"(INDISTINCTCHATTER)" "(IN MYROOMPLAYING)" " Break!" " Break!" "All right!" "Down." "Set." "Hike." "(WHISTLE BLOWS)" "Hut." "Renault!" "Renault!" "I'm all right." "Oh, for Christ's sake." "I'm all right, coach." "What the hell you wanna play football for?" " How tall are you?" " 5'9"'." " How much you weigh?" " 145." "All right, show up tomorrow, 3:00 sharp." "And if you're late, you're through before you start." "(JERRY RETCHING)" "Two more names." "That kid they call The Goober." "Roland Goubert." "Brother Eugene's room." "Do they think it's easy?" "(SCOFFS) I mean, who the hell do they think I am?" "You're not much help, Obie." "I never thought you needed much help, Archie." "All right." "All right, let's just finish this." "One more name." "The kid who just left the field." "The one they wiped out." "Kid named Renault." "Freshman." "Here it is." ""'Renault, Jerome E. Son of James R." ""'A pharmacist at Blake's." "Birth date..."' The kid just turned 15." "Blah, blah, blah." "Oh, his mother just died last spring." "Cancer." "That must be hard." "Poor kid." " With his mother dead and all." " Yeah." " You know what he needs?" " What?" "Therapy." "Therapy?" "Right." "Put him down." "Jesus, Archie, you saw him out there." "He's just a skinny kid." "I mean, his mother's barely cold." "What are you putting him on the list for?" "Put him down." "Assignment?" "(SIGHS)" "You running out of ideas?" "I'm just being artistic." "It's an art, you know." "Put him down for the chocolates." "You know what, Archie?" "What?" "Life is sad, sometimes." "Life is shit." "(ONLY YOUPLAYING)" "Strike!" "All right, yeah." "There's nothing anyone could do." "It's God's will." "It's just life." "Hey, Jerr." "Have a good day?" "It was all right." "I had another practice." "Fine." "You know, one of these days I might just get a pass off." "Fine." "How was your day?" "Fine." "That's good." "Mrs. Hunter left a casserole." "You hungry?" "I can have it ready in a few minutes." "Fine." " Dad?" " Yeah?" "(MICROWAVE BEEPING)" "Were things really fine at the store today?" "What do you mean?" "I mean, every day for six months I've asked you how things are going, and every day, you say, "'Fine."'" "I mean, don't you have some great days, or some rotten days?" "A drugstore is a drugstore, Jerry." "I mean, it's pretty much the same all the time." "Listen, would you like a salad?" "I got some lettuce and tomato and fixings around." " Dad?" " Yeah?" "Nothing." "Dad?" "Yes?" "Did you ever wanna be a doctor?" "No." "Enough of this crap." "(SIGHING)" "Bailey." " Yes, Brother Leon?" " Up here." "As you know, gentlemen, a certain discipline must be maintained in a school." "A line must be drawn between teachers and students." "We teachers would love to be one of the boys, of course." "But that line of separation must remain." "Bailey, I'm sorry." " Bailey." " Yes, Brother Leon?" "Why do you find it necessary to cheat?" "Is silence an admission of guilt, Bailey?" "Oh, Bailey, what are we gonna do about you?" "I don't cheat, Brother Leon." "But look at the evidence, Bailey." "Your marks, all A's." "Every test, every paper." "Only a genius is capable of that kind of performance." "Do you claim to be a genius, Bailey?" "I'll admit, you look like one." "(STUDENTS LAUGHING)" "(SNICKERING)" "Those big ears and that little face, all pinched up." "And that little, tiny kind of baby walk you do." "(EXCLAIMS)" " Bailey?" " Yes?" "You haven't answered my question, Bailey." "Well?" "I don't cheat, Brother Leon." "Then how do you account for all those A's, Bailey?" " I don't know." " Are you perfect, Bailey?" "All those A's, that implies perfection." "Is that it, Bailey?" "Only God is perfect, Bailey." "Do you compare yourself to God?" "If God is perfect, and you are perfect, Bailey, doesn't that suggest something to you, Bailey?" "The other alternative is that, of course, you're not perfect." "And, of course, you're not." "I know you wouldn't be so blasphemous as to compare yourself to God." " Would you, Bailey?" " No, Brother Leon." "Which leaves us with only one conclusion." "You cheat." "You're a cheat, Bailey, and a liar." "(SCHOOL BELL RINGING)" "Wait a minute." "Wait a minute." "Nobody moves." "You poor fools." "You idiots." "Do you know who is the best man here?" "The bravest of them all?" "It's Gregory Bailey, that's who." "He denied cheating." "He stood up to my accusations." "Stood his ground, but you, gentlemen, you sat there and enjoyed yourselves." "And those of you who didn't enjoy yourselves, you allowed it to happen." "You turned this classroom into Nazi Germany for a few moments." "You did well, Bailey." "I'm proud of you." "You passed the biggest test of all." "You were true to yourself." "Of course you don't cheat." "Your classmates out there, they're the cheaters." "They cheated you." "They doubted you." "I never did." "Dismissed." "Hey, kid." "How come you stare at us?" "How come you stand here every day and stare at us?" "We're not in a zoo, if that's what you think." "Look," "I don't stare." "Yes, you do." "You stand here every day and you stare at us." "We're not subhuman, you know." " I didn't say you were." " But you look it." "(SNIFFS)" "Look," "I gotta catch my bus." "What bus?" "You know who's subhuman?" "You are." "Going to school every day on the bus and coming home every day on the bus, it's sort of..." "It's sort of like