Wonder Boys Page #10

Hannah stretches and the t-shirt slides dangerously up

her thighs.

HANNAH GREEN:

It's okay. ..I'm here when you want me.

GRADY stands frozen as Hannah smiles sleepily, pushes

through the swinging door into the kitchen. A THUMPING is

heard as James, tangled in the sleeping bag, hitches down

the last few steps of the stairway. He watches Pete Pupcik

drive away in his big police car.

JAMES LEER:

What do we do now?

#####Before GRADY can reply, .the TELEPHONE sitting on the table next to him

#####RINGS.

GRADY:

Hello?

SARA'S VOICE

Grady, it's Sara. Thank God you're there. You

won't believe what's happened.

GRADY:

Could you hold on a minute, honey?

With a look of wonderment, GRADY watches his hand ever-

so- gently ...hang up the phone.

GRADY:

How 'bout we get the hell out of here?

49EXT. GRADY'S HOUSE - MORNING (MOMENTS LATER)

James, now wearing one of Grady's flannel shirts beneath

his ratty overcoat, follows Grady-to the Galaxie, knapsack

swinging from his shoulder. GRADY tosses him a ring of

KEYS.

GRADY:

You start her up.

As GRADY runs a plastic WEDGE over the GLAZE of ice

blanketing the windshield, James stares curiously at the

keys, as if they were some strange artifact, then slides

behind the steering wheel.

JAMES LEER:

(as the engine roars)

How's that?

GRADY:

Well done, James.

As GRADY works, James' face comes into view, then ...the

wedge SNAPS, splintering into the flesh of Grady's hand.

GRADY (cont'd)

Sh*t!

James blinks, pokes his head out the window.

JAMES LEER:

You're bleeding. Professor Tripp.

50INT. AISLE - MARKET - MORNING (LATER)

GRADY and James stand in the sundries aisle of a

neighborhood MARKET. GRADY

has a TIN of BAND-AIDS open and is presently plastering

his ragged thumb.

GRADY:

Where exactly do you live, James?

James, in the midst of chugging from a 64-OUNCE JUG of

ORANGE JUICE, stops.

GRADY:

Apparently not even Hannah Green has a clue as

to the location of your apartment.

GRADY tosses the tin of band-aids into a small plastic

hand basket, begins to move down the aisle.

JAMES LEER:

I got kicked out. Well, not exactly kicked

out. I was asked to leave.

GRADY:

I guess there's probably a story behind that.

JAMES LEER:

There is, but it's not that interesting.

GRADY:

So where have you been staying?

JAMES LEER:

(a long pause)

The bus station.

GRADY stares incredulously at James.

JAMES LEER:

It's not -so bad. I know the night janitor.

And there's a broken locker I can put my stuff.

GRADY:

(trying to fathom this)

But James. I mean. ..How long?

JAMES LEER:

A couple weeks. That's why... that's why I had

the gun. For protection.

GRADY:

Jesus, James, you should've told someone.

JAMES LEER:

Who?

GRADY:

I don't know...

(unconvincingly)

Me.

GRADY drops the basket at the check-out counter and,

abruptly, finds himself face to face with a BABY, lolling

on the shoulder of the woman before him. The baby is

staring, spellbound, at a display of...Q'S LATEST

PAPERBACK. GRADY

frowns, then detects the true source of enchantment: a

spray of SHINY MYLAR GIFT BALLOONS.

A thought evolves.

GRADY (cont'd)

(the balloons)

What do you think of these?

James takes another chug from his jug, nods.

JAMES LEER:

Nice.

51EXT. GASKELL HOUSE - MORNING

Grady, squinting through the ten-inch panel of cleared

ice on the windshield, roils slowly up onto the curb in

front of Walter and Sara Gaskell's house ...then off.

52INT. GALAXIE - CONTINUOUS

GRADY pops the glovebox, takes out a PEN, and scratches

something on the GIFT CARD attached to the BALLOON. James

glances briefly at a plump ZIPLOC OF POT stashed in the

glovebox, then peers at the house.

JAMES LEER:

(the house)

Isn't this...?

GRADY:

Hm.

GRADY gets out, then pauses, glancing at the giant orange

juice jug between James legs. It's about half-down.

GRADY:

You better ease off that stuff, James. It's

pretty acidic.

James takes a powdered donut that lies on his coat,

studies it curiously.

JAMES LEER:

I can't help myself. I don't know what's the

matter with me.

GRADY:

Sh*t, James, you're hungover. What do you

think's the matter with you?

As GRADY turns away, James ponders this, then considers

the ring of white sugar imprinted on his coat and re-sets

the donut in precisely the same place.

53INT. GREENHOUSE - MOMENT LATER

Through the steamy panes, we SEE GRADY approach with the

balloon, enter. He crosses to a high table, sets the

balloon down, and steps back, considering the placement.

SARA O.S.)

Feeling guilty?

GRADY jumps--startled--and turns. Sara has materialized

behind a ficus, large POTTING GLOVES on her hands.

SARA (cont'd)

I can't believe you hung up on me, you dick.

GRADY:

Totally. I'm sorry. A lot was happening this

morning. Can you talk?

Sara nods, moves the ficus to another table.

SARA:

Walter's on campus, being the good soldier for

WordFest. But he's a basket case. Someone stole

Marilyn's jacket last night. And Poe's missing,

too.

GRADY:

I-heard.

SARA:

You heard? How?

GRADY:

A twelve-year-old policeman came by the house

this morning.

SARA:

Did you confess?

GRADY looks up, mildly alarmed.

SARA:

Your fingerprints were all over the bedroom.

GRADY:

Really? That was fast.

SARA:

(frowning)

I'm kidding. Hello?

GRADY:

Oh. Right. Ha. Listen, about last night. There

is something I need to tell...

SARA:

Are you limping? Why are you limping?

GRADY:

Hub? Oh, well, that's part of what I need to .

. .

SARA:

Did you pass out again, Grady? Did you fall

somewhere?

GRADY:

No. I mean. Well, actually, yes. Sort of. I

don't remember. Listen, Sara, I have to tell

you something.

SARA:

All right.

Sara settles back, folds her arms. Waiting.

GRADY:

I...

As GRADY stares into Sara's eyes, things begin to blur.

GRADY (cont'd)

...want to be with you.

Sara looks at him.

SARA:

Gee, Grady, that sounded so heartfelt. I

don't know whether to swoon or smirk.

GRADY:

Really, Sara, I...

Sara holds up one gloved hand.

SARA:

I believe you. I believe you want to be with

me. But this is not just about me anymore.

GRADY:

I know that. I know what's at stake here...

SARA:

No, I don't think you do. And besides... I

haven't decided yet.

GRADY:

About the baby.

SARA:

That ...and you.

GRADY goes still, watches Sara strip off the gloves, drop

them on a table.

SARA:

I'm not going to draw the map for you on this

one, Grady. Times like these you have to do

your own navigating.

Sara turns to leave, then stops, squinting far down the

street.

SARA:

Who's that sitting in your car?

GRADY:

James Leer.

SARA:

What's he doing out there?

GRADY:

I'm sort of helping him work through some

issues.

Sara raises an eyebrow, then pushes through the door.

SARA:

Isn't he lucky.

GRADY watches her ripple across the glass, head for the

house, and wave. James, slumped low in the Galaxie, offers

a limp hand in return, but it's too late.

She's already gone.

54INT. GALAXIE - MOVING - LATER 54

GRADY cradles the wheel in his bandaged paw, while James

sits stiffly, the orange juice jug bobbing between his

thighs.

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