" Band!" " What?" " Hut two hut!" " Command, sir!" " Band!" " What?" " Are you motivated?" " Yes, sir!" "Warm up." "Five, six, seven, eight..." "Pick it up, let's go." "Pick it up." "Rock!" "It's not tight enough, drummers." "Play louder, let's go." "Hands down to your side." "Juan, look forward." "Warm up." "Five, six, seven, eight..." "Tighten it up, let's go!" "Drummers, what's going on over here?" "It looks like garbage, let's go." "Five, six, seven, eight..." "Pick it up, let's go, pick it up!" "Higher, higher!" "Don't look down, pick it up!" "Check boom, check boom!" "See you tomorrow." "Okay." "Peace, Michelle." " She is mad funny." " I know it." "Peace, Cam." "All right." "Yo, Lanisha, what's up with that?" "Now he's coming with some stupid shit about how he wants to slow things down." " Serious?" " Serious." "And how maybe we should try seeing other people and some stupid shit." "He said that to you?" "Lanisha, come on, you're so..." "He said that to you?" "You need to just forget about him, you know what I'm saying?" "He ain't that special himself, shoot." "Well, he's special to me." "Well, maybe it's for the best." " You know, keep you outta trouble." " Ain't no trouble, Joy." "I like him, and I want him to show that he likes me, too." "Period." "I think it's 'cause he just wants to break up with you for this week." "He won't have to get you a birthday present, then he's gonna want you back next week." "I need a drink of water." "I'm gonna wash my hands." "I'll be back." "You guys ready yet?" "Come on, Lanisha, cheer up." "You gonna have a birthday party?" "I don't think I wanna have a party." "All that trouble." "Your party was nice, though." "All those lights they put up." "Yeah, it was dope, right?" "I'm gonna have a big-ass party when I turn 16." "I'm gonna rent out a club and have a DJ." "You could have it on a boat, like a birthday cruise." "Titanic." "Or have it in the biggest hotel in Manhattan with a fountain filled with champagne." "You need to have it in a limo with the pool in the back." " That's phat." " Yeah." "Maria would probably have some male strippers all..." "Now that sounds good!" "They all jump out of the pool and they have G-strings on, and shaking their booties." " I'm gonna grab one of them." " Yeah, you would, nasty." "Or we could go on a balloon." "Like a hot-air balloon?" "Yeah, we could look down and see the trees, and cows, and grass and..." "Maria, how's everybody gonna fit in the balloon?" " We just get in there." " Cuckoo." "We just get in there and we can look at all that stuff down like the beautiful stuff." "I guess." "Hey, girlie, what's up?" " What up, kid?" " Nothing and everything, you know." " Just trying to stay cool in this heat." " Word, I hear that." "Hey, Samson, what's happenin', son?" " He's getting big!" " Tell me about it." " Come over here, Samson." " Eleanor, how's Ziggy doing?" " Y'all didn't hear about Ziggy?" " What?" "Motherfucker got locked up." " Stop lyin'." " It's true." "I told him stop dealing out of the apartment, but he don't listen." ""I'm just selling weed." "I don't wanna be out on the street..." ""...with all those roughnecks selling crack and smack and what have you."" "So now they're telling me maybe I'll get evicted 'cause of my apartment being used." " Insane." "He got locked up for selling weed?" " Yeah." "But check it out though, on top of all this, this school shit happens." "My new school won't have no daycare like the old one." " What school shit?" " The asbestos they had found." "What asbestos?" "What are you talking about?" "They're closing our school." "Y'all didn't know about this?" " Damn." " For real." "And then I called, and they say my new school is 114 way the fuck up in Queens." "I gotta take a bus to the G train and then another bus, for like an hour and a half altogether." "I ain't taking' no train and two buses to go to school." "Be three hours everyday." "Forget about that." "I can't believe it." "What do they expect you to do?" "They're telling you all this time, "Stay in school."" "You doin' the best you can with your baby." "They gonna fuck you up like this?" "You know, some days are better than others, you know what I'm saying?" " Samson!" " No!" "Didn't I tell you to hang onto that?" "Why you can't do the simplest little thing?" "Motherfucker, get up here!" " Leave me alone!" " You want another lollipop?" "All right then." "It's lollipop time." "One good thing in the world, when it'll stay in his mouth!" " I'll check y'all later." " All right." "You wanna cry like a baby?" "I'll put you down right here." "You can walk." "What's he gonna do now, without his daddy around?" "That shit is so fucked up." "Yeah, right." "I'm saying." "I can't believe they're closing the school." "We've probably been breathing asbestos this whole time." "Maria, look, you could be out in the street in front of all these people who don't understand what you're saying." "Yeah." "Like, I could say, "Maria..." ""...my true love." ""I'm lost without you."" "Whatever you're saying, I don't care." "Maria, I just said, "My true love, I'm lost without you."" "You better get lost with that shit." "Fine." "Whatever." "If you don't care, I don't care." "Just 'cause no one in the band speaks Spanish we could be sayin' whatever we want in front of all of them." "Well the only thing I wanna learn to say is some bad words." "Like to that boy who's always stepping on my feet and bumping me." "Ryan?" "I wanna tell him, "Step off."" ""Step off"?" "That's like slang, but you could say:" ""Get