview... I said that I want to be home. But everyone back in Kedah... my family... my friends... all say that I should stay and win.
(beat)
Amir nak menang
untuk ayah Amir.
I want to win this for my father.
(beat)
Apa yang Amir kata
semalam... semua dia putar-belitkan. Sampai dia tukar niat Amir.
My question to the Reporter yesterday is... why did he cut out all these things I said? What did I do to deserve it?
JAY
Okay guys. Itu saja.
Thank you.
Okay everyone,
that's all for now.
But AMIR grabs the mike.
AMIR
Lagi satu benda. Amir
sungguh bersyukur kerana mendapat pertolongan dari seorang insan yang istimewa
– Jay Rahman dari Rock Records.
There's
something else I want to say. Throughout
all this, someone has stood by me. Jay
Rahman of Rock Records.
JAY turns and stares.
AMIR
Pertolongan Jay
lebih daripada sokongan moral sahaja. Dia sanggup menghantar sepuluh ribu
ringgit ke keluarga Amir, untuk mengkurangai bebabn mereka, termasuk bill
hospital ayah Amir.
Jay has sent ten thousand ringgit to my family. To help pay for my father's medical expenses.
(beat)
Amir berterima kasih
kerana kebaikan hatinya.
I want to thank
him for his generosity.
The cameras all train on JAY. In the van, MAC reacts.
REPORTER
Jay, sepuluh ribu
tu... dari Rock Records?
Jay, the ten
thousand... is that from Rock Records?
As JAY struggles to answer, AMIR gets back
into the van.
BURN
Dude. Kadang-kadang
you pun boleh cool.
Dude, that was cool, man.
(beat)
Kadang-kadang.
As AMIR high-fives the rest, the driver
honks the van.
The reporters move out of the way, and the
van drives off.
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL WARD -- DAY
OPEN ON MEL in bed. DAVID sits beside her, holding her hand. Then he looks at his watch and switches on
the TV.
On the TV screen...
CUT TO:
INT. STUDIO RECEPTION -- DAY
CAMERA POV: POP TV ANNOUNCER faces the
camera.
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Selamat kembali ke
Seri Pentas, di mana empat – ya, bukan tiga, tapi EMPAT – peserta akan
menghadapi satu sama lain. Pengembalian Burn, skandal Amir – apa lagi?
And we're here
again, at Sri Pentas, where our remaining four contestants will face off. With Burn back, and speculations about Amir,
this showdown promises to be an exciting one.
CUT TO:
INT. MAKE-UP AREA -- DAY
The kids are all getting ready. AMIR and NICKSON sit down beside each other.
NICKSON
Amir... berani you
tadi, depan reporters.
Ey Amir... the way you faced those reporters... that took a lot of guts, man.
AMIR
(shrugs)
Amir nak beritahu
apa yang benar saja.
I just wanted
the truth to come out. That's all.
On NICKSON'S expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. BACKSTAGE AREA -- DAY
NICKSON dials his phone. Then...
NICKSON
(on phone)
Hey Cal... are you coming?
CUT TO:
INT. TV3 STUDIO -- NIGHT
The ANNOUNCER bounds up onto the stage.
ANNOUNCER
Ya, selamat datang ke pusingan kedua
Malaysian Star. Siapa diantara Amir,
Burn, Baby dan Nickson akan melangkah ke pusingan terakhir Minggu depan? Sudah pasti semua gelisah, bukan saja
peserta, tapi peminat, kawan dan keluarga sama.
CUT TO:
INT. BACKSTAGE AREA -- LATER
MAC walks in front of the kids.
MAC
Ingat, fokus. Konsentrasi.
Remember your focus. Concentration.
(beat)
Jangan peduli yang lain. Hanya kamu... dan
penonton.
Forget everything else. It's just you... and the audience.
On everyone's expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. TV3 STUDIO -- CONTINUOUS
POP TV ANNOUNCER
Ya, peserta pertama
malam ini telah mendapat tempat kedua minggu lepas. Bagaimana dengan minggu
ini? Pertama? Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan... BABY!
Our first
contestant came second in the last showdown.
Will she get top spot this time round?
Ladies and gentlemen... Baby!!
BABY steps onto stage. She looks into the crowd and sees...
Constance and Fazrina... waving.
CUT TO:
INT. MAKE-UP AREA -- CONTINUOUS
AMIR strums his guitar.
He wears headphones... plugged into a
digital recorder.
JAY enters and approaches.
