"Good afternoon." "First of all I'd like to welcome you to the celebration of this marvelous day in a beautiful young girl's life." "The Quinceanera of Eileen Garcia." "On this day she turns 15." "Today she becomes a woman." "Magdalena." "We're gonna take another picture." "Before the picture." "Hold it." " Herman, look over here." " Come on, fool, right here." "Look right here." "Okay, smile now." "No!" "Don't tell my mom." "Eileen looks really beautiful." " So does Magdalena." " We have a lot to be proud of." "Magdalena's Quinceanera is coming up soon." "When is it?" "July?" "No." "In June." "Get ready to pay through the nose." "You know, Walter, Magdalena's won't be like that." "She's different." "She's a more traditional girl than Eileen." "All right, Ernesto." "If you say so." " Your hair looks funny like that." " That's a nice comment." "Just trying to make conversation." "Don't bother." " So did you go with Jessica?" " No." " Not what I heard." " I don't care about her." "Didn't you get the text I sent you?" "Yeah." "I deleted it." "Girls, do you have a chopping block for the onions?" "There aren't any more." "Maria, I was thinking that I could madrina the dress for Magdalena's Quinceanera." "Really?" "She'll be so happy." "I could alter Eileen's to fit her." "Thank you, sister, you're always so good." "Silvia, I haven't seen Carlos yet." "He's not coming." "He's not coming to his own sister's Quinceanera?" "Aunt Silvia, Uncle Walter wants you." "Don't talk to me about that boy." "One, two, three." "Ladies and Gentlemen thank you for coming to Eileen's Quinceanera." "Now it's time to dance and groove!" "Look at the muscles on this one." "If only I was 20 years younger!" "Forty years!" "You got the urge?" "Yeah!" "Look!" "Look!" "Is Tio Tomas ready?" " Here." " Thank you, Mama." "Thank you, mijo." "Thank you, Junior." "Why is Tio Tomas eating worms?" "It's not worms." "It's fat from the meat." "What's up, Magdalena?" "U R STILL IN MY HEART From:" "Herman" "Carlos, what are you doing here?" "Happy Birthday, Hermanita." "I got that for you." "You better get out of here." " What are you doing here?" " Nothing." "You're trying to embarrass me." " I told you not to be here." " None of your business." "You're not my son anymore!" "I don't want you here." "Fuck you!" "It's my sister's birthday, you asshole." "Get out!" "You disgust me." "Get out of here." " Fuck you!" " No, Daddy, no." " You better get off me, man!" " Carlos!" "I'm going!" "Don't do it, Carlos." "Don't ruin your sister's special day." "I don't want to hit you again." "Carlos, go home." "I'll see you at home." "Let's go." "Let's get back." "Come on." "Everybody, thank you for coming to this Quinceanera." "It's a special day for a Quinceanera." "Thank you, everybody, for showing love." " Oh, my God, that was crazy." " I know." "He hit him so hard." "First of all, a family party and that happens." "I was kind of embarrassed." "That's my cousin." "Come on." "It's her big day, her Quinceanera." "Did you see her at the end?" "Her face?" "She'd been crying and her mascara was smeared everywhere." " Carlos is so stupid to do that." " He shouldn't have been there." "Exactly." "It's her Quinceanera." " Oh, my God." " What is it?" " Look." " Who is it?" "It's Herman." "Look at you." "You're going all red." "Shut up." "They kicked him out of the house, why?" "He didn't say." "Neither would Silvia." "I asked her." "Here he is." "Oh, my God." "Carlos, look at you." "You're going to spoil your looks." " Let me clean you up." " I'm cool, Tia." " Come on, it's late." " Let me take care of him." "Candy, let's go." "Bye, Tio." "You will live." "Come in." "I'm glad you're still awake." "I hardly got to see you all day." "You have fun?" "It was a beautiful Quinceanera." "Oh, well, except for the end." "But Eileen's dress was beautiful, wasn't it?" "Yeah, it was beautiful." "Aunt Silvia said she would alter it for your Quinceanera." " That's nice." " What do you mean "nice"?" "It was a wonderful dress." "I know, Mom, but..." "I wanted a new dress for my Quinceanera." "Well, your father is not Uncle Walter." "He doesn't have money to throw around." "Can I get a Hummer limo?" "What?" "If we save money with the dress, can I get a Hummer limo?" "The same one that Eileen had." "Where do you get these ideas?" "Please." "Just talk to Dad about it for me, please." "Promise me." "Thanks, Mama." "Hello." "I got the rent check." "Thanks so much." "Champurrado!" "Here you are, honey." "Put your money there, will you?" "Tio Tomas, when will you give me the recipe for the champurrados?" "When you get as old as me, honey." " Here you are, beautiful." " Thank you." "Oh, my gosh." "I so need to go spring shopping." " It's