you're middle-aged at 15." "Oh, well, you better catch your bus." "I mean, don't miss that bus, boy, because you're missing an awful lot." "You don't wanna miss that bus." "How many boxes?" "20,000." "I know, I know, I know." "That's a lot of chocolates." "But we have tradition working in our favor." "The chocolate sale is an annual event." "The boys expect it." "If they can sell 10,000 boxes other years, why not 20 this year?" " And these are special chocolates." " How so?" "Well, these are Mother's Day chocolates." "I was able to pick them up at a bargain price." "Beautiful boxes stored under the best of conditions since last spring." "All we have to do is remove that purple ribbon that says "'Mother,"' we're in business." "We can sell them at $4 a box and make a profit of almost $2 on each one." "But 20,000 boxes... (CHUCKLES)" " That means each kid's gotta sell 50 boxes." " Fifty." "Usually it's 25, and the price is $2." "I know, Archie, but Trinity is special, isn't it?" "Aren't we capable of what others aren't?" "Archie, Trinity is struggling these days." "Costs are going up and we have only so many sources of income." "I mean, there are no rich men's sons here." "Take yourself." "Your father operates an insurance agency." "(STAMMERS) I mean, he makes a good salary, but he's hardly wealthy, is he?" "What I'm..." "No, what I'm saying is that the parents can't afford any more tuition increases." "We have to find revenue wherever possible." "Even a chocolate sale can be vital to us." "Another thing, you know, we've kept this quiet, but the Head is ill." "Perhaps seriously." "He's entering the hospital tomorrow." "That's rough." "Which means the school will be in my charge." "It will be my responsibility." "I need your help, Archie." "How about a bonus?" "You always give the boys a bonus." "As usual, a day off from school when every chocolate has been sold." "What, no trip?" "Last year, we got to go to New York." "I'll think of something." "Can I count on you?" "But what can I do?" "I'm just one guy." "You have influence, Archie." "Influence." "I'm not a class officer." "I'm not a member of the student council." "I didn't even make the honor roll." "You know what I mean." "I know what you mean." "You'll help, then?" "I'll ask them." "The Vigils will help." "(STAMMERING) I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about." "(CHUCKLES)" "Your name is Roland Goubert?" "Yes." "They call you The Goober?" "(ALL LAUGHING)" "Yeah." ""'Yes,"' what?" "Yes, sir." "Know why you're here, Goober?" "Yes, sir." "Well, if you know, then tell me why you're here." "Tell me why you're here!" "For an assignment." "Now, you realize that there's nothing personal in the assignments, that it is tradition here at Trinity," "and that you must pledge silence?" "Yes, sir." "Goober?" "Yes, sir?" "Know what a screwdriver is?" "Yes, sir." "Can you get one?" " Yes, sir." "My father, he has one." " Fine." "You know what they use screwdrivers for, Goober?" "Yes, sir." "What?" "You know, to screw things." "(ALL LAUGHING)" " I mean, to put screws into things." " Right." "Now, do you know where Brother Eugene's homeroom is located?" "Yeah, it's Room 19, on the second floor." "Very good." "Next Thursday, you'll make arrangements to be free." "Afternoons, evenings, all night if necessary." "The school will be deserted." "There'll be no one here after 3:00 in the afternoon." "No one but you and your little screwdriver, Goober." "(ALL SNICKERING)" "And here's what you do." "You loosen." " Loosen?" " Loosen." "You see, everything in Brother Eugene's homeroom is held together by screws." "The chairs, the desks, the blackboard." "And with your screwdriver, you start to loosen." "Don't take the screws out, just loosen them till they're ready to fall out." "They're hanging by a thread." "(ALL LAUGHING)" "Jeez, that's gonna take a lot of work." "You know, there's a lot of desks and chairs in there." "You'll have all night." "And we guarantee that you won't be disturbed." "Well, about Brother Eugene..." "You know, he's a pretty sad guy, you know?" "Thursday." "One more little tradition we have here at Trinity." "Six marbles." "Five white, one black." "The assigner picks one." "If the marble's white, the assignment stands." "If it's black..." "Why don't you tell him, Arch?" "I have to carry out the assignment myself." "Just our way of keeping the assigner under control." "Ready?" "Ready." "Don't worry, kid." "It's been a year and a month." "I ain't missed yet." "(SIGHING)" "Ladies, we're adjourned." "LEON:" "And you'll see the chocolates being loaded in, and you say," ""'Oh, oh, here comes Trinity's chocolate sale again. "'" "Well, this is more than a sale." "It is a crusade." "Yes, the quota is doubled this year because we have more at stake this year than ever before." "Each boy must sell 50 boxes." "And I know that each boy is willing to do his share." "More than his share." "I promise you, gentlemen, that before this sale is ended each one of you will have the number 50 inscribed on that final box, signifying that he did his part for Trinity." "You think, think, just think, think of school spirit." " Think of the spirit that is Trinity." " Christ, Archie." "The brotherhood of Trinity." "You know we never get involved in this kind of stuff." "You don't get it, do you?" "That's how powerful we've become." "Official recognition." "So