Nacho, Pez, Buttermilk Pancakes

Vignette #1
Music: Bright Eyes "Land Locked Blue” – And the moon’s layin’ low in the sky/Forcin’ everything metal to shine/and the sidewalk holds diamonds like a jewelry store case/they argue walk this way/walk this way

Small Midwest Town – Weekend Dusk
Before Bianca, Lars would make nachos to cheer himself up:

Lars would only make them up to three times a month so that nachos would still seem special. He’d carefully arrange 15 tortilla chips on a plate.

He’d remove a Kraft single from its wrapper, and tear off little strips. No more than one or two Kraft singles for each nacho session because he wanted enough for next time. He’d pretend to sprinkle them onto the chips. Lars would lift a strip to eye-level and sort of rub a Kraft single strip between his thumb, index, and middle fingers. The strip would wiggle and he’d make static sounds as he lowered the cheese.

“Tschshshshshshshshs.” To him, this is what an avalanche of cheese sounds like. He’d stop abruptly as the strip approached the chip. Each strip needed to be placed in the center so that the microwaved cheese wouldn’t spill over and crust onto the plate. Nothing wasted. He needed the nachos to be special.

Vignette #2
Music: Aimee Man “Ghost World” - Everyone I know is acting weird or way too cool/They hang out by the pool/So I just read a lot and ride my bike around the school.

Alphabet City, NY – Late Night
A college friend is visiting from the East Bay. We meet up with a few friends and are hanging out at NAT’s birthday party. There’s a spectrum of inebriation present amongst the friends. ERIC has chosen not to drink that night. J. HARTNETT is there also to celebrate NAT’s birth.

ERIC notices a lot more women showing up as the night progresses. Bar patrons are calling their friends telling them that HARTNETT exists. The women are geared up. Peacocks with outstretched plumage and plumage extensions.
J enters. J is the younger sister of someone ERIC knows. ERIC finds her incredibly immature and can only handle her in small doses. ERIC thought she lived in L.A.

J: Oh my god. Eric.
E: (surprised) Hey, what are you doing here?
J: Hartnett is here.
E: Yeah, he’s by the pool table.
J: OMG. You have to introduce me.
E: I don’t really know him.
J: Whatever. I’m asian. He’s got to love asian girls.
E: (coughs) Good luck with that. (Turns and continues talking to L.)

J. grabs L. and starts dragging her over to the pool table. L is drunk. She was in the middle of telling ERIC a good story.

J: You have to introduce me.
L: J, I’ve only met him once. I really don’t want to.

[L trips. As HARTNETT helps her up, J quickly approaches and says “Hi, my name’s J” and cocks her head to the side, a defective pez dispenser hinged on its side.]

Vignette #3
Music: The Postal Service "Brand New Colony" - I want to take you far from the cynics in this town/Start a brand new colony

Tribeca – 11:45 am
Five friends are waiting to be seated at a popular breakfast spot in Tribeca. At the bar, FRANK is eating the best looking pancakes. ERIC has not seen him since the ping pong tournament.

Frank: …so yeah, we’re looking at buying a townhouse and converting it. Very high-end, bar, café, and ping pong. Members only.

(ERIC is looking at FRANK’s pancakes. FRANK glances over at the FRIENDS.)

ERIC: My friends.
FRANK: You guys in a gang?
ERIC: Sort of. But we don’t front.
FRANK: Front?

ERIC: You know, pretend to be cool. Actually, we’re not cool at all. We get really worked up about books and nachos and right-wing republicans. That one even put on a costume for a movie we’re going to see later. (beat) And that one has been drinking all night. She used to sleep with aborigines. (beat) And those two, ummm, they bought brown pants together and he’s wearing her pink sweater. Hey, are those buttermilk pancakes?

FRANK: Well, uh, all the info’s on the website. We have tournaments on Tuesday nights now. So come by for a game.