Marker.
Hey, Jamal!
Jamal, you awake?
Jamal! I know you can hear me, boy.
Jamal, I'm writing all this down.
I've got that thing with your teacher and I'm working late.
So you're gonna have to take care of yourself for dinner, okay?
Okay?
Okay.
Hey, I thought you wanted to get up by 7:30.
- Play the ball. - Ball!
- You want to change things? - Check that.
Play ball, baby. Stop crying.
Hold on. What up, J? Where you been, man?
- What's up? - Sleep, yo.
- Hey, what's up, man? - Up wondering how to save your ass.
- What are you saving? - Hey, Damon.
Let's go.
J, break him up, man.
Take the ball, man, okay?
- Oh, he broke your ankles, man! - Yeah!
You can't give him that.
- You can't give him that. - I'm awake.
Come on, yo.
- You got something for me? - What you got?
Soufflé, baby!
Where's the D?
Got nothing for me, man.
A lot of good that's doing.
- It's something for The Window. - You ever seen him?
- The Window? - Yeah.
No. But he see us, man.
Come on, what's wrong with y'all? Y'all want to play ball?
- All right, baby. - Wake up.
- You got to help me out, man. - Shake it!
Hip-hop, man.
In 1845, Poe wrote his most famous piece, "The Raven"...
...a poem he wrote while strung out on coke and obsessed with death.
"The Raven" is like the football team.
There's a team obsessed with death. Always get their ass kicked.
Baltimore Ravens, only pro football team named after a classic poem.
Anyone read it?
"Once upon a midnight dreary
While I pondered, weak and weary..."
Jamal, how about it?
No, I never read it.
Okay, I need those essays by next Tuesday.
Yo, man, my dad saw The Window, man.
About 20 years ago.
Just like a ghost, like the ones that be in our science books.
- Just like that. - So, what, he was white?
Ain't milk white?
- Ever see a ghost that wasn't white? - Just playing.
I heard he killed somebody. That's why he stays inside.
You gotta kill an army to hide here.
- True. - Y'all play too much.
Remember Shurrita?
She used to live below The Window?
She calls me up this one night, bugging, dog. Bugging.
Saying she heard this tapping from upstairs by The Window's place.
Tap...
...tap...
...tap.
While she was on the phone, she started screaming, dog.
Because now the tapping made its way down the stairs somehow.
Tap...
...tap, tap. - Listen to him, fool.
And now it was on the other side of her door, dog.
She could tell there was some type of knife he was tapping with.
Before she can even hang up, the phone disconnected.
- That's the last time we seen her. - Shurrita from across the street?
Come on, man, yo. You know that girl is a crack ho.
No, no, she was nice.
Listen, man, all I know is that The Window's bad news.
Rules was, you go outside, you stay away from The Window's place.
- No, stay away from your lying ass. - Yo, J, you believe me, right?
You full of shit, dog.
Damn.
So let me guess. So you'd go up in there, right?
It's an old man looking out a window, man.
- You'll go? - He won't go.
- So you'll go up there? - Let them know, J.
- He's not gonna go. - This nigga's scared.
Yo, I got the next call.
- So? - So...
I dare you to go up there, right?
Right? Right?
- Whatever, man. I'll go up there. - Yeah.
- He's going. - Big shot. Superman.
- Bring it, son. - That's my dog.
You feel me.
D, I believe you, dog.
Man, shut up. Go to class or something.
Here, man, sit over here, son.
Are you kidding me? Stop playing with me.
- It's a vibrant thing. Go over there. - Fine.
Here, take your apple too.
- Ms. Joyce? - Yeah. Hi.
Good to see you. Have a seat here.
Thank you.
Okay.
We got Jamal's test scores back this week.
- Test scores? - Assessment tests.
The state education department requires all kids to take them.
He didn't tell you?
Mrs. Wallace, Jamal maintains a C average.
Which means he does just enough to get by without standing out.
Now, what makes Jamal's case unusual are his test results.
Oh, my God.
I see him reading all these books all the time.
Books I never read. Some I never even heard of.
And he's always writing in his notebooks.
Ever since his father left.
But that's what I see.
All he ever talks about is basketball.
Basketball is where he gets his acceptance.
