Juno Page #24

She bolts up the stairs, sobbing.

INT. LORING HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY

Juno reaches the top of the stairs and scrambles toward the

front door, only to be intercepted by Vanessa, who's returning

home from work, carrying her briefcase and a freshly purchased

NURSING PILLOW. They nearly collide.

VANESSA:

Juno? What's going on?

JUNO:

Nothing.

It's obvious from Juno's tears and flushed face that she's

lying. Vanessa instantly goes pale with fear, but she tries

her hardest to seem serene and "together" in front of Juno.

VANESSA:

(pretending to be

calm)

Mark? Why is Juno crying?

JUNO:

I'm not crying. I'm allergic to fine

home furnishings. See you later.

She rushes toward the door.

VANESSA:

Hold on.

Juno halts.

VANESSA:

Juno, what's the matter?

MARK:

She's hormonal. Right, June? It's

just part of the whole process.

Juno looks totally betrayed. She doesn't respond. Vanessa

looks at Juno's expression and knows Mark is lying.

VANESSA:

What did you do?

MARK:

I didn't do anything... I just...

I've just been thinking.

VANESSA:

(you've been thinking?)

What?

MARK:

Just thinking if this is really the

right thing for us.

VANESSA:

What are you referring to?

She knows exactly to what he's referring.

MARK:

I've been just wondering if we're,

you know, ready.

VANESSA:

Of course we're ready. We've taken

all the classes. The nursery. The

books --

MARK:

I know we're prepared. I just don't

know if... I'm ready.

Juno's face continues to fall. Vanessa notices.

VANESSA:

(to Juno)

Juno, don't worry about this. He

just has cold feet. That's how boys

are. The books all say the same thing.

A woman becomes a mother when she

gets pregnant. A man becomes a father

when he sees his baby. He's going to

get there. He'll get there.

Juno ain't buying it.

VANESSA:

(to Mark)

Why don't we let Juno go home and we

can discuss this later on, okay?

MARK:

It all just happened so fast. We put

that ad in the paper. I thought it

would take months if, you know, ever

and then -- boom -- Two weeks later,

she's in our living room.

VANESSA:

(quietly)

She answered our prayers.

MARK:

(ignores the comment)

Ever since, it's just been like a

ticking clock.

This stops Vanessa. Juno looks offended.

VANESSA:

What are you saying?

A long hideous beat.

MARK:

It just feels a little like bad

timing.

Another hideous beat.

VANESSA:

What would be a good time for you?

MARK:

I don't know. There's just things I

still want to do.

VANESSA:

Like what? Be a rock star?

MARK:

Don't mock me.

Vanessa sighs. It's done.

VANESSA:

You're trying to do something that's

never going to happen. And you know

what? Your shirt is stupid. Grow up.

If I have to wait for you to become

Kurt Cobain, I'm never going to be a

mother.

Vanessa looks defeated.

MARK:

I never said I'd be a great father.

We hear the front door closing. Vanessa and Mark look over

and notice that Juno has escaped the conflict.

EXT. LORING HOUSE - AFTERNOON

Juno runs up to her car sobbing. She struggles with the keys,

but finally makes it into the Previa and drives off.

EXT. HIGHWAY - AFTERNOON

The Previa slides off the road and comes to a stop on the

shoulder.

INT. PREVIA - AFTERNOON

Juno buckles over the steering wheel, crying, unwinding for

the first time since she became pregnant.

After a beat, she begins to gather herself.

INT. BLEEKER'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Bleeker is sitting next to his bed, noodling on the guitar.

He's playing a theme that we will soon recognise.

EXT. CORNER STORE - NIGHT

Juno lays on the hood of her Previa, contemplating her future.

We push in close... when she gets an idea.

She hops off the hood and scurries into the Previa where she

finds a crumpled up Jiffy Lube receipt. She unfolds it and

pulls out a pen, ready to write something... a note?

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