starting to get hot." " I need new skirts and stuff." "I really want to go to the beach." "We'll get bathing suits!" "With cute little sandals to match those cute little purses." "And cute little tops." "We need sandals, skirts, tops..." "Remember the purple top that Sandra had on?" " I saw that." " She thought she was all bling-bling." "I saw that shirt on sale at Target for 9.99." " I swear to God." "No lie." " What else?" "Let's take the bus there and see." " Yeah, sure." " Yeah, all right." "Let me call my mom." "Actually, I gotta get going." "See you ladies later." " Bye." " Bye, girl." " Hey, Mom." "I'm fine." " I really need makeup." "Me and some girls are going to take the bus to Glendale and go shopping." "Yeah, sure, I'll be home in plenty of time." "If you could time travel to any period in time, where would you go?" "I'd go way, way back." "Probably to Jesus' time or something." " Really?" " Yeah." "People have so many different versions of the Bible." "I'd like to go back and see what really happened." "You know what that says?" " Herman loves Jessica." " It says Magdalena." "What time would you go to?" "Nineteenth-century France." "All those painters and shit." "I want to hang out with Van Gogh, tell him he's gonna be a big hit." " You're so weird." " I know." "You know before, what happened..." "I never meant to disrespect you." "You didn't." "No?" "So it was okay, what we did?" "It was okay." "Cool." "So why did you get so mad at me?" "You were after stupid Jessica." "I wasn't." "That's just you being crazy." " Yeah?" " She likes me." "But I can't stand her." "I swear." "Try and catch me." "Herman." " Your titties are so big." " Shut up." "They are." "Nearly as big as Jessica's." "Shut up!" " I missed you." " Good." " Did you miss me?" " No." "You're so beautiful." " I like you so much." " Herman." "I do." " Feel that." " No." "Come on." "I love you." "This thing's not gonna work." "That's the only one we have." "Sorry I'm late, Tio." "They thought you weren't coming today." "Oh, no." "Come here, buddy." "I'll get the leashes." "Okay." " Don't I get a hello?" " Hello." "Gee, thanks." "What's up with you?" "Nothing." "Eileen told me some things about you." " What things?" " Just things." "And don't let them shit on the Hernandez's lawn." "All right." "Come on, boys." "This time take them for more than five minutes." "Yes, Tio Tomas." "Yeah, we're landlords now." "It's two units." "There's ours and then this place in the back where this old guy lives." "Yeah, the rate was good It's a 30-year." "But it's still a shitload of money per month." "There's a super hot cholo coming up the back stairs wearing a wife beater." "James!" "James, the back door." "Hello." " You guys got an adjustable wrench?" " A what?" "An adjustable wrench for the garbage disposal." "Oh, you live in the back with..." " Tomas." " Tomas, right." "Yeah, come on in." "So, Tomas is what?" "Your grandfather?" "No, he's my uncle." "That garden he planted is really unbelievable." "How old is he?" "Eighty-three, four." "He's my great-great-uncle." "He's lived back there a long time?" "Yeah, a real long time." "Since before I was born." "Well, how old are you?" "Old enough." " I knew it was in the truck." " I never said it wasn't." "All right." "Will this do?" "Yeah, it's cool." "Thanks, guys." "I'll get it back to you guys later." " No worries." " Oh, hey, Carlos." "We're having a housewarming party a week from Saturday." "Do you want to come?" " What time?" " Nine, 9:30." "I've got some things I'm supposed to do, but we'll see." " Cool." " See you later, dude." " Are you crazy?" " Trust me." "Yeah, that's good." "Perfect." "That's it." "Yeah." "Now you're getting the hang of it." "But she's stepping on me." "So why are you putting your feet here?" "That's the way." "Oh, Lord." "Magdalena's starting to look so grown up." "I know." "Walter and Silvia offered to padrino the DJ." "That's nice." "But there's still the problem of the car." "I told you already." "I know, but we have everything else now." "The answer is no." "But it's her big day." "Exactly." "It's a milestone in her spiritual life." "And if all that means is riding in a Hummer limo trying to keep up with Eileen, then God help her." "I don't understand what the problem is." "It wasn't much." "Five hundred dollars for the afternoon, driver included." "Ask one of the cousins." "I'm sure someone will padrino it." "I don't know." "He hates the whole idea." "That's your father, isn't it?" "A good man, a holy man but with his head in the clouds." "Some of us here on Earth, we like a little luxury now and then." "Okay." "Put your shoulders down." "You're a pretty girl." "Neck, 14 and a half." "Chest, 33 and a half." "Waist, 