scene from Richmond April 7, 2008

Before scene opens, our two main characters, Emily and Scott, have just left a “party” where red wine was consumed with giggly MFA girls, and have been driving about 15 minutes down one long stretch of highway to reach their hotel that is on the outskirts of town. They’ve passed about 10 gas stations at this point, all of which were closed. It is about 12:30 a.m. on a Saturday.

Emily: “Look! That one’s open!”

Scott: “What? Where! Oh yeah - awesome!”

Emily turns wheel into parking lot, where two cop cars are surrounding another vehicle. They park, walk past a small diner full of teenagers, and enter the convenient store. They walk toward the neon sign reading “BEER” in the back of the store.

Emily: “What? Where’s all the cold ones?”

Scott: “It looks like they’re locked away.” - motions to closed “beer room,” and then starts pacing the aisles.

Emily: (looks through locked glass doors to beer room, everything is dark)

“I don’t understand.”

She follows Scott to the juice aisle, and then turns around and crosses paths with pixie-looking girl and lip ring boy with long hair

Emily: “Excuse me, we’re from out of town. Can you help me?”

*blank faces*

Emily: “Is there some sort of law here about buying beer at night?”

Pixie Girl: “Yeah, you can’t buy beer after midnight.”

Scott: “WHAT??”

*nervous laughter by all*

Lip ring boy: “Yeah, it looks like you’re out of luck. The bars are open until 2 a.m., though.”

Emily: “Oh, yeah..hmm…well we just wanted to go to bed with a Tall Boy.”

*awkward silence*

Scott: “OK thanks…”

*Exit Scene*