Paper Towns (2015) - full transcript

The way I figure it,

everyone gets a miracle.

Like, maybe you hit

the Powerball jackpot.

Or a last-second jumper

in the NBA Finals.

Maybe you make it

to outer space...

or marry the Queen of England,

or something.

If you consider

all the unlikely things

that happen in all the world...

you gotta think

at least one of them

will happen to each of us.

Turns out,

my miracle was different.

Of all the houses

in all the subdivisions

in all the state of Florida...

I wound up living

across the street...

from Margo Roth Spiegelman.

From the moment I saw her...

I was hopelessly,

madly in love.

Due to our close proximity

in both age and location...

and for no other reason

I could ever discern...

we soon became friends.

Look.

Quentin.

He's dead.

We should get out

of here, Margo.

I thought you closed

your eyes when you died.

The truth is...

at the time,

it didn't feel like

that big a deal to me.

It's not like I knew the guy.

If I had a panic attack

every time someone

I didn't know died...

I'd go insane.

It was a much

bigger deal to Margo.

I figured it out.

His name is Robert Joyner.

He was 36.

Apparently he was

getting divorced

and he was sad about it.

How do you know all this?

I'm doing an investigation.

Are you in?

Sure.

Great. Come on.

Wait, what?

His wife works at SeaWorld.

I bet there's a clue.

Margo...

we can't go to SeaWorld.

It's almost 11:00.

I can get us in.

Come on!

I don't wanna get in trouble.

It's a shame,

don't you think?

All those strings

inside him broke.

Margo always

loved mysteries.

And in everything

that came after,

I could never stop thinking...

maybe she

loved them so much...

she became one.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

A lot changed

in the years that followed.

Margo and I sort of...

drifted apart.

But I never stopped

thinking about her...

I'll get it! I'll get it.

...and hoping

I'd get a second chance.

Trick or treat!

Yeah.

Happy Halloween, guys.

It wasn't just me.

Pretty much

everyone recognized...

Margo was different.

Margo was...

special.

Her life had become a series

of unbelievably epic adventures.

Each one

too insane to be true.

Like the time

she spent three weeks

traveling with the circus.

Or the time she toured

with the Mallionaires

up and down the East Coast.

Look, if you ask

the bassist...

he's either gonna say

I'm his girlfriend

or he wants me to be...

Either way

I'm going back there...

so you might as well

make it easier for yourself

and just let me in.

And wherever she went...

she always left clues behind

for her little sister, Ruthie.

Or anyone else

she deemed worthy.

I was never

one of those people.

As senior year

drew to a close,

Margo and I

barely talked at all.

It's your senior prom.

I don't understand

the objection.

I have so many

objections, Mom.

Like slow dancing.

And fast dancing.

Any kind of dancing.

And wearing a rented tux.

You could take Suzie Chung.

No, we're not

a thing anymore.

But she was such a nice girl.

What happened with you two?

I don't know, it just...

Just didn't work out.

Hi, Ben. Hi, Radar.

Hi, Mrs. Jacobsen.

Hey, Mrs. Jacobsen.

I would hit that so hard.

I don't see it.

What? Q!

I'm not saying

I just wanna bang your mom.

She should be respected.

Stop.

Admired. You know,

she's a real lady.

Yeah, she's my mom.

I wanna ride bikes with her.

What?

I'd feed her grapes,

take her to Paris.

Treat her like the princess she is.

What, is that wrong?

It's weird.

It's always weird.

I wanna give her a bath.

That's gonna be so...

Oh! Hold on.

Uh-oh.

Hey, honey bunny.

How's prom looking for you?

Not a chance, Bloody Ben.

No.

No!

Freshmen know that story?

When Ben was 12...

he got a kidney infection

and started literally pissing blood.

Oh, God.

By the time he came

back from the hospital...

a rumor had spread through

the entire school...

that his condition

was the result

of chronic masturbation.

I'm never gonna

get a prom date, am I?

Don't worry about it.

Prom is a waste of time

and a waste of money.

Radar's going to prom.

Radar has a girlfriend,

so he has to go to prom.

Lame.

Radar, has she

been to your house yet?

Oh, yeah. Has your girlfriend

come to your house yet?

Stop.

Isn't there a certain reason

why she doesn't

come to your house?

Radar, what up with that?

You know very well

"what up with that."

We just like

to hear you say it.

Could you tell us again?

Because of what?

I cannot hear you.

Can you project?

My parents own

The world's largest collection

of black Santas!

Oh, yeah.

You heard that correctly.

Radar's parents

were trying to get into

The Guinness Book

of World Records...

for the largest collection

of black Santas in one house.

There were over a thousand.

And they were everywhere.

And not just at Christmas.

Even so, Radar was

the first one of us

to get a serious girlfriend.

You need a prom date.

Why don't you ask that girl

you slept with at summer camp?

Oh. She's made up.

No, she's not.

But you can ask the girl

from Saskatchewan.

Oh, yeah, you could ask...

Oh, no, she's also made up.

No, they are both real.

Not made up.

Define "real."

I don't know.

Gotta go.

Hi.

Hey.

Hey. Let's go.

We have 10 minutes.

No, we're fine. Let's go.

Hi, Angela.

Bye, Angela.

It was nice

talking to you, Angela.

Oh, God. She's great.

Glad we can

have these chats.

So most of my days

were exactly like this.

I threw myself

into my classes...

SATs, extracurriculars.

By the end of high school...

I barely

thought of her at all.

I just had to graduate,

go off to college,

find someone new.

And forget the miracle

ever happened.

And it almost

worked out that way.

Until this one night.

Margo?

Shh.

Margo, hey.

I need to borrow your car.

What?

Your car.

I don't have a car.

I mean your mom's car.

Why can't you use your car?

My parents locked

the keys in the safe

beneath their bed.

And while I'm sure

I could go in there

and crack the combo...

it just so happens that

Myrna Mountweazel's in there...

and that goddamn dog

despises me.

