Jones St., Chapter 6: Pages 15-16
Page 15, 7 Panels- Tate’s, Jones St., Las Vegas NV
Panel 1: We move back to Melanie at the other side of the table in the same setting and layout as the last time we saw her. As the off-panel waiter starts to leave the scene, she signals to him using her scotch glass as some type of smoke signal; a look of slight urgency in her eyes as she speaks.
MELANIE [to Waiter]: Hey, can you tell the bartender to make another drink?
Panel 2: Cut to a close-up on the Waiter a beat later, looking to his left in Ms. Haynes direction; his body already turned to the right, signifying that he was in mid-stride before the young woman caught him. You can see a mix of yellow and white of the larger dining area behind him in the background.
WAITER [to Melanie]: Sure…what will you have?
Panel 3: Same setting/layout as the page’s first panel. The lone change coming from Melanie’s perspective is the fact that Melanie leans back slightly against her chair as she speaks; her eyes squarely in the waiter’s direction, as it was in Panel 1.
MELANIE: A Blood and Sand.
Panel 4: Back to the Waiter in the same setting and layout as Panel 2 as well as the same background. He nods toward Melanie, scribbling the note down on his notepad before heading off though he still addresses the two of them at the same time.
WAITER: I’ll tell the Bartender, and bring it out along with your guys’ food. Won’t be more than 10-15 minutes I think. MELANIE [Off-Panel]: Okay, thank you…
Panel 5: Cut to a shot of Tara a few moments later as the Waiter leaves the scene. He has the straw firmly in hand, seeking to open it up from the tip top as he speaks; his other hand bringing the full glass of soda over to the preferred place to the top left of the plate placement.
TARA [curious, to Melanie]: Blood and Sand?
Panel 6: Back to Melanie in the same setting and layout as Panel 3. Her gaze has shifted back to Tara at this point, chewing on the orange slice that was on top of the drink; her posture straightening out ever so slightly as she speaks compared to when we saw her then.
MELANIE [nods, to Tara]: It’s a drink- Blood orange juice, sweet Vermouth, Cherry Herring, and Scotch with an Orange on top.
Panel 7: Back to Tara in the same setting and layout as Panel 5. He nods in quasi understanding at the recipe recited before, plunking the straw into the glass of soda causing a minimal amount of movement on the top.
TARA: Oh, cool cool…what exactly is Blood orange juice?
Page 16, 6 Panels- Tate’s, Jones St., Las Vegas NV
Panel 1: Back to Melanie in the same setting/layout as Panel 6 of the previous page. She shrugged a little at the question, piecing together an answer as best as possible; her right hand touching the table with the opposite one out of view.
MELANIE [to Tara]: It's OJ, but...really tart. It's actually pretty good when it's paired with the vermouth and the scotch. TARA [to Melanie, Off-Panel]: I'll take your word for it...though I'm also as equally clueless what vermouth is.
Panel 2-3: A two-part set of panels that move back to Tara a few moments later in the same setting/layout we left him at the end of the previous page. In Panel 2, he grabs the glass and reaches out to take a sip. In Panel 3, moments later, the young man places it back on the table in the same spot he had it in at the end of the previous page.
MELANIE [Off-Panel, Panel 2]: Anyway…where were we? TARA [Off-Panel, Panel 2]: You were asking me what happened to my mother. MELANIE [Off-Panel, Panel 3]: Right right.
TARA [Off-Panel, Panel 3]: She, um…she passed away. Cancer.
Panel 4: Same setting/layout as Panel 1, along with the same relative background. She looks at Tara with a sudden spark of sadness that was brought about by Tara’s statement in Panel 3; her hands both placed palm down on the table.
MELANIE: Sorry to hear that. I know what it feels like to lose family suddenly. Tonight's 8 years since my brother died in Iraq.
Panel 5: Same setting/layout as Panel 3. Tara leans in a little more to hear the answer, intrigued as to what it might be. To the right of the panel, you can see spirit Tara standing, reacting with an excited grin on his face; energy bar to the left at 59%.
TARA [thought bubble]: Oh...wow! TARA [curious]: Was he a soldier?
Panel 6: Back to Melanie in the same setting/layout as Panel 4. Melanie's face turns a bit to melancholy as he finishes the tail end of the story. You can see the shadow of someone passing a handful of feet behind her in the background.
MELANIE [shakes her head]: Red Cross. He planned to go through for one year before…before coming back to school. MELANIE [Bubble 2]: Blood and Sand was his favorite. He actually taught me to make one before he took off to Baghdad. I have one every year in his memory.