Jones St., Chapter 8: Pages 13-14
Page 13, 6 Panels- Sif's, Jones Street, Las Vegas NV
Panel 1-2: A two-part set of panels that stays on Tara in the same setting/layout as the last panel of the previous page. In Panel 1, he takes a drink of the latte amidst the awkward pause of the conversation that preceded it in Page 12. In Panel 2, moments later, he then tries to kickstart to the next point in hand.
TARA [Panel 1]: [throat clear] Yeah. TARA [nervous, to Melanie; Panel 2]: I don't hold any expectations that you would engage any further in a relationship long-term with me after all that. But I wanted to get that all off my chest, even if the end result is still horrible.
Panel 3: Back to Melanie in the same setting/layout as Panel 6 of the previous page. She chuckles briefly by the melodramatic tinge of Mr. Myers' comment in the previous panel; her body language shifting to a slightly softer stance that balances with what she says in the scene.
MELANIE [truthful, to Tara]: Honestly, Tara? I had every intention of formally breaking up with you tonight. I only agreed to meet as a courtesy and to settle curiosity over what you were talking about.
Panel 4: Cut back to Tara in the same setting/layout as the end of the previous page. He's a little confused by the shift of the conversation from Ms. Haynes; his hand gripped around the coffee cup, moving it a small distance to the left as he speaks.
TARA: Umm...okay. I think this has a "But" coming to it, though I've had a really bad track record in the past when it comes to making assumptions.
Panel 5: Back to Melanie in the same setting/layout as Panel 3. She laughs a little bit louder at the comment from the previous panel. You can see her right hand lifting her coffee cup in order to take a sip soon as she speaks.
MELANIE [finishing her thought]: But listening to everything right now, and given the fact that the first couple of dates were pretty good--. MELANIE [reacting to Panel 6, Bubble 1; Bubble 2]: Right, and I apologize for that. Given all of that...I'll give you one last chance. If it goes good, we can talk about long distance and how to make it work.
Panel 6: Back to Tara in the same setting/layout as Panel 4, connecting the action here to what we saw in the previous panel. He starts to get a little more hopeful of a positive result coming with what Melanie's about to say.
TARA [interjecting to M from Panel 5]: Not to mention the "Ghosting" thing or me withholding the Asexual thing. TARA [following on Melanie's thought from Panel 6, Bubble 2; Bubble 2]: And if it doesn't, it doesn't. Fair enough...thank you!
Page 14, 5 Panels- Sif's/Cashman Field, Las Vegas NV
Panel 1: We stay on Tara in the same setting/layout as the last panel of the previous page. For the first time in the entire scene, we see the young man’s body language fully come into a relaxed position. You can see him holding the cup close to his chest as he speaks.
TARA [to Melanie, curious]: So, what did you have in mind for this date, Mel?
Panel 2: Cut back to Melanie in the same setting/layout as Panel 5 of the previous page. She lowers the cup after taking a sip of her coffee cup that came while Tara spoke in the previous panel; a look of equal curiosity mixed with some excitement that’s tinged with a little knowledge of the past.
MELANIE [to Tara]: Have you ever been to Cashman Field?
Panel 3: Action shot of Tara in the same setting/layout as Panel 1, shaking his head in response to the earlier question; the cup still visible, and subsequently a little under ½ full at this point, in the same position as the page’s top panel.
Panel 4: Same setting/layout as Panel 2, along with the same background. The young woman chuckles, flashing a wider smile compared to that aforementioned panel; the cup is down on the table in the bottom center of the panel view.
MELANIE: Then you’re in for a treat…
Panel 5: Cut to an exterior shot of Cashman Field, home of the Las Vegas 51’s, in the evening; the time jumping four days later to June 12th. You can see part of the scoreboard (illuminated with the glow of game action) as well as the outfield fences in the background, along with the packed audience. You can also see the crowd moving to their seats on the right and left field corner sections of the stadium.
MELANIE [Cont., Off-Panel caption]: The 51’s are in town next week! TARA [Off-Panel caption, top middle of the panel to the right of Melanie’s caption]: [humming]