31." " Hips, 36 and a half." " What?" "That's so big." "I know." "I thought you'd be smaller than Eileen." "Congratulations, you're in the running for America's Next Top Model." " Thank you." "The next name that I'm going to call, Christina." "Jasiel, how many tamales do you want?" "Three." "And you, Magdalena?" "It's okay, Mom." "I'm not hungry." "You learned a new trick today." "Congratulations." "Here, Joey, here, Arthur." "Don't you want to take a jacket?" "It's cold out." "No." "I'm not going far." "Okay." "Here, Joey." "Here you go." " So echinacea..." " Hey." " I told you before." " I know." "I know." " So how long have you been in L.A.?" " Two weeks." "Hey, dude." "What's up?" "Glad you could make it." " Thanks." " You want a drink or something?" " Yeah." " Come on." "Tony, this is Carlos." "Carlos, Tony." " What can I get you?" " Beer's fine." " Cheers." " Wow, James." "Congratulations on the new place." "Thanks." "Come." "I want you to meet some friends." "Carlos, this is Stephen and Simon." " Hey, Carlos." " What's going on?" "We've been looking around here and when something comes up people are bidding over asking." "I know." "This area's hot right now." "It's so hot." "We were looking at a place a couple years ago." "But Stephen was concerned about the crime." " No, I wasn't." " Yes, he was." "That place went back on the market and doubled in two years." "Let's hope it keeps up." "You have no idea how much we paid for this." "I'm wasted." "I want you to meet somebody." "Hey, Carlos, this is Alejandro." "Alejandro, Carlos." " What's up?" " Carlos lives in the back house." " Where are the limes?" " I'll be right back." "Do you know anyone here?" "No one." "Just James and Gary." " They're nice guys." " Yeah." "They love their Latin boys." "Shots!" " Hook it up." " Yes." "Please." " Oh, it's a good one." " Let's have a look." "Cool." "See?" "Cool." "You can zoom in." "I am so fucked up." " Is that a tattoo?" " Yeah." " "Travieso"?" " Travieso." "What's that mean?" " It means troublemaker." " Really?" "Feel good?" "Sure." "It looks like the opening for one of those bad novellas." "I know." " Wow." "You have bells and everything." " I know." "May?" "That's your middle name?" "I didn't know that." " You know that." " No." "Wow, that looks good." "Is that a cake or a pillow or what is it?" "Cardboard." "You look cute." "You didn't have a tiara on in your Quinceanera." "I know." "I broke it on the way to church." " You did?" " Yeah." " Your hair's cute." " Thanks." "Those flowers are nice." "It looks like you're looking for bugs." "It looks like there is a bug." "You see it?" "Oh, yeah." "That's right." "Okay, it's not just me." "Oh, the dress." "That was cute." "It would help if you actually applied it on your face." "She's putting it on the air." " She has her whole face on." " Her facial expression is like..." " You do not need more lip gloss." " Oh, I know." "Lips all shiny." "So pretty." "Tia Silvia looks pissed." "I can't tell if she's gonna cry or smack the crap out of you." " Your dress is really pretty." " Thanks." "My mom's supposed to alter it for Magdalena." "Aren't you the same size?" "Almost." "She just has to take it out a little bit." "In history they're signing up people for a trip to Germany next spring." " You gonna go?" " Yeah, if I win the lottery." "What do you wanna go there for?" "I wanna see the world." "I wanna travel." "I mean, I'm sick of Echo Park." "I know every building, I know every piece of grass." "I'm sick of it too." "What's wrong?" " Nothing." " Really?" "If I tell you, you'll think I'm stupid and superficial." " I won't." " Yes, you will." "Come on." "Tell me." "It's my dad." "He's being a real jerk." " About the Hummer limo?" " Yeah." " I knew I shouldn't have told you." " It's okay." "I mean, I know it means a lot to you." "Don't make like you understand me." "You don't." "You don't have to go through this crap." "Okay." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "I don't mean to be a bitch." "It's okay." "Here you go." "Twenty minutes in the oven on 400." "Okay." "Thanks, Mom." "And I'll be back from work about midnight." "Before you go, can I ask you something?" "There's this girl, a friend, her Quinceanera's coming up and I thought maybe Uncle Hector could get us a deal on a Hummer." "Who is this girl?" " Just a friend." " Oh, really?" "It's not like that, Mom." "She's the preacher's daughter." "I don't care whose daughter she is, mijo." " You have school to think about, okay?" " Okay." "Besides, Uncle Hector, he just works for the company." "He can't set the prices." "Did you see your friends again tonight?" " Yeah." " That's nice." "Yeah." " Hey, Tio." " Yeah." " Ever think about getting