INT. JOAQUIN'S ROOM -- MORNING
Still groggy, Joaquin hobbles over to his telephone still in the same clothes as the night before.
JOAQUIN
Go better wash my face first.
He goes to wash his face.
He comes back and sits by the phone. He tugs on his collar.
Joaquin puffs out his cheeks and lets loose a series of staggered breaths.
He picks up the phone and dials.
JOAQUIN
Hi Vanessa, it's Joaquin. (pause) Good. (pause) Yeah I'll be there. (pause) Cool.(pause) Noon by a purple dragon bus. (pause) I'll find it. Can't wait to see you. (pause) Oh yeah. Peace.
EXT. BANK-PARKING LOT-MORNING
July 2, 1989. Joaquin walks out of the bank and stuffs an cash envelope in his pocket. He heads for a white 1967 Volkswagen bus. He gets in.
BUS
Mike is at the wheel and Joaquin, looking very excited, bounces in the passenger seat.
JOAQUIN
Got it. All my cash.
MIKE
Right on. Let's get Topher.
The bus pulls out on to a busy main street. The bus is slow and cars honk their annoyance.
MIKE
Yeah I know. We're slow.
JOAQUIN
All in a rush to get nowhere. Where are your bootlegs? Want to put in some music.
MIKE
Got a box in the back. Wait until we get Topher though. I don't want you dropping the box and getting them out of order.
JOAQUIN
Jeez dude, how many bootlegs do you have anyway?
MIKE
About three hundred.
JOAQUIN
Do you even own any Dead studio albums?
MIKE
Not one.
They pull onto a narrow street loaded with Cape Cod style houses one right next to the other.
MIKE
Sure everything's cool with you and your parents?
JOAQUIN
The camping, Appalachian trail thing, worked perfect. Shit, they wouldn't notice if I was gone anyway.
MIKE
Rough stuff you're going through but believe me man, divorce is better. My parents hated each other.
JOAQUIN
YOU ARE READING
Long Strange Trip
General FictionA screenplay based on my adventures going on Grateful Dead tour as a 16 year old. Based on true events but none of it is real. Format is a bit odd since the system doesn't accept the proper screenplay layout. Reads more like an epic free verse poem...
