Dear John (3 page)

JOHN

Dad? Got someone I want you to meet.

25        
INT. MR. TYREE’S HOUSE
-- STUDY

Mr. Tyree is focused on his coins, as usual, but he stands awkwardly when they enter.

JOHN

This is Savannah.

SAVANNAH

It’s really nice to meet you.

Mr. Tyree shakes her hand but doesn’t respond, just glances down at his coins. Silence fills the room.

JOHN

Um -- my Dad collects coins. It’s his big hobby.

SAVANNAH

Really? How interesting.

Mr. Tyree shrugs, inching closer to his desk as Savannah looks around the room. Coins really are everywhere.

SAVANNAH

You have so many! How’d you get started in all of this?

Mr. Tyree stands perfectly still, scratches his bald head.

MR. TYREE

Through John, actually.

He glances over at John. John just looks away.

MR. TYREE

But they’re not really his thing anymore.

JOHN

Okay. Anyhow, we should probably--

SAVANNAH

Tell me about this one.

She picks up a very worn and faded PENNY off his desk.

MR. TYREE

This one? This one’s a mule. Most all of these are mules, actually.

Savannah glances at John, mouths “What’s a mule?” John rolls his eyes, shakes his head -- trust me, you don’t wanna know.

Mr. Tyree doesn’t notice, however, too focused on the coin in Savannah’s hand. He politely but firmly takes it away from her. Obviously he doesn’t like other people touching them.

John’s face burns with embarrassment. This is his father, antisocial to a fault. But then Mr. Tyree looks back at Savannah, makes eye contact with her for the first time.

MR. TYREE

Wanna see some more?

Savannah smiles at him. And so John-- half annoyed, half amazed -- watches his father show off his collection.

26        
INT. CAR
-- NIGHT (MOVING)

John drives Savannah home in his father’s car.

SAVANNAH

I like your Dad. I like people that have a passion for life.

JOHN

He has a passion for coins. Not the same.

SAVANNAH

Passion’s passion, John. He raised you all by himself?

JOHN

Ever since I can remember. I was two when my Mom left.

SAVANNAH

Has he always been that... solitary?

JOHN

Ever since I can remember.

SAVANNAH

So what’s your theory? On how come you guys don’t talk?

JOHN

Why?

SAVANNAH

Because I have a theory too and I want to see if it’s the same.

JOHN

I just... I don’t think we like each other, to tell you the truth.

SAVANNAH

John. Come on. You’re family.

JOHN

Exactly.

Savannah still doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t push him to talk, doesn’t ask too many questions, just waits him out.

JOHN

I... well, I got in a lot of trouble when I was younger. I think at some point he just musta figured-- enough was enough. He’d rather deal with his coins than with me.

John stops, suddenly self-conscious of how much he’s talking.

JOHN

Why, what’s your theory?

SAVANNAH

27        
EXT. SAVANNAH’S BEACH HOUSE
-- NIGHT

They arrive in her driveway. She leans in, kisses him on the cheek.

SAVANNAH

I had fun tonight. Don’t be too hard on him, okay? He loves you -- I can tell, even if you can’t.

Then she gets out, leaving John fascinated and rattled.

JOHN

So -- wait. I guess I’ll... see you soon then?

She looks back at him as she walks away. Her eyes do that twinkling thing.

SAVANNAH

Oh yeah. I’ll see you soon then.

28        
EXT. FAR BEACH
-- THE NEXT DAY

John’s out in the water on his surfboard, a good way from Savannah’s beach house.

He squints in the distance, trying to find Savannah among the people milling about the house. But she’s not there.

He half-heartedly tries to catch a wave but is too focused on the house and falls off his board almost immediately.

29        
OMIT

30        
INT. SAVANNAH'S BEACH HOUSE
-- LATER IN THE DAY

A few people snooze on the couches when the front door opens and Savannah enters, tired and sweaty.