Anyway, so like I said,

I need to borrow your car.

Mmm-mmm.

Also, I need you

to drive the car...

because I have nine things

I need to do tonight...

and more than half of them

require a getaway driver.

What, are you

committing felonies?

Ooh. Remind me, is breaking

and entering a felony?

Yes. What?

- Well.

- Margo!

Okay.

I gotta go,

so are you in or out?

Why can't you just get

one of your underlings

to help you out?

Like Jase,

or Lacey, or Becca?

They're part

of the problem, actually.

What problem?

There are nine problems.

And your boyfriend's

one of them?

Ex-boyfriend.

Hmm.

Do you care to tell me

where we're going?

Uh, first,

we are going to BJ's.

We're going shopping?

No, we're not going shopping.

We are righting wrongs.

Then after that...

we're gonna wrong some rights.

Basically, this is gonna be

the best night of your life.

Okay.

I really don't wanna

get into trouble.

You're a very anxious person,

aren't you, Q?

I'm not an anxious person.

I just...

I have plans and goals.

None of which

involve jail or dying.

Pull in here.

So, what plans?

Huh?

You said you had plans.

Uh... I just meant I'm going

to Duke in the fall...

then go to med school

and become an oncologist...

and obviously...

get married

and have kids by 30.

And then you'll be happy?

Huh?

When you're 30 in 12 years.

Married, kids, career.

Then you'll be happy.

Is that actually

what you're saying?

Um...

Yeah. I guess. Yeah.

Isn't there something

that could make you happy now?

Like, that's the saddest

thing I've ever heard.

Bingo!

Nair? Wait,

why do you need Nair?

All will be revealed shortly,

my young friend.

Six months older than you.

Remember that?

Oh, really? Are you?

Margo, don't.

Stop, stop! Don't.

It's really loud.

Don't. Stop.

What? Were you

trying to say something?

You can't do that.

Shh.

Stop, stop!

What else do we need?

Interesting capitalization.

I'm a big believer

in random capitalization.

The rules are so unfair

to the letters in the middle.

It's not as weird

as it looks.

Still weird.

So what happened?

With Jase and Lacey and Becca?

Apparently, my boyfriend

of lo, these many months...

has been cheating on me.

What?

With one of my best friends.

Seriously?

Why would he do that?

Oh, next left.

Wait, this is...

This is Becca's house.

Yeah.

And there is Jase's car.

Margo, this is a bad idea.

No, Quentin.

This is a tremendous idea.

Margo. Margo.

Idiot never locks his car.

Are you sure

we should be doing this?

The Margo Roth Spiegelman

revenge plot begins.

Do you wanna do the honors?

No.

Suit yourself.

I can't believe

you just did that.

We bring the rain down

on our enemies.

"We"?

You'll see.

Hello, is this Mr. Arrington?

Do you know what time it is?

I'm so sorry,

but I just thought

you'd like to know

that your daughter is having sex

in your basement right now.

Goodbye.

What was that voice?

Let me use your phone.

Quickly.

Here.

Get in position.

What do you mean?

What do I do?

Four...

Three...

Two...

Take the picture, now!

Go!

Watch this.

What?

Well, that was fun.

He totally saw me.

What? So?

So, he could kick my ass.

He won't.

What makes you so sure?

Let me see.

What?

The Rhode Island of penises.

It may have

an illustrious history...

but it sure isn't big.

Okay. Now we go inside.

No. What? No, no.

This fish is for Becca

and it goes in her house.

No, no. Come on, Margo.

We're gonna get caught.

We can't go inside.

I'll be lookout.

You can do

whatever you want, Q.

Damn it.

What the hell was that?

Dad, I'm sorry, okay?

"I'm sorry"?

That's completely unacceptable.

I really like him, Dad!

He does not love you!

Yes, he does!

Who's down there?

Go, go, go.

I have a gun!

- Shit!

- Are you kidding?

Yeah, run!

Couldn't you have just thrown it

through a window or something?

We bring the rain,

not the scattered showers.

That was fun.

That was pretty fun.

Yeah.

You Okay?

Yeah.

I don't know.

I just thought

maybe it wasn't true.

Ah.

Anyway, moving on.

Lacey's?

Has Lacey

been naughty or nice?

Lacey has been

distinctly naughty.

We've been best friends

since the 5th grade.

And then?

And then,

she didn't tell me about Jase.

Ready?

Ta-da!

Nice.

Oh, my God, it's so late.

If you're tired,

we can go home.

I thought so.

Who lives here?

Chuck Parson.

Chuck Parson?

You didn't think a scumbag

like Chuck Parson

could emerge

unscathed, did you?

He's Jase's best friend.

He's an accomplice.

Uh...

Don't worry.

He's a heavy sleeper.

Don't, don't, don't.

The 6th-grade dance?

Hmm?

Chuck told all the girls not to dance

with you and we all went along with it.

All of us.

I'm really sorry, Quentin.

No, it's okay.

That was a...

That was a long time ago.

Here.

No, thanks.

There's gonna come a time

in your life...

where you're gonna look back

on this moment...

and you're gonna think...

"What do I regret more?

"Removing Chuck's eyebrow...

"or not removing

Chuck's eyebrow?"

All right, give it to me.

What the...?

Look at us. We're ninjas!

Maybe you're a ninja.

I'm not a ninja.

You're a ninja too.

Just a really awkward one.

I can feel my heart

beating in my chest.

That's how you know

you're having fun.

Okay. So what's this about?

Come on.

Well, at the end

of a grand adventure...

one must pause and reflect

on one's achievements.

And the best place

in Orlando to do that...

is the SunTrust building.

Stop.

What?

Stop it.

What?

You promised me

no breaking and entering.

We're not breaking and entering.

We're just entering.

Very clever.

I can't get arrested

tonight. Or ever.

You won't!

It's the SunTrust building.

There's gotta be

a guard or something.

Well, of course there is.

His name's Gus.

- You know the name of the...