married?" " Yeah." "I've had a couple of close calls." " Where?" "Was it here or back in...?" " No, back in Mexico." "There was one." "Maria Epifania." "We worked in the same office." "Different floors." "I thought about her a lot." "All the time." "She liked you?" "Yeah, I think she did." " And you liked her?" " Oh, yeah." "She was a very sweet, a very beautiful girl." "What happened?" "We saw each other a few times." "But I couldn't afford very much." "And then my mother become ill." "Very ill." "And I had to move back to the ranch near Tepatitlan, Jalisco and take care of her." "So I just couldn't." "Yeah, that's messed up." "Yeah." "I'm telling you, these are just the most rocking tamales in Echo Park." "We'll see about that." "Can I put it in the back?" "I don't want it to get dirty." "Okay." "You added a lot of extra flowers." "No, I didn't." "I moved a few around." "It looks beautiful." "Go try it on." "We're all waiting." "Go, go, go." "The amount of work I did on it." "Okay, breathe in." "Breathe in." "Oh, it looks beautiful." "But it looks a little tight." "I think it needs to be adjusted." "Turn around." "You've gotten the measurements wrong." "I did not." "We'll let out the seam and it will be fine." " Has she been eating a lot lately?" " No." " Maria, I hope that I'm wrong." " What?" "No one could've brought up a girl better than you brought up Magdalena." " No one." " Mom." "14 years old." "You'll need an extra blanket." "It's getting cold tonight." "What?" "Have you been with Herman?" "No, Mom, I haven't been with Herman." " I mean, having relations with..." " No." " Or any other boys?" " Mom!" "I know." "I'm sorry." "When was the last time you had your monthly visitor?" "How could this happen?" "How could you have let this happen?" " I didn't know." " You knew there was a boy." "Someone she'd mentioned once or twice." "I didn't think it was anything." " You kept it from me." " I didn't think it was important." "Not important!" "Damn it, woman, what do you think is important?" "Look at the state she is in now!" "Papa." "Go away." "It's not what you think." "How do you think your mother feels now?" "The shame that you brought on this house!" "And on the church." " The test is wrong." " No, the test is not wrong!" "It is!" "He that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." "I'm telling you, I haven't been with a boy!" "You liar!" "You are so full of sin that you can't admit the truth." "Not even when your wickedness is in front of you for the world to see." "Why aren't you listening?" "Go to your room." "Let me handle this." "Go!" "I don't want to look at you!" " Hey." " What's up?" "Nothing." "I'm just digging the yard." " In between jobs." " Yeah?" "Yeah, I work in TV, so it's feast or famine." "Cool." "What are you up to?" "Nothing." "Just got off work." " Oh, yeah?" "Where do you work?" " At the car wash." "So you're from London?" "Yes." " Like this?" " No, it's like this:" "This one's an E." "This one's a P." " Echo Parque." " Echo Parque." "Be careful." "Don't flash that around Temple Street." " They're the rival gang, right?" " They'd kill you." "Wow." "You really live in a whole other world, don't you?" "No." "You do." "You know, we should wait for James." "She's fine." "It's no big deal." "I couldn't sleep all night." "She's my only daughter." "But Ernesto." "You know what he's like." "He's bull-headed, but he's a good man." "Give him time and he'll come around." "And meanwhile don't worry." "She's safe with me." "Hey, boys." "Come here." "Come here, boy." " Hey." " Carlos." "I can make tea." "Would you like some?" "No, I'm straight." "What's up with you?" " Nothing." " Leave her alone." "Did you see the boys playing basketball today?" " Yes, I did." " Oh, my gosh." "Manuel had his head shaved." "Did you see?" " What did it look like?" " Horrible." "It looks like he has leukemia." "I think short hair is sexy." "But his head is so weird." "He looks like E.T." "I think that boy's too skinny." "He needs to put some weight on." " Hey." " Hi." " Hi." " Hi." " You ready?" " Yeah." "I'll see you girls later." "Bye." " I like them bald." "Shaved." " Some guys can pull it off." "Yeah, well, that's what I like." "So you moved in with your uncle?" "Why did you do that?" "It's closer to school." "It means I can walk." " It's not closer." " It is." "Did you get in a fight with your dad?" "Was it about the Hummer limo?" "Come here." "I'm gonna have a baby." " Yeah, right." " I am." "You can't be." "I did the test." "I did it twice." " Who's the father?" " You." "That's not possible." "I know." " But we never..." " I know that." "But the baby's there and I've never been with anybody else." "You don't believe me." "Did you hear that Maria