just sit back and let some pretty little freshman sell your chocolates for you." "Christ, they'll think it's a goddamn honor, selling for the President of the Vigils." "LEON:" "But Trinity is struggling these days." "Leon needs us." "LEON:" "But you can help save Trinity." "Hey, Goober." "Who's there?" "How's it going?" " It's going kind of slow." " Yeah?" "Need some help?" " That'd be nice." " Yeah?" "Now, listen, Goober." "The assignment is more important than anything." "Understand?" "More important than you, me or the school." "You got that?" "And that's why we're here, to make sure the job gets done right." "And you listen to me, Goober." "You tell anyone about this, and you are through at Trinity." "You got it?" "Okay." "Let's get to work." "(ALL LAUGHING)" "You." "Didn't I tell you I wanted everything to go smoothly?" "No incidents?" "I didn't do anything." "And I didn't promise anything..." "I am in charge here now." "The entire school is my responsibility." "Don't ever forget that, not for a second." "Help clean up the mess." "(WHISTLE BLOWS)" "Hey, dickhead." "Good play." "Hey, Renault." "We just might make a quarterback out of you yet, you skinny son of a bitch." "(WE DO WHATWE'RE TOLD PLAYING)" " Bailey?" " Yes." " Crane?" " Yes." " Devlin?" " Of course, boss." " Farley?" " Yes." "Goubert?" "Goubert?" " Oh, I'm..." "Yeah." " "'Yes."'" "You don't seem to be with us today, Goubert, at least not in spirit." "I'm sorry, Brother Leon." "Let me remind you that this is a project by the students for the students." " This is your sale, your project." " Yes, Brother Leon." "Good." "Then you accept?" "Of course, Brother Leon." " Hartnett?" " Yes." " And Johnson?" " Why not?" "(STUDENTS SNICKERING)" " McClosky?" " Sure." " Perkins?" " Yes." "Renault?" "Renault?" "You are here, aren't you, Renault?" "It's the last call." "Renault?" "No." "What?" "No." "You did say no, Renault?" "Yes." "Now, let me make this clear." ""'Yes,"' means that, like every other student in this school, you agree to sell 50 boxes of chocolates." ""'No"'..." "And let me point out that Trinity forces no one to participate against his wishes." "That is the great glory of Trinity." ""'No,"' means that you don't want to sell the chocolates." "So now, what is your answer?" "Yes or no?" "No." " Santucci?" " Of course, sir." " Tessier?" " Yes, sir." " Williams?" " Yes, sir." "Well, you may pick up your chocolates in the gym, gentlemen." "Those of you who are true sons of Trinity, that is." "Those of you who are not, I pity you." "Class dismissed." "(PLAYERS CHATTERING)" "Hey, Jerry." "Look, Goob, I know what you're gonna ask me." "I don't wanna talk about it." "I'm sorry." "So, how is it going, Mr. Treasurer?" "Not great, sir." "Sales are definitely off from last year." "What are the figures?" "3,961 boxes sold." "Where were we last year at this point?" "About 4,400." "(SIGHS)" "Tomorrow, you put out a report to all homerooms that we've just passed 5,000 boxes sold." "It's a new speed record." "You see, we'll get them excited one way or the other." " So, Archie." " Yeah?" "You still got the picture or what?" "What picture?" "(SCOFFS)" "You know what picture." "Oh, that picture." "Yes, Emile, I still have it." " I don't suppose it's for sale." " No, not for sale." "To tell you the truth, it's not the greatest picture of you, anyway." "You got this funny look on your face, but you're not smiling or anything." "Where do you keep the picture, Archie?" "It's safe, Emile." "Very safe." "That's good." "Tell you what, Emile." "Someday, you might have that picture all for yourself." "How?" "You won't have to buy it." "What's the catch?" "Nothing you can't handle when the time comes." "You let me know when the time comes, all right, Archie?" "You'll be the first to know." "Emile, if you're gonna jack off in the toilet, you should at least close the door." "Hey, kid," "(SCHOOL BELL RINGING)" "I'm all out of cigarettes." "What I'd like, kid, is for you to go over to Baker's, and you buy me a pack." "What's the matter?" "You ain't got the money?" "You don't wanna be late, huh?" "That's life, kid." "Heads, I win." "Tails, you lose." "So you steal the smokes, or you borrow the money, but you meet me after lunch with the pack." "Lucky's." "Get out of here!" "So, Archie, think I could be a Vigil one day?" "He's got the money." "I mean, don't you think?" "He's just got the money." "But, you know, he's just lying through his teeth." "I bet you kick old ladies down the stairs and trip cripples on the street, huh?" "Such a terrible mark, Caroni." "I know." "And you're usually a splendid scholar." " Thank you, Brother Leon." " One of the few boys here on scholarship." " I'm sorry..." " How are your other marks, Caroni?" "Fine." "Well, they're fine." "In fact," "I mean, I was aiming for honors this term." " But now I can't..." " Yes, the F surprised me, too, because you are such an excellent scholar, David." "One thing the students don't always realize, David, is that teachers are human, too." "Human like other people." "(CHUCKLES) We have good days and bad days." "We get tired." "We sometimes goof." "It is even possible for us to make mistakes while grading papers, especially when the answers aren't cut-and-dried." "Did you ever hear a teacher admit it's possible he made a mistake?" "Did you ever hear that one before, David?" "No one is without