EXT. LUNERA HOTEL – NIGHT

The bus comes to a halt in front of the Lunera Hotel, a sizable building several stories tall. Quite plain in its blocky shape, with grey bricks and white trim, only an illuminated sign on the front catches the eye. The tourists climb out, gather on the sidewalk and in the yard, then wheel their luggage down the path to the doors.

INT. LOBBY

The lobby is quaint, tropically decorated, and brown-paneled. It looks like any hotel you've ever been to, if not a little small and cramped.

Hertz
I'll get our rooms booked. Harley, Turp, you want one bed or two?

Turp
(Smarmy.) Ah, well, no sense in breaking the bank, ol' dad. One bed oughta do just fine, if ya know what I mean.

Harley
Two beds, please. I need a blanket to myself, and some room to roll around at night. Turp always steals the sheets at night.

Turp
(Indignant.) I do not!

Harley
(Kissing his cheek.) Relax, we're still sharing a room.

Hertz
(Shaking his head.) Great, well, that's why I asked. Gavri, you're sharing with Callie.

Callie's jaw hangs open, and her brows furrow.

Callie
(Shocked.) What?! Why?!

Gavri
We can get two single-bed rooms, it's not a problem-

Hertz
Actually, it is. Two beds for Harley and Turp is a price bump, I'm operating on a budget here. I'm getting my own room too, which means you two have to share one. I have to save for the wedding, remember?

Callie
(Angry.) Fine. Get us a two-bed, then. Maybe ask for one that's orthopedic.

Hertz
Do you have back problems or something?

Callie
No, it's for Gavri, cause he's spineless.

Hertz
(Laughing.) Ahaha! Yeah, I just might. That's a good one.

Callie glares at Gavri, and takes her suitcase and storms to the sitting area, and flops into a chair, obviously pissed off. Hertz goes to the counter, to check out rooms. Gavri stands in the lobby by himself, everyone else having gone somewhere.

Gavri
(Nervous.) ...yeah, that's... fine.

INT. TURP & HARLEY'S ROOM

Harley is trying to get a luggage cart through the door. She looks to Turp for help, and he's already crashed in bed, still dressed in his pleated suit.

Turp
I don't think you're supposed to bring those in here, love.

She sighs.

INT. HALLWAY

In the hall outside Hertz's room, Hertz walks in and shuts the door, leaving the viewpoint outside, unable to peer in.

INT. GAVRI & CALLIE'S ROOM

In Gavri and Callie's room, Gavri has already changed into his pajamas, and is brushing his teeth in the bathroom. He spits, and returns to the main room of the suite. There, two beds lay separated by one nightstand. Callie sits on one of them, still in her day clothes (a leather jacket, blouse, and jeans), next to Gavri's suitcase.

Gavri
Oh, my bad. I didn't realize you wanted that one. I'll move.

Gavri goes to grab his suitcase, and Callie grabs him by the shirt and pins him down to the bed. She stares at him, expecting something.

Gavri
If you're gonna hit me, get on with it.

Callie
(Confused.) What?

Gavri
You're upset we're sharing a room. You were always popular in school, I was a loser. You hate me, so you're gonna stomp on me or hit me. I'm just saying, get it over with.

Callie
(Angry.) Yes, that's exactly it.

Callie slaps him on the face and stands up. He winces, slightly, but is unphased. He lets out a deep breath, and shifts his legs onto the bed, around his suitcase.

Callie
As usual, you're no fun. As if you'd be in any position to pass me up if I was really interested.

Gavri
(Unmoving.) What's that supposed to mean?

Callie
Of course you were a loser in school, you were always by yourself, being a loner. Not in the cool hot way, like Torrin, but like a little freak.

Gavri
I'm friends with that guy, we work in the same building now.

Callie opens up her suitcase, and starts sorting through her belongings, to put into the small hotel dresser on her side of the room. She takes clothes out, and slaps them down onto the bed.

Callie
Unlike him, you've probably never even held a girl's hand before.

Gavri
That is true. I've danced with girls, though.

Callie
Yeah, we all saw that. You were dancing with Sausage Girl, Susaliet. How'd she smell?

REEL CHANGE: 
INT. SCHOOL GYMNASIUM,
MOONSHINE, BC
Three Years Ago...

At a school dance, with spotted lights and blue curtains on the walls, a slow jazz band plays. Gavri is dancing with a rotund and puffy-limbed girl of curly hair, but can't find her waist-line, because she doesn't really have one. She looks at him, face down at her body, and gets angry.

Susaliet
(Offended.) Are you staring at my boobs?