Elena is moving to Sylmar?" "Is she moving?" "See how much they're asking for?" "The neighborhood is sure changing, isn't it?" "So fast." "Here you are." "Carlos, get your feet off the sofa." " It's my house." "I can do what I want." " It's my house now too." "Fuck you." "I have to sleep there and your boots are dirty." "So?" "I know why you're here." "And I'm sorry you wasted your time." "I just think you two should talk." "When she's ready to confess her sin, I'll talk." "Not until then." "Magdalena is very strong-headed." "You know what she's like." "I used to know her." "She's still the same." "The girl I knew read the Bible at night and sang in my church." "She didn't run around with boys and fornicate." "She didn't lie to her father." "I don't think she's a liar." "It's true, Ernesto." "She doesn't lie." "A girl who hasn't been with a man doesn't end up with a baby." "Period." "You're a loser." "Smoking pot in the afternoon, watching cartoons." "Look who's talking, 14 and pregnant." "Face it." "Your life is over." "No, it isn't." "I'm gonna have my baby, go to school, do everything I planned to do anyway." "Good luck." " Want a hit?" " No." "Nobody believes you, huh?" " About what?" " About what?" "Come on." "No." "Nobody believed me about anything." "That's because you're a liar, and a thief, and a pothead, and a gay." "So?" "I read some stuff on the Internet." "Why don't you check it out?" "What stuff?" "Oh, you know." "Sex advice." "I don't need no sex advice." "Just trying to help." ""Is there any way to get pregnant if the man's sperm gets onto the outside of the vagina but not inside?" "Signed, Pregnant Virgin."" ""Dear Pregnant Virgin." "Sperm are very determined beings whose sole reason to exist is to get inside the fallopian tubes." "Whenever sperm is sprayed near the vaginal opening there is a chance that they could swim inside."" " See?" " Fuck." " You still think it's someone else's?" " I never did." "I mean, it's just weird, that's all." " What are the chances?" " I don't know." "My sperm must be pretty strong swimmers, huh?" "Shut up." " I mean, I only came on your leg." " Herman, stop." "Did you show this to your dad?" "Why not?" "And let him know how far we did go?" "Yeah, he'd love that." " Hey." " What?" "If he's a boy, we can call him Jesus." "Yeah." " I'm sure he'll be a great kid." " Or she." "We can make him a papoose and take him traveling with us." "Come here." "What are you doing later?" "Nothing." "Got the day off." "Want some?" "There's no smoking in the house." "It's the rule." "It's not my rule." "Okay." "How long you guys been together?" "About five years now, with six months off for good behavior." "You guys split up?" "Yeah, about two years ago." "Then got back together again." "You guys cool?" "I don't know." "It's like we're so different." "I'm spontaneous and he likes to plan things two months in advance, you know?" "He's so dependent." "Must be the age difference or something." "He's older than you?" "Yeah, like six years older than me." "You ass." "I gotta go." "I shouldn't be talking about age difference with you." "I'm like nine years older or something?" "Ten." "I don't really think about it, though." "Neither do I." "All right." "Hold on, hold on." "Hello?" " It went out." " It's a dud." " Hey, come back!" "It's lit." " Come back, come back." "Cinco de Mayo!" "Cinco de Mayo." "Yo, I'll be right back." "Let me show you something." "Who do you think they are?" "I don't know." " That's your mother and Aunt Silvia." " No way." "It was taken out here in the yard, when I just moved in." "There was nothing here but burnt grass." "That's crazy." " Who's that?" " That was my mother." "Your great-great-grandmother." "She's beautiful." "Dolores Angulo." "She had 22 children." " He was the 13th." " Yup." "My lucky number." "Let me show you some of my brothers." "That's Chuy, and Alberto, and Paco and..." "I forgot his name." "Oh, God, what's his name?" "Jorge!" "Sorry about that, Jorge." " And that's you?" " Yes." "Why is your leg in a cast?" "He was in a cast for two years." "He laid down behind a truck and tried to off himself." " Carlos." " It's true." " It's true." " Really?" "Yeah." "When I was 9 years old, I decided I didn't want any more of this life." "I wanted to come back as someone else." "So I hide behind the back wheels of a truck and waited for it to start." " It ran you over?" " It did." "I wasn't supposed to live." "I spent months and months in the hospital." "And it was a long time before I could see or eat or walk." "In a way, I got what I wanted." "I came back as a different person after all that." "Don't you ever try it, though." " Got a date?" " Yeah, right." " Who with?" " None of your business, hood