error." "(SIGHS)" "And I've been working extra hard, carrying the burden since the Head's illness." "Running the school, as well as teaching and running the chocolate sale." "For instance, now, you..." "Caroni, Caroni, Caroni." "You..." "You have done fine in this." "Eighteen boxes sold." "Not only are you an excellent scholar, but you have school spirit." "If everyone did his part, like you, David, this sale could be a tremendous success." "But, unfortunately, not everyone has your spirit, David." "Take Renault, for instance." "It's funny about him, isn't it?" "Actually, I feel badly for him." "He must be a very troubled boy to behave this way." "I guess so." "Well, David?" " Speaking of Jerry Renault..." " Yes?" "But I'm sure you know what it's all about." " The Vigils." "The assignment." " Of course." "Of course." "He's supposed to refuse the chocolates for 10 school days, and then accept them." "Those Vigils are really something, huh?" "I'd hate to have them find out I told you." "Boys will be boys." "Poor Renault." "It's terrible to force a boy into that kind of situation." "But it's almost over, then, isn't it?" "The 10 days are up tomorrow." "Well, I guess that's it, then, Caroni." "Sir, you said you wanted to discuss my mark." "Oh, yes, yes." "That's right, Caroni." "That F of yours." "You said teachers sometimes make mistakes?" "I'll tell you what, Caroni." "At the end of the term, when the sale is over, I'll review that test." "Perhaps I'll be fresher then." "Perhaps I'll see merit I missed before." "On the other hand, perhaps that F will stand." "It depends." " Johnson?" " Two." " McClosky?" " Four." " Perkins?" " One." "And" "Renault?" "Renault?" "Renault!" "No, I'm not gonna sell the chocolates." "(EVERYBODYGOTTA KNOWPLAYING)" "(INAUDIBLE)" "You know, you're missing a lot of things, Jerry." "Hey, Renault." "You got guts, you know that?" "Really." "(LAUGHING) Boy, you really, really let that bastard Leon have it." "It was great." "Great." "Sure." "You know, I'm so sick of selling those fucking chocolates." "I've been going to Trinity for three years." "I'm just..." "I'm just tired of selling stuff, you know?" "If it isn't chocolates, it's Christmas cards." "If it isn't Christmas cards, it's soap." "But you know what?" "What?" "I never thought of just saying no." "You know, like you did." "Listen, I really got some studying to do." "Boy, you're cool." "You know that." "(STUDENTS CHATTERING)" " Hey." " Jesus, Jerry, what did you do it for?" "Do what?" "You know what I mean." "The chocolates." "I don't know, Goob." "That's the truth." "I just don't know." "You know, you're asking for trouble." "400 kids are gonna be selling chocolates." "What difference does it make?" "It's not that simple." "Leon's not gonna let you get away..." "Hey, Jerr." "Nice going, man." "(SIGHS)" "Look, what's more important?" "Playing football, your grades or a lousy chocolate sale?" "Just do me a favor." "Take the chocolates today, all right?" " I can't." " Why not?" "I don't know." "I just can't." "It's the goddamn Vigils, isn't it?" "No, they're not in it anymore." "It's just me now." "What do you mean?" "I mean that the assignment is over, Goober." "Now, it's just me." "It's just me." "It was at this point in history that man first ventured from the caves and began to deal with an increasingly hostile environment." "The cue is the word "'environment."'" "You guys are going to carry out our "'environmental"' campaign." "What if he doesn't use the word?" "He'll use the word, all right." "I'm sure somebody, say our friend Obie, will produce a question that will, in turn, produce the word." "Won't you, Obie?" "Why me?" "Because you're a good boy, aren't you, Obie?" "What is this?" "I am secretary of the..." "What are you looking at?" "I am secretary of the Vigils." "I'm not some dumb kid." "I mean, I stayed up all night helping that Goober kid because you told me to." "Aren't you, Obie?" "What happens when Jacques catches on?" "When he realizes the word is "'environment"'?" "Well, then he stops using it." "You see, that's the whole point." "I am sick and tired of this "'environment"' shit." "At least we'll have one teacher who will cross it off their vocabulary list." "...and began to deal with an increasingly hostile environment." "Increasingly." "Hostile." "Environment." "So, as he ventured further and further into his new environment, he found that he himself had to adapt to his environment," "since that environment was now far more complex than any he had before faced." "Thus, like modern man, his environment, and the environment around him," "shaped him as he had shaped his environment." "Well," "I hope you've all enjoyed this lesson on the environment." "And" "I will see you gentlemen tomorrow afternoon, if you can still walk." "(SCHOOL BELL RINGING)" "(PANTING)" "You tipped him off, didn't you?" "Brian." " Yes, Brother Leon." " Sit, sit." " The totals are bad." " Bad?" "Sales are down." "Below last year's." "And last year, the quota was half of this year." "Oh, Cochran." "(SIGHS)" "Read off the names of the boys who have reached their quota." "Meronia, 58." "LeBlanc, 52." "Caroni, 50." "Fontaine, 50." "Those are the only ones who made their quotas, Brother Leon." "Read the others." " All 400, sir?" " Yes." "Sullivan, 48." "McBride, 48." "Lombard, eight." "(CLEARS THROAT)" "Cartier, three." "He only sold