outta here."" " That's good, that means, "Get outta here." - "Get outta here."" "That's all right. "Get outta here."" "Lt'll be like our own secret code." " All right, steppers." "Do your thing, girls." " Thanks, ma'am." "At least we're getting more nasty." "That's better." "You wanna get real nasty?" "You could say, "Eat my pussy, asshole."" "I know "culo."" "Go ahead, try it." ""Eat my pussy, asshole."" "But louder." ""Eat my pussy, asshole!"" "What?" "You just said, "Eat my pussy, asshole."" " That is nasty." " You wanted to learn something nasty." "I know, but that's bad." "Whatever, you know you like saying it." "You know you do." "Eat my pussy, asshole!" "Hey, come over here!" "Maria!" "Come here, come tell me what that means." "Don't move!" "Look where you're standing, Alistair." "The horn players, face me." "All right, remember no performances tomorrow or Sunday but we're back here on Monday at 9:00 a.m." "I'll be around all weekend, anybody need anything, give me a call." "Drummers, the beat was very sloppy." "We need to work on that new beat." "Rasheed, make sure you talk to them, get them ready for Labor Day." "Fall out." "The horn, look out." "Hey, Keisha." "Hey, Kim." "What up, yo?" "Check it out, check that girl out." "It looks like she got electrocuted or something." "Joy, that kind of looks like you, first thing in the morning." "It's true, you know it." "My hair ain't never looked like that." "Except when Lanisha burns it up with the hot comb." "She's breakin' your whole "steelo"." "Hey, Ma." "Hey, baby." "Come on, Lanisha, I was over for the game." " Yeah, but that was three weeks ago." " I'm trying to hold up two jobs, Lani." "I got zero nights off this week." "I'll be there for your birthday, you bet." "Is Cam gonna be there?" "I don't think so." "What up?" "Y'all ain't hanging out?" "We're taking a break right now." " It's hot." " Yeah, don't I know it." "The a.c. Ain't on." " This your daughter?" " Yeah it is." "Lanisha, meet Benjamin." " Pleased to meet you, Lanisha." " Pleased to meet you." "Pops here told me all about you." "Says you're a hell of a drummer." "Max Roach is the cat you ought to be listening to." " That's my man." "Right, Carl?" " Yeah, he is." "Cat had style." "You know what I'm saying?" "I say it like, he was slinky." " Couldn't nobody compare with Max Roach." " Yeah, that's true." "Elvin Jones?" "Excuse me." "Elvin Jones!" "You know your stuff, young lady." "She's been listening to them since before she could walk." "All right." "Your pops been teaching you right." "It's nice to meet you, Lanisha." "Nice to meet you, too." "I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow night for a few friendly rounds of poker." "Yeah, right." "I'm bringing the wings, Jimmy's bringing beer and you bring all your money, so I can take it from you." "All right." "Good night." "Cornbread's still hot." "How's things at the bakery?" "They're all right." "Slow." "School's closing." "Say what?" "This came today." "They got asbestos in it, so we all gotta go to different schools next year." "Your mom know about this?" "She said she would talk to you." "Did she say..." "You got any idea what you wanna do?" "Better school, hopefully." "I gotta go somewhere." "Off the top of my head, I gotta talk it over with your mom first, but maybe I can get you in at the school over by me." "What is it, 122?" "That's a good school?" "So I hear." "I think they've even got a band room." "Word?" "I'll go by tomorrow and see what I can find out." "I just hope you kids ain't been exposed to this asbestos in the meantime." "I feel all right." "Dad..." "Yeah, Keisha trained me on the flags and I'll always be grateful for that." "But time must go on and someday, I'll be able to lead the squad as good as she did." "Me and Kim." "I feel that I'm very motivated." "I get what I want through hard work and determination." "I like to hang around with the girls around the hood you know, keeping it real, representing and such." "Poems..." "I like to introspect and express my inner feelings about things." "You wanna hear one of my poems?" "Let's see..." "I think this one got printed in a issue of Vibe last year so it should be familiar to some of the fans out there." ""Sometimes it seems like the world is trying to stop you" ""from achieving your hopes and wishes and dreams" ""And the girls in the hood, they all wanna top you" ""and you can't just figure out what all of this means" ""But reach for the sky, I know you could get there" ""and nothing or no one will get in your way" ""'Cause God is your strength, and the place where you can go" ""where troubles have answers, and night turns to day"" "Lanisha, I don't remember." " Lf you need help, ask me..." " Can you slow down?" "Can you slow down?" ""Ayuda"?" ""Ayuda" is "help."" "Yeah, I knew that." "Like, "You need help in your head." "Necesitas ayudar en la cabeza."" "I feel like I'm in school and shit." "No, 'cause in school they teach it to you so you don't learn nothing." "Right." "We should be in some movie then it be some white lady teacher come walking in the door and:" ""I'll teach you Spanish, you just gotta want to learn."" " Yeah, Michelle Pfeiffer." " Right, Michelle Pfeiffer." "Then, five minutes later, I'd be speaking Spanish like an expert and shit." "No problem." "You talk to Cam?" "I seen him." "Yesterday." "He was over by Bergen." "Well, did he talk to you?" "We seen each other." "He waved." "But he was all the way down the block and shit." "Probably going to the train." "Late for