Kids don't care about what he puts down on paper.
Let's go! Between the yellow lines! Let's go!
Yo, T.
What up, Fly?
- How you? - Maintaining.
Look, look. You looking for tickets, little bro?
Dead tonight.
Sorry about that.
Come on, man. We know you got tickets.
I got four words for you: Bos-ton Red Sox. All right?
The Yanks and Sox tickets, they damn near been sold out almost a month.
All right, Mr. Fly?
And by the way, why don't you go tell Camry boy over there...
...that he need to back up his little cheap-ass bumper...
...on that Mercedes there.
Go handle that. Let's go, Fly! Let's go!
What the hell, Jamal? Moms called.
Tell me about the test. What's up with that?
- Nothing, man. - What do you mean, nothing?
This in the way of your plans?
Remember, it was your plan first, T.
Yeah, I know. A little college ball and all.
Then start signing checks, solving everybody else's problems.
Look at me, though.
Whoa, hold a minute.
Hold on to these.
I guess this makes it our plan now.
- One thing. - What up?
Don't say nothing about them test scores.
Don't worry, I'm your brother, dog.
Whatever me and you discuss, it stays between me and you.
- Right. - Love you, dog. All right?
Make sure you keep one thing in mind:
Moms knows when the game ends, so take your ass straight home.
- Okay. - Don't get into no trouble.
Be careful. Stay safe, all right?
- Love, dog. - All right, T. Good looking.
All right, Jamal. Be careful.
Stink in here.
J, you see that window?
He keeps that one cracked sometime.
Yo, light's been out for two hours, dog.
You sure he asleep?
That Methuselah's like a thousand years old. That's all they ever do.
Yo, J, man. For the reals, son, I don't know about this.
- I know. - I think I'm... Oh, shit!
I think I'm gonna pull the call, yo.
- No, yo, I got this one. - Rats.
All right. Yo, Fly.
Keep it. You gotta bring something out.
Yo, man, you hear us, drop down, all right?
All right.
Don't stay in there too long.
Got you.
Damn, this thing's rickety.
Lucy Chapman around?
Last stool on the other end.
Lucy Chapman?
- Yeah. - I'm Bannion, Homicide.
With this band playing, you need megaphones to talk at the bar.
- We can sit in a booth. - All right.
- Yo, look, look! - Oh, shit!
- Yo, yo, got something? - Oh, shit!
- Yo, what happened? - You son of a bitch!
Dickheads, he wasn't asleep.
- Yo, did you see him? - No, not for long, yo.
Jamal, would you stop bouncing that damn ball in the house?
I got Michael Jordan's name written in dirt all over my floor.
Don't worry, I'll clean it.
I got a better chance of Michael Jordan cleaning it.
If you're thinking of a shower, the hot water's taking a few minutes.
- I wasn't thinking about it. - Hey! Hey, where's your pack?
- I don't know. - Don't know?
What do you mean, you don't know?
We wanted you to bring something, not leave something.
Leave this one alone, man.
What was in your bag anyway?
I'm not talking about the damn bag.
Bet you ain't, man.
Let me teach you something. Now watch the eyes.
He's probably watching you right now.
Stop. Stop. See?
You don't know about that, man.
Here's how you do it.
I'm not gonna do anything to your car, man.
I'm sorry?
You look worried, like I'll do something.
No, I worry about this car everywhere, not just here.
- Don't take it personally. - It's just a car.
No, it's not just a car. It's a BMW.
Those who know anything about that company...
...know that it's more than just a car.
Oh, those who know. So I wouldn't know anything like that, right?
No, that's not what I meant.
Last thing I knew about BMW...
...is, they made plane engines when they first started.
A guy by the name of Franz Popp started it all.
Franz Popp. I like that name.
Made this one engine before 1920.
It flew six miles up.
Well, Popp and his boys were just getting started, man.
Made this one engine, the 801, World War II...
...14 cylinders, 2300 horsepower, seven miles up.
With more time, they would have bombed the shit out of England...
...and maybe even won the war.
That's where this comes from.
White propeller zipping around a blue sky.
After the war, they couldn't make plane engines anymore.
And that's when BMW gave some serious thought to making cars.
Kind of like this one.