three because he's been out of school." "Appendicitis." "He's in the hospital." "(SIGHING)" "Renault, zero." "Renault, zero." "Can you imagine that?" "Do you know what's happened?" "Do you know why sales have fallen off?" "No, sir." "The boys have become infected, Cochran." "A terrible disease, difficult to cure." "Before a cure can be found, the carrier must be discovered." "But, in this case, Cochran, the cause is clear." "The carrier is known." " I'm quitting the team, Jerry." " What?" " Yeah, I'm quitting the team." " God, are you crazy?" "Let's run, huh?" "Come on." "Goob, are you serious?" " I've gotta quit." " Why?" "Why, Goob?" "Well, did you hear what happened to Brother Eugene?" "He got transferred." "Well, I hear he's gone on sick leave." "What's the difference?" "Hey, Goob, my legs are killing me." "Keep running." "God, you're crazy." "(BOTH PANTING)" "They say Brother Eugene hasn't been the same since Room 19." "Rumors." "Hey, Goob, my lungs can't take this." "I know how he feels, Jerry." "Some people can't stand cruelty." "That was a really cruel thing to do to a guy like Eugene, right?" "What's Brother Eugene got to do with not playing football?" "There's something really rotten in that school, Jerry." "Like the Vigils?" "Yeah, that's part of it." "Anyway, I'm not playing football, and I'm not going out for track next spring, either." "Well, see, Jerry, it's what they did to us." "It's what they did to me that night in that classroom." "I mean, I was crying like a goddamn baby." "And it's what they..." "It's what I did to Brother Eugene's room, you know, wrecking the room, wrecking him, in fact, and now he's sitting..." "Hey!" "Take it easy." "And it's what they're doing to you." "You know, the chocolates." " Hello?" " LEON:" "You're in trouble, Archie." "What's the problem?" "They're not selling." "The entire sale is in jeopardy." " Well, how bad is it?" " Well, it could hardly be worse." "Sales are virtually at a standstill." "You..." "You're not being very effective, Archie." "You mean the finances are bad?" "Listen." "I think Leon's in deep trouble." "I overheard him talking on the phone." " I think it was with the school board." " And?" "I think Leon bought the extra chocolates with money he wasn't supposed to use." "He was gonna show off for the board." "Now the sale's going bad, and his chance of becoming Head's on the line." "Maybe even his job." "I thought you had influence, Archie." "You and your friends." "It's not my sale, Brother Leon." "You played games with that freshman Renault, and now the game has backfired." "You got yourself involved." "Wait a minute." "Last year, you barely sold all the chocolates." "And that was half as many at half the price." "The kids are tired of selling." "That's why your sale is falling apart, not my games." "Archie, I don't care if it's Renault, or your precious organization, or the state of the economy." "I want the chocolates sold." "Any ideas how?" "Perhaps you should begin with Renault." "He's become some kind of symbol." "I think he should be made to say yes instead of no." "And the Vigils should..." "Yes, I'm saying the name aloud." "The Vigils must throw their full weight behind the sale." "It's quite an order, Brother." "You've picked the right word, Archie." ""'Order."'lt is an order." "I have no idea what you're talking about." "I'll make it crystal clear, Archibald." "If the sale goes down the drain, you and the Vigils go down the drain." "We all go down the drain together." "(SIGHS)" "(STUDENTS CHATTERING)" "ARCHIE:" "I'm over here, Obie." "Hey, Arch." "What do you want, Obe?" "Oh, and, by the way, I don't appreciate anyone going in my locker." "Now, this is important." "Remember that kid Renault?" " He's still not selling the chocolates." " So?" "So, his orders were not to sell them for 10 days." "The 10 days are up, and he's still saying no." " So what?" " Well, here's the deal." "A lot of kids think the Vigils are in on it and that Renault is still on assignment." "And then there's some kids who know the assignment's over and think Renault is leading some kind of revolt." " What are you talking about?" " Look..." "Look, you told the kid not to sell the chocolates for 10 days, right?" "Well, he's gone past that." "The assignment's over." "He's defying the Vigils, Archie, and a lot of guys know about it." "This is what I want you to do." "Check up on the sale and get the figures." "Then I want you to arrange for Renault to appear before the Vigils." "Another thing." "Didn't you promise Leon that we'd back him in the sale?" "Hey, Obie, you let me worry about Leon." "You just go run your little errands." "You can go now." "Renault." "Have a chocolate?" "They're good." "Delicious." "And only $4 a box." "That's a bargain." "(CHUCKLES)" "But you wouldn't know about the price, would you, Renault?" "How many boxes have you sold, Renault?" " None." " None?" "(SCOFFS)" "Hey, Porter, how many boxes have you sold?" " Twenty-one." " Twenty-one?" "Wow!" "Hey, Porter, you must be one of those eager-beaver freshmen, huh?" " I'm a senior." " A senior?" "You're a bigshot senior, a Vigil, and you still have enough spirit to sell all those chocolates?" "Beautiful." "Anyone else here sell chocolates?" " Forty-two." " Thirty-three." " Twenty." " Forty-five." "But you, Renault, a new student, a freshman who should be filled with the spirit