work, probably." "You feel sad?" "Just thinking." "Maria, that shirt is too big for you." "I like it." "It's good baggy like that." "In that style?" "Yo, come on, let's go." "Come on." "I don't see nothing in here that I like." "Let's go by the other store." "I think they've got what I'm looking for." "Better prices over there, anyway, this place is overpriced." " What you took?" " I'm not showing you." " Let's see." " Chicken." "Whatever." "I'm not taking my new shirt out in the rain." "What about yours?" " I'm not getting my shirt wet." " So why ask me to take out my shirt?" "Just 'cause you've got a new shirt don't mean you can leave your dirty clothes there like that." "Those are not my clothes, tell your mom to get her laundry." "Stop bugging." "I just threw up in my own mouth." "You are so nasty." "Get away from me." "Stay away from her bad breath." "Don't touch me with that nasty finger!" "Nasty!" "Where are you girls going?" "Out." "Out where?" "I don't want you in that park late at night..." "We're going to the movies." "Don't be out late." "Are you working in the morning?" "I got band practice." "I got off tomorrow." "Maria tells me you're working in a really nice store." "Yeah." "It's a nice store." "Expensive." "Maria, you should think of getting a better job like that with a better hourly wage." "If I get into this school in the Bronx for the next two years I'll be able to get a better education." "That way I could open my own store someday." "In case my singing career don't work out, I have something to fall back on." "So, you're moving to the Bronx?" "No, 'cause of the school closing down and all that." "What do you mean, "The school's closing and all that"?" "I guess you can request the school you want." "And that one over there is definitely better, for real." "My cousin goes there." "Maria, come here a minute." " What?" " Come here a minute." "It's got asbestos." "Why didn't you tell me?" "I didn't know." "What do you mean?" "You said it has asbestos." "How could you not know?" "Well, what are you gonna do about this?" "Maybe I'll go with Joy." "With Joy?" "To the Bronx?" "How do you plan on getting there every morning?" "You think the Bronx is around the corner?" "What are you gonna do, take a spaceship?" "It's not funny." "You know, I don't know how this is gonna help you anyway 'cause I need you around the house to help me with the bills." "All this time you're wasting, with your little flag waving and your stepping." "You should be stepping into a better job..." "Ma, we gotta go, we're late." "We'll miss the movie." "We're not finished talking." "I wanna talk to you later." "Fine." "Whatever." "Thanks for the cookies." "And don't be out late." "Did you take your keys?" "On some real shit, your mom is bugging!" "Boys!" "I just done finished cutting' up these here prunes." "I got the bowl, I got the spoon, I got a box of Shredded Wheat sitting over here." "Now don't make me wait all day for that milk, you good-for-nothing, lazy gangsters." " Shut up, you old dried-up titty cow." " Yeah, she look like she wanna cry." "How many times did I say don't talk about my mama like that." "You hear me?" "Ever." "Don't ever talk about her like that." "Don't you ever..." "I was talking about Bessie over here." "Besides, your mama's titties looking fine." "Say what?" "I'm gonna kick your ass." "Hey, Eleanor." "What's up?" "Staying out the sun, that's all." "Look at Samson, playing in the water." "Cute!" "Remember Joy's party?" "Yeah, I remember." "It was only two months ago." "So, I was with Terell after." "Terell?" "Yeah." "You was with Terell?" "There something wrong with that?" "Maria, there is nothing wrong with that." "Why didn't you tell me?" "I don't know." "Tell me now, tell me more, right now!" "It's like, now I'm pregnant." "Maria, that doesn't mean "embarrassed." "Embarazada" means you're pregnant." "You got nothing to be embarrassed about..." "I know the word." "I looked it up." "Shit." "You happy?" "Yeah." "You definitely sure?" "Of what?" "That you're pregnant." "I didn't get my thing for, like, twice so I did a test at home." "And there were two lines on the thermometer thing?" "You told Terell?" "I'm gonna, but I don't even wanna hear what he's gonna say." "True." "Well we gotta go to the clinic and get, like, a checkup." "I'm already worried he's gonna have asthma like me." "Or she's gonna." "Maria, you gotta think about this, you know." "Do what's best." "I know." " What?" " Band!" " Are you motivated?" " Yes, sir!" "Hold your head up." "Heels together." "Tie your shoes." " Mr. Harper, what are you doing?" " I got a dent, sir." " I see you got a dent, but what you doing?" " Trying to pop this dent." "Troy, look around you, please." " Tell me what you see." " I know, but yo, it won't pop..." "Twenty." " Come on, I'm just trying to pop the..." " Thirty." " Tyrone..." " Thirty!" "Dumb-ass." "Miss Hernandez..." "Maria, you're really disappointing me." "You know what you gotta do." "Twenty." "Look forward, Lanisha." " Band!" " What!" " Hut two hut!" " Command, sir!" " Are you motivated?" " Yes, sir!" " Band!" " What?" "Okay, guys, listen." "I'm not playing around anymore." "Y'all are really messing up." "If you want to look stupid, that's your business." "You the ones who have to march, not me." "We got a week until Labor Day, and y'all pick now to mess up?" "All the bands from all over are coming for you." "'Cause you're the best in New York." "They're all challenging us." "We gotta be prepared and ready to answer that challenge." "How