The Great Gilly Hopkins Page #6

Do whatever you want with me.

I'll do whatever you want.

But please,

please don't hurt my family.

All right.

All right,

I'll see what I can do.

Your grandmother is coming

to my office tomorrow.

I'll be by around 9:00

to pick you up.

Tomorrow?

Yes.

Believe me,

it's better this way.

Waiting around is no good

in these situations.

But I got school.

They will forward your records.

I understand from miss Harris

you've done quite well.

I have to admit,

last month when you ran away,

I thought,

"here we go again."

But I was wrong.

You've done well here.

If y'all don't start

eating this supper,

I'm going to jump up and down

on this table

squawking like

a 200-pound lovesick chicken.

Really?

That's a little better.

This is supposed to be a party,

not some kind of funeral.

Come on, now.

We got to get rid of this food.

Gilly's folks are from

Loudoun county, Mr. Randolph.

Loudoun county, miss Gilly?

Oh, that's a lovely country.

We come and see

your country, Gilly?

When folks leave,

William Ernest, honey,

you got to give them a chance

to settle in.

Sometimes it's best

not to go visiting right away.

Never?

Miss Gilly,

I wasn't quite sure

when to give this to you.

But I...

I want you to have it.

We all signed our names

in it for you.

Gilly, honey, can I come in?

I know I'm not supposed

to let on how I feel.

I got no blood claim on you.

And it's killing me

to let you go.

I'm not going to go.

They can't make me.

No, baby, you got to go.

And lord forgive me

for making it harder on you.

I'll come back.

I'll come back and see you

all the time.

No, baby,

that's not how it works.

It's like I was trying

to tell you at supper.

Once you get on that old tugboat

and it takes you

out to the ocean liner,

you got to get

all the way onboard.

You can't straddle both decks.

I could.

You are going to make me proud.

I know you will.

Would you like for me

to turn on the radio?

I don't mind,

as long as it's not too loud.

Mr. Ellis seems like

a nice person.

He thinks I may have gotten

the wrong impression

of the foster home

he put you in.

They were all sick last week.

Oh.

He tried to tell me that you

really like living there,

despite everything.

From your letter, i...

I lie a lot.

I'd hoped you'd be happy

to come with me.

And in here

is your mother's room.

You can rearrange it

however you want.

I also thought maybe

you would like a computer,

so you can stay in touch

with your friends.

What's this room?

This was Chadwell's room.

Your mother's brother.

He was your uncle.

We lost him in a war.

Can I have this room?

Sure, if you like.

Would you care for some salad?

No.

I hope you don't mind the music.

When you're by yourself,

sometimes the last thing you

want to listen to is silence.

Do you like your new computer?

I'm not very familiar with them,

but the man at the store

said that he thought

that was the right one for you.

I haven't turned it on.

Ah, well, there's time for that.

Monday you're supposed

to start school,

but perhaps you'd like

to stay here another day

and get used

to your new surroundings.

Might as well get it over with.

Can I be excused?

I'm not very hungry.

Yes.

Miss Hopkins,

it's been some time

since we've seen you

around here.

Yes, I just want to make sure

that my granddaughter

has a proper introduction

to her new school.

Your granddaughter?

Yes, Margaret.

This is my granddaughter

Galadriel Hopkins.

Hopkins?

Yes.

She's Courtney's child.

Hi.

I didn't even know

Courtney was married.

She wasn't.

I see.

Hopkins.

Now, how do you spell

her Christian name?

G.

A.

L.

A.

D.

Am I going too fast,

for you dear?

No. Not at all.

R, I, e, l.

Her school records

will be sent to you directly.

You will see

that she is extremely bright.

Well, we are looking forward

to having a new Hopkins

join our ranks, I'm sure.

So am I.

Gilly, you've got a package.

"Dear William Ernest,

"I told you

I wouldn't forget you.

"I'm good here at the farm,

"but miss you all.

"They train horses to race here.

"My favorite one is called

clouds of glory.

"Can you believe that?

"I know she'll win

a lot of races.

"They're not our horses.

"Nonnie rents out

the barn and the land.

"But there's a horse,

a real pretty one, and fast,

"that I call clouds of glory.

I don't actually know

her real name."

"Dear miss Harris,

"thank you for the letter and

the Tolkien books you sent me.

"They're very exciting.

I now know who Galadriel was.

"If anyone told me

that I'd miss a teacher,

"I'd never believe it.

"School here stinks.

"None of the teachers here

are as smart as you.

"Your former student,

Gilly Hopkins.

P.S., you can call me

Galadriel."

What up, player?

Hey!

Shut up.

Anyway, you know Clark Gibbons,

the kid who smells like

banana fart?

Well, he's dating...

If you can call it that...

Melanie smart.

And...

Let me, Taj.

You know it's raj.

Whatever.

Don't "whatever" my name.

"Dear Gilly.

"Guess who got in a fight.

Our quiet little pumpkin,

W.E."

Battle scar!

"He got a little busted up,

"but he's going to be all right.

"Thank you for writing, darling.

"Bless you out there.

I hope you get

everything you want."

All right.

Mm-hmm.

No, i... I...

Yes.

Yes, I will, I will.

Tomorrow.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, all right.

It's going to be mean

so much to...

All right.

What?

Yes, yes, I...

All right.

Good.

Hello, Courtney.

Hello.

This is Galadriel.

Hi.

Hi, there.

She's almost as tall as I am.

She's a lovely girl.

Well, of course she is.

She's mine, isn't she?

Well, let's get your luggage.

I got it. This is it.

I... I don't understand.

Well, I'm only coming

for two days.

Two days?

But you said...

I told you on the phone

that I would come for Christmas

and see for myself

how the kid was doing.

Yes, but when I sent you

the money, you said...

I know what I said.

Oh, wait.

It has been 13 years.

You still think that you can

tell me what to do.

I'm not.

I'm sorry.

Please, let's not have

a scene here.

Fine.

Can we get out of here?

I have to go to the bathroom.

What? You started it.

You're tired from the trip.

I'm not drunk or high,

if that's what you're saying.

It's not what I'm saying.

Please just don't search

for reasons to fight me.

Then don't shame me

in front of my own kid.

You did enough of that with me

when I was here.

I don't need any more of it.

So, you just came for the money.

Wow, you are such a...

Fool?

Yeah.

Gilly and I, we thought we were

coming to get her mother.

My daughter.

Were we wrong?

I'm here, aren't I?

Are you really here?

Who are you?

What am I going to say to her?

Hello?

I want to come back.

Oh, honey.

I want to come home.

Oh, my poor baby.

She only came

because Nonnie paid her to.

She doesn't even want me,

and she doesn't even want

to stay.

It's all wrong.

Nothing turned out

the way it was supposed to be.

Supposed to be.

Oh, life ain't supposed

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