But you probably knew all that, since you lease one.
Thanks for the history lesson.
No problem, man.
Messing with my stuff, man.
Hey...
The other night was...
It was just this dare thing me and my boys do.
Well, I was wondering maybe I could bring you some more of my stuff...
...or maybe I could write something else.
How about 5000 words on why you'll stay the fuck out of my home?!
Come on, man, I know you in there.
Take your goddamn hand off my door!
I just came to drop off that thing you asked me for.
What thing?
The 5000 words on why you wanted me to stay out of your place.
That's kind of the way you said it.
Well, try remembering it exactly as I said it.
Come on in, Jamal.
Hi, honey.
It's okay.
Sit down.
Mrs. Wallace, Jamal. When we got your recent test scores...
...we figured there may be some interest from private schools.
Well, it turns out we were right.
Mr. Bradley.
Jamal, Mrs. Wallace, my name's David Bradley.
I'm with the Mailor School in Manhattan.
- Mailor? Mailor-Callow? - That's right. You familiar with us?
Yeah.
Jamal, Mailor-Callow is not only the best prep school in the city...
...it's one of the finest private schools in the East.
Only the best go there.
You may know we're a few weeks into our fall term...
...but every year we hold some openings...
...while we wait for test scores to come in.
Jamal, your test scores...
...to put it mildly, caught our attention.
I'm here to see if you'd be interested in attending our school.
Jamal, we know leaving for another school...
...especially a private school, is not gonna be easy.
But this isn't the right place for you anymore.
Jamal, it's not a difficult choice.
Mr. Bradley...
...there's no way that we could pay for this.
We're not asking you to.
When Dr. Simon said, "Only the best go to Mailor"...
...he neglected to mention...
...that our excellence extends beyond the classroom.
I figured that.
We thought you might.
Mrs. Wallace, about 40 of our students have gone on to play college ball.
Three have made it to the professional level.
We evaluated your play last year.
While this is strictly an academic offer...
...we won't be disappointed if you choose to play.
All we ask is you come out for a few days, take a look, think it over.
- Okay. - Mrs. Wallace.
- Thank you. - Jamal.
Goodbye.
We'll be in touch.
- I didn't knock this time, man. - To whom were you speaking?
I'll tell you that when I get my 5000 words back.
Bolt the door...
...if you're coming in.
The man in the car?
He was from this private school.
They want me to go there.
We don't have to pay anything, though.
We live a couple blocks from here, me and my mom.
Well, my brother was there a couple of years ago...
...but he left after my dad left.
My mom got tired of waiting for my dad to get himself clean.
And my dad got tired of trying.
But that's when I started writing.
What's your name?
Jamal Wallace.
Sounds like some kind of marmalade.
How old are you?
I'm 16.
Sixteen!
And you're black!
- It's remarkable. - Remarkable? What?
It's remarkable that I'm black?
What does me being black got to do with anything, man?
You don't know what to do right now, do you?
If you say what you really want to say...
...I might not read any more of this.
But if you let me run you down with this racist bullshit...
...what does that make you?
I'm not playing this game, man.
Oh, I say you are playing it.
An expression is worth a thousand words.
But perhaps in your case just two.
Here.
What an asshole.
One hand to give, one hand to receive. As we eat together in unity...
...may our minds, bodies and spirits grow strong...
...and congratulations to Jamal.
Amen.
- Amen. - Amen.
Did you see this?
- Let me see. - Don't mess it up.
Wait a minute.
From the cover this look like the funny-man school to me.
Terrell, eat your food.
You'll be fine, big bro, because Mommy don't make nothing but soldiers.
You could have done the same thing.
I work at a parking lot. And I ain't no regular parking attendant.
I am the supervisor of all the parking attendants.
You don't know how much you'll make from week to week.
One week it's $50, one week it's $100.
- That's not a real job. - Leave him alone.
Ma, look, I rap, I get busy. You know I got my rap thing going.
Don't bring up the rap. Eat your food.
- You don't want to hear my songs? - Eat.
I'll sing it for you now.
When I come due And I blow the spot
Your son is supervisor Of the parking lot
Tell her, Jamal. My choice is hot, right?
Jamal Wallace?