are we gonna answer that challenge?" "A  M Two." "Five, six, seven, eight..." "That's how we answer the challenge." "Precise and tight." "That's how we do it." "I got an invitation this week." "I was gonna give a pizza to anybody who can guess where it's from." "But there's no way you're gonna guess this, so I'll save it for some other time." "Who wanna go to Alaska?" "Okay." "If we're going to Alaska, we gotta sound good." "I know the song is new, we just started learning it." "Give me Ooh, Child from the beginning." "Watch the tempo." "Five, six, seven, eight..." "What are y'all getting?" " Mochaccino in a cup with no sprinkles." " Yeah." "Mochaccino?" "What's that?" "Mochaccino." "It's like chocolate coffee." "You should get it." "It tastes good." "Next." " Mochaccino in a cup with no sprinkles." " Make two of those, please." "Small, medium, or large?" "Small." "Me, too." "Same thing." "What's up?" "You all right?" "Just a little tired." "Practice was hard today." "Yeah, I just hope we're ready for Labor Day so I can boogie on." "Yeah, but it's a lot of moves to remember." "Moves to remember?" "Stop fronting." "I'm saying, though, we gotta make sure we look good, for real." "Everything's gotta be perfect, shoes shined, pants creased, everything." " Can't go out there looking like no bums." " Yeah, true." "I didn't even notice your hair, like two little pompoms." "Look like a little girl, like Curly Sue." "Y'all crazy." "Thank you." "And I like your bangs, they're very nice." " You still getting your tongue pierced?" " She said she was." "She better get it done." " Yeah, I'm thinking about it." " Better go get it." ""$5.65 a hour, 35 hours a week..."" " That's big money, Maria." " Give it back, Alex." ""Expenses, Reeboks, $125." ""Lanisha's present, $20." What are you getting Lanisha a present for?" " You should be buying a present for me." " In your dreams." "Give it back." ""Money for B." What's "B"?" "Boyfriend?" "Yeah, you gotta pay someone to be your little boyfriend." "You know what?" "You're a sucker, Maria working at the stupid little bakery making chump change." "Maybe if I didn't have to cook and clean up after the baby of the house maybe I could have a better job making more money." "I'm not a baby, girl." "And I don't need you to cook for me." "I can make a sandwich if I'm hungry." "That's good, Alex, go make a sandwich." "I ain't gonna work no chump job, having people telling me shit to do all day." "When I finish school, I'm going in the Marines." "I can't believe this baby boy." "Stop dreaming." "Hey, where'd you learn that, girl?" "You know you're not supposed to be talking like that in this house." "You don't know what you're saying, Alex." "Still following papi's rules." "You better follow them, too." "Really?" "And what if I don't?" "He gonna come outta jail and gimme the strap?" "I'll give you the strap, too, girl." "You're gonna end up just like him." "Like father, like son." "Hey, you two." "Hello, sweetie." " What are you two up to?" " Nothing, Mom, we were just talking." "How was your day?" " Good, baby." "Kind of crazy." "You hungry?" " Definitely." "Me, too." "Maria, you're letting it burn at the bottom." "I told you about this!" "She wasn't paying' attention to what she was doing." " What's your problem, little man?" " You are." " Brat." " Shut up." "Stop it, Maria, stop it." "Move that game thing over, so Maria can set the table." " I gotta get ready for work at the hospital." " She started it first." "What's going on?" "Are you all right?" "Yeah." "Just thinking." "What?" "I was just thinking about when I got pregnant." "No, it's not like that." "Don't worry." "I was just thinking, like..." "What if that happened again, and I told you I wanted to have the baby?" "What would you say?" "Ave Maria, Lani..." "Are you sure this is just hypothetical?" "I think I'd feel the same way I did the last time." "You're barely a year older, and I still think you're too young to be a mother." "But I would want to know why you thought what you did." "Are you sure everything's okay?" "Yeah." "It's just that I see all these young girls out there having babies." "It just makes me think, you know." "I don't know, is it good or bad?" "I guess it just depends on the situation." "You should put your pager number, not your home number." "Shit, yeah." "Maybe you should go back to trumpet." "It's hard to learn a new instrument." "I wouldn't be mad or nothing." "Trumpet makes my mouth dry." "What's taking these people so long?" "It's always a long wait like this." "They should call you soon, though." "You been here before?" "Just once." "Maria Hernandez?" "I'll be out here." "Anything else besides the asthma you can think of?" "I got a toothache." "A toothache?" "Okay." "How long have you had the toothache?" "Two months." "Four months." "And you haven't seen a dentist?" "Okay." "You have a lot of cavities?" "Like, twelve." "Fifteen." "I don't know." "Okay." "You say here, Maria, that you are sexually active." "Do you usually use a condom?" "Sometimes." "Sometimes?" "Like half and half." "In your school, do they have classes about that kind of stuff like how to prevent pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases?" "What about at home?" "Did your mom and dad talk to you about sex?" "Maybe your brothers or sisters?" "You are a woman of few words, Maria." "No, I like that, to tell you the truth." "I was kind of quiet when I was your age." "I don't know what happened to me between now and then." "They can't get me to shut up." "You're