Everybody Hates Chris "Everycne Hates the Pilot" Story by Chris Rock & Ali LeRoi Teleplay by Ali LeRoi Directed by Reggie Hudlin PRODUCTION DRAFT APRIL 8, 2005 REV. FULL BLUE APRIL 12, 2005 REVISED PINRK APRIL 13, 2005 REVISED YELLOW APRIL 15,2005 REVISED GREEN APRIL 20, 2005

= COLD QPEN [ INT. BOY'S BEDROOM - MORNING CHRIS, 13, and his brother Andrew aka “Drew”, 10, are in separate beds sleeping. On the walls are posters of Rappers and Basketball players. ADULT CHRIS 1982. That was the year I turned thirteen. I thought beirg a teenager was going to be really cool. EXT. MANHATTAN - NIGHT - FANTASY 2 A limo pulls up to a nightclub. Chris steps out wearing a fly outfit. He’'s with four GORGEOUS WOMEN. THE MANAGER, walks Chris past the LINE of PEOPLE waiting an into the club. ADULT CHRIS V.O. I was going to have women, money, stay out late...... INT. THE CLUB - CONTINUOUS 3 The Party is Jumping. THE DJ waves to Chris as he goes to a VIP BOOTH, the Manager brings CHAMPAGNE. ADULT CHRIS V.O. I thought it was going to be the bomb. I was wrong. INT. BOY'S BEDROOM - RESUME 4 BAM! The fantasy ends as the door flies open and ROCHELLE, Chris’ mom, clicks on a light. THE CLOCK reads 6:00 A.M. ROCHELLE Chris! Get in this bathroom and wipe the pee off the toilet seat! CREDITS: RAPPER GRANDMASTER FLASH PERFORMS “THE MESSAGE” OVER OPENING CREDIT SEQUENCE. * o

ACT ONE EXT. CROWN HEIGHTS APT. - DAY Chris’ family is loading a moving van. ADULT CHRIS V.O. When I turned thirteen my mother convinced my father to move us out of the projects. She always said project is just another word for experiment. INT. LABORATORY - DAY A WHITE RAT in a cage eats cheese. ADULT CHRIS V.O. In the lab the government gives rats cheese. EXT. PROJECTS - SAME A YOUNG BLACK KID behind a gate eats cheese. ADULT CHRIS V.O. And in the projects the government gives the people cheese. EXT. BROOKLYN STREETS - DAY Chris’ father, JULIUS, drives the family through Brooklyn. CHRIS Dad, can we stop and get a burger? JULIUS You got some burger money? ROCHELLE Julius, the kids have to eat. JULIUS We get one combo meal. Drew gets the burger, Tonya gets the fries, Chris, you can have the drink. ADULT CHRIS V.O. That's my father, Julius. He worked all the time to get money to move. (MORE)

10 11 ADULT CHRIS V.O. I think he worked on every street in Brooklyn. ANGLE ON A DRY CLEANERS. JULIUS I used to work there. ANGLE ON A TIRE REPAIR SHOP. JULIUS I used to work there too. EXT. 606 VARICK ST. - DAY g Mom and the kids are carrying stuff into their new apartment. NEIGHBORS watch. A THUG is spray painting “BED-STUY DO OR DIE” on a building. Rochelle and the kids watch. ROCHELLE (to her kids) If I ever catch one of you all spray painting on a wall I will put my foot so far up your behind you’'ll have toes for teeth. ADULT CHRIS V.O. That’s my mother, Rochelle She had a hundred recipes for whooping ass. INT. HOUSE - QUICK CUTS 10 ROCHELLE I'11l slap the caps off your knees! ANOTHER TIME -- ANOTHER OUTFIT ROCHELLE I'11 knock you into last night! CMITTED 11