Hi, I'm Claire Spence.
Bradley asked me to show you around.
All right.
Come on.
Don't worry about answering any questions or anything.
Not till you decide what you're gonna do.
Besides, the teachers here...
...aren't all that into student participation.
They're busy listening to themselves talk.
- What do you mean? - You'll see.
This morning we begin our third required reading of the semester...
...the study of a novel that offers everything...
...and an author who could have offered much more.
That's Robert Crawford.
Been here as long as most of the buildings.
When William Forrester was 23, in 1953...
...he set out to write his first book.
Many aspiring authors talk about writing the great 20th-century novel...
...well, William Forrester did it.
On his first try.
Have you read this?
Yeah, you?
Only about a dozen times.
This was the only one he chose to publish.
For all we know it was the only one he chose to write.
Your job over the next week...
Your job over the next week is to read it and tell me why.
So...
...you gonna be back tomorrow?
Yeah, they want me to spend some time on the court.
Yeah, I heard.
Graduation was a little rough on last year's team, that's all.
But it's just like college, right?
You get an education, and they get what they want.
Maybe you both get what you want.
Yeah, maybe.
It was very nice meeting you, Jamal.
You too, Claire. You gonna be around tomorrow?
Not where you'll be...
...but you might be able to find me for lunch.
I didn't say those two words.
Why didn't you?
Because I want you to read more of my stuff.
You know, they talk a lot about you out there.
All this "legend" bullshit.
They got some stories, though.
People wonder if you killed somebody.
That, and wondering why you been in here so long.
I wouldn't move, though. I'd stay for the quiet.
You don't hear nothing in here.
Our place got these noisy neighbors.
Their kid's always yelling because he's only a year old.
Or pops is yelling because the kid's making noise.
Then mom's yelling...
But that's a different yelling...
...because that's when the old man's playing the tunes for her...
...and she got her head banging up against the wall.
She be screaming like...
- Then she... - You better stir that soup.
What?
Stir the soup before it foams up.
How come ours never gets anything on it?
Come on. Come on. Closer.
Now.
- You got somebody doing that yelling? - What I have here is an adult male...
...quite pretty...
...probably strayed from the park.
A Connecticut Warbler.
You ever go outside to do any of this?
You should have stayed with the soup question.
The object of a question is to obtain information that matters to us...
...and to no one else.
You were wondering why your soup doesn't foam up?
Probably because your mother was brought up in a house...
...that never thought about wasting milk in soup.
Now that question was a good one.
In contrast to, "Do I ever go outside?"
Which fails to meet the basic criteria...
...of obtaining information that matters to you.
All right, man.
Guess I don't have any more soup questions.
No?
Why did you say that stuff about me being black?
It had nothing to do with you being black.
It had to do with me finding out just how much bullshit you'd put up with.
You knew I'd come back.
Yes, just like I know you'll go to this new school.
How you know that?
Because there's a question in your writing...
...suggesting what is it you wish to do with your life.
And that is a question your present school cannot answer for you.
Let's match up. Wallace, you take Hartwell.
What's up, man? I'm Jamal.
Just check it, all right?
- Check the ball. - Let's go, guys.
Come on now.
Ball's in.
Come on!
- Cover Danson! Get on him! - Let's go.
Play him tough, play him tough.
Here, Johnny, inside!
Way to go. Way to go, gang.
Let's go, D up.
- Let's go, garbage. - Come on.
- Step up. Step up.
Head's up.
Leave the trash-talking back home, all right?
What?
Get that goofy look off your face.
- I'm gonna make you my son. - Right.
- You gonna be my son. - Come on.
Let's go.
- Come on, man. - What?
- You're too small. - What?
Nice handle.
Hartwell, a little defense would be real nice.
Coach is right. A little defense. Let's go.
- Try and get it past the line. - What?
I said, get it past the line.
Is this too much? Pressure.
Too much.
I need some help!
Ten seconds. Let's go, the other way.
I'm taking your spot?
- Taking what? - Your spot.
Taking nothing. Come on.
My court, man. My court.
That's how we play down here.
That's right.
Hartwell's just a rich kid...
...who wants as much of the spotlight as he can get his senior year.
That's all it is.
They take things real serious around here.
