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.
Now, this wine is from Colline di Levanto in the Liguria region of Italy.
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.
Keira has her smartphone out and is taking a close-up picture of Blaise’s hand pouring the wine into a glass.
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.
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!
Celeste holds up her wine for a toast.
Here’s to tonight. Because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring.
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.
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.
(depressed, murmuring)
To tonight.
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.
Because they’re… ruins.
LUCAS
Let’s move. Celeste, happy vision questing.
CELESTE
Thanks.
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.