JAY
Amir... kenapa you
bagi tahu reporters pasal duit tu?
Yo, the money I sent your parents... why did you tell them about that,
man?
AMIR
Kamu yang menglibati
keluarga Amir.
You should never have brought my family into this whole thing.
JAY
Apa?
What?
AMIR
Amir tahu, Jay yang
bocorkan semua ke reporter tu. Lepas tu, Jay suruh mereka sunting video tu.
I know you told
that Reporter about my father. Then you
got them to edit that video of me.
JAY
Kamu ni gila tahu
tak. Buat apa nak bazirkan masa begitu?
You're paranoid,
you know that? Why would I waste my time
on something like that?
AMIR
Sebab Jay mahu Amir kalah.
Because you want me kicked out.
A beat.
JAY
You ingat you siapa?
Who d'you think you are?!
(beat)
You ingat, dengan
tiba-tiba saja you dapat fans?
You think that those people out there are your fans just like that?!
(beat)
Siapa yang create
imej budak baik you? Dapatkan Ekslusif? Suruh majalah tulis artikel?
Who created your kampung boy image? Got exclusives for you? Told the magazines what to write? Made you who you are today.
(beat)
You ingat you hebat
sangat ke? Kalau bukan kerana I... Amir tiada apa-apa.
You think you're so hot? You're nothing without me!
(beat)
Apa yang aku beri,
aku boleh ambil kembali.
What I gave
you... I can take away!
They're interrupted by...
MAC
Everything all right?
JAY and AMIR square off.
JAY
(to Amir)
Tunggu you nanti.
This isn't over.
JAY walks off. AMIR and MAC exchange looks, then...
MAC
You're next.
CUT TO:
INT. TV3 STUDIO -- NIGHT
ANNOUNCER
Sekarang, seorang
yang ramai tidak jangka akan kembali selepas persembahanya minggu lepas bila
dia tidak nyanyi satu nota pun.
Next... the contestant who cracked under pressure last week and walked off the stage.
(beat)
Kalau bukan kerana
fans dia, pasti dia tidak kembali. Tapi akan dia memberi balas minggu ni kepada
peminatnya?
He was saved by his fans. But this week, can he give the fans what they deserve?
(beat)
Amir!!
CUT TO:
INT. BACKSTAGE -- CONTINUOUS
MAC is standing with AMIR.
MAC
Ingat... fokus.
Remember... focus.
AMIR nods and walks off.
CUT TO:
INT. TV3 STUDIO -- CONTINUOUS
AMIR steps on the stage. We can hear...
Cheers.
And booing.
AMIR closes his eyes... letting the sounds
die away.
As the music starts, AMIR opens his eyes and
launches into his performance
CUT TO:
INT. MAKE-UP AREA -- NIGHT
BURN and BABY are in the dressing room. Baby
is watching the TV. Burn is sitting off to the side. AMIR is singing on TV, but BURN ignores him
and puts his headphones on.
Instead, he hears what Melody was singing at
the last show. BURN reminisces.
CUT TO:
FLASHBACK
BURN and MELODY rehearsing together.
CUT TO:
FLASHBACK
First performance, when BURN and Mel are
waiting to perform themselves.
CUT TO:
FLASHBACK
Waiting for the results, when Melody slipped
her hand inside BURN'S.
CUT TO:
INT. MAKE-UP AREA -- NIGHT
BURN leans his head against the wall. He
takes a deep breath.
CUT TO:
INT. TV3 STUDIO -- NIGHT
AMIR finishes his performance.
ANNOUNCER
Wow! Satu
persembahan yang menkagumkan. Jangan
peduli apa yang jadi minggu lepas, Amir telah kembali!
Wow! Satu
persembahan yang menkagumkan. Whatever
happened last week, Amir telah kembali!
CUT TO:
INT. BACKSTAGE -- CONTINUOUS
AMIR exits off the stage, smiling.
He sees JAY... scowling.
AMIR just walks straight ahead and shakes
MAC'S hand.
CUT TO:
INT. TV3 STUDIO -- CONTINUOUS
ANNOUNCER
Dia telah mendapat
undian terbawah minggu lepas – tapi dia tetap dengan kita. Adakah dia akan
mengambil peluang keduanya? BURN!
Our next
contestant had the lowest vote last week.
But circumstances have given him a second chance. Will he take advantage of it? Or squander it? Ladies and gentlemen... Burn!!
CUT TO:
INT. TV3 STUDIO -- CONTINUOUS
BURN walks to the stage. AMIR holds out his hand.