rat." "What do you do with those guys anyway?" "You embarrassed or something?" " No." " So?" "What do you think we do?" "I don't know." "I'm a virgin, remember?" "Yeah, right." "Come on, Carlos." "I told you stuff." "We mess around, all right?" "Are you the peanut butter in the sandwich?" "Fuck you." " Do you like both of them the same?" " No." " The young one's better looking." " Yeah." "Gary." " What do you mean?" " Nothing." "Have you done that kind of thing a lot?" "First time." " First time with two?" " No, first time ever." "Yeah?" "I thought Uncle Walter caught you with some boy?" "What?" "Is that what Eileen told you?" "He tracked this site I used to go to on the Internet." " What?" " Yeah." "Fucked up, huh?" " You're getting big." " You mean fat." "Come on." "Don't be like that." " You don't like it, do you?" " Of course I do." " What are you up to this weekend?" " Not much." "You?" "It's kind of crazy." "Saturday, I got my AP History exam." "Saturday night's my mom's birthday." "I'm taking her out to dinner." "Have you told her yet?" "No." "I keep waiting for the right time." "I want to tell her after her birthday." "Well, I gotta get going." "Hey." "We're having a barbecue over at my house on Sunday." "Just some friends, relatives and stuff." "You wanna come?" "Yeah." "If you want me to." "Yeah." "It'll be great." "Call me then." " Hey." " Hey." " What's up?" " Not much." "What's up with you?" " Food looks good." " Yeah." " Thanks." "You want some?" " No, not yet." "I'm all right, thanks." " We forgot the hamburger buns." " I thought we had some." "Just two packs." "And people are gonna start arriving soon." " I'll go get some." " Okay then." "Mom, this is Magdalena." "Hi, it's nice to finally meet you." "Nice to meet you." "Thank you for coming." "Excuse me." " Does she know?" " Yeah." " Really?" " Well, sort of." "What's that supposed to mean?" "She knows about you, that you're pregnant." " And?" " What?" " That it's yours." " Well, that's stage two." "Herman." "You don't understand." "You don't know her like I do." "She has all these dreams and expectations of me." " I think I'm gonna go home." " No, wait." "Go to the store with me." " The house looks really great." " We have a lot of work to do." " Well..." " You did a great job." "This soup's amazing." "Did you make this?" " What is it?" " Cauliflower and caraway seeds." " It's unbelievable." " I have the recipe if you want it." "There was this really cute Latin boy at my gym today." "I mean, oh, my God." "Totally little cholo." "Shaved head, tattoos, his butt was like:" "Oh, my God, you should meet Carlos." "Gary." "Gary, tell Stephen about Carlos." "Carlos?" "He's really hot." "Yeah, and he's 8 inches uncut." " Please bring him over next time." " No, he's all ours." "Finders keepers." " Will you grab the trivet?" "This is hot." " All right." "Would you like me to make the dressing?" "No, I'll do it." "The trash is overflowing." "Gary." "You scared me." "What's up?" "Nothing." "For me?" "Thanks." ""Lil Rob." Cool, man." "Yeah, I was peeping your CDs, man." "Your shit blows." "You know, I should get back." " His rhymes are sick." " I know." "I love Lil Rob." "It says Elton John." "Shit." "I'll take it back." "Carlos, wait." "The cellular number you are trying to reach is no longer in service." "The cellular number you are trying to reach..." " Yes?" " Hello." "Is Herman home?" " No, he's not here." " Where did he go?" " He's out of town with relatives." " I need to talk to him." "Listen." "Herman is a straight-A student." "He's going to finish school and go to college to study medicine." "He doesn't have time for this." "Sorry about the state you're in but he gave me his word he didn't do anything with you." "Take the problem to the person who is responsible." " Herman is responsible." " I have my son's word." "I believe him." " He's lying to you." " Please leave my son alone." "Please." "Hey, it's James." "No, Gary forgot his phone." "Oh, it sounds fun." "I'd love to, but I have a meeting." "I'll tell Gary you called." "Okay." "Bye." "Goddamn him." " All done." " Yeah." "Thanks, Tio." " Are you going to see your friend?" " Yeah." "I'm glad you have a special friend." "I get up at 7:00 in the morning to drive an hour to work to pay the mortgage on this $3200 fucking house." "Meanwhile, you've had 12 hours to fuck the neighbor." "I'm tired of hearing you talk about the fucking mortgage." "We had rules about this shit." "This is not the same as before." "It is!" "Our rules were if we have 3-ways, we're both there." "Otherwise, if I'm at work in my office, that's cheating." "Let's not do this." "Do what?" "You're the one who's, like, cheating all the fucking time." "I'm not cheating