13 14 INT. DINING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 12 Chris brings in three bowls of oatmeal on a tray. Drew, 11 is standing by the table. He's clearly taller than Chris. Tonya, 10, sits playing with the sugar bowl. ADULT CHRIS V.O. That's my younger brother Drew. Everybody thought I was his little brother. My sister Tonya was the youngest so she never got blamed for anything. Tonya knocks over the sugar bowl on purpose. Rochelle, in a robe and curlers, comes in on cue -- ROCHELLE Chris, clean that mess up! CHRIS Tonya knocked it over. ROCHELLE pDid I ask you that? ADULT CHRIS V.O. Since I was the oldest, I had to be the responsible one. I was like the emergency adult. EXT. FRONT - DAY 13 Dad is leaving for work. Chris stands at the door. JULIUS If you smell smoke and think the house is gonna catch fire, you get your brother and sister and get out of here. EXT. FRONT PORCH -~ ANOTHER DAY -~ ANOTHER UNIFORM 14 JULIUS If you smell gas and think the house is gonna blow up, get your brother and sister and get out of here.

16 EXT. FRONT PORCH JULIUS you smell smoke, and your brother catches on fire, I want you to get your sister and get out of here. ADULT CHRIS V.O. Fortunately the house never caught fire. INT. DINING ROOM - SHORT WHILE LATER The kids are still eating. Rochelle has toast and coffee. Julius comes in. He and Rochelle hug and kiss quickly. He CHRIS Mom, how come Drew and Tonya get to go to school in the neighborhood and I have to go all the way to Brooklyn Beach? ADULT CHRIS V.O. Brooklyn Beach was a poor Italian neighborhood on the other side of Brooklyn. It was like Bed-Stuy without the crackheads. ROCHELLE Because all the kids around here your age are hoodlums. At least those white kids have some sense. ADULT CHRIS V.O. My mother thought anything involving white people was better. drops a NEW YORK PAPER on the table. They slap “five.” Tonya is picking at her ocatmeal. DREW What’'s up, Dad. TONYA Hey daddy... JULIUS Hey baby! What's wrong with your oatmeal? ~ANOTHER DAY STILL-ANOTHER UNIFORM STILL 135 16 * %

17 18 TONYA Chris made it too lumpy. JULIUS You have to eat it. Julius snuggles with Tonya. Chris gathered the bowls up. There’'s some oatmeal left in Tonya’'s bowl. JULIUS I know you're not throwing that away. Eat that. That’'s thirty cent worth of catmeal. ADULT CHRIS V.O. My father always knew what everything cost. INT. HOUSE - QUICK CUTS JULIUS IS LOOKING AT A SPILT GLASS OF MILK. JULIUS That’'s forty nine cent, on the floor! JULIUS LOOKS AT A HALF EATEN CHICKEN LEG IN THE JULIUS a dollar and three cent, in the trash! JULIUS LOOKS AT A TRAY OF BURNT BISCUITS. JULIUS That’'s two dollars, on fire! INT. DINING ROOM - DAY Julius is eating and going through BILLS. Rochelle enters and TRASH. 17 18 starts to clear Julius’'s pate away. He opens one and finds a red notice. JULIUS Honey, did you see this? % %

19 She exits. ROCHELLE (looking it over) I paid this. JULIUS They say you only paid half. ROCHELLE I know. JULIUS I gave you all the money. How come you only paid half the bill? ROCHELLE I can’'t believe you’'re even asking me that. JULIUS I'm not trying to upset you. I'm just asking you a question. ROCHELLE No you‘re not. You're questioning my judgement. You're either okay with the way I handle the bills or you're not. If you want me to do it, let me do it. JULIUS You act like there’s a not a big red bill sitting on the table. ROCHELLE You know what? You do it. JULIUS Alright. I’11 do it. ROCHELLE (challenge) Do it then. INT. STAIRWELL - LATER Chris is coming down the stairs in clean white SNEAKERS. ROCHELLE Boy, you are not going to school in those sneakers. 19 * *

