Jones St., Chapter 7: Pages 3-4

Page 3, 6 Panels- Jimmy John’s, Las Vegas NV, Two Weeks Ago

Panel 1: Cut to the same type of close-up on Tara’s face, but now back in the same Jimmy John’s that we saw in Panel 4 of the previous page. The background behind him shows the light green upholstery of the booth seat they’re at. You can see a touch of curiosity in his eyes, connected with what he asks.

CAPTION: Jimmy John's Pre-Movie, Date #2 TARA [to Melanie]: Who was your first true love?

Panel 2: We move to Melanie seated on the other side of the table; her hands wrapped around the turkey sub that is almost 1/2 eaten. The background behind her shows the same cushioned seating area, along with the backs of the heads of other customers seated next to the two of them at this point in the night.

MELANIE [slight smile tinged with melancholy, to Tara]: Henry Austin, back in uh...in high school.

Panel 3: Back to Tara in the same setting as Panel 1. The layout widens to take in the tuna fish sub that he ordered that particular night, along with the chips that he ordered gathered in a pile just next to the sandwich. You can see his right hand moving toward it in order to grab it as he speaks.

TARA [intrigued]: Aww, that's sweet. What happened to him, if I may ask?

Panel 4-5: Back to Melanie in the same setting/layout as Panel 2. In Panel 4, she looks over at the table with more melancholy than was visible in that aforementioned panel as she lowers it back on the table. The young woman does this by the time we reach Panel 5; she looks at her phone to check on the time, changing the conversation.

MELANIE [Panel 4]: I...I'd rather not talk about that. TARA [Off-Panel, Panel 4]: Oh. Okay. MELANIE [Panel 5]: We should probably be heading to the theater. Movie's starting in ten minutes, not counting the trailers.

Panel 6: Back to Tara in the same setting and layout as Panel 3. He grabs the sub with both hands and lifts it up to take a big bite. There's a wide smile that comes over his face at the same time as he speaks.

TARA [hiding a degree of embarrassment]: Alright then... TARA [Off-Panel narration caption]: I should've said something...shown some empathy toward her. But I just...blanked.

Page 4, 7 Panels- Myers' Apartment, Las Vegas NV

Panel 1: We move back to Tara in the present just a few beats after we last left him, crossing into the kitchen area. His back is turned mostly to the audience, looking over toward the refrigerator which is off-panel right at this point. You can see the bulge in his pants pocket where he slipped his phone back in.

TARA [thought bubble]: I don't know what I could have said, but...I should have tried. Maybe I wouldn't have been waiting over two weeks for any text from her.

Panel 2-4: A three-part set of panels that focuses on the interior of the kitchen moments later. In Panel 2, we see Tara grab the milk. Then in Panel 3, we see him grab the cereal box from the cabinet. And then in Panel 4, he's seen grabbing a bowl out of another cabinet next to the one with the cereal.

TARA [narration caption, Panel 2]: I've never felt shame for my condition. TARA [narration caption, Panel 3]: Not for one single second. TARA [narration caption, Panel 4]: But there have been times in my life, since my diagnosis, that I wish I were at least a tiny bit normal. Not cure level, but...definitely 12% more.

Panel 5: Cut to the table a few beats later with each of the pieces laid out on display on the table. As for Tara himself, he's in a standing position to the side of the chair which is directly at the middle point of the bowl; the cereal to the right and the milk to the left. You can see the glow of the sun emanating from a window off-panel to the left.

TARA [narration caption]: In all honesty though, I'd taken a nice big bright, flashing warning sign that pops up in my life whenever something bad's about to happen.

Panel 6-7: We open in Panel 6 with a shot of Tara stepping through the door to a staircase in the back of the store minutes later which connects it to the family apartment upstairs in the building. In Panel 7, a short time later, he reaches out to grab the doorknob that leads to the main store. You can see, in the center of the wood door, a glowing red octagon with the words "Shitty Day Warning in Effect till 6 P.M."

TARA [narration caption, Panel 7]: C'est la vie, I guess...