- Yep.

Of course you do. Yeah,

you know the name of the guard.

- Hey, Margo.

- Hey, Gus.

Do you mind

if we go upstairs for a bit?

- Mi casa es su casa.

- Cool.

Who's the kid?

It's Q.

Me?

I'm six months older than her.

Welcome to my office.

Nice music.

Soothing sounds

of corporate America.

Whoa!

Come here.

Okay, so, over there

is Jefferson Park.

Mmm-hmm.

All the lights are off,

so that's good.

And over here is Chuck's house.

No lights, no cops.

Seems quiet.

I think we're in the clear.

It's beautiful.

You think so?

Uh...

From a distance, I mean.

Yeah.

Everything's uglier up close.

Not you.

It's a paper town.

Hmm?

Look at it.

All those paper houses

and paper streets and...

And the people, too.

I've lived here 11 years...

and I've never

come across anyone

that cares about

anything that matters.

Okay, I'll try not

to take that personally.

Here's a tip, Quentin.

You're cute

when you're confident.

Less when you're not.

Hey.

May I have this dance?

You owe me one.

Maybe things

would have been different...

if I'd hung out with you

this whole time.

It's not too late.

Whoa!

Hey, Margo.

What happens now?

Will things be different...

tomorrow?

I really hope so.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Me, too.

Okay, you see this?

This is your comfort zone.

It's this big, Quentin.

All the things

that you want in the world...

are way out there.

The way you felt tonight...

that is the way

you should feel

your whole life.

All right.

See you.

Hey.

Hey!

Morning, sleepyhead.

Been trying to wake you

for 20 minutes.

Some dream

you must have been having.

Getting you a date

to prom is so hard

that the hypothetical

idea itself...

is used to cut diamonds.

That's a good one.

Q.

What are you doing?

What?

Nothing.

That was so weird.

I know it was you!

Relax, relax.

Yo, don't tell me to relax!

I know it was you at Becca's!

I'm gonna kick your ass!

Are you sure

you wanna do that?

I mean...

Even if I enlarge it...

Put that away.

Wow.

I'm sorry. This is the part

where I get confused.

You did not hook up

with Margo Roth Spiegelman?

No, we did not hook up.

What?

I'm so confused.

What is wrong with you?

Me? What's wrong with you, bro?

Margo Roth Spiegelman,

2:00 a. m., she's single...

she's dancing, it's dark.

And you don't make the move.

I don't understand that.

It's not even

like that. It's like...

I don't know.

We were connecting.

We were on a mission.

It was different.

So now what?

I don't know.

I'll let you know

when I see her.

You need aglets.

You need aglets to exist.

I get that you need them.

But to exist?

But Margo never

made it to school that day.

Or the next day.

Or the day after that.

Guy heard her singing

karaoke in the mall.

Next thing you know,

she's signed to his label.

She's in New York right now,

recording an album.

I know for a fact

she's in Iceland,

saving the whales.

No, it wasn't Iceland.

It was Greenland.

Where did you hear that?

Like everyone else,

I started to wonder...

"Where the hell was she?"

What was she doing?

Who was she with?

Why wasn't it me?

I know this is

a difficult situation for you.

Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Spiegelman.

Hello, Quentin.

This is Detective Warren.

Sounds like Margo's

run away again.

For the fifth time.

Deb.

What?

Hank, I am tired of this.

She's 18.

Let her do what she wants.

What do you know about it?

Hmm? Me?

Yeah.

When was the last time

you saw Margo?

Uh...

It was Wednesday, I think.

Yeah, Wednesday night.

She came to my window

and we talked

for a second

and then she left.

You guys don't think...

something happened to her,

or anything, right?

We know

exactly what's happened.

She's bored.

She wants attention.

She'll come back

when she runs out of money...

or when people

stop talking about her.

So you don't wanna

file a missing persons report?

She's not missing. She's gone.

There's a difference.

Yeah.

Not your top candidates

for parents of the year.

But they weren't wrong

about one thing.

If she was gone...

she wouldn't be found

until she wanted to be.

Yeah, whatever, bro.

She left town.

There's plenty other honey

bunnies in the sea.

What, like Fattina?

Uh... Ha-ha!

Not "Fattina."

It's "Bettina."

Doesn't even sound like a real name.

Yeah.

What was her last name?

I don't know.

Just say her last name.

Three, two, one.

It was a one hit, and a quit.

It was a "hit it and quit it"?

Yeah. I hit that honey bunny.

I've told you guys this

so many times.

I don't wanna

go over this again.

Tell us.

I wanna hear it again.

Cousin's house.

Right, Bettina was

your cousin. I forgot.

No! Bettina was

not my cousin!

You slept with your cousin.

Not my cousin.

It's so hard when

you wanna sleep

with someone

that's not in your family.

No!

"Man, I slept with someone in my family."

No, no, no.

I just feel if we're gonna

validate the story,

could we get a couple details?

All right,

I'll give it to you straight.

So, I'm in Saskatchewan.

My cousin Danny's like,

"Yo, Ben,

I'm throwing a party."

I'm like, "Yo, what's up?

Let's do it."

So, he throws a party.

Bettina comes over, looks at me.

She's like,

"What?" We go upstairs...

So, she's making strange noises?

No, she's making a call.

Like a bird

makes to another bird.

So you walked in,

and Bettina went...

Mating time, bro.

Mating time.

Just say something true.

What do you mean,

"Say something true"?

Just say anything true.

I'm saying all this is true.

I so don't believe you.

It's true!

What, you don't believe me?

No, no.

That's fine. Go poop.

Shut up! Shut up.

We're not even talking about me.

We're talking about

you and Angela.

Little honey bunny.

Don't call her "honey bunny."

You gonna tap that ass, son?

Don't call me "son."

When you gonna get up in it?

Don't say "tap that ass."

Do a little dance for her.

Stop.

Show her what you're

working with. Come on.

If you must know, we're...

We're waiting till prom.