20 ADULT CHRIS V.O. Believe it or not, there was a time when you couldn’t wear sneakers everywhere. CHRIS How come? Everybody wears sneakers. ROCHELLE You look raggedy. You have an assembly today. ' ADULT CHRIS V.O. My mother hated raggedy. She always said it’s better to be poor and neat than rich and raggedy. I think she said that because we were poor. She produces a pair of SHINY BLACK LEATHER SCHOOL SHOES. ROCHELLE Here.. wear Drew’'s school shoes. CHRIS I hate these shoes. Everybody in school will make fun of me. ROCHELLE You've only been at the school a week. You know everybody. CHRIS {sctto} I'm the only black kid in the school. They know me. EXT. FRONT PORCH - DAY The kids come outside. Rochelle follows. Chris has on the shoes. DREW How come he's wearing my shoes? ROCHELLE Because you only have one pair of feet. Chris, don’'t fool after school. Get back here so you can let Drew and Tonya in. CHRIS You won’t be home? 20

21 ROCHELLE I'm working today. You know the drill. CHRIS I know. Daddy’'s going to be asleep so wake him up until five ADULT CHRIS V.O. We had an arrangement; my father got to sleep, we got to eat. Chris starts to go. ROCHELLE You got your bus pass? Chris checks his pockets. Rochelle hands it to him. ROCHELLE Keep on.. You lose this bus pass and you’ll be walking to school. (beat) Here’'s two dollars for lunch. He puts the money and the bus pass in his pocket. EXT. VARICK ST. - DAY 21 The kids walk toward the school bus stop. Drew is clearly larger than Chris. Chris’ shoes CLICK CLACK on the concrete. ANGLE ON -~ KEISHA RIDENHOUR - 13, PRETTY, AS SHE COMES OUT OF A BUILDING. ADULT CHRIS V.O. That ‘s Keisha Ridenhour. At thirteen I didn’t know a lot about sex, but I knew she had something to do with it. Chris looks at his watch. CHRIS Seven forty. Gotta remember that. KEISHA (flirty) Hey Drew. * ok * % *

22 DREW What's up, Keisha... CHRIS You know her? DREW Yea... ADULT CHRIS V.O. Drew was so cool that he got girls at ten that I couldn’t get until I was thirty. CHRIS When y‘all get home, don’'t ring the bell, don’t knock on the door. Just wait. Okay? TONYA What if I have to go to the bathroom? CHRIS Go to the bathroom at school. TONYA That bathroom is nasty. CHRIS If you wake daddy up, he’ll punch me in the face. If he does, I'm punching you in the face. And then he’ll kill me and to jail. You want daddy to go to jail? No. CHRIS Alright then. They reach the school bus stop. Chris walks off. EXT. BUS STOP - DAY Chris comes running up. He is in front of ANOTHER SCHOOL. 22

23 24 25 26 ADULT CHRIS That’s Dolemite Junicr High, the school my mother wouldn’t let me go to. I know what was so bad about it. GUNSHOTS and then PANIC are heard as Chris boards the bus. ADULT CHRIS V.O. Much like rock and roll, school shootings were also invented by blacks and stolen by whites. INT. THE #26 BUS - DAY 23 ADULT CHRIS V.O. My first bus was the twenty six. Chris is the only kid on a BUS FULL OF ADULTS. All of them are black. He reads the paper. INT. THE #44 BUS - DAY 24 The PASSENGERS ARE MIXED RACE. ADULT CHRIS V.O. My next bus was the forty four. Chris is reads a HEADLINE about a “Chain Snatcher”. There is a PHOTO. Chris realizes it’s THE MAN STANDING NEXT TO HIM. He snatches a chain off a FEMALE RIDER and hops off the bus! INT. THE #31 BUS - DAY 25 All of the passengers are WHITE. ADULT CHRIS V.O. My last bus was the thirty one. Because I was the only black person on the bus, I was always the last one anybody would sit next to. A PREGNANT WHITE WOMAN looks around the full bus for an empty seat. The only one is right by Chris. She opts to stand. CORLECONE MIDDLE SCHOOL - DAY 26 Chris gets off in front of his school. Nothing but young ITALIAN RIDS milling around. *