all the time." "Why do you keep accusing me of that?" " What, are you love with him?" " No, I'm not in love with him." "All right?" "He's just some kid." "I'm in love with you." "Didn't you notice how big she was getting when she wouldn't get changed for basketball?" "I heard that Herman moved to San Diego." "Imagine having to leave town because of her." "This could've happened to any of us." "I know how close I've come with Paco." "But at least some of us are smart enough to take precautions." "Hello?" "Birth control." "How far have you gone with Manuel?" "At least I'm not claiming to be a virgin when I'm carrying a baby." " Is that what she's saying?" " Yes." "Hail Mary, full of grace..." "Hey, Magdalena." "You don't want to do that." "Not unless you have to." "What age did you leave school?" " When I was 12." " Well..." "That was the way it was." "We have to work for a living." "But I hate it right now, though." "I hate school." "I hate Herman." "I hate this baby." "Don't leave school." "You will end up as menso as me." "You got a letter." " Did you remember the toilet paper?" " No." " I knew you wouldn't." " Then why did you ask?" "Is it in English, Tio?" "It's from a lawyer." ""Pursuant to your lease of the rear unit at 1023 Waterloo Street you are hereby given 30 days notice of eviction." "You will be expected to vacate the premises by June 30, 2005."" "What's the matter?" "Tio, they want us to leave." "The motherfuckers!" "They want us to leave?" "Why?" "Hey, puto!" "Hey, puto, come out here, man!" "Fucking evict me, bitch?" "Get the fuck out here, puto!" "What, are you fucking scared now?" "Hey, puto!" "Get the fuck out here!" "Fucking punk!" "I told him you were from Jalisco and guess what?" "There's someone on the same floor from there too." "You all right with these steps?" " It's good." " He's fine." "Wasn't there anything on the ground floor?" "You heard the landlord." "The elevator's gonna be working again tomorrow." " It's not a problem." "Right, Tio?" " No problem." "It's not bad." "It's not bad at all." "Look, you have a nice big window." "I'll fix you curtains." "Buttercup yellow, to make it more cheerful." "Needs a new coat of paint." "Well, you can do that for him." "It'll take you all of a day." "Tio, we're gonna have to put some of your stuff in storage but I think it will be good to go through some of your things." "I always tell my friends what a gentle man he is, what a sweet man." "Who knew he could be so stubborn?" "Nothing we show him is good enough." "Nothing." "And when you try to talk about it, he just doesn't hear." "He wouldn't even look at the one Ernesto found for him." "You see?" "But think how hard it must be." "Twenty-eight years." "I've never been more than five years in one home." "That's you." "You always want something bigger." "I don't know how he's going to sort through everything." "And then there are the dogs." "And Carlos, and Magdalena." "Hey." "You cold?" " No." " Then what?" "None of my clothes fit me anymore." "Can't you get your folks to give you some money?" "No." " Lf you told them what happened..." " Why should that be so important?" "So they could hold their heads up in church?" "So I can be a good girl again?" "It's so stupid." "I've got a shirt." " I don't want your smelly shirts." " It's extra large." "It's brand new." "HOUSE FOR RENT 2 BEDROOMS-BACKHOUSE NICE!" "We re-did all the ceilings, got rid of the cottage cheese." "Floors are refinished." "The appliances are new." "Cupboards are new." "And that's Travertine tile." "My partner put it in herself." "It's beautiful." "And you say it's just you and your uncle." " No, there are three of us." " It might be cramped for three." "It's fine." "Do you take pets?" "If it's nice fellas like those guys, no problem." "Great." "It's $ 1600 a month." "Wow." "Sorry, but we've put a lot of money into it." "That's what I figured." " You're not gonna make champurrado?" " Not today." "Wait till later." "I'll help you out." "No, don't worry." "Okay." "See you later." "Yeah, so he came, hit me, did a hit and run damaged this part, dented this." "I have to replace this and this." "I don't know how I'm gonna do it." "Don't even worry about it." "I got a guy who'll take care of it." " Carlos, go do the Mustang." " It's gonna be hard to take care of." " Let me show you what we got." " Okay." "It was just what we needed." "Yeah, we just laid around, went shopping a little." "No, I love Palm Springs too." "It's better now." "Gary seems happier." "He's starting a new job." "Yeah, he just..." "He had too much time on his hands." "What the fuck are you doing, Carlos?" "Get him." "Hey." "What happened?" " Did you get into another fight?" " Yeah." "I'll get some