gonna be a sophomore?" "What are your plans?" "I'm just kind of remembering 15, and I was just wondering what you might like to do." "I don't know." "I wanna have my baby, you know, 'cause I don't believe in the other thing." "'Cause, I don't know..." "I think I could be a good mother to a baby." "Okay." "That's good." "I was also thinking about what you might want to do with your life." "I don't know." "Work at a job, like in a store." "I don't know." "Okay." "You got a lot to think about right now, got a lot of choices to make." "So, maybe we should concentrate on the one that is most important for your immediate future." " Where you get this from?" " They had it at work." " This is nice." " Isn't that nice?" "You could wear something like that." "I like her shoes, too." "You could not walk around here in those." "That's the Miss..." "The new Miss Universe, Miss Botswana." "She's pretty, but I could be a Miss Universe." "You see what it says about her?" "She's 19, she's studied, what, mathematics, chemistry, physics..." "So, I studied all that, too." "Please." "Why don't you get off this weekend?" "We could do something." "I'm working this weekend, you know that." "Can't get off." "Call in sick." "I can't call in sick." "I ain't got no sick days." "Well, say I'm sick or something." "Say I got the chicken pox." "Come on." "Maybe we could see a movie." " Yeah." " No scary movies, no more scary movies." "Why not?" " I like watching scary movies with you." " Why?" "'Cause, you come in my room, just like this, and you're like:" ""Joy, let me sleep with you, I'm so scared."" "No, that is not even me." "I don't even sound like that." " Yes, you do." " No." " Yes you do." " No, I do not." " Yes, you do." " No, I don't." " You still sound like that, you know." " No." "Scary movies with you..." "Let's go!" "Pick it up!" "Let's go!" "This is good." "It's too fucking hot." "I know, we need to have a fan up in here, or something." "Me, Keisha and Kim, we went to this ice-cream store." "I got this flavor, mochaccino, it's like chocolate and coffee." "Y'all gotta taste that one, it is so good." " I never heard of that one." " It sounds good." " You was with Keisha and Kim?" " We went after practice the other day." "You were busy doing pushups." "Good one, Miss Mocharino." "Mochaccino." "It's like chocolate and coffee." "Like you, Lanisha, mochaccino." "I'm sweet, thank you." "Coffee with milk and sugar." "What kind of ice cream is Maria having?" "They need to be having some beans-and- rice ice cream, 'cause that'd be her flavor." "Beans-and-rice ice cream is the best ice cream." "Very good." "Very cold." "I don't even know what y'all are even saying in Spanish." "You are like chocolate with a vanilla swirl." "Girl, please, I'm full-on chocolate." "What are you talking about?" "Dark chocolate." "No, mocha, you're mocha." "I don't know what the fuck that taste like." "It's like chocolate and coffee mixed, for, like, the fiftieth time." "Sorry." "I think I got it now." "It's like mochaccino." "That is correct." "Finally." "Shit, y'all, check it out." "That's our song." "I like this song." "It makes me think of Cam." "Cam?" "It just came out when we started going together." "No more ice cream, y'all." "Yo, I'm tired." "Sometimes if I'm lying in my bed late at night 'cause I can't sleep and it's finally all quiet if I hear a car that's skidding up the street or making a screeching sound I hold my breath and I wait to see if that skid ends with nothing or in case it ends with a loud crash." "Like it might go into another car, or a streetlight or something." "And sometimes, I'm thinking it'll go into the front of our building and hit the people that are sleeping." "And I don't even know." "The whole building could come down because of the crash." "You ever think about shit like that?" "You crazy." "Some days, I'll be walking by the mall like over by Fulton or by Flatbush." "You know, somewhere really crowded and I think, like:" ""What would happen if a person just started..." ""...shooting a gun all over the place for no reason?"" "And I think about helping the people that got shot, or, like:" ""If I got hit, what would I do?"" "Y'all both crazy." "Sometimes I think it would be okay, you know, like, to get killed from that." "Damn." "I mean, it's not like I'm sad or anything, or like I want it to happen." "But I just think it would be okay, you know, like:" ""Today's a good day..." ""..." "I'm happy."" "So I wouldn't mind." "It would almost be like a relief." "Joy!" "Joycelyn!" "Happy birthday!" " Happy birthday, girl." " Thanks." "Damn, Joy, you didn't have to go get me nothing." "It's nothing." "These are nice, in a fancy holder." "They're from my store." "Put them on display before you use them." "They smell real good." "Cute." "Like baby soaps." "You hear about Benita?" "She found out she's pregnant." "She's already got one baby." "Her baby's cute." "Yeah, right." "A baby to spend all your time with, give it all that love." "Yeah." "And all your time and money, too." "What would you name your baby?" "Like, if it was a boy?" "My three favorites is Antoine, D'ante and Tiger." "Tiger?" "Yeah." "He's cute." "You know that guy that play golf?" "When I have my baby, I'm gonna have it in a house." "That way, it'll be special." "The hospitals is mad nasty." "People be giving birth right next to people, be bleeding all over the place and shit." "That shit is nasty." "My mother told me I was born in the cesarean section of the hospital." "And nobody in her family was even able