of Trinity," "(SIGHS)" "You haven't sold any." "Nothing." "Mind if I ask why?" "It's personal." "(SCOFFS)" "Nothing is personal here, Renault." "There's no secrets here." "Hey, Porter, how many times you jack off a day?" " Twice." " See?" "There's no secrets here." "Not in the Vigils." "Come on, you can tell me." "Let's go, Archie." "Playtime is over." "Why aren't you selling?" " I don't want to." " You don't want to?" "Hey, Obie, did you want to come to school today?" "Hell, no." "But you came to school today, didn't you?" "Hell, yes." "(ALL LAUGHING)" "You see?" "We've all gotta do things that we don't wanna do." "Okay, Renault, here's your assignment." "Tomorrow morning at roll call, you take the chocolates." "You say, "'Brother Leon, I proudly accept the chocolates."'" "We're letting you off easy." "You've disobeyed the Vigils." "That usually calls for punishment." "Now, the Vigils don't believe in physical violence, but we can make your life very bad." "Very sad." "We're letting you off easy." "We're just asking you to take the chocolates and sell them." "We're not asking, Archie." "We're telling." "Dismissed." "JERRY:" "Hi." "You were right." "I just wanted to say that." "My name is Jerry." "Renault?" "No." "(PHONE RINGING)" "Hello?" "(BOYLAUGHING OVERPHONE)" "Who is this?" "This isn't funny." "I'm not scared." "You know... (DISCONNECTING)" "(DIAL TONE)" "(PHONE RINGING)" "Hello?" "(BOYS LAUGHING)" "(SIGHS)" "JERRY:" "Who is it?" "Nobody." "The same goddamn thing happened last night." "Some idiot on the other end of the line, laughing like it's the biggest joke in the world." "(SIGHS)" "Your name?" "Come on, Archie, you know my name." "CARTER:" "Cut the crap, Bollo." "Let's hear your name." "My name is Frankie Bollo." "What's yours?" "You think you're a big shot, don't you?" " A big shot." " You said it, not me." "Well, we like big shots, don't we?" "You see, our specialty is turning big shots into little shots." "Cut the shit, Archie." "You're not impressing anyone." "What did you say?" "(SCOFFS)" "(WHISTLES)" "Hey, guys," "I'm not some scared little kid who pisses his pants because the big, bad Vigils invite him to an inquisition." "(CHUCKLES)" "Hell, you guys couldn't even scare a punk freshman into selling your lousy fucking..." "BOY 1:" "Yeah." "BOY 2:" "Yeah." " Get him out of here." " BOY 3:" "Come on." "BOY 3:" "Come on." "BOY 4:" "Yeah." "See you later, Bollo." "Quiet down." "Quiet down." "Shut up." "Quiet." "Sit down." "We're at a moment of truth here, Archie." "When a punk like Bollo comes in here and challenges the Vigils, there's something wrong!" "Now, we can't afford this." "Word will spread, and the Vigils will be history." "You know what's wrong here?" "We are." " How come we're wrong?" " Two reasons." "First, because we allowed our name to get connected with the goddamn chocolate sale, like it was our baby or something." "And second, because like Bollo said, we let a punk freshman make fools of us." "Right, Archie?" "Show them what you found this morning, Obie." "I spotted it because I was late for math." "It was on the bulletin board in the main corridor." "(MURMURING)" "Now, I went by a minute before, and it wasn't there." "So chances are hardly anybody saw it." "You're the brain, Arch." "You got us into this mess." "Where do we go from here?" "Everybody's panicking for nothing." "First of all, you can't go around the school beating up half the kids." "The Brothers would shut us down in a minute." "That's why I stay away from the strong-arm stuff." "(CLEARS THROAT)" "Although, I will admit you did a beautiful job on Bollo back there." "And it was coming to him." "But Bollo is a troublemaker." "And he can lie out there in his vomit till hell freezes over." "Nobody's gonna care 'cause he's an exception." "Bollo's an example." "Let the word spread about Bollo, and we won't have to worry about other kids screwing with us." "But that doesn't sell chocolates." "You say the Vigils are linked with the sale?" "Well, then, let's get the goddamn sale over with." "Let's sell the chocolates." "Because if Renault is becoming some kind of rebel hero because he's not selling, how the hell is he gonna look when everybody is selling, except him?" "Yeah, how you gonna get everybody to start selling them?" "Simple." "Like all great plans, it has the beauty of simplicity." "We make selling chocolates popular." "We make it cool to sell the things." "We spread the word." "We organize." "We get the student officers." "We get the homeroom officers." "We get the members of the student council." "All the kids with influence." "Do or die for Trinity." "Everybody sells." "Not everybody's gonna wanna sell 50 boxes, Archie." "But they will, Obie." "No, no, no, they will." "(CHUCKLES)" "We are going to make selling chocolates the thing to do." "The school will love us for it." "The Vigils will be able to write their own ticket with the Brothers and Leon." "Why do you think I told Leon that we'd do this in the first place?" "CARTER:" "What about Renault?" "Don't worry about Renault." "I worry about him, Arch." "I worry about him!" "Let me put it like this." "At the end of the sale, Renault will be wishing with all of his heart that he had sold the chocolates, and the school will be glad that he didn't." "Okay, Arch." "Okay." "But if this backfires, if this chocolate sale fails, then you're through." "You're