A Puppy for Christmas Page #3

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NOELLE:
I read three

hundred books over the summer,

and guess what I won?

JOYCE:
A book?

NOELLE:
Five books!

I-am-Noelle, and I don't

need Mr. Stupid Perfect Face!

JOYCE:
You don't need any man!

NOELLE:
In kindergarten,

I rallied the class

against nap time!

In high school, I was Editor in

Chief of two newspapers!

And I didn't even go to

the other school!

In college I wrote an expos

about the football coach

and got him fired!

As well you should have!

NOELLE:
I am Noelle Baker -

journalist extraordinaire!

JOYCE:
Yes you are!

NOELLE:
I get up at

6am to do yoga!

And I'm a fighter!

I am going to get my

life back on track!

NOELLE:
Where's Buster?

JOYCE:
[hesitates]Oh, he's...

downstairs...?

[Buster barking]

NOELLE:

Oh-my-GOSH-I-am-SO-SORRY!

GRANPAPPY:
Not to worry,

sweetie.

It's nice to have a

puppy around again.

Don't sweat it.

This is what puppies do.

We've had plenty of

chewed destruction.

NOELLE:
Oh Buster!

You're a bad boy!

Bad boy!

GRANPAPPY:
Ya know, Liam

here knows a thing or two

about dog training.

That's right...

In fact, you meet me

outside in twenty.

Outside?

Why are we outside instead

of being cozy and inside again?

You'll see.

You know, I'm going

to get back on track

with my research.

If I have a killer

article on Felicia's desk,

I know I can save my feature!

It's good to you

see you motivated again.

NOELLE:
Hmm.

[Noelle gasps]

[huskies barking]

LIAM:
Purebred huskies!

After you.

[huskies barking]

LIAM:
Alrighty! All tucked in?

You ready, buddy?

You ready?

NOELLE:
Yup.

Alright!

Okie dokie.

Alright boys!

Hike, hike hike hike!

[huskies barking]

JOYCE:
This should be

interesting.

[huskies barking]

No, Christmas feels right

Without you by my side

Ooh, ooh, ooh

So baby come home

For Christmas

So baby come home

Don't you know it's Christmas?

(Don't you know)

Having fun in candle light

All I need is you here tonight

So baby please come home

Can't spend the holidays alone

Baby come home

For Christmas

So baby come home

Don't you know it's Christmas?

(Don't you know)

Having fun in candle light

All I need is you here tonight

So baby please come home

Can't spend the holidays alone

So baby come home

[gasps]

GRANDPAPPY:
[sighs]

Oh no.

LIAM:
So we've got a bit

of a family tradition,

you'll know the right

tree when you see it!

NOELLE:
Can't we just pick

one and get it over with.

LIAM:
NO, no, no - you

gotta pick the right one!

NOELLE:
Trust me - family

traditions are overrated!

[heavenly choir]

NOELLE:
That one!

Do we really

have to chop it down?

Well, Joyce is the

lumberjack in the family.

We mark it and she comes

and picks it come later.

But it's so beautiful...

Don't worry, for

every tree we cut down,

we plant two in the spring.

Circle of life and all that.

LIAM:
[scats]

LIAM:
There we go!

Alright.

Well, this little guy

looks pretty cold,

you wanna go for a run?!

Come on!

NOELLE:
C'mon Buster!

LIAM:
Let's go!

C'mon Buster! C'mon!

[Buster barking]

LIAM:
[laughing]

LIAM:
C'mon Buster! C'mon!

[Buster barking]

-[laughs] Good boy!

Sit.. Buster...

Sit.

NOELLE:
Wait for me!

LIAM:
Sit..

Good boy!

There you go!

Alright, let's go! C'mon!

C'mon!

[Buster barks]

NOELLE:
C'mon Buster!

LIAM:
[whistling

"Deck the Halls"]

[groans]

TODD:
Oh man...

[groans]

THE CHIEF:
Hey!

Pretty wild night

last night, huh?