AMIR
Good luck.
BURN
I don't need luck.
AMIR is about to withdraw his hand. But BURN smiles and shakes it. As he walks out, he says to himself.
BURN
Showtime, baby...
CUT TO:
BURN walks out on stage. Everyone claps. As the music starts, we
CUT TO:
INT. VCD SHOPLOT -- NIGHT
JOE and the VCD seller cheer.
JOE
Come on... show us
me the money!!
CUT TO:
INT. STUDIO RECEPTION -- NIGHT
OPEN ON CALVIN rushing in... looking at his
watch.
He gives his ticket to the USHER. The USHER looks at him and refuses to budge.
CUT TO:
INT. BACKSTAGE -- CONTINUOUS
JAY'S phone rings. He answers.
JAY
No.
Keep him out.
CUT TO:
INT. STUDIO RECEPTION -- NIGHT
USHER
Sorry. You tak boleh masuk.
Sorry, you can't go in.
On CALVIN'S expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. TV3 STUDIO -- CONTINUOUS
On stage...
BURN finishes perfoming. The crowd goes wild.
ANNOUNCER
(to crowd)
Adakah ini Burn yang
kalah minggu lepas?
Is this the
same Burn that you guys voted out last week?
The crowd shouts louder.
ANNOUNCER
(to Burn)
Apakah
pertukarannya?
From last week,
till today. What's changed?
BURN
(shrugs)
Adalah sebabnya.
I found a reason.
The crowd goes wild.
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL WARD -- NIGHT
DAVID, sitting beside MEL, watches the TV
screen and smiles to himself.
CUT TO:
INT. TV3 STUDIO -- NIGHT
ANNOUNCER
Peserta kami
terakhir mendapat tempat ketiga minggu lepas. Bukan yang terbaik, tapi bukan
juga yang terlemah.
Our last contestant was third last week... not really in the top. And not really in the bottom.
(beat)
Bagaimana dengan
minggu ini... NICKSON!!!
How well will
he do this week? Ladies and gentlemen...
Nickson!!
CUT TO:
INT. BACKSTAGE -- CONTINUOUS
NICKSON is holding his phone. It beeps with a message. He checks it:
CALVIN - THEY WON'T LET ME IN!
NICKSON reacts.
MAC
Nickson, you're next.
NICKSON resolves himself and walks out.
CUT TO:
INT. TV3 STUDIO -- CONTINUOUS
Onstage...
NICKSON looks out into the crowd. He sees...
His MUM sitting by herself. CALVIN isn't there.
NICKSON hesitates, then...
NICKSON
This is for Calvin.
As mumurs rip through the crowd, the music
starts, and NICKSON performs...
CUT TO:
INT. LOW COST FLATS -- NIGHT
Nickson's DAD is eating whilst watching
TV. He stares, stunned. As he slams his glass on the table, we
CUT TO:
INT. STUDIO RECEPTION -- CONTINUOUS
CALVIN, standing outside, looks at a TV
screen, reacts and smiles to himself.
CUT TO:
INT. TV3 STUDIO -- NIGHT
NICKSON finishes performing. The crowd claps.
ANNOUNCER
Ladies and gentlemen... Nickson!!
NICKSON walks off to applause.
CUT TO:
INT. BACKSTAGE -- NIGHT
NICKSON enters backstage to find...
The rest of the Malaysian stars... clapping.
BURN goes up to NICKSON.
BURN
Way to go, man.
They shake hands. MAC approaches.
MAC
Never thought anyone could top Burn's
performance tonight, man.
(beat)
But I guess you did.
NICKSON
Yahlah. I kan drama queen.
Mac gets a signal from the stage.
MAC
Ok, go.
CUT TO:
INT. TV3 STUDIO -- CONTINUOUS
The kids troop onstage as the announcer is
saying this.
ANNOUNCER
Inilah masa yang dinanti-nantikan. Masa untuk mengumumkan siapa yang layak
bergerak ke peringkat akhir Malaysian Star dan siapakah seorang yang malang,
yang perjalananya akan akhir malam Ini.
NICKSON looks nervous. He wants to hold Burn's hand, but BURN
doesn't let him.
ANNOUNCER
Pemenang malam ini, iaitu artis yang
mendapat undian tertinggi...
The Announcer doesn't even have to mention
the name; the crowd does it for him.
ANNOUNCER/CROWD
BURN!!!
Applause all around. BURN punches the air with his fists.
