Wonder Boys Page #6

GRADY blinks, turns to James.

GRADY:

I'll be right back.

21INT. LOBBY

GRADY bursts through the auditorium doors and into the

lobby. A PAIR. of local BOOKSELLERS, chatting quietly

behind a table arrayed with the BOOKS of attending authors,

glance up as GRADY limps toward the restrooms.

22INT. CORRIDOR

GRADY stumbles down the sloping carper, but the corridor

begins to turn sideways on him and he stops, resting his

cheek against the cool...cool...wall. ..as...ail..-goes....

BLACK FOR A:

MOMENT AND THEN....

SARA'S VOICE

Grady? Grady?

GRADY opens his eyes, finds Sara's face swimming above

him. He is lying on his back in the corridor, his corduroy

blazer bundled under his head like a pillow.

SARA:

You had another one, didn't you? You have to

see a doctor, Grady. First thing Monday

morning. All right?

GRADY:

Is the thing-is it over?

SARA:

Almost. Wane to sit up?

(as he winces)

What's the matter?

GRADY:

Nothing. I think I twisted my--

GRADY looks at his ankle and feels a rush of guilt.

GRADY:

I have to tell you something. Something..

.hard.

Sara's face stiffens, becomes more Chancelloresque.

SARA:

Then stand up. I'm too old for all this

roiling around on the floor.

GRADY lets her pull him up, watches her light a

cigarette.

GRADY:

Well...

SARA:

Don't. I know what you're going to say.

GRADY:

No, really, Sara, I don't think you--

SARA:

You love Emily. I know that. And you need to

stay with her.

GRADY:

I don't think I really have a choice in, that.

Emily left me.

SARA:

She'll come back. That's why I'm going to.

..to not have this baby.

GRADY watches her flip her hand up, bring the cigarette

to her lips, and inhale ...then grimace and drop it to the

floor.

GRADY:

Not have it.

SARA:

No. There's no way. I mean, don't you think

there's no way?

GRADY:

Well, no, I don't see any way.

(taking her hand)

And I know how hard it is for you to-- to lose

this chance.

SARA:

(jerking away)

No you don't. And f*** you for saying you do.

And f*** you for "saying. . .

(quietly)

...for saying there's just no way. Because

there could be a way, Grady.

Somewhere deep in the building, APPLAUSE swells.

SARA:

(composing herself)

He must be finishing. We should go.

GRADY looks sadly at Sara then stoops to retrieve his

coat. As he grabs it, James Leer's little pistol CLATTERS

to the floor.

SARA:

Who's gun is that?

GRADY:

It's-it's a souvenir. Of Baltimore.

Before GRADY can close his hand, Sara has it in her own.

SARA:

Heavy. Smells like gunpowder.

GRADY:

Caps.

She points it-at Grady's chest. He smiles nervously.

SARA:

Pow.

GRADY:

You got me.

SARA:

I love you, Grady.

GRADY places his fingers gently over Sara's... and

removes the gun from her hand.

GRADY:

I love you, too.

23INT. LOBBY

The auditorium doors swing open and James Leer emerges,

arms draped over CRABTREE and a LARGE STUDENT.

JAMES LEER:

Woah! The doors made so much noise!

As they make for the restrooms, Sara and GRADY appear.

JAMES LEER:

This is so embarrassing! You guys had to carry

me out.

GRADY:

Is he ail right?

CRABTREE:

(rolling his eyes)

He's fine. He's narrating.

JAMES LEER:

We're going to the men's room. Only we might

not make it in time.

SARA:

Terry CRABTREE and James Leer. Leave it to you

to make that mistake, wait here.

As Sara heads off after James, GRADY turns toward the

lobby...directly into the hostile gaze of Miss Sloviak.

MISS SLOVIAK:

I need a ride.

GRADY:

I'm your man.

24EXT. STREET 24

As the Galaxie's big trunk yawns open. MISS SLOVIAK

stares at what's wedged up against her suitcase.

GRADY:

There's an explanation.

