Panel A: It’s Saturday night in the Entrance floor of Webster Hall. The room contains over one hundred people including Swati, Sony, and I. Music is played throughout the whole floor.
Swati: “You ready to have some fun Sony? What do you want to do first, get a drink or dance?”
Sony: “I don’t mind either way”.
Me: “Let’s start dancing and then we will eventually get thirsty enough to get a drink. And plus, the music sounds great. Which floor do you want to go to, hip-hop, pop, or salsa?
Sony: “Pop.”
Swati: “Hip-hop. But since Sony has never been here, let’s go to the dance floor he wants to.
Panel B: All three of us are in the level floor. Lights are flashing across the room, pumping music, and a not-so-crowded floor. Sony doesn’t move an inch, all he does is look around the large dance floor.
Swati: “Why aren’t you both dancing?
Me: “I don’t like or know this song. If I don’t know a song, I don’t feel comfortable dancing.
Sony: “I don’t know.”
Swati: “Ok, fine, then let’s go get a drink.”
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Panel C: At the bar, we each get a drink and decide to go downstairs to the hip-hop floor. This floor is darker and everyone is literally on top of each other. “The Way I Are” by Timbaland starts playing.
Swati: “Come on guys, the music is great and everyone is on the dance floor”.
Me: “I love this song! Let’s dance”.
Sony: “Ha ha”.
Panel D: Within the next half hour, the entire room on the hip-hop floor is dancing, including Swati, Sony, and I. Sony’s hand is going up my legs. I push it away. His face is on my neck. His hands come up towards my chest. I’m ready to curse him out. If I wanted someone groping on me, I would have danced with a stranger. I thought I would feel more comfortable and less worried dancing with Sony. I am now trying to think of an excuse.
Me: “Hey, I’m going to go to the bathroom. Swati, come with me please”.
Swati: “Wow, I’m having a great time. The guy I just met knows how to dance! Are you having fun?”
Me: “Yea I am, but if Sony’s hand goes down my body one more time, I’m going to find a way to stop dancing with him!”
Swati: “What do you mean? He looks like he’s having a great time with you. Especially since he’s here with the girl he likes!”
Me: “Ok, so he doesn’t have to be touchy-feely, he’s my friend and I feel awkward when he does that.”
Swati: “Try to hold his hand somehow and see what happens.”
Panel E: Swati has gone upstairs to the Latin floor with the guy she met at the club. Sony and I decide to go upstairs again. I see a few empty seats and decide this is one way I can avoid dancing with him. I nod at him pointing to the seats and go to sit down. I didn’t want to make it uncomfortable, so I tried to make conversation with him.
Sony: “Let’s go dance”.
Me: “No, I want a break. I’m sweating and tired as well. Its 2 A.M. let me take a breather. Are you having fun?”
Sony: “Yea, it’s cool. I like this floor, the pop music. I like the beat to the music.”
Me: “Would you come back here again?
Sony: “Yea I would.
Interesting story. Does seem to have drifted from the comic script convention in that it uses the first person and a standard storytelling format where it should have given panel descriptions. I think most readers will 'get it' overall, but it's also interesting to note that it allows you to stay outside the realm of the purely visual (a place most writers are a little uncomfortable). As you move on with other exercises and assignments in the class, keep trying to push toward the visual and see if you don't find it rewarding (and then abandon it, if you don't).
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