ANNOUNCER
Tempat kedua... BABY!
Baby looks so relieved. After this
announcement, she's positively beaming.
ANNOUNCER
Jadi, satu di antara Amir dan Nickson akan
berhenti perjalananya di sini.
(beat)
Peserta yang akan maju ke pusingan terakhir
ialah... Amir!
NICKSON crumples, almost falling down. AMIR steadies him with his hand and gives him
a hug to support him.
In the crowd, MUM watches, concerned.
On NICKSON'S expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. STUDIO RECEPTION -- CONTINUOUS
CALVIN watches the screen, concerned.
CUT TO:
INT. MAKE-UP AREA -- NIGHT
The kids are packing up. NICKSON sits by himself, downcast.
MAC approaches him.
MAC
You might have lost tonight. But
you did really well out there.
(beat)
I'm proud of you.
MAC walks off. Then NICKSON'S handphone rings.
NICKSON
(on phone)
Cal?
CALVIN (V.O.)
Hey, I'm sorry.
NICKSON
It's okay.
(beat)
See you back at the hotel?
CALVIN (V.O.)
Sure.
On NICKSON'S expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- NIGHT
The kids (BURN, BABY, AMIR and NICKSON) walk into the lobby.
JOE approaches BURN.
JOE
Burn, Baby... I love you!
BURN
Chill dude. Nanti
orang kata I selalu hang out dengan Nickson pulak.
Yo, chill. People will think I'm spending too much time
with Nickson, man.
JOE
Let's go get our gaji, bro.
BURN
Cover for me... Nick!
NICKSON
Cover what?!
BURN and JOE have already run off.
NICKSON
(to himself)
I'm out already...
The rest walk towards the lifts. The lift doors slide open. Then NICKSON sees...
His DAD, sitting at the couch, waitng for
him.
NICKSON approaches. He's been drinking.
NICKSON'S DAD
My friends are laughing at me, you know
that?!
NICKSON
Pa-
DAD
You think you so smart... tell the whole
world.
(beat, closes up on
Nickson)
Why don't you tell to my face.
NICKSON
Pa-
Before NICKSON can say anything, DAD slaps
him in the face. NICKSON reels.
NICKSON
Pa, I'm sorry. I'll never be who you want me to be.
NICKSON'S DAD hits him... hard.
NICKSON gets up.
DAD
Sorry?!!
Sorry then somemore say.
NICKSON
(stronger)
I'll live my life the way I want.
DAD swings again at NICKSON. Nickson reaches out and stops his father's
arm.
NICKSON
And there's nothing you can do about it.
Dad lets go of NICKSON. Then he sees...
CALVIN and NICKSON'S MUM... approaching.
NICKSON'S DAD
May... let's go home.
NICKSON'S MUM hesitates, then...
NICKSON'S MUM
No.
NICKSON'S DAD
What?!!
NICKSON
She said no!
NICKSON'S DAD stares at everyone. He realizes he can't do anything.
NICKSON'S DAD
(to Nickson)
You're not my son anymore.
(OR)
From now on, my son is dead.
NICKSON watches his father stagger out of
the hotel.
A beat.
Then as NICKSON and MUM hug each other, we
CUT TO:
INT. STOREROOM -- NIGHT
OPEN ON
a sack of bills being counted by the VCD seller.
VCD SELLER
Dude.... tak ada siapa-siapa yang sangka you
akan menang...
JOE
Tapi dia menang.
Joe slaps Burn's back.
JOE
You're da man!!
VCD SELLER
Berani you... biasanya orang kalah dengan
sengaja.
BURN
Tapi odds untuk menang lebih tinggi,
kan?
The VCD seller has put out three piles.
VCD SELLER
Ini untuk you, Ini untuk Burn...
Joe takes a large stack off the VCD SELLER's
share and splits it between him and BURN. The VCD SELLER looks aghast at this.
JOE
Bunga, babe.
On BURN'S expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL WARD -- NIGHT
OPEN ON MEL in bed. WIDEN TO REVEAL...
DAVID, asleep beside her.
Outside, BURN stares in.
On his expression, we
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL WARD -- LATER
DAVID wakes up and looks around. There's no one in the room.
Then he notices... an envelope... on the
table beside him.
He picks it up. On it is written...
"DARI PEMINAT SETIA MELODY".
Curious, DAVID peers inside...
It's stuffed with notes.
DAVID stands up and walks out to the
corridor and looks around.
There's no one there.
We PULL OUT AND
FADE TO BLACK