FADE IN:

INT. NICK'S HOUSE -- AFTERNOON

In a raggedy, soda-strewn living room, a game of Axis&Allies, a miniaturized recreation of World War 2, rages between six friends. They are shaggy, unkempt, all aged 23+, the guys sporting pre-adolescent peach fuzz. NICK and GLORIA sit close as ZEKE moves the plastic German Nazi military into Africa. CIRCLING them, MARUJA ravenously photographs. She is a punk, Latina, dreaded hair, black clothing, and pounces around the table. She grabs every detail as the OPENING CREDITS ROLL, even photographing the Dr.Peppers littered everywhere, capturing the chips, dip, and ashtrays.

INT. MARUJA'S HOUSE -- NIGHT

Maruja is laying stomach first on her bed, resting next to MANUEL, her boyfriend. He too is punk and Latin, except his clothes just seem a little too tight, loose, or just janky. They flip through her Axis&Allies photos.

MANUEL

You're into that shit? That crazy subculture shit.

MARUJA

Nerdy kids are weird.

MANUEL

(getting up)

It's stoopid.

MARUJA

Why, just cuz you're not into it?

MANUEL

(giggling)

Fucking right-wing bastards.

MARUJA

You know what's crazy? The Jewish guy was playing Germany and was plowing through Africa. He was getting off on it.

MANUEL

(moving off-screen)

Like Apocalypse Now!

INT. RAJ'S HOUSE -- DAY

College age punks hang at RAJ's place. Raj is a kickback punk, stylin' his non-style. Smoking, listening to music, eating vegan finger foods, Raj, PETER, and STACEY kick it at the kitchen table. Manuel and KEVIN play Playstation while two other punks lounge, standing ogrely in the kitchen. Maruja takes photos like it's going out of style. Raj waves Maruja over.

RAJ

(posing)

Hey Maru. Call this picture "Punko".

MARUJA

Why? Just cuz I'm Latin?

RAJ

Naw! I just meant...

PETER

Fuck, you got fucked!

STACEY

Raj, you're turning into James Stimpson.

RAJ

Naw, fuck that.

MARUJA

Fucking Governor Stimpson.

MANUEL

Hey, Stimpson's coming to San Jo.

RAJ

When?

MANUEL

Tomorrow I think. Where you been?

RAJ

Dude, we should go out there and shoot the motherfucker.

PETER

We should protest. Get some picketers.

RAJ

Fuck you picketing! I said let's motherfucking shoot the motherfucker.

MARUJA

Let's go to jail!

RAJ

I'll be like Mumia and shit.

MARUJA

Free Raj!

PETER

That’s fucked up.

RAJ

So.

Kevin gets up from his playstation game and enters the kitchen.

KEVIN

I already got a method to the assassination.

Kevin pulls out a set of knives and religiously positions them in front of him at the dinner table.

RAJ

(smirking)

What? Are you going to carve him?

KEVIN

Five knives.

(holds up his hand)

Five fingers. A knife for each finger. And you hide that shit right here.

(puts a blade in his pant pocket)

And you go like that, right?

(extends blade)

Then you bring it back in. Five fingers, five blades.

INT. NICK'S HOUSE -- EVENING

The gaming crew again gather at Nick's home, getting drunk on Dr. Pepper and Chee-Tos. Maruja lounges in the corner with her camera in hand. Nick moves his Russian soldiers into China.

MARUJA

So what's happened since yesterday?

ZEKE

I rammed through Africa and took over Northern Russia.

Maruja laughs.

NICK

Goddamn kraut.

Gloria turns around and makes a funny face at Maruja.

GLORIA

(to Maruja)

Wanna take over for me?

MARUJA

(smiling)

No. It doesn't look fun.

GLORIA

Of course it doesn't, cuz it isn't. You look bored. What's wrong?

MARUJA

I don't know. Maybe you should ask me "What's right?"

GLORIA

Oh, I like this game. It's the twisting-the-words game. Okay, "right what's wrong...what's?"

Maruja and Gloria giggle.

GLORIA

I've got some stuff, pictures and stuff at home. I'll show them to you one day, soon.

Maru nods her head.

NICK

(o.s.)

Oh shit!

Nick finger stretches out at the TV screen. On TV, chaos ensues.

NICK

They shot fucking Stimpson.

MARUJA

Is that downtown?

ZEKE

He didn't get shot. He had a heart attack.

GLORIA

Awesome!

NICK

Stimpson is fucked!

A cheer erupts. Gloria and Maru smile and laugh.

EXT. STREET CORNER -- DAY

Maruja and Manuel are eating on the stoop outside of their apartment. Cars rush by, as the sounds of downtown dot their conversation.

MARUJA

I'm going to Gloria's later.

MANUEL

Man, I really want to do something.

MARUJA

Come with us then. It'll be fun. We're gonna look at some of her art or something.

MANUEL

No, I mean really do something. Big. Like superpolitical.

MARUJA

(frowning)

Start small, work your way out.

MANUEL

I mean, like, I should've been in downtown yesterday...sniper and shit. Me and Raj were going to go...but whatever. Go out there and fuck shit up. Make some change. Kill some Republicans...I'm just kidding. But like direct action. Fuck it all up. Knock out some electricity, you know?

INT. MARUJA'S HOUSE -- AFTERNOON

Maruja takes pictures in and around her house. She photographs a potted plant, her TV, and the mirror. She comes across a light socket with a cord. She photographs the socket, then the cord. She works her way up the cord and photographs the C-stand and then the fresnel spotlight on top. She turns toward our camera and takes a photo of it.

INT. GLORIA'S HOUSE -- LATER

Gloria's house is a funky mix of contemporary and pop art, bright and full of eclectic mementos. Across her card table, Maruja lays out her photographs from the room. We PAN across the photographs (the TV, the mirror, the socket, the spotlights, and three crewmembers) as Maruja and Gloria examine them.

GLORIA

An extension cord? A deconstruction of the postmodern condition through an extratextual use of extension cords and light sockets.

MARUJA

I try to think in black and white, even though I dream in color. Where's your stuff?

GLORIA

It's not that good. It's kind of lame.

Gloria goes to her bedroom, leaving Maruja and her photographs.

MARUJA

Gloria...are you an optimist or a pessimist?

GLORIA

I'm an optician...and a pest.

MARUJA

I think I'm a pessimistic optimist.

Gloria re-enters the living room with her art/photos.

GLORIA

Like you think shitty things will happen so...

MARUJA

...so when things go bad, I'm not surprised, and when they go my way, I'm happy.

Gloria shows Maruja a hideously muddled, yet entrancing set of posters with photographic images on them.

GLORIA

Check it out. These are photos of paintings of photos of photos of paintings.

MARUJA

Photos of paintings...

GLORIA

...of photos of photos of photos of paintings. No, of photos of photos of paintings. I'm all about reproduction, baby. Get it? Concept hides my lack of talent.

MARUJA

Bullshit.

GLORIA

Bullspit.

MARUJA

Let me photograph them one more time. Add another layer.

GLORIA

Wow. Photos of photos of paintings of photos of photos of paintings.

MARUJA

Or whatever.

Maruja takes photographs of the art/photos/things as CREDITS ROLL.