Well, it's a serious place.
Serious enough I usually end up here, getting lunch on my books.
What are you working on?
Forrester's book.
I thought you read it.
I know, but look at this.
My dad got it for me.
It's an early printing.
Listen, I gotta go.
But you just got here.
I know, but...
...I forgot something.
I gotta check up on something.
I'll see you later.
"Born 1930.
In Scotland."
"Moved to New York with his family in his late teens.
Mr. Forrester was unavailable for comment."
Yeah, I bet he was.
Are we now planning to make these visits a habit?
- You said you knew I'd be coming back. - Yes, but I thought you meant once.
I need some help with this thing at school.
Ah, yes, this thing at school.
And what "thing" are we talking about now?
You ever read that?
I'm trying, man.
I just can't seem to get past the first 10 pages.
As I recall...
...I took a while to get past those pages myself.
Oh, Christ, you've dog-eared one of them.
Show a little respect for the author, huh?
That's you, isn't it?
You're the author.
I read the whole thing. It's not bad. Especially...
Hey...
...I know what it is.
I don't need another person telling me what they think it is.
I wasn't gonna say that.
What were you gonna say?
I should tell you everything about me?
I told you about me.
You could learn a little something about...
...holding back.
If I ask you not to say anything to anybody...
...about here, us...
...is that something I can trust you on?
Yeah.
I promise.
Fine.
And if I ask you to keep helping me with my writing?
There'll be no questions...
...about me, my family...
...or why there was only one book.
Then I won't ask.
Good.
And good night.
What's it feel like?
What?
Writing something the way you did.
Perhaps you'll find out.
Listen, you 5-foot-nothing.
He's probably still sleeping in the crib.
Kenzo, how old are you again?
Why?
Look at your face! Did your mom do that to you?
She started you young.
You know where that starts from? Eating too much cookie.
Teresa told me. She told me.
I like them big. You got a problem?
I like them big.
That big?
It's like when I'm with all three of your mothers.
- You're not talking about my mother. - Hold on, Oscar Mayer wiener.
Stop playing. You got beat like Tina in school one day.
I seen Duke smack you up.
Listen, throw it at your mama.
Everything tilts towards your mama.
Your mama. Stop throwing your mama.
Why you laughing?
Yo, man, your glasses are like Coke bottles.
Classics.
- You ever met somebody famous? - How famous?
Like, I don't know...
...somebody people would know.
Nobody like that comes around here, man.
So, you here for good now?
Yeah, I'm just trying to get started.
Well, at least they look good.
Right?
This year's writing competition has now been scheduled.
For those who choose to take part, entries must be turned in...
...before spring break.
Meaning, you still have a few months of procrastination.
Feel free to experiment with a more proactive approach. The...
Mr. Wallace!
Please.
I had a chance this morning...
...to review the files sent over by your former school.
Test scores, impressive.
Actual classroom work...
...not so impressive.
Is this...
...the level of work I should anticipate, Mr. Wallace?
Because if it is...
...it will help me determine whether I should treat you as a student...
...or as someone here simply to pursue...
How should I put it?
Other endeavors?
Of course your work will give you ample opportunity to respond.
Good day, Mr. Wallace.
Just so you know, you handled that the right way.
How's that?
You didn't say anything.
It's the ones that do that run into trouble.
- John Coleridge. - Jamal Wallace.
So how many people do say something?
And actually stay in Crawford's class?
Not many.
I missed what you said.
I didn't say anything.
You read all these?
No, I just keep them to impress all my visitors.
All your visitors.
We talk about your book at school.
People have been talking about it for years.
They just haven't been saying anything.
Yeah, I think I got it down, though.
I figure you were writing about how life never works out.
Oh, really? You had to read a book to figure that out?
Yeah, but Crawford's messed up on it anyhow.
Says the guy having trouble after the war is really you.
Some symbolism shit for the problems you were having with everybody.
Robert Crawford?
Yeah, I think it's bullshit, though.
I think there really was somebody else.
Mr. Johannsen?
Here.
Mr. Massie! Another trip to your favorite destination.
I've got four bags today. I can leave them.
Oh, no, no.
Come right in.
How you doing, Mr. Johannsen?