MISS SLOVIAK raises an eyebrow and then, leaning in,

unzips her suitcase.

25INT. GRADY'S CAR - MOVING

As GRADY drives, MISS SLOVIAK finishes with the top

button of a man's shirt, then reaches into the zippered

COSMETICS BAG in her lap. Onto the open tray of the

glovebox, she places a JAR of COLD CREAM, a BOTTLE of NAIL

POLISH REMOVER, and a cloud of COTTON BALLS.

MISS SLOVIAK:

Couldn't he have just thrown a shoe at the

poor thing?

GRADY:

James is. ..I don't know...

MISS SLOVIAK:

Disturbed. And when your friend CRABTREE gets

done with him, he's going to be even more

disturbed.

GRADY:

I'm not sure that's possible.

MISS SLOVIAK:

Sure it is.

GRADY watches MISS SLOVIAK peel the wig from her

forehead.

GRADY:

Listen, Antonia--

MISS SLOVIAK:

Tony. Now that I'm home.

GRADY:

Tony. I'm sorry if things didn't work out so

well for you tonight. With Terry.

MISS SLOVIAK:

Forget it. I should've known better. Your

friend is just, I don't know, into collecting

weird tricks. Mind?

Tony angles the rearview mirror toward himself.

GRADY:

He's writing his name in water.

MISS SLOVIAK:

What's that?

GRADY:

Like most editors, he really wants to be a

writer, but he's too busy living a novel to

bother writing one.

MISS SLOVIAK:

That sounds like a fancy excuse for being a

sh*t.

GRADY:

He'd call it habit. But now. ..I get the

feeling he's going through the motions a bit.

Tony peels off a pair of false eyelashes, blinks.

MISS SLOVIAK:

You mean because his career's ruined and all?

GRADY:

Jesus. Is that what he told you?

MISS SLOVIAK:

He said he hasn't had a success in ten years

and everyone in New York thinks he's kind of

.a. . .

As Tony re-sets the rearview mirror, GRADY gets a glimpse

of his own swollen eyes.

MISS SLOVIAK:

...loser. But I'm sure your book is so good

that he'll be able to keep his job.

Hearing this, GRADY looks troubled. MISS SLOVIAK points.

MISS SLOVIAK:

(cont'd)

Turn here.

26EXT. SLOVIAK HOUSE

GRADY pulls in front of a small brick house. On the front

lawn, a small statue of the BLESSED VIRGIN stands under a

little white BAND SHELL painted with stars.

GRADY:

That'' s nice. All we have is a Japanese

beetle trap.

MISS SLOVIAK:

It's a bathtub. What she's standing under.

The PORCH LIGHT conies on and a SMALL, WHITE-HAIRED MAN

squints through the screen door.

MISS SLOVIAK:

There's Pop.

(turning)

Let me see it. The gun.

GRADY reaches into his pocket, hands it over. Tony

smirks.

MISS SLOVIAK:

Figures. It's like the kind of gun Bette Davis

would carry. In a little beaded purse?

GRADY studies the gun in Tony's hand, then glances at the

front screen door. Pop is still there.

GRADY:

I'd better go. I think I may have to rescue

James Leer.

MISS SLOVIAK returns the gun, .steps out of the car, and

peers in at Grady.

MISS SLOVIAK:

You know, Grady, if I were you. I'd think

about going home. You look like you need a

little rescuing yourself.

27EXT. PARKING LOT - HI-HAT CLUB

GRADY parks near a VAN that has KRAVNIK'S SPORTING GOODS

stenciled on the side. He watches a BOUNCER frisk a patron

in the PINK LIGHT of the Hi-Hat Club's entrance, then

slides -James Leer's little PISTOL into the glovebox.

27AEXT. ENTRANCE - HI-HAT CLUB

As GRADY steps to the door, the bouncer gives him a

perfunctory pat-down.

BOUNCER:

(kidding him)

Clean tonight, hub, Professor?

GRADY:

As a whistle.

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