27 12. ADULT CHRIS V.O. T went to Corleone Middle school. INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - CONTINUQUS 27 Chris walks past an ITALIAN PRIDE DISPLAY. EVERYONE is wearing SNEAKERS. Chris’ school shoes CLICK CLACK LOUDLY as he walks. KIDS stare at him and SNICKER. ADULT CHRIS V.O. My mother thought going to a white school meant I would get a better education and I would be safer. A tough kid, CARUSO, smacks the books from the hands of a nerdy kid, GREG WULIGER. ADULT CHRIS V.O. She was wrong on both counts -- Caruso comes toward Chris. ADULT CHRIS V.C. That’'s Joey Caruso. Everybody was scared of him. And so was I. He throws a shoulder into Chris. Chris’ books go flying. Caruso STEPS ON CHRIS’ SHOE as he walks by. CARUSO Nice shoes, Bojangles. CHRIS Bojangles? That’'s what your mother called me when I was tap dancing in her drawers last night. A COLLECTIVE GASP from EVERY KID in the hallway. Caruso stops and turns. No one talks to him like that. ADULT CHRIS V.O. I know you think I'm crazy, but if I let him get away with messing with me, he’d be doing it all year. I couldn’t beat him, but he didn’'t know that, so I figured I might be able to “out black” him. CARUSO What? * % %

CHRIS (w/ bravado) Did I stutter? CARUSO Do you know who I am? CHRIS Step on my shoe again and you gonna find out who I am. I don’'t play that. I'm from Bed-Stuy boy! I’'ll bring half of Marcy up in here. I'11 beat your ass so bad you'll need crutches in your sleep. I'1l -- Caruso punches Chris hard in the chest, stopping the rant immediately. Chris flies backward into DR. RAYMOND, 50, a military type principal. Chris looks up to see Dr. Raymond. RAYMOND your name? CHRIS Chris. RAYMOND I'm Dr. Raymond, your new principal. Now get off my feet. Chris gets up. Caruso laughs. Raymond look him over. RAYMOND (to Caruso) funny? That’s nct funny. What’s your name son? CARUSO Caruso. RAYMOND Fix yourself up next time you come to my school. (re: Chris) See those shoes? They say something. They say I'm a student. I want to learn. I want to see more of this. {re: Caruso) And less of that. (to Chris) Don‘t bump me again. Raymond heads off. Carusoc scowls at Chris as he walks off. * ok * ok &

CARUSC This isn’t over, nigger. Chris is speechless. ADULT CHRIS V.O. Black people invented open heart surgery, peanut butter, and the perm, but still haven’'t come up with a good comeback for being called nigger. Chris and Greg pick their books up. GREG You really from Bed-Stuy do or die? CHRIS Yea. GREG Cool. You ever been shot? CHRIS No. Not yet. GREG Wow. I'm Greg. ADULT CHRIS V.O. Greg Wuliger was a nice kid who couldn’t fight. Just a big “ass kicking magnet.” He wasn't my first choice for a friend, but you have to be friends with the people that want to be friends with you. CHRIS I'm Chris. GREG Cool shoes. Greg has on an older pair just like them. CHRIS (re: Raymond) If he’'s the new principal, what happened to the old one?

28 29 30 31 ot . XT. CORLEONE MIDDLE SCHOOL - THE PREVIOUS YEAR 28 The OLD PRINCIPAL is being dragged away by the POLICE, screaming out to QLD PRINCIPAL I didn’t touch her! I Don’t know what talking about!! Ask anybody!! I Swear! Come on guys!! OMITTED 29 INT. KITCHEN - DAY 30 Rochelle is dressed for work. Still angry from earlier, she SLAMS and BANGS things around the kitchen. ADULT CHRIS V.O. As hard as my father worked, he never really had any expectations. He knew he wasn’'t going on vacation, he knew he couldn’t afford a sports car, the only thing he ever asked for, at the end of the day, was to have the big piece of chicken. She pulls a BIG PIECE OF CHICKEN from a PLASTIC CONTAINER and puts it on a plate with VEGETABLES and wraps it in plastic wrap. She puts it in the fridge. INT. DINING ROOM - CONTINUQUS 31 Rochelle enters. Julius is going over bills. * ok % % *