31        
EXT. BEACH HOUSE DECK
-- DAY

Savannah walks out. There’s only one figure out in the water. Savannah smiles when she realizes who it is.

32        
EXT. CLOSE BEACH
-- DAY

John has paddled out right in front of Savannah’s beach house when she finally comes out and walks towards the water.

SAVANNAH

Nice waves here, huh?

John looks around. He’s busted -- there are absolutely no waves here. The water is completely still.

JOHN

Well. It was better earlier.

33        He paddles in. Grins at her as he walks over to her.

JOHN

Where have you been all afternoon?

She shrugs. Grins back at him.

SAVANNAH

None of your business.

JOHN

You’re on spring break. You’re supposed to be lounging around on the beach, wasting the day away.

You’re not supposed to be out...
doing
things.

SAVANNAH

You have your spring break, I’ll have mine.

John steps out of the water.

JOHN

What if I want yours, too?

She pauses. Then she smiles again.

34        
EXT. HALF BUILT HOUSE
-- DAY

Savannah and John get out of the car, look up at something that we cannot see.

SAVANNAH

The family that lives here, their home was smashed up in the hurricane.

REVEAL that they’re in front of a half-built house.

Construction materials are stacked everywhere. John stares at it all, a little floored.

JOHN

So... now you’re rebuilding it.

SAVANNAH

Well. Not me by myself.

John glances sideways over at her. Grins.

JOHN

Okay, I gotta be honest. You’re kinda making me nervous here.

SAVANNAH

Why am I making you nervous here?

JOHN

I’m just starting to think you may be too good of a person for me.

SAVANNAH

Trust me. I’m not that good of a person.

JOHN

Savannah. You’ve been secretly sneaking off every day... to do manual labor. On a house for charity. On your spring break.

Savannah pauses and bites her lip.

SAVANNAH

Wow. I’ve never thought about it like that. But you’re right -- it’s selfish, really. Me being this generous.

JOHN

Oh, but that’s just the beginning, though. Because you don’t drink...

(she mock GASPS)

You don’t smoke...

(she shakes her head)

You probably don’t sleep around...

She moves close, almost -- but not quite -- seductively, and she smiles back up at him.

SAVANNAH

Absolutely not.

John eyes her. Registers how close she is to him.

JOHN

I mean, you gotta have a fault in there somewhere.

SAVANNAH

Sure. I have lots of them.

JOHN

Well just name one. Please. Cause I’m getting a little intimidated.

Savannah narrows her eyes at him. Thinks.

SAVANNAH

I curse like a sailor.

JOHN

No you don’t. You haven’t said a single bad word the entire time I’ve known you.

SAVANNAH

Well I think them. There’s a never-ending stream of cuss words going on up here.

JOHN

Oh yeah? What are you thinking right now?

SAVANNAH

I can’t say. But it’s filthy, I swear.

Savannah grins, looks him in the eye. They are very close now.

SAVANNAH

I have faults, John. I have plenty of them. You’ll see.

John steps even closer. Thunder RUMBLES in the distance.

JOHN

Hope so.

Savannah does not take her eyes off of him. Their faces are just inches apart. They are having a moment.

Then... she grabs his hand again.

SAVANNAH

C’mon.

35        
INT/EXT. HALF-BUILT HOUSE
-- DAY

The concrete slab is set and the wooden framework is mostly complete, but there’s not even a roof yet. Nevertheless, Savannah gives John the grand tour under the open night sky.

SAVANNAH

This is gonna be the boys room back here... and then -- oh, come here, I want to show you this.

(heading into another

‘room’)

The Mom is a great cook, so this is gonna be a huge kitchen, and there’s gonna be a separate pantry here and one of those marble islands here--

Right then, RAIN DROPS BEGIN TO FALL on the nonexistent marble island, light at first but getting heavier quickly. Savannah looks up at the open sky.

SAVANNAH

-- oh, and a roof up there.

They duck under a nearby overhang. John builds some makeshift seats with a few crates. Savannah studies him as he works.