Gavri
(Blunt.) Frankly, I'm really not.

Susaliet
(Snobby.) Forget it, I'll dance with someone else.

Gavri lets go, and shakes his head. Callie stares at him, holding a red cup.

REEL RETURN

Gavri
Like meat. At least I can respect personal space.

Callie
(Dryly.) Haha, that's because ALL your space is personal space.

Callie drags a luggage cart in from the hall, and puts it between their beds. She takes a sheet from her bed, just the top layer of two, and hangs it over the cart. The makeshift divider obscures view of one another, at least while lying down.

Callie
(Warning.) I don't want you staring at me in your sleep like a creep, alright?

Gavri
(Nonchalant.) Only if you promise me back.

Callie
(Threatening with resolution.) I'm gonna find a beach hunk on this trip, so don't touch me or I'll get him to kick your little geek ass.

Gavri
And stand in the way of love? Wouldn't dream of it.

Gavri turns to his side in bed, eyes open, staring through the window. It takes up a good part of the wall, but at the moment, can only show Gavri his own reflection, and Callie from above the luggage cart. She walks into the bathroom with clothes, and comes back changed into pajamas. She turns off the lamp, and Gavri's view instantly changes, like a channel on TV. His eyes refocus on the beach below, with palm trees between patches of grass and shrubbery. The ocean glitters black under a waxing crescent moon. As Gavri drifts off to sleep, the film reel starts to slip off its wheel. It looks as if the reel is about to change to another, but it doesn't. One second it's going wild, the next-

EXT. LUNERA HOTEL – DAY
The Next Morning

The film immediately cuts to the next day, the reel perfectly settled as though it had been for a minute, and we've only just joined in to see it. It's bright and sunny outside.

INT. HOTEL DINING HALL

A man at the buffet table drizzles syrup on his pancakes and melon slices, before adding eggs and bacon to his plate. The man is Heinz Astor, skinny and tall with gently wrinkled skin, frayed white hair, and a party-time dance in his step. His sun-tan stops just around his aviator sunglasses, which rest under his visor. He looks just a little too thin for his red Hawaiian shirt, white shorts, and sandals, his fanny pack out front acting as a makeshift waist-belt. He looks at the entrance to see his son Hertz, and his dance drops for just a moment. He picks it up, waves Hertz over, and sits him down at a table. Harley, Turp, Gavri and Callie follow Hertz in. Harley goes straight to the table, but the rest get in line for breakfast.

Callie
(To Gavri.) Get Harley's plate first, then come back and get your own.

Gavri
Why?

Callie
Because she expects it, at the unconscious level, and my hands are full. It'd be like waking a sleep-walker.

Gavri watches Turp grab a tong-ful of bacon, and cover it in honey mustard.

Gavri
Yeah, alright.

Back at the table...

Heinz
(Curt.) Herzog.

Hertz
(Hurt.) Heinz.

Heinz
(Angry, but subdued.) Nice to see you again after twenty years. How's your room?

Hertz
(Sarcastic, but subdued.) It's nice, how's yours? You get a good view from the top of the world?

Heinz's voice, wispy but firm, seems to make Hertz wilt at the edges. Hertz's strong tones come out meek as usual.

Heinz
(Snide.) I don't sleep here, I'm not a tourist. See that skyscraper out the window?

Heinz points to the large, panoramic window, with a view of the whole town. One figure stands out: an ominous white tower, with rounded marble sheets contouring limestone balconies, divided by black aluminum window frames. It's like something from another world, over the small shanty houses and dated red-brick main street. The windows reflect the sky, much like Heinz's aviators, as if the building itself can't see Star Bay below it.

Heinz
(Smugly proud.) I sleep at the top of that baby. That's my company's new base of operations, for the last ten years.

Heinz takes a bottle of ketchup, and pours some over his eggs. He adds a shake of pepper.

Heinz
So, you still have my last name, or did you drop it somewhere?

Hertz
You SAW it in the paper-

Heinz
(Flippantly accusant.) I just thought between then and now, maybe at the airport-

Hertz
(Burning with proud anger.) You know what, I've lived a meaningful life as a high-school chemistry teacher. Unlike you, I actually put in the effort to impart my knowledge to future generations to THEY can succeed, too. You may be able to hoard everything you know, but even the shadow of your '"'legacy' can't take THAT from me.

Heinz
(Cutting pancakes and taking a bite.) I hear you burned a kid. Harley, is that true?

Hertz
(Flippantly resignant.) For the love of-

Harley
(Flippantly uncaring.) I think so, I wasn't there. I had Mrs. Bjerke for Science, the older one.