iodine." "Here." "Sit down." "I'll put some ice on it." "You idiot." " I lost my job." " Great." "I needed to get out of there, anyway." "Shitty job." " I thought it was your chosen career." " Shut up." "I'm getting a real job in TV as a PA." "With your boyfriend?" " Fuck you." " Hold still." "I'm gonna have to make more money if we're gonna get a new place." "I've been thinking." "Herman's not coming back." "Someone's gotta take care of that kid and be a father to him." "Might as well be me." "I'm gonna get a real job." "One that's not a total fucking dead-end." "And you can stay in school, and Tio Tomas can baby sit." " Yeah, right." " I'm serious." "Yes, I'm calling about the apartment." "Oh, that's too bad." "Yes." "All right, thanks." "I know." "I know." "It's unbelievable." "Hold on." "Hold on." "I called about the apartment." "Sorry, it's just been rented." " How old are you?" " Almost 15." " And how old is your uncle?" " Eighty-five." "I don't think it's gonna work out, chica." "The front unit's already been taken, but there's a place in the back." "I can let you have it for 400." "Look." "I gotta think about the dollars and cents here." "I have applications from qualified professionals who want to rent it." "The whole neighborhood is the same." "Everyone who moves in is, well, white." "Does he work, your uncle?" "Not really." "He sells champurrado." "That little guy with the clown's horn?" "My God, is he still around?" "Yeah, he's doing great." "He gave me free champurrado once." "I don't believe this." "Apart from a great sense of continuity with the past, what else is there?" " You mean money?" " Yeah." "The stuff that doesn't grow on trees, makes the world go around." "Well, Carlos is unemployed right now but he's angling for a job in TV that pays really, really well." "But look, if he does your gardening, that saves you a $ 100 a month." "I can clean your house." "That'll save you another $ 100 a month." "Carlos." "What's going on?" " It's Tio Tomas." " What?" "He passed." "Peacefully." "They took him away." "Look." "The tangerine tree." "Remember how sweet the juice was?" "I cried when they had to chop it down." "Is that Aunt Lucia there?" "Yeah." "But who's that woman with her?" "I don't know." "He had a long, happy life, and in the end he didn't suffer." "It's the way he would have wanted it." " He didn't want to move from here." " No, he didn't." "Look at you." "You're showing." "Non-penetrative conception is a very unusual thing." "I've read about it, but never encountered it and I've been on staff here for eight years." "But in her case, the evidence is there." "There's no reason why the birth shouldn't be as trouble-free as a normal conception." "It may be necessary to physically break the hymen closer to the actual delivery date." "But that should be a painless procedure." "You understand?" "It's kind of neat what the guy did but put a hot tub over here and landscaping and it'll look awesome." "What do we do with this?" "This morning, a button came off my suit." "Could you sew it on for me before the funeral?" "Are you listening to me?" "What's wrong with you?" "Magdalena was telling the truth." "You saw Magdalena?" "Today at Tomas'." "We went to the clinic together." "The doctor examined her and it's true." "She's never been with a boy." "What?" "It's a miracle." "Tomas Alvarez was a good man." "A man who embodied the Lord's commandments." "Especially the commandment to love thy neighbor." "We can be sure that in this moment Tomas has gone to a better place." "Amen." "Before concluding our service Carlos, the nephew of Tomas, would like to say a few words." "Tomas Alvarez was born in Jalisco, Mexico in 1921." "The 13th kid out of 22." "When he was born, he was so small the midwife said he wasn't worth washing." "He ended up outliving all of them." "In his life, he was an office boy a barber, and a farm worker." "Then in America, he sold champurrado." "Everybody knew him." "If you walk down the street he would stop every two minutes to talk to someone." "They were always happy to see him." "He had a love inside him that was so strong." "It came from his heart and out through his eyes like a golden light." "Everybody could see it because he loved everyone and judged no one." "At the end of my life, I will count it as my greatest privilege that I knew a saint." "Because Tomas Alvarez was a saint." "And he will not leave us." "His spirit is still strong." "He'll be with us till the end of our days." "Your mother tells me this is some kind of a miracle." "There's a scientific explanation." "The Lord works in mysterious ways." "This wasn't his doing." "Everything is his doing." "Will you forgive me?" "I'll make it up to you." "I promise." "5@y3"