Donnie Darko Page #8

Donnie is shocked.

DONNIE:

Wow. Did he go to jail?

GRETCHEN:

He fled. They still can't find him.

(beat)

My mom and I had to change our names

and stuff. I thought Gretchen sounded

kind of cool.

DONNIE:

I'm sorry. I was in jail once.

(beat)

I accidentally burned down this house.

It was abandoned. I got held back in

school again. Can't drive until I'm

eighteen.

(babbling)

I think when I grow up I want to be

a painter. Or maybe a writer or maybe

both. Then I'll write a book and

draw the illustrations like a comic

book. You know, change things.

GRETCHEN:

Donnie Darko is a cool name. Sounds

like a superhero.

DONNIE:

What makes you think I'm not?

Gretchen smiles. She looks over at her house.

GRETCHEN:

I should go. For physics. Monnitoff

says I have to write an essay on the

greatest invention ever to benefit

mankind.

DONNIE:

That's easy. Antiseptics.

She gives him a look.

DONNIE:

I mean, the whole sanitation thing.

Joseph Lister... 1895. Before

antiseptics there was no sanitation,

especially in medicine.

GRETCHEN:

You mean soap?

DONNIE:

Don't knock soap. Without it, disease

would spread rapidly. If we ran out...

you and I would never live to see

the year 2000.

GRETCHEN:

Wonder where we'll be then.

DONNIE:

The best thing about soap is that

it's the only thing on earth that

can never get dirty. No matter what

crap you throw on it... it always

rubs off. And there it is again...

perfect.

GRETCHEN:

Until it withers away.

She stares at him for a moment.

DONNIE:

It's a good thing the school was

flooded today.

GRETCHEN:

Why is that?

DONNIE:

We never would have had this

conversation.

She smiles.

GRETCHEN:

You're weird.

DONNIE:

I'm sorry.

GRETCHEN:

That was a compliment.

DONNIE:

Will you go with me?

GRETCHEN:

Where are we going?

DONNIE:

No... I mean, will you GO with me?

That's like... what they call it

here. Going together.

GRETCHEN:

(beat)

Sure.

She gets up and begins to walk up the hill.

DONNIE:

Where are you going?

GRETCHEN:

I'm going home.

TITLE CARD:

OCTOBER 6 1988

INT. THERAPIST'S OFFICE - EVENING (THURSDAY, 6 P.M.)

Dr. Thurman sits next to Donnie. His eyes are closed.

DR. THURMAN

And when I clap my hands twice, you

will wake up. Do you understand?

DONNIE:

Yes.

DR. THURMAN

So, tell me about your day, Donald.

DONNIE:

I met a girl.

DR. THURMAN

What is her name?

DONNIE:

Gretchen. We're going together now.

DR. THURMAN

Do you think a lot about girls?

DONNIE:

Yes.

DR. THURMAN

How are things going at school?

DONNIE:

I think about girls a lot.

DR. THURMAN

I asked you about school.

DONNIE:

I think about... f***ing a lot during

school.

DR. THURMAN

What else do you think about during

school?

DONNIE:

I think... about... "Who's the Boss?"

DR. THURMAN

Who is the boss?

DONNIE:

I just turn the volume down and think

about f***ing Alyssa Milano.

DR. THURMAN

What about your family, Donnie?

DONNIE:

No, I don't think about f***ing my

family. That's sick!

DR. THURMAN

Donnie... I want to hear about your

friend Frank.

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