is the guitar magic?

Next installment! I'll have you know I have 77 pages now. :)

INT. PETER'S APARTMENT -- DAY

Peter sits at his laptop on a messy desk in a somewhat bleak, messy living room, The Beatles White Album playing on a record player on the floor near his feet.

A ROOMMATE (20's), heroine-chic thin with Strokes hair, saunters through the room with a bowl of cereal, as a cell phone rings.

Peter lifts some papers on the desk and picks up his phone.

PETER
Greta? Where are you?

GRETA
Well, I'm riding out to Albuquerque.

PETER
Nice. I'm assuming you're with the right band now and no longer hitching?

GRETA
Actually, it's something of a rescue mission now.

PETER
(delighted)
Did someone get kidnapped?

GRETA
No, just Sylus's guitar. Christian won't give it back so we're following them to Albuquerque, to take a stand with Albus, I think, and force him to give it up.

Peter is speechless, for once in his life.

GRETA
Hello?

PETER
...Please tell me you get some of that on tape. How long does your camera film for?

GRETA
About 30 seconds. You think you could call Willows Green and talk to that guy Maxwell about it?

PETER
So this is serious? Christian is trying to run off with Sylus's guitar? What, did they ditch you at Modified?

GRETA
Yes!

Peter sits up straight, eyes shining.

PETER
No fucking way.

GRETA
(annoyed)
Yes, fucking way. They said we were late and they couldn't wait for us, even though Albus stayed the night!

PETER
Greta! This is a story for the blog if I ever heard one! I mean, forget the blog, I could pitch this to Under The Radar!

GRETA
Peter, please call the label.

PETER
Got it, got it. Keep me posted!

GRETA
(as afterthought)
...Did my car get home safe?

PETER
(distracted, typing)
It's home, but I think some kind soul actually shot it.

GRETA
...Thanks.

INT. DINER - NEW MEXICO -- AFTERNOON

Long Wolf and Todd all sit at a large booth, ordering breakfast.

NEIL
What is this lingonberry shit people put on pancakes?

JOHN
It's Swedish.

NEIL
(disdainfully)
Oh well, you would know.

JOHN
My family's from Switzerland, ass.

Todd chokes and Anthony and Christian burst out laughing. Neil looks annoyed at first, but then smirks.

NEIL
Does it really matter?

CHRISTIAN
You amaze us with your skills at geography, Neil, along with everything else.

NEIL
Something like your antics on the stolen guitar last night.

Christian drops his menu on the table, unconcerned.

CHRISTIAN
Nothing wrong with a little experimentation.

NEIL
Playing a bit too much Guitar Hero these days?

CHRISTIAN
(irritated)
Maybe I'm just outgrowing you, musically.

ANTHONY
Yeah right.

Christian glares at him and the others look uncomfortable. Todd clears his throat and starts messing with his Blackberry phone.

CHRISTIAN
(shortly)
I meant Neil.

ANTHONY
(grins)
It was good anyway, I liked it.

JOHN
You gonna give the guitar back this time, Christian, or drag The Lake out to Texas?
(before he replies)
I'm all for messing around, but they do have our photographer.

CHRISTIAN
...They do, don't they? How did that end up happening again?

TODD
(staring at his phone)
Hey! Hey, dudes, check this out!

ANTHONY
What?

TODD
I just checked out that aggregator, Elbo, and the blogs are all buzzing about the "blistering guitar" last night! "So Much Silence" was at the show and shot some youtube footage. They're all reposting it!

JOHN
Nice!

CHRISTIAN
What are they saying?

TODD
"Lead guitarist Christian Waden deigned to speak the crowd this time, a shrewd move. He revealed some hidden chops on 'Twigs' and 'Light is Never Heavy'... Loved them before, but watch this clip from the Modified show..."

CHRISTIAN
(happily)
Let's watch it.

TODD
Nah, I can't get media to load on this thing. Waiting for that iPhone, dudes.

Neil sits back thoughtfully and undoes his scarf, as the WAITRESS approaches them with plates.

NEIL
(slowly)
...So Christian plays better on The Lake's Tele.

The guys all look at each other, Christian a bit sheepish.

CHRISTIAN
It's not like it's magic or anything. It's still me.

The Waitress sets their food down in front of them. Todd's Blackberry suddenly rings and he snatches it up.

TODD
Yeah? Hey, Maxwell, what's up?

JOHN
It's Maxie...

NEIL
I'm sure he saw the blogs.

TODD
Uh huh... Oh. Uh huh...

Christian watches him carefully and the other guys dig into their food.

TODD
Yeah. Yeah, he wants to keep playing it.

The guys all look up again. Christian looks worried.

JOHN
The Lake called the label?!

TODD
Uh huh, well, I think I should show you something, Max. Go online, and go to elbo.ws...

Christian smiles, relaxes, and starts to eat.

EXT. DESERT-LIKE HIGHWAY -- DAY

AERIAL SHOT of The Lake's bus driving along, Deerhoof's "Green Cosmos" playing.

GRETA
So why did you guys call yourselves The Lake?

MICAH
Why did you call yourselves The Lake?

INT. THE LAKE VAN -- CONTINUOUS

Greta laughs at Micah, who grins next to her in the backseat. Sylus is driving this time with Tim in the passenger seat.

TIM
You'll have to excuse him, he's not housebroken.

GRETA
We named ourselves after the Silver Lake reservior, thank you very much.

MICAH
Oh. Well, we named ourselves after... Sylus, why the hell did we pick that one again?

SYLUS
My family used to go fishing at this little lake on the edge of my grandparents' land. It was good times.

TIM
(magic of fact)
Sylus is very nostalgic.

SYLUS
(grinning)
I'm sure she's figured that out. None of us would be here if I wasn't...

GRETA
Better to be named after a real lake than a reservoir, I guess. Anne came up with it - she lives right near it.

SYLUS
How many people write for the blog?

GRETA
Four of us. That guy Peter you met and Simon and Anne, who both write for LAist sometimes, and LA Alternative. Peter doesn't really do much else... I think he lives on ramen and cereal.

TIM
He seemed like a nervous little guy...

GRETA
He's going to turn this whole trip into a big story. I should probably take some pictures to chronicle our "adventures".

TIM
A big story for the blog? You're going to write about it?

GRETA
Not just the blog, I guess. He's gonna pitch it to Filter or Pitchfork or something.

SYLUS, TIM
Really??!

GRETA
(startled)
I mean, they might not go for it...

TIM
But that's great! Even if no one picks it up, they'll still have heard of us.

GRETA
That's true. Yeah, actually...
(light dawning)
Actually, this is a good thing.
(slowly)
I mean..this might even be the best thing that could possibly happen...

TIM
We're "creating awareness".

GRETA
Even for me. I'd get photo credit.

SYLUS
No shit! That's true.

MICAH
So that's why this happened?? Is this Fate?

SYLUS
No, it happened because you gave away my damn guitar.

MICAH
But still, I'm totally and completely responsible if we get signed over this.

TIM
Right, you and Christian.

Sylus glances at Greta in the rearview mirror, and gives her a small, hopeful smile. She smiles back.