32 ROCHELLE What are you doing? JULIUS I'm paying the bills. 16. It says forty dollars. I'm paying forty dollars. Rochelle picks up the bills and looks them over. ROCHELLE See that’s what I'm talking about. You're doing it wrong. She puts them in her purse and heads for the door. JULIUS Where are you going? ROCHELLE To work. JULIUS Is Chris going to be home in time to wake me up? ROCHELLE Can I see in the future? JULIUS What's wrong with you? She walks out -~ SLAMMMMI!! EXT. PIZZA JOINT - DAY 32 Greg and Chris are walking past the KIDS HANGING OUT. GREG I'm going to get a hot dog. CHRIS I'm gonna get a slice of pizza. Greg walks off. Chris takes his with his money. He turns around steps on Chris shoes and pushes CARUSC’S BOYS scoop up the cash Chris gets up and bravely faces CHRIS bus pass out of his pocket and there’s Caruso. Caruso Chris. His things go flying. and the bus pass in a flash. Carusc. Give me back my bus pass, man. * * *

CARUSO You want it? Take it. Chris steps up to Caruso. CHRIS I'm not scared of you. On cue, Raymond comes walking out of the pizza joint. Caruso deftly steps away from Chris as if nothing is happening. Once Raymond is gone, Caruso brushes past Chris and gets right in his ear. CARUSOC After school, Satchmo. Chris turns and watches Caruso walk off. END OF ACT ONE

33 ACT TWO INT. REALTY OFFICE - DAY 33 Rochelle is at her desk in a small Realty Office. A FEMALE CO- WORKER sits across from her.. Rochelle is on the phone... Rochelle has half of her lunch on her desk, uneaten. He CO- WORKER eyes the un-eaten half of a sandwich. ROCHELLE (on the phone) ...Hello? No it is not okay if you put me on hold.. Hey! CO-WORKER I hate when they do that. Are you gonna eat the rest of that sandwich? ROCHELLE No girl, you can have it.. The co-worker grabs the sandwich up. She is so happy. ROCHELLE (into phone) Hello? Hello? I swear! She hangs up. Rochelle’s manager, MR. CORLISS, black, 40-ish, comes over. He speaks softly to Rochelle MR. CORLISS Are you okay? ROCHELLE What? MR. CORLISS I overheard you on the phone. I'm just wondering if okay. ROCHELLE (defensive) If you got something to say just say it. MR, CORLISS I was just wondering if you're okay. % * A o * 4 ok

34 ROCHELLE I don’'t see you asking nobody else if they’re okay. I’'m on the phone for two minutes, all of sudden you wanna know am I You act like I'm the only one around here making calls. ADULT CHRIS V.O. Because my dad always worked two jobs, my mother would threaten to guit a job for no reason at all. ROCHELLE My man works two jobs. I don’'t need this. MR. CORLISS I was just wondering if you were okay. ROCHELLE I‘'m fine. You happy? ADULT CHRIS V.O. Can you believe she had only been there three days? EXT. ALLEY - DAY 34 A GANG OF KIDS have gathered a short distance away. Caruso is in the center waiting for Chris, who's walking toward the crowd with Greg. GREG Are you crazy? CHRIS No. It’s a school fight. All I have to do is get in the first punch and somebody will stop it. Greg slides into the crowd. Chris and Caruso square up. CIRCLE OF KIDS {chant) Fight... fight... CARUSO What you waiting for Cornbread? POW!!{! Chris throws a haymaker! He quickly turns to Greg. *

35 36 37 38 CHRIS This should be over any minute. TIME PASSAGE FIGHT MONTAGE - CHRIS IS LOSING THE FIGHT AS: 35 STOCK: CLOUDS ROLL BY HIGH SPEED IN THE SKY STOCK: A FLOWER GROWS THRU THE CONCRETE AND FULLY BLOOMS A COP WALKS BY, SEES THE FIGHT, AND CONTINUES ON CHRIS Is somebody gonna stop CHRIS SEES HIS BUS as it pulls up across the street. He tries to run for it but Caruso grabs him in a headlock. CHRIS RAISES HIS FOOT HIGH and stomps on Caruso’s foot with all his might. Caruso SCREAMS and falls to the ground. Chris reaches into Caruso’'s shirt pocket, grabs his bus pass, and takes off after the bus with TWENTY KIDS CHASING HIM. EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS Chris races after the bus... CHRIS EXT. ONE BLOCK AWAY - SAME 37 The bus is at the next bus stop. SEVERAL PASSENGERS get on. INT. BUS - SAME 38 The driver checks HIS MIRROR. He sees Chris running and the kids chasing him.

