TITLE CARD:

Conversations of 5 Travelers on Their First Night in… Rome.

Fade in:

Int. Hostel common area — night

BLAISE is pouring wine for KEIRA, CELESTE, LUCAS, and TOM.

BLAISE

Now, this wine is from Colline di Levanto in the Liguria region of Italy.

LOWER THIRD: Blaise (The Know-It-All)

LUCAS

Look man, I don’t care if it’s from a toilet bowl. If I drink a lot of it, will I get drunk?

BLAISE

(offended)

This is an old vine Denominazione di origine controllata. The subtle flavor profile —

LUCAS

Will I get drunk?

BLAISE

… Yes.

LUCAS

Then fill ‘er up, buddy boy.

LOWER THIRD: Lucas (The Partier)

Keira has her smartphone out and is taking a close-up picture of Blaise’s hand pouring the wine into a glass.

KEIRA

Awesome. I’m going to get so many Instagram likes on this.

BLAISE

Do you want a glass?

KEIRA

No, I just want the picture of the glass.

LOWER THIRD: Keira (The Social Media Junkie)

Tom

This is so great! We were strangers an hour ago and now we’re all friends! Traveling is awesome! It’s just full of unexpected adventures!

LOWER THIRD: Tom (The Travel Virgin)

Celeste holds up her wine for a toast.

CELESTE

Here’s to tonight. Because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

LOWER THIRD: Celeste (The Wanderer)

Blaise, Lucas, and Tom enthusiastically raise their glasses, ready to clink (Keira is on her phone, never looking up). Before they can clink, Celeste continues.

CELESTE (CONT’D)

This might be our last night on earth. A bomb could go off any minute. Or a mugger could kill us in the street. Maybe this wine has poison in it. We may all die before sunrise. But just like yin needs yang, life needs death. The silent, eternal sleep of death. To tonight.

Bummed out, everyone sadly clinks their glasses.

Everyone

(depressed, murmuring)

To tonight.

They put down their glasses without taking a sip. Celeste drinks her wine. Keira looks up from her phone.

KEIRA

What just happened? It got really quiet.

LUCAS

Let’s get our party on, guys. I know a club in Testy Cico that’s swarmin’ with honies.

BLAISE

(chuckles)

Um, it’s pronounced Testaccio.

LUCAS

It’s pronounced “Italian babes in need of a man.” Tom, you know what I’m talking about.

TOM

Do I know what you’re talking about?

LUCAS

Yeah, dude. Chicks dig foreigners. Go overseas and get under the sheets.

TOM

Really?

KEIRA

(not looking from phone)

He’s right. You just have to be confident. And use a lot of direct eye contact.

TOM

Wow. This just keeps getting better and better.

LUCAS

You and me, kid. We’ll hit the town.

BLAISE

You know, Rome actually has incredibly significant cultural landmarks you can visit instead of “clubbing at the discotheque.”

LUCAS

Yeah, let’s sit in an old church on a Saturday night. Come on, dude. Celeste, wanna wingwoman us?

CELESTE

I was planning on taking some hallucinogenics and following the ancient aqueducts on a vision quest.

LUCAS

So that’s a no. Keira?

KEIRA

(not looking up from phone)

Does the club have wifi?

LUCAS

I’m thinking yeah. Rome’s hip like that.

KEIRA

Sure, I guess.

LUCAS

Sweet. Blaise, you gonna stare at rubble in the dark or do you want to experience the craziest night of your life?

BLAISE

I was planning on looking at ruins — not rubble — but I might as well join you. It’s not like the ruins are going anywhere.

Blaise laughs at his own joke. Everyone else smiles politely.

BLAISE (CONT’D)

Because they’re… ruins.

LUCAS

Let’s move. Celeste, happy vision questing.

CELESTE

Thanks.

Celeste pops a pill and takes a swig of wine. Lucas, Tom, Keira, and Blaise get up to leave. As they leave…

KEIRA

What’s the name of this place we’re going to? I want to check in on Four Square.

LUCAS

Beats me. We’ll know when we get there.

BLAISE

I’m glad I’m going. You’d get so lost without me.

LUCAS

You’re right about that. I’m gettin’ tanked tonight.

TOM

I love you guys!

LUCAS

Easy, kid. You’re not even drunk yet.

Blackout.