to be there with her." "That's why I'm so fucked up now." "I was born alone." "Where Maria at?" "I think she had some shit to do." "She might be coming late, though." "Mr. Miller's getting real pissed at her." "He's gonna end up kicking her out, I just know it." "You know that time, at Joycelyn's birthday party that night when we was together?" "Yeah, I remember that night." "And we was in that room in the basement?" "Yeah." "Well, remember I had told you we should have a condom?" "And you was saying, "Don't worry about it, we don't need one"?" " You been with other boys though, right?" " No, I have not been with other boys." "You don't got nothing to say?" "Well, I ain't getting married." "I gotta go and finish school." "Terell, it ain't even about that." "I don't want to marry you." "I'm asking, I have this baby are you gonna be around for it and help me out?" "And turn off that damn music and listen to me, will you?" "I'm listening." "I hear you." "I'll be around." "I think this thing might be infected." "It's turning all red." "Look pretty nasty." "I know." "I gotta get some disinfectant on it." "You gonna have the baby, though, right?" "I don't know yet what I'm gonna do." "I know you ain't gonna be having no abortion on my baby." "Terell, it ain't your baby." "It takes two, you know." "Well, then it takes two to say what to do, and I ain't down with that shit." "You know, Terell, I don't even know what I'm thinking." "'Cause you barely act like you like me now." "Barely say shit to me when your friends are around." "When I'm with my boys, I'm with my boys, ain't got nothing to do with you." "Go be with your boys." "Dad, I can't wait to read these." "De nada, I just hope you enjoy them." "So Maria, you understand Spanish, right?" " A little." " A little?" "Very little." "Not a little!" "I'm teaching her." "You need a Latino boyfriend, then you'll learn very quickly." "That's what I did." "That's why his Spanish is so bad." "You only learned the words you had to." "What, wait." "For example Pilar, your beauty is like the stars in the sky like fireworks around my heart." "Yeah, right." "More like, "Give me a beer, Pilar, quick."" "Mami!" "Let me see that picture that Maria gave you." "It's from when we went to the boardwalk last year." "I forgot all about that picture." "I love this picture." "Okay, who's got a sweet tooth?" "Yeah, I'll cut the cake." "And I will light the candles." " Where are the candles?" " Open the box." "No candles." "Nice cake, though." "Damn, I need a soda." "I know it, it's bleeding out here." "What are you talking about?" "I'm burning up, girl, it's hot as hell." "That's not bleeding." " What?" " That's not bleeding." "Bleeding is cold, what are you talking about?" "No, it's bleeding hot, like hot, like you're bleeding." "You so stupid, Maria." "Bleeding is cold, like you so cold your skin is cracking and bleeding." "I ain't stupid, Joycelyn, and that's how I say it." "Anyway, I don't care what you say." "Whatever." "Whatever forever and ever." "What's going on over here?" "What's up here?" "You know that girl, Eleanor?" "She live up in there?" "Yeah." "She jumped off the roof last night carrying her baby." "Little Samson." "Damn." "We just seen her the other day." "Man." "Poor little Samson." "I could have taken that baby and given him a good life." "What are you talking about, Joycelyn?" "You are in no position to be raising a child." "You think everything is so simple." "I'm saying." "I gotta use the phone." "I'm gonna go to the store and get some flowers or something." "How you doing?" "I'm all right." "You want chips?" "You got Anbesol?" "$8.99." "$8.99." " How much is this?" " $5." "I don't want that, too expensive." "Joy, can I get a job at your store?" "I need to start getting paid for real." "I can ask them." "They're not hiring right now, but I can check it out." "I gotta go." "See ya later, okay?" "Okay." "Just don't be out too late, okay?" "Dad said we could stay at his house, 'cause he's cerca de Wanda." "You sure he's gonna be home?" "He said, after 11:00." "Did he get those Liberty tickets he promised you?" "He never promised." "He said he was gonna try." "And I told him to get three, too, so you could come with us." "Your father has lots of ideas, but not much follow-up." "I don't know why you're dissing him like that." "He talks about you very nice, he's not so critical." "Is that what you think I'm being, critical?" "Lani, let's not talk about this, okay?" " We tried very hard to work things out." " You've told me like a million times." "Well, I'm telling you again." "I'll keep telling you for the rest of your life if I have to." "Understood?" "You hear me?" "I hear you." "He should know better." " He knows enough." " Don't talk back to me." "Sometimes, I don't know what to do." "Lani, I didn't mean to snap." "I'm sad about Eleanor, mami." "I'm scared." "There is nothing you could've done for Eleanor." "That was a horrible thing that happened." "Joy's being all stuck-up, she won't hang out, and Maria..." "I don't think Maria's coming to school with me next year." "I'm here for you." "Your dad and I love you very much." "I know." "I love you, too." "I'm sorry." "There's nothing to be sorry about." "Lani, you haven't done anything wrong." "Life is hard, Lani." "It's gonna be like this." "People leave us things fall apart." "We have to be strong and walk through it." "Juntas." "Together." "Now you go to that party tonight." "Hang out with your friends flirt with the muchachos." "Whatever." "No, not