39 40 BUS DRIVER {(to Passengers) Come on. Let’s go. Hurry up. The NEXT TO LAST PASSENGER gets on the bus. PASSENGER (to Driver) There’s a kid trying to catch you. BUS DRIVER Yea.. I see him. Hurry up. The LAST PASSENGER gets on and the doors start to close. Chris flies between them with the mob hot on his tail. They BANG THE DOORS as the bus pulls away. Chris flashes his bus pass. He sits next to a WHITE MAN. The White Man moves. EXT. VARICK ST. - DAY 39 Chris comes running around the corner... He hears Tonya IN THE DISTANCE. He runs faster. TONYA EXT. FRONT PORCH ~ SAME 40 TONYA Dadddddyyyy! Tonya goes to bang on the door. Chris appears cut of nowhere and grabs her hand and throws HIS other hand over her mouth. CHRIS You want daddy to go to jail? DREW I told her to guit. He pulls out a cigarette and lighter, and prepares to light up. Chris smacks the cigarette out of his mouth. TONYA I have to go to the bathroom. DADDYYYYYYY Chris throws his hand over her mouth again.

41 42 43 44 45 22. CHRIS Will you be quiet!? Now when we get . inside, I don’t want to hear any noise. None. You understand? She nods. INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - LATER 41 Tonya comes out of the bathroom. Chris is waiting there with a large blanket and several pillows. INT. BATHROOM 42 Chris covers the toilet with blankets and pillows to muffle the sound. He FLUSHES. You can barely hear it. INT. LIVING ROOM - SHORT WHILE LATER 43 The kids are watching SILENT TELEVISION. Tonya starts to LAUGH OUT LOUD. Chris smashes a cushion over her face. INT. PARENT'S BEDROCM - MOMENTS LATER 44 Chris peeks in. Dad is asleep in his uniform. ADULT CHRIS V.O. My father slept in his uniform. That way, when he woke up he would be ready to go. Chris opens the door with a long SQUEAK. bad fidgets. Chris freezes. Dad settles in. Chris tip toes across the room as quietly as he can. Dad GRUNT/SNORES, Chris freezes. Chris creeps to the closet, and goes inside. He finds a small SHOE SHINE KIT. He gets it and creeps out. INT. BOY'S BEDROOM ~ MONTAGE 45 Chris tries to clean his shoes. HE USES AND WATER FROM A BUCKET HE USES SPRAY CLEANER (FORMULA 409)

46 48 HE USES 508 PADS. Finally all of the dirt is gone but the shoes aren’t shining. Chris has his shoes in front of him, the polish, A CUP OF WATER, AND A WHITE BATH TOWEL. He takes the white towel, and scoops up a wad of polish.. He gets to work on his shoes. LATER He picks up his school shoes. They’re like new. He puts them in the closet. He picks up the once white towel. It’s covered with BLACK SHOE POLISH. Chris takes the towel and shoves it deep in the bottom of a hamper. His stomach GROWLS. INT. RKITCHEN - CONTINUOUS 46 Chris looks in the Fridge. He sees SOMETHING WRAPPED IN FOIL. He takes it out and unwraps it. There’'s one BIG PIECE OF CHICKEN on his father’'s plate. INT. KITCHEN -~ SHORT WHILE LATER 47 Chris is eating the chicken. He looks at the clock. It’'s five o’clock. He finishes the chicken off. INT. DAD'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS 48 Dad is asleep. Chris creeps back in and puts the shoe polish back. Then he shakes Julius gently to wake him. CHRIS Dad.. Dad.. it’s time to get up. JULIUS (groggy) Is it five o’clock? CHRIS Yes. JULIUS Not four fifty-nine? CHRIS No. It's five. Julius sits up. Yawns and stretches.