all done." "It's not gonna take a black box, either." "As far as I'm concerned, you're on probation till the last chocolate is sold." "(I HAVE THE TOUCHPLAYING)" "(STUDENTS CHEERING)" "That makes 15,000 boxes sold." "(LAUGHS)" "You know..." "Of course you know." "That's only five more to go, huh?" "All right, now, this report says that Gregory Bailey, yesterday, sold 15 boxes." "That brings his total to 43." " Well, actually..." " That is wonderful." "Well done." "All right." "Crane, Devlin, Farley, have reached their quotas." "(STUDENTS CHEERING)" "LEON:" "Goubert?" " None." " BOY:" "Come on." "(ALL GROANING)" "Come on, Goubert, you've been stuck at 27 for a week." "It's time to get a move on." "Franklin, 42." "(STUDENTS CHEERING)" "Gilder, 48." "(CHEERING)" "Goubert, 50." " All right." " BOY:" "Goober." "Way to go, Goob." "Horton, 38." "Janza, 63." "What's your hurry, kid?" "I asked you a question." " Yeah, I know." " Well, what was it?" " What?" " The question I asked you." "You wanted to know what my hurry was." "You know what?" "You look like a little wise guy." "What makes you think I'm a wise guy?" "Because you put on a big act." "You try to get by with the sincerity act." "But you ain't kidding me." "You live in the closet." "What do you mean, "'closet"'?" "That's what I mean by "'closet."'" "That you're hiding in there." " Hiding what, from who?" " From everybody." "From yourself even." "Hiding that deep, dark secret." " What secret?" " That you're a fag." "You're a fairy, living in a closet, hiding away." "Oh, look, the fairy's blushing." "Are you blushing?" " Listen..." " No, you listen!" "Now, you're polluting Trinity." "You won't sell the chocolates like everybody else." "And now we find out that you're a fairy." "You're really something, you know that?" "Trinity has ways of weeding the homos out." "But you were smart enough to get by, weren't you?" "You must be creaming all over your little faggot self with 400 ripe, young bodies to rub up against." "I'm not a fairy." "I bet that's what killed your mommy, isn't it?" "Finding out her little baby was a faggot." "You son of a bitch." " What'd you call me?" " A son of a bitch." "(IN MYROOMPLAYING)" "(PHONE RINGING)" "Hello?" "(BOY LAUGHING)" "I'm still here." "(BABY CRYING)" "(PHONE RINGING)" "Yeah." "ARCHIE:" "Janza, can't you do anything right?" "(SCOFFS)" "What are you talking about?" "I mean, the kids." "I didn't tell you to make it a gangbang." "That?" "It was like a stroke of genius, Archie." "I mean, you know, letting him get beat up by a bunch of little kids." "Psychology." "Isn't that what you're always talking about?" "Who were they?" "I don't want outsiders involved." "Just some animals from my neighborhood." "Did you use the queer pitch on him?" "You called it perfect." "I mean, it really got to him." "He isn't queer, is he?" "Of course not." "Don't be stupid." "So, what's next?" "You just relax for now." "I wanna keep you in reserve." "I was just starting to enjoy myself." "You'll have other chances." "Hey, Archie?" "Yeah?" "How about the picture?" "Suppose I told you that I didn't have any film in the camera, Emile." "That there was no picture." "I don't know." "Hey, kid, stick with me and you won't go wrong." "We need men like you." "(ANNOUNCER CHATTERING ON TV)" "Hey, you can count on me, Archie." "I know, Emile." "I know." "WOMAN:" "You're missing a lot of things, Jerry." "LEON:" "Only God is perfect, Jerry." "Do you compare yourself to God?" "JERRY'S FATHER:" "Mrs. Hunter left a casserole." "PRIEST:" "It's God's will." "BOY:" "Boy, Renault, you got guts, you know that?" "GOOBER:" "I'm quitting the team, Jerry." "I was crying like a baby." "It's your mother, Jerry." "She's proud of you." "(WE DO WHATWE'RE TOLD PLAYING)" "Hey, Conrad, what's up?" "(CHATTERING)" "(SIGHS)" " It's all over, Brother Leon." " It's over?" "The sale." "Finished." "Done with." " Are you sure?" " Positive." "Let's check the figures." "There's just one thing." "Yes?" " It's the freshman, Renault." " Yes?" "What about him?" "Well, he still hasn't sold his chocolates, and it's weird." "Really weird." "What is so weird about it, Cochran?" "The boy is obviously disturbed." "He tried in his pathetic way to disrupt the sale and he succeeded in doing just the opposite." " You see, the school rallied against him." " But it's still weird, sir." "(LAUGHS) Oh, my God." "The sales come to exactly 19,950 boxes." "Now, that's impossible." "Some boxes always get lost or stolen." "It's impossible to ever account for every single box." "Well, this comes out right on the dot, with exactly 50 boxes missing." "Renault's 50." " You got the 50 boxes set aside?" " Got them." "Beautiful." "What's it all about?" "We're having an assembly, Obie." "Tomorrow night." "A special assembly at the athletic field to report on the sale." "At the field?" "Why not in the school?" "Because this assembly is strictly for the students." "No Brothers are invited." "But everybody else will be there." " Everybody?" " Everybody." "(CHUCKLES)" "Renault?" "Especially Renault." "You're something else, Archie." "I know." "Pardon me for asking..." "Ask away." "What do we want Renault there for?" "To give him a chance." "A chance to get rid of his chocolates, old buddy." "I'm not your old buddy, Archie." "I know that." "And how's Renault gonna get rid of his chocolates?" "He's going to