Head resting in her hands, elbows on the table, Harley barely registers as Gavri slides a plate of food in front of her, melons arranged in a circle around gently-glazed pancakes with a cube of butter on top, and bacon strips tucked between each pancake. The eggs arrive a moment later, on a separate smaller dish, with a dipping style side of ketchup. The whole time, arms can be seen from just out of frame, acting on behalf of Harley, who remains the focal point. She sleepily takes a fork and knife, and starts sawing into the stack. Lastly, a mug of coffee, white and sweet.

Heinz
Mrs. Bjerke, you mean Brynilda! Where is she, could they make it? Is Macrauly sleeping in? That old caveman always loves to crash until three in the afternoon.

Turp sits down, with a messy pile of everything. Ketchup, syrup and mustard are painted wherever they could land.

Turp
Mom and Dad are in the states, I'm afraid. Not this one, of course.

Heinz lifts up his glasses onto his visor, revealing soft grey eyes, with deep crow's feet.

Heinz
(Fascinated.) YOU'RE their son? Well, aren't you a sight! Strong jaw, wide shoulders, blond hair, fat as a gorilla... you're like an aryan yeti!

Turp
(Eating a forkful of bacon.) Why thank you.

Gavri
(Laughing cautiously.) The aryan überyeti, huh? I'd better watch out.

Harley
(Uncurious.) Why's that?

Callie
Gavri's grandmother was Jewish.

Turp
(Magnanimous.) As the superior race, I've decided to be lenient on your kind. You've suffered enough, these past few wars. I hereby apologize on behalf of my people.

Gavri
(Shaking his head, with a disimpressed grin.) How benevolent of you. What about the rest of history?

Turp
(Finished caring.) I dunno, I wasn't there.

Heinz
(To Harley.) Great job, sweetie. He's a God damn treasure, he'll make a great father.

Harley
(Munching melon.) You mean 'husband.'

Heinz
Right, husband. And thank God he's not related!

Callie sits down with a coffee in one hand, and a plate of eggs and bacon in the other, with ketchup. No pancakes, no fruit.

Hertz
(Hanging his head on the table.) Oh, here we go again.

Heinz points a cut of pancake around on his fork, while chewing.

Heinz
(Mouth full.) Well, little miss, your friend Harley is perfect in every way, which is a MIRACLE considering her parents are both MY KIDS.

Heinz eagle-eyes Hertz, who refuses to meet his gaze. Hertz shakes his head.

Hertz
It was Halfrid's idea! She made me do it!

Heinz
TWICE?

Hertz
(Relenting.) No, only the first time.

Harley chews into a bite of pancakes, and crunches on the bacon bits inside.

Harley
(Grinning.) I was the planned one. Hubert was the accident.

Gavri sits down with a plate of melons, pineapple, and jelly on toast, with a glass of orange juice.

Heinz
Jeez, no pancakes for the tagalong couple, huh? You guys just not hungry?

Callie
Nah, not right now.

Callie does a double-take, and looks to Harley.

Callie
(Disturbed.) Did he just say your parents are siblings?

Harley
(Shrugging.) I thought I told you a couple of times.

Callie
(Frowning.) I thought you were joking.

Heinz
(To Callie, then Gavri.) So did I. What about you, kid? No pancakes?

Gavri
I can't eat anyone else's pancakes, there's always eggs in them.

Heinz
And?

Gavri shrugs.

Gavri
(Trying to play it casually.) It's breakfast, I don't do animal protein until lunch. And I use a family recipe. They make it differently in Western Asia, it's all bean starch.

Heinz
(Squints, but he's laughing.) Weirdo.

Gavri side-frowns, and sips his juice to wash down some food.

Hertz
(Standing up.) WELL, I can see how the rest of this is gonna go, so I'm just gonna head back to my room.

Hertz walks out of the room, angry and defeated.

Heinz
(After him.) Don't get lost, and don't touch the mini-fridge. I'll know, I own this place. These people work for me.

Turp
Hey, Gavri.

Gavri
What?

Turp points to a sticky spot on his shirt.

Turp
(Lisping.) THUROP hath thome THYRUP on hith THIRT. Hahaha!

Turp laughs, and Gavri tries not to.

Gavri
(Cracking up, he sips again.) I thought your name was 'Turp', like terpentine.

Turp
(Smiling back, still lisping.) Well 'Turp' doethn't rhyme with 'thyrup', doth it, guvna?

Gavri and Turp let out some quiet laughter, while Heinz looks on, mostly at Turp.

Heinz
(Amazed.) What a beautiful man.