49 50 51 52 24, Good. INT. KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER 49 The PHONE RINGS. Chris picks up. CHRIS Hello. INT. REALTY OFFICE - SAME 50 ROCHELLE It’s mom. Is your father up? INTERCUT CHRIS Yep. ROCHELLE Good. Take his plate out of the refrigerator and put it in the oven. CHRIS What plate? ROCHELLE The one with the big piece of chicken. Chris looks down at the chickenless plate and SCREAMS. CHRIS L] INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT 51 Julius is at the table. HIS LARGE MAN HANDS are holding a teeny tiny chicken wing. He takes a little tiny bite. INT. BOY'S BEDROOM -~ SAME 52 Rochelle is trying to contain her anger.

53 25. ROCHELLE Chris, haven’t I ever told you -- DO NOT EAT THE BIG PIECE OF CHICKEN! How'’s your father supposed work two jobs on a chicken wing? Huh? CHRIS I was hungry. ROCHELLE Eat a cracker. Have a biscuit. You could eat anything. But if all we got in the house is big pieces of chicken, you find the smallest one and eat that. Your father gets the big piece of chicken. You understand? CHRIS Yea. She notices his shoes. ROCHELLE Well at least you didn’'t mess up your school shoes. Give me some sugar. She hugs and kisses Chris. Then pulls the hamper from the closet and heads to the door. Chris watches, very concerned. ROCHELLE Go to bed. INT. DINING ROOM - LATER 53 Rochelle walks past Julius without saying a word. JULIUS Rochelle... ROCHELLE What? JULIUS I wasn’'t trying to tell you what you do. I'm working hard to pay for this place... * o b * * *+ ok * b * ok * * %

26. ROCHELLE Just because you make money doesn’t mean you know how to spend it. You have to know how to work the system. JULIUS What system? ROCHELLE The debt system. I run this house just like they run the country, on a deficit. Rent 1s due on the third and I pay that on the ninth with your check from the seventh. If you pay the whole light bill now, I'm not gonna have money for food, the rent will be late, and then you gotta work overtime. If I didn’'t make sure we owe people money, we wouldn’t have any money at all. JULIUS Oh. Why didn’'t you say that then? ROCHELLE Because you didn’'t ask. She starts to walk off. He grabs her gently by the arm. JULIUS Hey, I'm sorry. Okay. ROCHELLE (kidding) Who told you to open the mail anyway? 54 INT. BOYS BEDROOM - LATER 54 * Chris’ CLOCK reads 11:10 p.m. Drew is in bed asleep. Chris is * staring at the ceiling. The door opens. Julius peeks in... CHRIS Dad. . JULIUS Hey man, I thought you were asleep. CHRIS I'm sorry I ate the big piece of chicken.

55 56 JULIUS That was eighty nine cent worth of chicken. You didn’'t get enough to eat at lunch? CHRIS I was just still hungry. JULIUS Next time eat a little something extra at breakfast, okay? CHRIS Ckay. Julius gives Chris A DOLLAR. JULIUS Don‘t go pulling this money out, somebody will try to rob you. And tell you mother about this. {beat) Everything okay at school? Chris considers his next words... ADULT CHRIS V.O. I didn’t tell him about the fight. because my dad went to school in the south during civil rights. STOCK: KIDS BEING ESCORTED INTO SCHOOL BY TANKS, WHITE SCREAMING AT STUDENTS. ADULT CHRIS V.O. After hoses, tanks, and George Wallace JOEY CARUSO STARES MENACINGLY INTO CAMERA INT. BOYS BEDROOM - RESUME ADULT CHRIS V.O. Somehow Joey Caruso didn't compare. CHRIS {(walits a beat) It was okay. JULIUS Good. see you in the morning. 27. 56 * * % koo %

28. ADULT CHRIS V.C. My father wasn't the type to say “I love you.” He was one of four fathers on the block. “I'll see you in the morning” meant he was coming back. Coming back was his way of - saying I love you. Julius is almost gone. He turns back. Turn that clock off boy. You can't tell time when you sleep. That's two cents an hour. Chris unplugs his clock. He closes his eyes to go to sleep. ROCHELLE (0.5.) Chris!! What the hell happened to my towel!! Chris eyes pop open! BLACK. END _OF ACT TWO * *