American Graffiti Page #18

John gives in to her sweet gaze. He takes off the gearshift

knob, gives it to her, and leans over and gives her a kiss.

JOHN:

'Bye, kid.

CAROL:

Gee, thanks. It's just like a ring or something.

JOHN:

Yeah.

CAROL:

It's like we were going steady. Wait'll I tell Marcia.

JOHN:

Wait a minute, now.

CAROL:

Wait'll I tell everybody.

JOHN:

Don't go overboard with this thing.

CAROL:

Well, I'll see you around.

She jumps out of the car and runs up the walk to the house. He

watches her stop at the screen door and turn. She gives him a

little wave, then goes inside.

John looks over at the empty seat next to him and seems a little

sad. He starts the engine and drives off slowly.

WOLFMAN (voice over)

I haven't cried so much. And the tears and everything, man...I

leaned down towards the microphone and I almost shorted myself

out.

OUTSIDE MEL'S DRIVE-IN

Curt has the font hood up on the beetle-like Citroen and is

fooling with the recalcitrant engine. Steve is standing beside

him.

CURT:

Hold that up.

STEVE (taking the hood from him)

I've been thinking--maybe you're right. Why should I leave home

to find a new home. Why should I leave friends that I love to

find new friends?

CURT:

Wait a minute, wait a minute. I've heard this alreay. Aren't you

the one who for eight weeks has been telling me you have to leave

the nest sometime?

STEVE:

I realize that. I realize--

CURT:

No--no realizing. You've been telling me all summer that it's

time to pull your head out of the sand and take a look at the

big, beautiful world out there. Gimme this thing.

STEVE (letting him close the hood)

I don't know--I--

CURT (banging the Citroen hood shut) I feel like a mid-wife.

STEVE:

I guess I was wrong. I may have been wrong.

CURT:

Wrong nothing. You've been talking about getting out of this town

for eight weeks. And now--goddamnit!--you're just--you're just

mentally playing with yourself. If you can just relax, we'll talk

about it at the airport.

Curt walks around the side of the car and opens the door.

STEVE:

Where are you going? It's awfully early in the morning.

CURT:

I have a dental appointment.

STEVE:

Come on, Curt...

CURT:

Just relax, wil ya? I'll see you at the airport.

Curt gets intothe car and starts the engine. Steve watches him

pull out of the drive-in, then walks off.

ALLEY BEHIND THE "COME ON INN" BAR

A half dozen people are standing around in the parking lot behind

the bar. Debbie is sitting on the hood of a car, swinging her

legs and chewing gum. THe people all seem to be watching

something on the ground behind the car. Coughing is heard, then

gagging, and the unmistakable sounds of someone being sick.

At the back door of the bar even the cooks are looking and

pointing. We hear more coughing and vomiting. A guy slides up on

the hood next to Debbie.

GUY:

I never seen a guy lose so much. He mustn't have been used to

drinking.

DEBBIE:

Oh no, he really likes to drink. He told me.

An old man looks at his watch and then up at the stars.

OLD MAN:

Gettin' late...I knew a man once who got this sick. Billy Webber.

That was ten years ago. What do you think that was there, that he

had for dinner?

More groaning and gaggin is heard. An old woman moves close to

the old man and he puts an arm around her sentimentally.

OLD WOMAN:

Staying on his hands and knees like that...(she grins) He looks

like a dog, doesn't he? Looks like old Ginger.

OLD MAN:

Sicker than a dog, that's for sure.

The people drift off, leaving Debbie sitting alone on the car.

Now, Terry slowly emerges, pulling himself up the hood of the

car. His face is white. He lies across the hood trying to catch

his breath.

TERRY:

Ohh rats, I feel like--(he notices a car nearby and pushes

himself up) Wait a second...hey!

He staggers across the lot toward Steve's Chevy! Debbie slides

off the car and follows him.

It's--oh my god--it looks like Steve's car. Look, right here

under our--it's my car. My car. We found it. Look!

Terry staggers around and looks for the keys. He searches under

the front seat and over the visor.

Must've taken the keys with them.

DEBBIE:

Maybe we oughta call the police.

TERRY:

Never get here in time. I got a better idea. We'll just steal it

back. See if you can find some wire around. We only need a foot

to hot-wire it...okay?

A GAS STATION--DEUCE COUPE

John pulls the coupe out fo the garage and wheels up to the pumps

of the gas station. An attendant nods, looking at the roaring

engine.

ATTENDANT:

Took the header plugs off. Expectin' some action?

John looks at him from inside the coupe and nods slowly.

JOHN:

Yeah. Think so. There's some punk lookin' for me.

ATTENDANT:

Why the hell do they bother? You've been number one as long as I

can remember.

JOHN:

Yeah...it's been a long time, ain't it? I'll see ya. Thanks.

John drives the car out of the station and screeches down the

street.

ALLEY BEHIND THE "COME ON INN" BAR--STEVE'S '58 CHEVY

Terry is fiddling around under the dashboard, trying to hot-wire

the Chevy. As the wires connect, the radio comes to life and the

Wolfman growls.

WOLFMAN (voice over)

Who is this on the Wolfman telephone?

There's the sound of a phone ringing, then the unmistakable voice

of the Big Bopper answering.

BIG BOPPER (voice over)

Hellooo, baaaby-- Just then, Terry looks up and sees one large

badass looking at him. Terry gets up slowly and sees another big

guy standing nearby. The first badass reaches in and grabs Terry

by the shirt. He pulls him from the car. Terry is smiling weakly.

TERRY:

Ah, hi--this is my car. What I mean is, somebody stole my car--I

mean I lost my car and I want to thank you two guys for--

The first badass shoves Terry toward the other badass.

--for returning--I mean finding it. I mean, listen now, listen

guys--I've been sick recently, and this kind of activity can

really be hard on a guy. Now, easy will you? Easy!

They throw him back and forth and start to rough him up

seriously. Debbie is running around helplessly while they pummel

Terry. Then, she sees the yellow deuce coupe passing.

John glances out his window and notices the fight behind the Come

On Inn. He punches it and wheels into a fast U-turn.

The hoods have quit playing with Terry and are punching him.

Terry's still on his feet, mostly because he's drunk and

staggering away from a lot of the blows; also, Debbie is

screaming and pelting the assailants with her purse.

DEBBIE:

Stop it, stop it, stop it! Help! Police! You creeps!

John jumps out of the coupe and runs into the parking lot. He

grabs one of the punks and turns him--smashing him in the face.

The punk lands on his ass. John starts circling the other.

TERRY:

Go, John!

DEBBIE:

Hit him!

A good fighter, John lands a couple of blows to the gut and lands

him on his can. Both of them crawl off. Terry is lying nearby,

drunk, sick and bloodied. Debbie holds his head in her lap. John

goes over and kneels by them.

JOHN:

Hey, man, you all right?

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