Why?

Because we want it

to be special.

Radar, that's

so beautiful. I think...

I think I wanna be with you.

Stop.

Hey, guys.

Stop.

Hey, guys.

What?

There's something

in Margo's window.

Has that thing

always been there?

I don't know.

The shade's never drawn.

"Woody Guthrie,

folk singer.

"Born 1912. Died 1967."

It's looking right at you, Q.

I know.

Hey, Ruthie.

Hey, Quentin.

Your parents

aren't home, are they?

No, they went to the mall.

Would it be cool if we went up

to Margo's room for a sec?

Why?

Just wanted to check

on something.

Margo doesn't like

people in her room.

Okay, but we're her friends.

No, you're not.

And, if you were...

you'd know she doesn't like

people in her room.

She has every album ever made,

except Woody Guthrie.

Up.

Sorry.

Mind if I...

Don't even think about it.

What are you guys

even looking for anyway?

We don't really know.

Clues.

We're detectives.

Hey, look.

Holy shit-stickers.

What do we got?

"Walt Whitman's Niece," circled.

What do you think it means?

Oh! Wait.

What?

I think she's

sending you a message.

What message?

"Come find me."

It's a call to arms.

It's a way of her saying...

"Take a risk, asshole.

Stop playing it so safe."

Maybe that's what she's

been trying to tell me the whole time...

like with the

paper towns thing.

She's like...

"I'm making a move, Q.

"I'm going after it.

Come with me."

So, if you crack the code

and find out where she is...

Can I talk to you?

Hi, Lacey.

You were with her

that night, right?

The night with the Saran Wrap?

Yeah.

Was she mad at me?

Nah, she was...

disappointed.

In what? What did I do?

That you knew about

Becca and Jase.

No, see, that...

That's the thing.

I had no idea. If I knew,

I would've said something.

Okay, Margo

seemed to think that...

She's wrong.

Yeah, I believe you.

It's just,

Chuck knew this whole time,

which is awesome.

So, now we're broken up...

and I don't have

a date to prom

the week before prom...

and my best friend is off

doing God knows what...

thinking that I betrayed her,

which is something

I would never do.

I'm sorry

to tell all of that to you.

No, it's okay.

I'm sorry, what did

you say about prom?

Something about a date?

If you hear from her,

will you tell me?

Why would I hear from her?

You were with her that night.

Her last night.

It has to mean something.

See you, guys.

That was the greatest

30 seconds of my life.

Walt Whitman's from New York.

Woody Guthrie

lived in New York for a while.

Maybe that's something.

You think she's in New York?

It's possible.

Did she ever

mention New York or...

No, she didn't

mention New York to me...

but I didn't talk to her

for nine years, so that's...

Yeah, that's true.

I'm taking Lacey to prom.

What?

You're what?

You guys didn't see it?

We had a moment back there.

Must've missed that.

"Unscrew the locks

from the doors."

It's a metaphor.

But what if it isn't?

What if it's instructions?

Hmm.

I thought there'd be a...

Just put it back.

Gravity to the second power.

Yep.

Radar, what are you

up to tonight?

I promised Angela

I'd take her shoe shopping.

Shoe shopping?

Yeah, she decided today

that she doesn't like

the prom shoes she bought...

so I'm taking her to the mall

while their Midnight Madness

sale is still going on.

It's a pretty good sale

they got going on.

Radar, Radar, Radar.

I found something.

What?

An address.

It wasn't in Margo's doorjamb,

it was in mine.

8328...

Bartlesville Avenue.

That's not a nice neighborhood.

Okay. Still, we have to go.

But not tonight, obviously.

Wait, what?

Why not tonight?

Because you're

a rational human being.

And because

you weigh 130 pounds

and don't wanna die.

You can't go

to a strange building

in the Detroit-iest part

of Orlando...

in the middle of the night.

All right, fine.

We'll go tomorrow morning?

But we have school tomorrow.

Not if we don't show up.

Angela's gonna kill me.

No, she won't kill you.

Every day

I walk her to calculus.

She'll survive.

What about Lacey?

What if she's looking for me?

Has Lacey ever been

looking for you?

We might miss

something important.

You're missing gym class.

Guys, seriously,

if you don't wanna go...

It's not that. It's just,

I've never missed school before.

Neither have I.

Yeah, and it feels

kind of wrong.

I give you that. It does feel

kind of wrong. But it also...

...feels kind of right.

Am I right?

Using that voice

doesn't change anything.

Aw, but doesn't it?

It changes a little.

I think it changes

something a little bit.

Doesn't change it a little bit?

We got no time to waste!

Yeah, see?

We gotta go right now!

Let's go find Margo!

Start the car, let's go.

Was that Italian?

- A full right?

- Yeah.

You're terrible at directions.

Whatever. This is it.

This is it?

Why would she come here?

It's locked.

Now what?

Get a rock?

Margo?

Anyone?

Guys?

I think the last time

I was this scared,

I had to sleep

with the light on.

Last time I was this scared,

I had to sleep

with a stuffed animal.

Last time I was this scared,

I had to sleep

in my mom's bed.

Q, if I were you,

I would get that scared

every single night.

So, we're in

a souvenir store?

No Margo.

For some reason,

she wanted you to come here.

This stuff is old.

Guys?

Did you find something?

Paper towns.

Bro, can we go?

What if it's Margo?

What if it's literally

anything else?

Goodbye.

In a thousand pages,

they talk about whale anatomy...

and in the last 50 pages

the dude kills the whale.

So, it's not about

a dude killing a whale.

Maybe it's about a guy

who actually believes...

that if he chases this whale

down and kills this whale...

it's gonna give his life

some meaning. That's Ahab.

It's a common

misconception that...

...a lot of people...

Don't forget, final papers

are due next week.

Also, pick up

your pop quizzes

from yesterday

on your way out.

You're not gonna be too happy.

No circling

two answers next time.

Like I'm just gonna

let you get the one

that you didn't mean.