TODD:
I haven't been this

hungover since college.

THE CHIEF:
Yeah, we're

both single again.

Pretty great, huh?

TODD:
Are your

kids coming today?

THE CHIEF:
Yeah, I haven't

seen them in like, a month.

TODD:
I think I've made

a terrible mistake.

THE CHIEF:
Yeah...

TODD:
Yeah...

NOELLE:
[sighs]

It was only in the tranquility

of the countryside...

that a realization materialized.

The secret to a

lasting marriage is the--

[Buster growling]

NOELLE:
Buster!

I'm trying to work!

NOELLE:
No! Hey!

[Buster growling]

Noo..

[Buster whining]

NOELLE:
Okay,

where was I?

Oh, ah, the secret to a

lasting marriage is the effort--

JOYCE (distant):
Wooo!!!

I was born to ride!

NOELLE:
What the...?

JOYCE:
Let's do this! !

Joyce, to the rescue!

JOYCE:
WOO HOO!

NOELLE:
[laughs]

JOYCE:
Yay!

WOO!

[guitar playing]

NOELLE:
Hey Liam!

[guitar playing]

[laughs] Hey!

Joyce just roared in

with that tree we picked out.

Well let's go help her!

My parents.

I remember you said that

they're--

not around anymore?

Car accident, yeah.

Thank God for Gran

and Gramps, though.

NOELLE:
Wow...

Easter Island?

NOELLE:
Are these

all the places you've been?

LIAM:
Yeah.

There's still so

much more to explore.

Jessica sounds like

she'd be all about that.

She is.

It's just...

getting her to sit still,

that's the problem.

NOELLE:
Well,

she'll be here soon.

Yeah, hopefully tomorrow.

She got delayed again.

There's just not much

time left here, ya know?

Why are you guys selling?

This place is so magical.

Yeah it is...

Gran used to keep the books

for the Christmas tree farm.

She kept us afloat.

But uh, Gramps hasn't been able

to pay the property taxes

the last couple years.

We all thought Gran

had a rainy day fund saved up

but, there's no record

of it at the bank.

Gramps has no

choice but to sell.

They're turning this

whole area into a ski resort.

Maybe we could come

visit one day...

All that travelling must

really make you miss this place.

You know, I'm actually

thinking of giving up the

adventure articles and writing

about nature on the farm...

Your adventure

column is so popular.

Cover pagepopular.

My heart's just

not in it anymore.

You know,

I haven't decorated a

Christmas tree in years.

Really?

Yeah!

Todd is allergic to pine trees.

And ah, polyvinyl chloride.

It's what they make

fake trees out of.

Um, instead we usually put

a big Christmas bulb

on his interior bamboo garden.

[laughs]

That's the saddest

thing I've ever heard!

[chuckles] You know what?

It is kind of sad.

LIAM:
Well,

let's go

decorate a Christmas tree!

Okay.

Eggnog?

Extra cream!

Thanks!

It really is the perfect tree.

Awww, will ya look at this!

Liam made this when he

was in kindergarten!

Gramps...

NOELLE:
Aww, it's so cute!

So how should we attack this?

Um, is there a specific

color coordination?

Or a spatial orientation

between ornaments?

Uhh [chuckles]

It's been awhile since Noelle's

decorated a Christmas tree.

It doesn't have to be perfect.

Just pick an ornament

andfeelwhere it should go.

NOELLE:
How's that?

That's it! [claps]

Oh ho ho...

GRANPAPPY:
That's it!

[Buster barks]

NOELLE:
Ohhh, hi!

GRANDPAPPY:
Alright,

let's get this tree decorated

for crying out loud.

I don't have a

bow but I've got aboa.

NOELLE:
Ohhh!

Hey, what's this one?

A souvenir from England?

Oh! That's an

ornament that Gram made

for our 30th anniversary.

We used to talk each other

in fancy British accents.

[laughter]

(fake British accent)

He was Lord Farthington and

she was Lady Primrose.

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