whatever." "It's Friday night, young lady." "And you need to step out." " Who you going out with?" " Maria and Lanisha." "I thought you said you was going out with them other girls." "Who, Keisha and Kim?" "We going to a different party later on." "Later on?" "What time you coming in at?" "Not no 5:00 in the morning, I hope." "If it gets too late, I'm gonna go to Maria's." "Her mom said it'd be all right." " How I'm gonna know where you at?" " I'll beep you to tell you." "All right, beep me." "And make sure you eat something before you go out." "You getting too skinny." "I don't like Chinese food." "Just don't be too crazy tonight." "You hear me?" "I am so late." "And don't stay out all night, okay?" "Have fun, honey." "Don't be too crazy, Mom." "Where's Wanda at?" " Look who's here." " Terell?" "Let's go find Joy." "What's up?" "Hey." "I'll check you two later." "How you doing?" "Fine." "So, you going to Shaquana's party later on?" "Keisha and Kim's gonna go over there." "Word?" "That's cool." "So you think you might be going over there?" "What's that?" "Shaquana's." "You think you might be going over there?" "Yeah, no doubt." "I'll definitely be up in there, no doubt." "It's hot as hell up in here and this music's mad loud." "I can't really hear you." "Step outside and finish this conversation in some privacy?" "What?" "You're not even listening to a word I'm saying." "'Cause you got some nice new clothes don't mean I'll be falling all over the floor for you." "Come on now, bounce." "Bye." "Damn, boo, why you gotta be like that?" "Y'all ready?" " No doubt." " Let's go." "Check you later." "Later." "Y'all crazy." "Dee's party was bomb, though." "I had fun." "See, parties like that, I'll go to anytime." "Yeah, me, too." "You was real skeptical about going anywhere with us." "Fronting." "I wasn't, you know I was gonna come with y'all." "We told you everybody was gonna be up in there, getting the party going." "And they was, and they was, right." "Dag, man." " You wanted that chip." " No, you wanted that." " No, you wanted your greedy vibe." " Look at her, flowing on me." "You know you greedy, 'cause you ate all my cereal." "All my cereal." "Listen, cereal's my breakfast, lunch and dinner, my midnight snack." "I eat cereal anytime of the day." "That's why your ass so slim." "Slim and petite, baby, get it right, get it together." " Hey, Joy, what's going on?" " Hey, what you doing here?" "I was just walking by." "What's going on?" "Same old, same old." "Just working." "My tooth is hurting me seriously." "You want some?" "I can't eat this." "No, thank you." "That's all right, save it for later." "We going shopping, right?" "Yeah, maybe." "I like the way this store smells." "You know you can't have no more absences, or Mr. Miller's gonna kick you out, right?" "He already did kick me out." "He called me at my house last night." "And I don't care." "Well, you not gonna be able to go with us to Alaska." "I can't go anyway." "I got other plans." "Maria, you know you got that stain on your shirt?" "I got a shirt in the back." "If you want, you could change." "I gotta go." "Call us if you want." "Me and Maria gonna go by the new school, check it out tomorrow." "Yeah, that's good." "When's registration?" "I went by there the other day, and they weren't..." " I couldn't find..." " Mommy called." "Registration's on Tuesday." "Tuesday?" "That's good, 'cause you're just on time." "I mean, it's a good school." "You just gotta get on the inside, see what kind of set-up they got." "I think they got a band room." "I will." "You stepping high?" "It's all right." "We got this new beat, though, it's killing my arms." "Wole was telling me one time about growing up in Nigeria and the boys who wanted to play the drum all they could do was carry the drum around for the older men." "They weren't allowed to play the drum at all." " For real?" " For real." "And then after that, the cowbell for a year or two." "Just the cowbell." "Yeah, well, cowbell's the main beat." "Exactly." "He said if you can't play that, you can't play anything." "Yeah, Mr. Miller says, "You gotta listen first, and then you can play."" "Right, right." "So, you gonna stay and listen to the game?" "You ask Walter about the tickets?" "Yeah." "He gonna find out about them tomorrow." "And then, just gotta get the night off, and we are set." "You gonna get off for the parade, right?" "Absolutely." "You bet." "What's up?" "What's up?" "You look good out there." "Yeah, you should have been out there, working it out." "Hey, Maria!" "Hold up!" "He better not be starting nothing with you." "Maria, how you doing?" " Fine, how are you?" " Doing pretty good." "I just came over here to tell you, I'm really glad you called the other day." "Yeah, me, too." "I knew something was wrong, but I had no idea it was that." "I wanted you to know that we really love you over here." "If you ever need anything, just call us." "All right?" "Thanks." "Don't become a stranger." "Come by, come see us sometime." "Make sure you bring a strong, healthy baby into the world." "Who knows, in a few years, we might need some new drummers." "All right?" "Lanisha, I'm gonna see you at practice tomorrow?" "All right, girls, see you later." "That's cool." "I didn't know you had told him." "Yeah." "You tell your mother yet?" "If Terell isn't gonna help you out, you're gonna need to get help from somewhere." "I'm gonna work extra hours the rest of the summer." "Save some money." "You feeling scared?" "I was thinking maybe I'd go stay with my aunt in Jersey for