raffle them off." "A raffle?" "Yes, Obie, a raffle." "(ODE TO BOYPLAYING)" "I don't know, Archie." "Brian, you did such a great job on the chocolates." "Just trust me on this." "How are you gonna get them to do it, anyway?" "Easy." "Janza's an animal, and Renault wants revenge." "And they won't back down if the whole school's looking on." "You just do your job." "Sell the tickets." "And leave the details to me." "(PHONE RINGING)" " Hello?" " ARCHIE:" "Hey, kid, how you doing?" " Fuck you, Archie." " Hey, hey, don't hang up." "Why not?" "Listen, Renault, do you wanna get revenge?" "Get even?" "Show them what you think of their goddamn chocolates?" "And how do I do that?" "Easy, kid." "Easy, if you're not chicken, that is." "There's a guy named Janza." "Real animal." "No class." "And I hear he needed a bunch of little kids on his side to take you on." "So I figure we ought to settle things in an assembly at the athletic field." "Boxing gloves." "Everything under control." "It's your chance to get even, Renault." "What about with you, Archie?" "Me?" "Why me?" "I was only doing my job." "I gave you an assignment, it ended, you did the rest." "(SCOFFS) I didn't beat you up." "Look, kid, I'm doing this because I believe in fair play." "End it and get on with other things." "Christ, there's more to life than a lousy chocolate sale." "You and Janza in the ring, face to face, fair and square." "And that's it." "All done." "Finished." "Archie guarantees it." "Yes, Caroni?" "Well, sir, I've been sent by the..." "By the boys to ask if we might have a football rally tonight out in the athletic field." "Well..." "Well, especially in light of the sales, sir." "Well, yes, of course, Caroni." "A football rally." "What a good idea." "And might we ask that it be kept students only, sir?" "Oh, that seems fair enough." "Just don't burn down the bleachers, if you can help it." "Oh, and, sir?" "Yes?" "Thank you for revising my grade." "Not at all, Caroni." "Well done." "The punches thrown will be read off the tickets, according to standard boxing regulations." "No kicking, punching below the belt, nothing like that." "Other than that, it's up to them." "(CHATTERING)" " Wait a minute..." " Okay with me." "I'll beat this kid any way you want." "So, what do you say, Renault?" "Do you accept?" "Or are you gonna back down in front of the entire school?" "I accept." "Good." "I thought you might." "Let's see." "Hey, Archie, they're really selling." "I even bought two myself." "What'd you pick?" "Right cross to the jaw and an uppercut." "I almost gave them to Renault out of pity." "But I figure, what the hell?" "He's got it coming to him, right?" "It's a beautiful night." "See, I told you everyone was panicking for nothing." "I don't know how you do it, Arch." "Simple." "See, Carter, people are two things." "Greedy and cruel." "We've got the perfect setup." "Greed." "A kid pays $2 for a chance to win $200 plus 50 boxes of chocolates." "And the cruel part, watching two guys hitting each other in the ring, unable to defend themselves, under their commands, while they're safe in the bleachers." "That's why it works, Carter." "Because we're all bastards." "Beautiful." "Beautiful." "(PHONE RINGING)" " Yeah?" " Goober?" " Yeah?" " It's Caroni." "Oh, yeah, what's up?" "Where you been?" "You haven't been to school for a week." "I'm sick, okay?" "What's up?" "I know Renault is your friend." "I just thought you might wanna know about this." "(WE DO WHATWE'RE TOLD PLAYING)" "Boy, you guys are really something, aren't you?" "Well, Carter, this isn't a Vigils meeting." "This is not an assignment." "You wanna explain that to them?" "You wanna back down in front of the whole school?" "I don't think so." "Come on." "I will walk up there alone, Carter." "And I will walk back again, too." "And another." "What the fuck are you talking about?" "Two fighters." "Two assignments." "Two marbles." "CARTER:" "Too bad." "CARTER:" "Hey, hey, hey!" "All right, the kid whose written blow is the one that ends the fight, either by knockdown or surrender, wins the raffle and wins the prize." "(BOY CLAPS)" "John Tessier." "He wants Janza to hit Renault with a right to the jaw." "Now, since Archie's standing in for Janza," "Archie's gonna deliver the blow." "CARTER:" "Eric Aderman." "Janza, uppercut to the jaw." "(STUDENTS CHEERING)" "GIRL:" "All right." "CARTER:" "Artie Heller." "Janza, right to the stomach." "(STUDENTS EXCLAIMING)" " Just leave it open." " BOY 1:" "Make him hurt!" "BOY 2:" "Go, Arch!" "Arthur Robillard." "Renault, right hook to the jaw." "BOY 3:" "Hit him, Jerr!" "(CROWD BOOING)" "CARTER:" "Eric Dickerson." "Janza, right cross to Renault's head." "(CROWD GROANS)" "(SILENCE)" "(STUDENTS CHEERING)" "STUDENTS:" "Jerry!" "Jerry!" "Jerry!" "Jerry!" "(INAUDIBLE)" "I should have just sold the chocolates." "I played their game, anyway." "It's gonna be okay." "It'll be all right." "Kagan, Stanley." "Assignment?" "(SIGHS)" "He has to get us naked pictures of his little sister." "No, no, no." "No, better yet, his mom." "(POUNDING FEET)" "Hey, Arch, no complaints, huh?" "You're still lucky to be in the Vigils." "Three more to go." "Lydon, Jeremy." "Assignment?" "He has to eat his snot in front of everybody." "(GIGGLES)" "(EXCLAIMS)" "Hey, Arch?" "Yes?" "I don't know what you're always complaining about." "This is easy." "(RUNNING UP THATHILL PLAYING)"