The Fault in Our Stars Page #26

FRANNIE:

You heard me?

Frannie has tears in her eyes. Hazel looks away, feeling

terrible.

FRANNIE:

You heard me say that to your

father?

Frannie sits down on the couch with her daughter.

99.

FRANNIE:

Oh god, sweetie. I'm sorry. I was

wrong, ok? It wasn't true. It's not

something I believe.

Michael sits across from them.

FRANNIE:

As long as either of us is alive, I

will be your mother. Even if you

die, I --

HAZEL:

When.

FRANNIE:

Even when you die, I will still be

your mother. I will always be your

Mother.

By now Michael is crying too. They all are.

HAZEL:

I worry that you won't have a life.

That you'll sit around all day with

no me to look after and stare at

the walls and be miserable or off

yourselves or something.

FRANNIE:

We're not gonna off ourselves. It's

gonna hurt like hell to lose you

BUT --

MICHAEL:

Hazel. You of all people know it's

possible to live with pain.

She takes that in. It rings true to her. Hazel nods.

FRANNIE:

I don't just sit around, you know.

Hazel is confused. Frannie looks at Michael like, "should I

say something?" She goes for it.

FRANNIE:

I'm taking some classes. Online. To

get my master's in social work.

HAZEL:

You are?

Hazel is stunned.

HAZEL:

So when you're waiting for me

outside Support Group or whatever,

you're always --

100.

FRANNIE:

Working or reading. If I get my

MSW, I can council families in

crisis or lead groups dealing with

ILLNESS --

HAZEL:

Why didn't you tell me?

Frannie and Michael don't quite know what to say.

MICHAEL:

We didn't want you to feel

ABANDONED --

HAZEL:

Are you kidding? Mom, this is

awesome! This is fantastic! Oh my

god!

Hazel grabs her Mom for a hug.

HAZEL:

I'm so excited! You're gonna be so

great, Mom!

FRANNIE:

Thank you. That means everything to

me.

Mom and Daughter hug. And when it's over:

FRANNIE:

I'd still really like you to eat.

HAZEL:

I know Mom. And I will. I promise.

But right now... I really gotta go.

INT CHURCH - LATER

Hazel enters the Literal Heart of Jesus room which is now

empty except for Isaac, up on a dais, and Gus, in his

wheelchair. Gus is thinner than we've ever seen him, thinner

than any young man should be. But for now, he's happy.

GUS:

Hazel Grace, you look ravishing.

HAZEL:

I know, right?

(BEAT)

So, um, what's going on guys?

ISAAC:

You're late.

HAZEL:

Late for what exactly?

101.

Gus gestures for her to sit next to him and she does.

GUS:

I wanted to attend my funeral. By

the way, will you speak at my

funeral?

Hazel looks at him like "of course, silly" and then kisses

him on the mouth.

GUS:

Sweet. I'm hopeful I'll get to

attend as a ghost, but just to make

sure, I thought I'd - well, not to

put you on the spot, but I thought

I'd arrange a pre-funeral.

HAZEL:

Why now?

GUS:

No time like the present.

HAZEL:

(looks around the room)

How did you even get in here?

GUS:

Would you believe they leave the

door open at night?

HAZEL:

Um, no.

GUS:

As well you shouldn't.

He smiles and for a brief moment it's old Gus. Hazel laughs.

Isaac clears his throat.

ISAAC:

"Augustus Waters was a self-

aggrandizing bastard. But we

forgive him. We forgive him... not

because he had a heart as

figuratively good as his actual one

sucked, or because he got 18 years

when he should have gotten more."

GUS:

17.

ISAAC:

I'm assuming you've got some time,

you interrupting bastard! I mean

seriously...

(back to the speech)

"Augustus Waters talked so much

that he'd interrupt you at his own

funeral. And he was pretentious.

(MORE)

102.

ISAAC (CONT'D)

Sweet Jesus that kid never took a

piss without pondering the

resonances of human waste

production. And he was vain. But

that comes with superhuman

handsomeness."

Gus nods - that part is true.

ISAAC:

"But I will say this: when the

scientists of the future show up at

my house with robot eyes and they

tell me to try them on, I will tell

the scientists to piss off, because

I don't even want to see a world

without Augustus Waters."

Hazel smiles - but it's one that triggers an immediate

emotional waterfall.

ISAAC:

"And then, of course, having made

my rhetorical point, I will put my

robot eyes on because, I mean...

robot eyes!"

Gus has a big smile on his face.

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