At least a half-hour before the sun goes down.
Then you can begin your panic-driven quest back to Manhattan.
This should last you till next week.
Your mail is in...
...this one.
- Mr. Johannsen? - Essentials are in...
Essentials?
I took care of your bills, and I put all the copies in this one.
The phone company wonders if you still want service...
...as you haven't had a call in six... Okay.
I got your socks for the next couple weeks...
...which are in this one.
And I have your latest check from accounting.
They wanted to know if you cashed the last one.
It's still showing up outstanding.
Not as outstanding as it once was.
I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had company.
Oh, yes. We were just having a discussion...
...on German automobile history.
- Care to join us? - No, I'm in a tow-away.
Of course you are.
See you next week?
Not if I'm lucky.
Why not give that guy a break and do your own shopping?
- And why are your socks inside out? - Because socks are badly designed.
The seams are on the inside. Hurt the toes.
In some cultures, it's considered good luck to wear something inside out.
And you believe that?
No, but it's like praying.
What do you risk?
And I do go outside.
How do you think those windows get cleaned?
Now, about this...
...professor of yours.
How did it feel having him tell you what you can't do?
- Like he knew he was better than me. - Then let's show him what you can do.
Why are the words we write for ourselves...
...always so much better than those we write for others? Move.
Sit.
Go ahead.
Go ahead and what?
Write.
What are you doing?
I'm writing. Like you'll be...
...when you start punching those keys.
Is there a problem?
No, I'm just thinking.
No. No thinking.
That comes later.
You write your first draft...
...with your heart...
...and you rewrite with your head.
The first key to writing...
...is to write.
Not to think.
Jesus!
Is there a chance you might sit down?
"A Season of Faith's Perfection."
- What's this? - Start typing that.
Sometimes the simple rhythm of typing...
...gets us from page one to page two.
And when you begin to feel your own words...
...start typing them.
Punch the keys, for God's sake!
Yes!
You're the man now, dog!
Jamal...
...whatever we write in this apartment...
...stays in this apartment.
No exceptions.
Okay, let's push it, guys. Come on.
- Heads up. - Yo, D!
That's a foul, man.
- I had the spot. - You'll know when you got the spot.
Hey, hey, gentlemen!
- Hey, hey! - Our season begins in one week.
If I see this one more time, you'll shoot fouls to see who runs today.
Is that understood? Is that understood?
One.
Two.
Three.
Eleven.
Twelve.
Thirteen.
Twenty-nine.
Forty-eight.
Forty-nine.
Hold it.
One more.
That's one of the most impressive things I've ever seen on a court.
Why do I know it wasn't good enough for either of you?
Shower up and get out of here.
You may think we're the same. We're not.
Oh, Mr. Wallace.
Mr. Wallace!
- Professor Crawford. - The latest paper you turned in...
It showed quite a bit of improvement from your earlier work.
- Thank you. - Yes.
- How long did it take you to write it? - I wrote it last night.
Last night!
Well, I have some things to finish up here.
Good day, Mr. Wallace.
That's right. Select again.
- "Birds of a Feather" for 600. - Answer:
Vibrant in color, its name borrows from this Vivien Leigh character.
- The scarlet tanager. - It's, "What is the scarlet tanager?"
What is the scarlet tanager?
Gotta know the rules to play.
It was written by a writer you have never heard of.
"Thy duty, winged flame of spring
Is but to love and fly and sing."
He was writing about the song of the tanager.
A song about new seasons, new life.
That's James Lowell, man.
I know who he is.
"I'll stay with 'Poor Assumptions' for 800, Alex."
You ever see any scarlet tanagers around here?
They don't stray that far from the park.
So your professor wasn't exactly full of praise this afternoon.
No, not exactly.
Well, there's something you should know about Robert Crawford.
He wrote a book a few years after mine.
And all the publishers rejected it, which was the right decision.
And instead of writing another one...
...he took a job teaching others how to write.
How you know all that?
Just keep in mind that bitterly disappointed teachers...
...can be either very effective or very dangerous.
All right, this is the first step tonight, guys.
"Mailor" on three.
One, two, three, Mailor!
Gold.
Black.
Up here, up straight and high. Not yet.
- What up, J? - What up? You was in there tonight?