Not cool.

There was a quiz yesterday?

Pop quiz. You missed it.

Is there any way that I can

get a makeup test?

It's one quiz, Quentin. Relax.

You can still be a doctor.

All right, get out.

Yes.

Okay.

Hey.

Oh, hey.

Anything?

Did she ever say

anything to you about

an abandoned building

on the west side?

Like, an old souvenir shop?

No. You think

she'd be there?

I don't know,

but I think she was once

and it's connected somehow.

See you tonight?

Oh. I don't know. Probably.

Let me know

if you need a ride.

Okay.

Party at Jase's.

I thought you weren't

talking to Jase.

I'm not.

But you can still

go to a party at his house?

Everyone's going.

Not everyone.

We should totally go!

Wait, what? Jase

Worthington's house? Yes!

Are you crazy?

It's just a party.

We've never been

to one of those.

We've been to plenty of parties.

No.

If there's a tuba there,

it's not a party.

All right.

I don't believe this, Radar.

What about Angela?

Angela is a mature,

intelligent,

understanding woman...

who never has to know

about this.

I don't wanna go to a party

at Jase Worthington's house.

You guys can go.

Q, are you seriously

gonna spend

the rest of high school pining

for a girl that ran away?

I'm not pining for her, okay?

I'm trying to find her.

Stop being an asshole.

I'm not being an asshole.

I'm trying to be

a regular kid for a change.

Have fun.

What?

Hello, Quentin.

Margo, where have you been?

Everywhere.

Nowhere.

You have to get lost

before you find yourself.

People were worried about you.

No, they weren't.

I was.

You're sweet, Quentin.

You've always been sweet.

I'm glad you're back, Margo.

But I'm not.

Are you gonna answer that?

- Hello?

- Q?

Q, yes! Yes!

Quentin Jacobsen is inside

of my phone, everybody!

Ben, give me the phone.

Stop it!

- Stop. Go lie down.

- Stop it! Gonna go party.

Go, sit down.

Hey, how soon

can you get here?

It's chaos. We need you.

Ben needs you.

No. I told you I'm not going

to Worthington's.

Plus, Ben's, like...

Ben's a dick.

You know what your

problem is, Quentin?

You keep expecting people

to not be themselves.

You are not Ben.

Ben is not you.

We're all different people.

That's why we're best friends.

All right?

Get in your van

and get over here.

Besides, Margo's been in this

house a million times.

You might even find something.

I think we might

be here for a while.

I'm gonna be back.

You're so much

better than her.

- Yeah, Jase?

- Yeah.

Becca.

Who's there?

Whoa!

Hi. Lacey.

What the hell

are you doing in here?

I'm just peeing.

Well, stop.

I can't just stop like that.

Okay, fine.

Finish and then get out.

Okay.

Sorry about that.

You okay, Lacey?

I've been better.

You wanna get

in the tub with me?

Not like that.

Not like that!

Um...

Yeah, sure.

Look at me.

Huh?

What's the first word

that pops into your head?

I don't know. I can't...

Come on.

Beautiful.

See, no. No.

Okay.

What?

That's the problem.

No one ever looks at me

and thinks that I'm smart...

or clever...

or interesting, you know?

I have a brain.

I'm going to Dartmouth.

So, uh...

Is that what you're

upset about?

Becca and I got in a fight.

She called me a bitch

and a whore.

And then she stood

on a couch

and shushed the entire party

and told them

I have chlamydia.

Oh, man.

Yeah. Which, I don't.

Yeah.

Anymore.

But, I'm not a slut.

I don't think you're a slut.

Thanks.

Don't even...

Becca's just jealous.

Why would Becca be jealous?

She's dating Jase.

She's gonna be prom queen.

She's basically the new Margo.

No one will ever be

the new Margo.

You're right.

No one could ever be

the new Margo.

Really?

I hate that guy.

Me, too.

He's the worst.

The worst.

Here, let me help you up.

Thanks.

Hey, if anyone gives you

any trouble...

Thanks.

I can't fight, but...

Thank you.

Hey. I'm gonna

catch up with you.

Okay.

Okay.

Valar morghulis!

Dude,

put your shirt on. Get down.

Valar morghulis!

How much did he drink?

I think it's stuck to my hand.

Hey, Ben?

Yes, Quentin, approach.

I pronounce thee a knight

of the Hefeweizen

Order, all right?

Thanks, Ben.

Hey, we gotta go.

No, I wanna party.

I think I know where Margo is.

Wait, for real?

Yeah.

Lacey!

Lacey!

I have to tell you

something, okay?

It's not the beer talking,

okay? It's the me talking.

I just needed beer...

to get the words

from my brain to my mouth.

I wanted to say this

for a really long time.

Ben! Hey!

Ben? You all right?

Let's get out of here.

I feel so much better.

Let's go, buddy.

- God save the Queen!

- Stop.

Radar, I love you.

Don't kiss me.

Where are we going?

You'll see.

I love you.

It's not that shady-ass

shopping center, is it?

What?

Q!

Oh, God.

Isn't this far enough?

No. Come on, guys.

Let's sing a song.

What?

You don't get as scared

if you sing.

Okay. What should we sing?

I don't know, anything.

Maybe just sing the first song

that pops into your head.

I wanna be the very best

Like no one ever was

To catch them

is my real test

To train them

is my cause

That's the first song

that popped in your head?

It's working.

I will travel across the land

Searching far and wide

Each Pokémon to understand

The power that's inside

Pokémon! Gotta catch 'em

It's you and me

I know it's my destiny

Pokémon!

Oh, you're my best friend

In a world we must defend

Pokémon! Gotta catch 'em

A heart so true

Your courage

will pull us through

You teach me

and I'll teach you

Pokémon!

Gotta catch 'em all

Gotta catch 'em all

Gotta catch 'em all

Gotta catch 'em all

Hey!

Oh...

Jesus Christ.

Lacey?

You scared

the shit out of us.

