Sigh.
Even with the moon in full view, I can not see the Hollywood sign from the window in front of my desk. The crickets tell each other stories in the background as I stare at my blank screen. I still haven't figured out how to start my movie. Eli said he wanted lots of tears, and well, the only way to do that is to make it as believable as possible. So I don't want to choose a beginning that will have people rolling their eyes instead of forgetting to eat their popcorn because they're so engrossed.
It has to be perfect.
I look at the clock. It's just after 8. The apartment is silent. Actually, the whole building is pretty silent. Considering this isn't the greatest area of town, the neighbors are actually blissfully quiet -- which is great for me. It's easier to write when you don't have to pretend not to hear the screams from an alcohol induced domestic fight on the other side of the walls.
Why am I thinking about Tracy Chapman? Oh right -- the song.
I wonder what Dina-Pina is doing and if her audition went ok? I decide to step out of my comfort zone and go over and bug her. She can always make up some excuse if she doesn't want to entertain...but something tells me she would be cool if I pop over.
I throw on a new tank top to replace the stenchy smelly one I've been sweating in all day, and pull my hair back into a ponytail.
* * *
Dina-Pina's apartment is on the first floor parallel to the shallow end of the pool. She has a nice courtyard in front with some patio chairs, a table, and a barbecue. I knock moderately loud on her door -- I don't want to startle her, but I also want to be heard.
A moment later she opens the door. She's wearing glasses. At first I think I might have disturbed her, but she gives me a big smile and ushers me in. I ask her how her audition went and she says 'fine'. She doesn't want to jinx it by talking about it; so we switch the conversation back to me. I tell her I still haven't figured out what type of job my character has or the best way to kill off her friends. She laughs and pours me a drink; vodka with soda water and some lime. It's very refreshing on a sticky night. It goes down quickly, so she tops me up again moments later.
"What if she was having some sort of party on a boat, and the boat capsized?" I say to her.
She pauses for a moment while she takes a gulp from her glass and then says, "that could work. A lot of people do that -- throw parties on boats."
OK -- so I have a starting point.
"What do you like better, I mean what would make you cry more; them throwing her a surprise party on the boat -- but in a weird twist of fate she misses it and they all die...or --"
I take another sip.
" -- or...she's on the boat with them but is the only survivor."
I wait it out while Dina-Pina thinks about both scenarios. I look around the place to see if there are any clues as to what her name really is -- like a phone bill on the counter; but there's nothing.
"I don't know why," say Dina-Pina, "but I'm not really crazy about the second scenario. There's something icky about her being the only survivor."
"Too much?" I say matter-of-fact.
"Yeah, it's too much." she says back, and tops off both our glasses.
Just then her phone rings. And rings. And rings.
She looks at the screen, but puts the phone back down. I raise my eyebrows because there is obviously a story behind the unanswered phone, but all she says is that it's someone she doesn't want to talk to right now; and makes a funny gab gab gab gesture with her free hand while rolling her eyes.
We laugh.
Dina-Pina decides that we need to spruce it up a bit. She tells me that there's a sports bar two blocks from here that she works at sometimes; that we could go there and have some free drinks and hang out with the boys. It sounds like fun, there'll be a dance floor and it's stumbling distance from here -- so why not? As she heads into the bedroom to change out of her comfy clothes, I swig back my vodka soda with lime and smile to myself. It's nice to have made a friend so quickly.