a while." "You don't have to have this baby, you know, Maria." "What are you talking about?" "I'm just saying, it's just a big thing, and a lot of responsibility and if you have an abortion..." "I'm sorry." "I'm just saying." "I'm confused about everything, okay?" "It's okay to be confused." "But it's safe and everything." "I don't know what to tell my mother." "She's gonna kill me." "She's gonna kill you if don't tell her, that's for sure." "I don't want you going to New Jersey be all far away, you already got kicked out of the band..." "Hold up, Lanisha." "You think you know everything, but you don't." "Shut the hell up for once in your life and let me figure this shit out on my own." "Maria?" "It's Lani." "I don't know where you at, I'm at the school." "I'm gonna be here for a while, so just, I guess if you get this..." "Unless you didn't send them at the beginning of the month..." " Everything was sent at the same time." " Well, I don't know what to tell you." "Excuse me for a second." "Is this the right place for registration?" " High school?" " Yeah." "Go back down the hall, second floor, through the doors, you'll see the line." "Is it a long line?" "It's not that bad." "Two or three hours, maybe." "Thanks." "Thank you." "Okay, tell me what's been sent." " Everything was sent." " I don't have everything." "We definitely have to have records of his immunization..." " You should have it in the office somewhere." " I don't have it in the office." "Hey." "You changed your hair." "Yeah." "Looks nice." "Thanks." "Que pasa?" "Nothing." "The usual." "It was a really long line at the school." "You would have been like:" ""Shit, forget about it."" "That's a nice shirt." "I like that color on you." "Yeah?" "They got one that was like, dark red, like a maroon but I like this one better for me." "Definitely." "They also got one in this same color, but with a different collar." "It goes halfway down the front." "I was thinking about getting that one, too." "I wanna get me a Avirex jacket for school." "They dope, right?" "I like their pants." "They got good pockets." "Down the side?" "The pockets on those Guess ones are type ugly." "All their new shit is ugly." "Levi's is good, though." "I want a new pair of Levi's." "Maybe another shirt." "The socks, the shoelaces." "I know, right?" "It's like Joycelyn got the Tommy pants the Tommy shirt, Tommy jacket, the cologne..." "It's true." "Stop already." "Where she at?" "I think she over by Keisha's." "You know they're best friends now." "Her, Kim and Keisha." "Fuck it." "Who cares." "You wanna go see a movie?" "I'm broke." " But maybe we could go next week." " Maria, up here!" "Hey, what's up, Natasha, how you doing?" "I got them Bounty Killer tickets." "What?" "I got them Bounty Killer tickets for Wednesday night." "You need me to baby-sit Lawrence and Michelle?" "Can you?" " What time?" " 9:00." " 9:00?" " Yeah, 9:00." "All right." "I'll see you then." "Come by at 9:00." "Hey, Lanisha." "Hey!" "So that's good." "Cash in hand." "How much she pay you?" "$3 an hour." "But those kids are so cute." "Let's get a slice." "I'm serious, it's not funny." "I'm never eating another piece of chicken again in my life, ever." "Yeah, right, no pork, now no chicken, what's next?" "Be a vegetarian." "I don't think so, you're no vegetarian." "Why not?" "Have you looked in the mirror at those teeth?" "Those incisors up in there?" "Girl, you are a carnivore, you got no choice." "Listen don't look now, pero this boy over here, he thinks we're funny." " Where?" " I said, don't look!" "All right, just let me..." "He likes you." "No, he's smiling at you." "What's "sonriendo"?" "Smiling." "He's smiling at you." "At you." "Maybe he's a vegetarian, too!" "Well, he's cute." "I think you're cute, too." "You okay?" "Lanisha, you all right?" "All right, you sit over there, right there." "Excuse me, my friend here, she's having a asthma attack, she can't breathe." " She needs to fill out this form..." " No, we don't have time for a form." "Excuse me, can you just have somebody help her?" "Look at her over there." " I understand, but we can't without the form." " You don't understand." "Excuse me, doctor!" "My friend right there, she has asthma, she can't breathe." "You have to put her on a machine so she can breathe." "Because she's turning blue, look at her face." "Excuse me." "Her eyes are watering, she can't breathe." "Can't you see her?" "What are you waiting for?" " You have to calm down." " I'm not gonna calm down." "I don't want this fucking form, just help her out already." "Fuck you, all right, I gonna do this shit myself." "Doctor!" " Band!" " What?" "Let's get this party started!" "All right, girl, don't be late, now." "I'm cool." "I don't know why you woke up so early." "Long as I don't gotta do it every day." "I might have to leave at lunchtime and come get you." "Well, I'll be around." "I'll check it out real good." "Maybe you can come back in later on." "Your uniform looks good." "Thanks." "I should go." "Yeah, okay." "Don't be late." "We're working together on Saturday, though, right?" "I told you yeah already." "Anyway, I'll see you after school." "What're you talking about, Saturday?" "Right." "I should be back here like around 4:30, probably." "Cool." "I'll wait here for you." "I'll be here when you come up." "All right, then." "Smith and 9th." "Fourth Avenue, next." "Stand clear of the closing doors." "Fourth Avenue." "Transfer to the N and the R on the lower level." "Seventh Avenue, next." "Stand clear of the closing doors."