Cemetery Junction (2010)

Scene 3

(Freddie tries to persuade Julie to skip town with him to travel the world.)

F: Come with me.
J: Freddie.
F: Why can’t you come?
J: You know why.
F: Come on, you don’t wanna marry him.
J: Freddie.
F: You started all this. Made me wanna go, told me not to waste my life. Why waste yours?
J: You should go now.
F: You can see it. Mike’s like your dad. You’re gonna end up like your mom. She’s had the life sucked out of (4) her. They’ll suck the life out of you.
J: Get out. You can’t insult my mother and expect me to run away with you.
F: I think she’s wonderful. That’s my point. She’s like a ghost. Your father doesn’t even say thank you when she gives him tea.
J: What?
F: Haven’t you seen it? She puts a cup of tea down, he doesn’t say thank you. He doesn’t even see her. When did he stop saying thank you? When did he stop noticing her? And Mike’s just the same. He’s just the same. You don’t wanna spend your life with him.
J: You haven’t seen me in 10 years. You don’t know Mike or my family. Who the hell do you think you are?
F: OK, you’re right. I’m sorry, you’re right. But you have to come with me.
J: Why?
F: Because I think I might be in love with you.
J: Oh, for God’s sake. I have to come because you think you might be in love with me? Get out.

Vocabulary

1. scrapheap: a place for discarding useless or worthless material
2. peg: in British slang, it means to die
3. all at it: here it means all do the same
4. suck out: be drawn away

(By Wang Yu)