What are you guys

doing here?

What are you doing here?

I followed you.

I don't know.

I thought maybe you found her.

No, she's not here...

but I think I know

where she might be.

Guys, come on. This way.

I wasn't scared before,

back there.

Okay.

Just love me some Pikachu.

I'm more of a Charizard girl.

What is it?

Margo hung something here...

and I think it was a map.

Okay.

This is Margo's map.

And this is where

she used to hang it.

So where is she now?

Let's see.

She is...

somewhere...

in upstate New York.

Can you be any less specific?

This... general area.

Is there a town?

Let me see.

Yeah, there's...

There's nothing there, bro.

There has to be

something there.

Roscoe, Rockland, Beaverkill,

Agloe, Chatham, Wallaceberg.

These are all the towns

in that general vicinity.

Are any of them paper towns?

What's a paper town?

It's a fake city

that map makers

would put on their maps...

so if they get copied

illegally, they'd know...

...that they're being copied.

Whoa.

What?

Agloe, New York.

"Agloe, New York,

population zero...

"is one of the most famous

paper towns in America."

Look at this.

"The present day population

"of Agloe, New York, is 1."

She's in Agloe.

What?

Agloe.

Q, you gotta go.

What?

That's where Margo is.

You need to go right now.

Were you listening, Ben?

It's New York.

I can't go to New York.

Why? You have a car.

What is stopping you?

Like, 1,200 miles.

Well, there you go.

That's 1,200 miles between you

and your love of your life.

Because you love her, right?

Yeah, I do.

There you go.

Your true love waits.

You're right.

I'm gonna do it.

Do it!

Wait, I wanna go.

Wait, what?

She's my best friend.

I'm going with you.

Okay.

If she's going...

I'm definitely going.

Okay, yeah. All right.

Radar?

I don't know, guys.

Come on, buddy!

If we're all going,

let's just make this a trip.

What about your parents?

What about school?

Parents, bro.

What about prom?

Who cares about prom?

We're not missing prom!

Okay, fine,

we'll get back by prom.

You're really doing this?

And we're doing it now.

Doing it right this damn second!

We got no time

to waste, Radar.

Okay.

- Yes!

- Yay, Let's go!

We gotta make a stop, first.

You know how I told you

I was staying in

to watch the Cosmos marathon?

I lied. I was at a party.

Not only that...

but I drank a beer.

I didn't drink it,

but I held it.

Girls were talking to me.

And now the guys and I...

Correction. The guys and I

and Lacey Pemberton...

we're driving to New York.

Wait, you're what?

It's a really long story.

Are you breaking up with me?

Am I...? What?

No, no, no.

I wanted to be

honest with you

and I don't want you

to be mad at me.

Marcus,

why do I get

the feeling that

you're afraid of me?

I'm not.

That is... That's... What?

You pretended to like

that Ed Sheeran song

when I know you didn't.

It was mixed well.

You've never once invited me

to hang out with your friends.

That's more about

them than you.

You've never even had me

over to your house.

Uh...

Why is that?

Hmm?

It's a story

for another time.

I promise, Angela,

one day I will answer that,

but not today.

I'm not afraid of you.

I'm afraid of losing you.

Aw.

Marcus.

Angela's gonna come with us.

- Okay.

- Hey!

Hi.

Hello.

Don't say anything stupid.

When would we ever?

This is definitely

the craziest thing

I will ever do in my life.

Not if I can help it.

According to my calculations,

our average cruising speed

should be 72.

You're going 64.

I don't

wanna get pulled over.

We're not gonna make it.

We're gonna make it.

We have plenty of time.

We're gonna make it.

Excuse me,

I hope you don't think that

we're gonna be back

with 20 minutes to spare.

I have a hair appointment.

Angela has to get

her nails done.

Do you know how long it takes

to put on a prom dress?

The answer is all day.

Plus, my parents

wanna take pictures.

We have a limo coming.

We have to be back

with 12 hours to spare

or prom is ruined.

Prom is very important.

Thank you.

I have to pee.

- Ben.

- Lacey!

Oh, shit!

I really have to pee.

Pull over.

No, we can only

stop four times...

if we're gonna get there,

find Margo,

and be back

in time for prom.

How long have we been driving?

35 minutes.

I'll hold it. Yep.

I'm gonna hold it.

- Good.

- I'll hold it. Yep.

Nope, we gotta stop.

No, we're not stopping.

Bro! You don't...

Just think about

something else.

Yeah.

Like what?

Like rainstorms.

Or waterfalls.

An exploding bladder.

That is not helping, Radar.

Not helping.

70% of my body is urine.

I'm going as fast as I can.

Not exactly true.

I'm going

as fast as I'm willing.

Oh, my God,

I think I'm gonna cry.

I'm gonna cry pee.

Oh, my God.

No.

Here, pee in this.

No, do not get

pee in my car.

- No, Ben...

- Gross.

Hey! Do you want me to die?

Do you want me to die?

Why?

Why are you doing this?

It's so gross.

Radar, it's so good.

Don't say my name.

Radar, it feels so good.

Oh, my God.

Uh...

I'm gonna need another can.

- No!

- Grab it!

Guys, another can...

Take it!

I'm switching,

I'm switching.

Careful!

So gross!

It's nasty.

Yes!

What's happening back there?

I'm Ben Starling.

Oh, my God.

JPHS marching band.

Oh, my God.

Keg stand record holder.

And now, I am

pee-in-the-car champion!

Ben.

I'm the greatest!

I shook up the world!

No!

Perhaps we should make

one of those stops now.

All right. This is how

this is gonna work.

If we're gonna

keep on schedule,

we have six minutes.

I'm the gas man.

I start the fill-up...

you guys run inside

while the pump is pumping.

I take the credit card

to the guy behind the counter...

and hold our spot in line.

I pee.

Jesus, dude.

What? I had a lot to drink.

I've got liquids.

Q?

Tortilla chips,

beef jerky, pretzels,

peanuts, Milk Duds,

Twizzlers. Got it.