SAVANNAH

Where’d you get your scar?

There’s a decent sized scar on one of his eyebrows. He reflexively brushes it with his hand.

JOHN

Knife fight. Five years ago. The guy was going for my eye.

SAVANNAH

Oh my god. That’s terrible.

JOHN

Why? He missed.

John helps her up on one of the crates.

SAVANNAH

Can I touch it?

John nods. She slowly runs her finger over his eyebrow.

SAVANNAH

The way people act around you -- the way they treated you at the restaurant. It’s like they’re scared of you.

JOHN

They’re not scared of me. They’re scared of who I used to be, maybe.

SAVANNAH

And who was that?

JOHN

Somebody different.

The rain begins to come down even harder.

SAVANNAH

When did you change? When you went into the army?

JOHN

Partly.

SAVANNAH

And the other part?

John looks away. Shrugs.

JOHN

Still working on the other part.

SAVANNAH

Well how much longer is it gonna take? Cause we got less than two weeks left here.

John doesn’t answer. Doesn’t want to think about that. Savannah steps closer to him. Looks him in the eye.

SAVANNAH

So you used to be tough. And maybe you still are. But you don’t scare me one bit, John.

JOHN

No? Well you scare me.

Then he kisses her. It starts small, but it builds into something much bigger. It becomes so intense that it’s a struggle to catch their breath.

JOHN

Jesus.

SAVANNAH

The rain around them gets heavier and heavier. So do they. Savannah is conflicted -- half the time she’s in the moment, half the time she’s trying to take herself out of it.

SAVANNAH

John... John. Hold on -- John, it’s just... it’s too perfect. And if we do this... if we do this now, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to recover.

John hesitates, pulls back. Savannah cringes.

SAVANNAH

That makes no sense. I know it makes no sense, but--

JOHN

It’s okay, I understand. You don’t have to explain.

She looks up at him, looks into his eyes, looks at his scar.

SAVANNAH

That’s the thing. I feel like I don’t have to explain anything to you.

She kisses him, pulls him down beside her.

SAVANNAH

And
that
... that scares me.

They lay together, there on the crates, while the rain pelts the wooden frame around them.

35A       
EXT. DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON
-- DAY

Savannah and John go somewhere interesting.

36        
EXT. HALF-BUILT HOUSE
-- DAY

The rain has stopped, the sun is out. Savannah arrives again, bright and early and ready to work.

A few other volunteers are already here. Savannah heads over to say hello -- and her mouth falls open.

There’s John, up in the rafters, fitting a beam into it’s frame. He grins at her, nods a silent hello.

37        
EXT. BEACH
-- IN THE OCEAN -- ANOTHER DAY

John holds his surfboard for an unsteady Savannah, teaching her how to balance on it.

A wave comes and John loses his grip. Savannah falls into the water, disappears below it.

John looks around, can’t find her. Then she suddenly pops up behind him, pushes him down under the surface.

38        
EXT. BEACH
-- SAME

Savannah’s friend Susan, her boyfriend Jerry (Yellow Shirt), and Randy watch warily on as Savannah and John splash in the water, laughing and kissing, completely unaware of the world around them.

39        
INT/EXT. HALF-BUILT HOUSE
-- ANOTHER DAY

The roof is being tar papered, the walls are being stuccoed. John is sealing the front kitchen ocean window into its frame when there’s a RASP on the glass. He looks up to find Savannah standing outside, grinning down at him.

John opens the window for the first time and pulls Savannah right through it into the house.

40        
INT. MR. TYREE’S HOUSE
-- DINING ROOM -- ANOTHER DAY

Three places have been set for once. Savannah, John, and Mr. Tyree eat their meatloaf in an easy silence.

41        
INT. MR. TYREE’S HOUSE
-- KITCHEN -- LATER

As Mr. Tyree carefully measures out the exact right amount of detergent, then begins to load the dishes into the sink --