Dear John (2010)

Scene 3:
At the beach
J: Where you been all day?
Savannah (S): I’ve been busy.
J: You’re on spring break. You’re supposed to be lounging on the beach all day. You’re not supposed to be busy doing things.
S: I want to show you something. [John and Savannah enter a house which is still under construction.] The family that lived here, their home was severely damaged by the hurricane.
J: What, so now you’re rebuilding it?
S: Yup. Well, not just me.
J: You’re starting to make me a little nervous.
S: Why am I starting to make you nervous?
J: Because I’m starting to think you might be too good of a person for me.
S: Oh. No, I’m not that good of a person.
J: You’re sneaking off (4) every day to do manual labor on a house for charity. On your spring break.
S: Yeah, you’re right. It’s selfish, really, me being this generous.
J: But no, seriously. You don’t drink, you don’t smoke.
S: Nope. Nope.
J: You probably don’t sleep around (5).
S: Absolutely not.
J: Mm. Okay, look, you gotta have a fault.
S: I do.
J: Okay, care to enlighten me?
S: I curse.
J: No.
S: I do.
J: No, you don’t.
S: Yes, I do.
J: I haven’t heard you.
S: Well, that’s because it’s in my mind. There’s a never-ending stream of curse words that I’m thinking at all times.
J: Okay, fine, just say one then.
S: No, I can’t tell you because it’s filthy (6).
J: Okay, all right. Fair enough.
S: No, I have faults, John. Trust me, I have plenty of them. You’ll see.
J: I hope so.

Vocabulary
1. rock them, sock them: have a big fight
2. year-round: happening or continuing throughout the year
3. for the record: to speak seriously
4. sneak off: leave furtively and stealthily
5. sleep around: to be sexually active with more than one partner.
6. filthy: disgustingly dirty

(By Huang Daohen)