And definitely,

definitely

get cleaning supplies.

It reeks in here.

Whoo!

You like dragons?

No.

One minute!

Someone better get me a shirt.

Me, too.

As soon as the tank is full,

I'm honking the horn...

and all of you guys have

10 seconds to hop back in...

or I'm leaving your asses.

Except you, baby.

Aw.

You guys need a bag?

Uh...

No, thank you.

Go, go, go!

Six minutes flat!

Get in, get in, get in!

Yeah. Nice.

I'm gonna need one of those.

Thank you.

Really?

Dude, I just grabbed them

out of a bin. I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry.

You kidding me?

Last time you're going

shopping for me, Q.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Yeah,

it's better that way.

Mom, I'm sorry.

It was super last-minute.

We're not going

to New York City.

We're going to New York State.

It's way safer.

Just two days. I love you,

Mom. Thank you. Bye.

I still can't believe

she hasn't called.

They probably don't

have phones in Agloe.

She has a cell.

How do we know that she's

even still in Agloe?

I just do.

I bet she's in the middle

of the Atlantic somewhere.

On some billionaire's yacht.

Maybe she's been

back in Orlando

watching us look for her.

Nope. She's in Agloe.

I promise.

I admire your faith.

It's very romantic.

Thank you. I'm on a mission.

I'm Captain Ahab.

You do realize Captain Ahab's

not the hero of that story?

Only because he didn't succeed.

I don't think that...

Q! Hey!

Is everyone all right?

I'm okay. Are you okay?

Oh, my God.

You guys okay?

Hey, Ben, you okay?

Hey.

Hey.

Your face is bleeding.

What?

Ooh.

It's not that bad,

It's just...

Thanks.

Thank you. Okay, bye.

All right. It's gonna be

a couple of hours.

All right.

It looks good, considering.

Considering we didn't die.

Yeah.

Yeah.

What happened?

There was a cow

in the middle of the highway.

Cow? It was a land whale.

And Ben, at the last second,

grabbed the steering wheel...

spun us to safety,

saves our lives.

You were a vehicular ballerina.

I didn't know

what I was doing.

It was the best damn

passenger seat driving

I've ever seen in my entire life.

Thank you.

Yeah, it's what

I'm here for, so...

All right,

now what do we do?

We wait.

I think we could probably

all use some rest.

Seriously.

How we doing on time?

I'll miss my hair appointment...

but a few hours

won't hurt us.

Guys,

before this week...

I think the craziest thing

that we did

was sneak into Snow Dogs

without paying.

Snow Dogs.

I love that movie.

Remember the time that we

stole your dad's cigars...

then we all smoked them

behind the house?

You couldn't stop coughing.

Yeah. It was gross!

That was disgusting.

I don't think you're supposed to inhale it.

Good times.

Remember that time

when we were all

definitely gonna die

but then Ben

grabbed the steering wheel

and we didn't die?

Pretty awesome.

Thank you. Thank you.

Yeah, I can't believe

it's almost over.

The road trip?

High school.

We hate high school.

He's right, though.

I've been thinking

about it a lot lately.

The lastness of it all.

The last time we'll ever

be together in the band room.

Last time we'll

ever eat pizza

and nasty tater tots

in the cafeteria.

Last homeroom,

last science lab.

These are all terrible,

terrible things.

That we're never gonna

get to do again.

And, like, this stuff.

Hmm?

Well, I'm going to UCF.

You're going

to North Carolina,

you're going to Boston.

We've known each other

since we were fetuses.

And it's not gonna

be like that anymore.

And that's gonna suck for me.

Me, too.

Stop. You guys

are bumming me out.

We can't sleep.

You wanna take a walk?

Sure.

- Hey.

- Hey.

You cold?

Yeah.

Actually...

I'm feeling like

I'm gonna probably

get some sleep, too.

Yeah.

All right, see you.

Bye.

What was it you

wanted to tell me...

back at Jase's house,

before you puked yourself?

Nah.

It was something stupid, probably.

I don't know.

I didn't really know you then.

You're not kind of

what I had thought.

What'd you think?

You know...

What?

That you were hot...

and your face...

and torso.

I'm sorry.

Listen, you are all those

things, obviously.

But, um...

You're also pretty cool.

Drive all this way

for your friend,

I don't know.

If you ask me,

someone like Margo

doesn't really deserve you.

You know?

Would you wanna

go to prom with me?

Yes.

Okay.

Yes.

Okay.

Yes.

Wait, say that again?

You're really gonna

make me say it again?

Black Santas?

I know. I know.

I know it sounds weird.

It's actually 20 times

weirder in person.

No, I think

it's progressive.

No, you don't!

I do! Santa is a construct.

It doesn't make sense

that he's always

an old white guy.

I think that it's cool

that your parents are willing

to embrace the complexity

of that idea.

Yeah, I think about that

every morning...

when I eat my Lucky Charms

with a little black Santa spoon.

Cool. Thank you.

So long.

Hey.

What's that look on your face?

What? What look?

You look like...

You're acting very strange.

You are.

You got a weird little

grin on your face.

What is that about?

I don't know

what you're talking about.

Scoot! Scoot.

Ben, did you notice

something about him?

He looks kinda strange, like he's...

You're grinning or something.

What happened?

I have news.

What?

I'm going to prom

with Lacey Pemberton.

Holy shit! Really?

Yeah.

Congratulations, man.

I know, dude.

Bloody Ben and Lacey Pemberton.

Angela and I had sex.

Dude!

What?

What?

You just had sex with Angela?

Bro, are you serious?

Yeah. Don't tell her

I told you.

What are you guys

talking about?

Books.

Books?

Books?

I told them.

Bro.

I thought you could

make it to Scranton.

I really did.

Shotgun!

Move!

All right, Radar, big man,

what's the ETA?

If we continue

at yesterday's pace,

we should be there

in four hours.

All right.

