Jones St., Chapter 1: Pages 19-20
Page 19, 6 Panels- Black Box Theatre, UNLV
Panel 1-2: A two-part set of panels that follow a similar pattern for the whole page. In Panel 1 (and the following odd panels), we see Mr. Austin sitting on a stool underneath the spotlight, dressed in the same shirt that he wore when he first met Melanie in high school and a pair of blue jeans. He’s holding an acoustic guitar which he’s playing as he sings “In My Life.” In Panel 2 (and the page’s following even panels, we see Melanie react with the same confusion as earlier at the display.
HENRY [Cont. singing, Panel 1]: And these memories lose their
meaning When I think of love as something
new MELANIE [thought bubble, Panel 2]: Is—Is he saying what I think he’s saying?
Panel 3-4: In the next pair of panels, as Henry hops off the stool and starts to move toward Ms. Haynes while he sings, you can see in Panel 4 the confusion on her face turn to utter shock and surprise at the feelings being put on display, growing with each passing second as she tries to come up with a response.
HENRY [singing, Panel 3]: Though I know I'll never lose affection For people and things that went before MELANIE [thought bubble, Panel 4]: Holy shit, he is! He's saying he loves me...why now?
Panel 5-6: In the final pair of panels, as he moves closer, you can see the shock evolve over time toward one of overwhelming emotions. You can see the first gleam of redness start to come over her eyes as she speaks for the first time.
HENRY [singing, Panel 5]: I know I'll often stop and think about
them In my life I love you more… MELANIE [thought bubble, Panel 6]: Was this his end game all along? To get in my pants after three years of friendship, and this is his finish line...or something. I… MELANIE [speech bubble, to Henry; Panel 6]: I need a minute!
Page 20, 5 Panels- Lobby in front of Black Box Theatre, UNLV
Panel 1-2: Cut to a shot of Melanie minutes later, standing up with her back against the wall and looking down with her eyes closed, handling a sudden jolt of anxiety that has frozen her in place. You can hear the sounds of deep breathing as she tries to hold everything together at that point. In Panel 2, she turns her gaze back up at the sound of the metal doors opening up.
HENRY [Off-Panel, Panel 2]: Hey…
Panel 3: We move to Mr. Austin standing in front of the doorway, with part of the walls visible on the ends of the panel view, holding the guitar by the handle with his right hand. There’s a look of concern mixed with confusion at her reaction. You can see the theatre behind him through the opened door as he speaks.
HENRY [Cont., to Melanie]: What's wrong? I thought...
Panel 4: Same setting/layout as the previous panel. He sighs and glances up toward the ceiling with a great deal of regret at the decision he made; the bottom of the guitar can be seen gently touching the ground next to his foot as he speaks. You can see the door behind him just begin to close shut once more.
HENRY [Cont., reacting to Panel 5]: "A game?" HENRY [Bubble 2; reacting to Panel 5, Bubble 2]: Of course not! I just...I wanted it to be memorable, the first time I said "I love you."
Panel 5: Back to Melanie in the same setting and layout as the page’s first two panels. She moves with great speed to cut the question off, pushing her back up from the wall ever so slightly. You can see, however, the anxiety that she had in Panel 2 hasn’t really dissipated to a great deal.
MELANIE [to Henry in Panel 4, interjecting]: Was it all just a game? MELANIE [Panel 5, Bubble 2]: All the years we've known each other. Was it all some elaborate con to get in my pants? MELANIE [Panel 5, Bubble 3; reacting to Panel 4, Bubble 2]: Do you do this with everyone?