Twenty-six points.
Eight of 10 from the floor. Ten of 10 from the line.
- I'm supposed to miss that? - All right, it was hot.
You were putting some serious ink on that stat page, man.
What's going on?
Yo, brothers was going by Red Rose, man.
I told them we catch up. Friday night, kid.
Come on. Come on.
Hey, Jamal, you plan on doing that every night?
- Worked out, I guess. - I'd say it worked out.
This is Fly.
- Hi, Fly, I'm Claire. - How you doing?
- You a friend of Jamal's? - Claire!
Come on!
I'm coming.
Don't hold that bus up too long. Nice meeting you, Fly.
All right! What the hell you working there, man?
Shut up, man.
Yo, about Red Rose. I ain't gonna make it.
I gotta go to this dude house. They do it every year.
Don't be going off on this.
You big time. You best be going. I don't want to hold your bus up.
You around this weekend?
Where you think I'm gonna be? In the Hamptons?
It was very nice talking with you. Remember, anything you need...
...please give me a call. Okay? Anything.
Okay?
Building up a collection of those things?
Yeah, a few.
Do you want to get outside for a while?
Yeah. You know this place?
I live in this place. Come on.
They'll be in there till midnight, congratulating themselves on your game.
Which means I get to cram tomorrow for this test on Monday.
Test on what?
It's on the Sherlock Holmes books.
They have us tracking down all this worthless stuff, like:
"Who introduced Watson to Holmes?"
They give it to you to force you to read everything.
Looks like it might be a while.
Maybe so.
So this friend Fly. How long have you known each other?
For a while. He was born there, and I was born there too.
- In the Bronx? - Yeah.
Must be hard.
What?
I don't know. New people, new school.
It's not?
No, what's hard is growing up in a place...
...where the cops don't even want to be after dark.
What's hard is knowing that you're safe there...
...because the people you need to worry about...
...know you got nothing to give them.
So it's a good thing you're here.
Yeah, but these people don't think I got anything to give them either.
Don't let me get by you. Once I get by you, I'll score.
- Okay. - You ready?
- Ready. - Stay in front of me now.
- All right? - Okay.
I got by you, man.
You're bigger than I am.
You still got to play defense.
How do I do that?
How do you play...? I'll show you one right here.
Turn around.
Feel that?
I feel it.
I know where you'll go because I can feel where you're gonna move.
All right, now try and move left.
I'm still here. You can't get around me because I feel you moving left.
Try and go right.
See, I'm still here.
I feel when you try and go right. So you can't go there neither.
Now try and get by me.
Hold on.
You gotta dribble first.
Dribble.
Dribble. Okay. Like this?
Yeah.
- Sorry. - Claire.
Daddy.
Some of our guests are leaving.
I'll see you on Monday, okay?
Oh, Claire.
Yeah?
It was Stamford.
Excuse me?
At the bar in London.
He's the one who introduced Watson to Holmes.
Might save you some time after everybody's done in there.
You know how long I worked on that?
"One season of faith's perfection"?
Feels like I worked on it for two or three seasons.
Oh, you're in that place where you can't even hear me.
Like I could ask why you never moved from here...
...and you wouldn't even get pissed... - Paragraph three starts...
...with a conjunction, "and."
Never start a sentence with a conjunction.
- Sure you can. - Oh, no.
It's a firm rule.
No, no, no, see...
...it was a firm rule.
If you use a conjunction at the start of a sentence...
...it can make it stand out a bit.
And that may be what the writer wants.
And what is the risk?
Well, the risk is doing it too much.
It's a distraction. It could give the piece a run-on feeling.
But for the most part, the rule on "and" or "but"...
...at the start is still pretty shaky.
Even though it's taught in many schools by many teachers.
Some of the best writers have ignored that rule for years...
...including you.
Well, you've taken...
...something which was mine...
...and made it yours.
That's quite an accomplishment.
Thank you.
The title is still mine, isn't it?
I guess.
Now, it was the neighborhood that changed. Not me.
I ain't seen nothing change.
You "ain't seen nothing"?
What in the hell kind of sentence is that? Huh?
When you're in here, don't talk like you do out there.
I was messing with you, man. It was a joke.