Dude, awesome. That leaves

an hour to find Margo...

tell her you love her.

Back in time

for an amazing prom.

Agloe, here we come.

Hey! Check it out,

ladies and gentlemen.

This is insane.

According to Omnictionary,

this should be it.

Margo?

No?

Let's look around.

Okay.

Yeah, all right.

How are we doing on time?

If we wanna make it back for prom,

we should probably...

go.

She'll be here. I know it.

Q...

She'll be here. I know it.

I know it.

It's time to go, Q.

He's right.

Guys, we can't give up yet.

It's Margo.

She's probably sitting,

watching right now, laughing.

This is our final test.

You promised

we'd be back for prom.

Not that again. Seriously?

I don't wanna

miss prom, either.

Five seconds ago,

you couldn't get a date

to prom if your life

depended on it.

And now, suddenly,

it's the end of the world

if you're not there. Just because

you don't give a shit about prom...

it doesn't mean

that nobody else does.

Prom is more important

than your best friend?

That's what you're saying?

No. That's not

what I'm saying.

Why did you even come

if you're not gonna see this through?

Because I thought

it would be fun...

because I wanted to spend

time with my two best friends...

Before we leave

for college and

probably never see

each other again.

Yeah, wasn't this

fun for you?

Not if I don't find Margo.

Don't you get it?

If I don't find Margo, it's not fun.

It's all for nothing.

Wow, okay.

What about you, Lacey?

Don't you wanna find her?

I thought I did...

but you know what, Quentin?

I came all this way because

I was worried about her.

Do you think she'd do

the same for me?

Would she do it for you?

Come on.

I'm gonna stay.

I'm gonna find a bus

back to Orlando.

Have a great prom,

everybody.

- Q.

- No.

Go. Go.

Are you serious?

Q, let's go.

I'm not going! Okay?

I'm not going!

All right, great.

Good luck!

I'm trying to get home

to Orlando.

Here you go.

Okay.

Margo?

Quentin.

Hi!

I knew I'd find you.

I knew it.

I can't believe you're here.

How are you?

Wait, what? What do you mean

you can't believe I'm here?

I'm just a little surprised.

Wait, what are you

surprised about?

I followed the clues...

I found that note

that you left in my door...

and then I saw the "You will

go to the paper towns..."

I read the whole Walt Whitman...

and, you know...

You left those clues

for me, right?

Yeah, I always

leave clues...

Yeah.

...so you'd know I was fine.

That I was okay.

I didn't think you would

come all this way.

Wait, what did you think?

Quentin,

what are you doing here?

I'm in love with you.

You're in love with me.

Yes.

Quentin...

come on.

I've loved you

since we were kids.

And I've never stopped

loving you every single day since.

You're not in love with me.

Don't say that.

You don't even know me.

Yeah, I do.

Don't say that I don't...

I don't even know me.

Q, I have no idea who I am.

Why do you think I'm here?

I...

I thought...

Why are you here?

Can I buy you a drink?

Thank you.

I'd been planning to leave

for a while, actually.

I would graduate,

do the whole cap and gown thing...

and then, the next morning...

Poof

Into thin air.

And then I found out about

the whole Jase thing, and that was it.

I couldn't take another

second of that place.

It was really that bad?

You know what it's like.

Yeah, but...

I don't know.

You had everything.

You were Margo Roth Spiegelman.

That's it.

That's the problem, Q.

That's exactly

what I'm talking about.

People have always looked at me

and seen

what they wanted to see.

And yes, I know...

I cultivated it a little.

"The myth of Margo Roth Spiegelman."

But it's just a fantasy.

And there we were...

at the top

of the SunTrust building,

looking down on the city.

And all I could think about...

was how I felt just as paper

as everything else.

Hmm.

So then you came here?

A paper town

for a paper girl.

Not a lot to do,

but it's a great place

to read and think.

Can I ask you something?

Of course.

Where do I fit in

to all this?

You were

my first partner in crime.

I wanted you

to be my last.

And you surprised me that night.

You really did.

You're a way better ninja

than I expected.

You know, Q,

I'm really sorry.

For what?

For all of it.

The clues.

Not being a better friend.

Ruining your last few weeks

of high school.

You didn't.

What?

You didn't ruin my last

few weeks of high school.

In fact...

I think they were

the best weeks of my life.

First party.

First road trip.

My first time cutting class.

Everybody else is doing

things for the last time...

but I was doing them

for the first. So...

don't apologize.

Because...

None of that would have

happened without you.

Are you sure you don't

want to come back?

College, job, husband.

The allure

of a life rightly lived.

That's not me.

You know it isn't.

So, what's the plan?

I have absolutely no idea...

but I'm excited to find out.

You know, you...

You may not be the myth

we made you out to be...

but you're still

pretty something.

You're pretty something

yourself.

You could come with me,

you know.

You can't imagine

how many times

I dreamed

you would say those words.

But I have to go.

Hey.

Do you want to

call your sister?

She misses you.

We talk every day.

I'll see you.

What a treacherous thing it is

to believe that a person

is more than a person.

Margo was not a miracle.

She was not an adventurer.

She was not some fine,

precious thing.

She was a girl.

It took me a long time

to realize how wrong I was.

And not just about Margo.

I was wrong about

a lot of things.

I used to believe

everyone gets a miracle.

And I still do.

But as it turns out...

my miracle...

was this.

So maybe we won't

all win the lottery.

Or marry royalty.

Or make that last-second shot.

But that doesn't mean we won't

have amazing adventures...

Aw...

I want one.

...meet exceptional people...

and make indelible memories.

The trick is...

to notice.

Before it's too late.

Oh, and Margo?

Someone said they

saw her in New York,

starring in a revival

of The Fantasticks.

Someone else said

she's on the West Coast

teaching surf lessons

in Malibu.

I don't listen to those

rumors anymore.

Wherever she is...

whatever she's up to...

I'm sure it's

pretty something.

But, hey...

that's her story to tell.