American History X Page #14

DANNY:

What's happened to you, Derek?

TIGHT ON DEREK. He looks into his brother's eyes.

DISSOLVE TO BLACKNESS:

INT./EXT. CHINO PRISON - ESTABLISHING SHOTS

FILING OUT OF THE CELL.

The morning drill. His roommate, an old Latino guy,

right behind. Derek's eyes cast among the inmates,

noting everyone and looking for a friendly face. He

notes a familiar tattoo, catches the guy's eye and nods.

WALKING THROUGH THE CAFETERIA.

Derek with his tray. A sea of tables divided by race. He

spots a tiny island of white guys at a distant table. He

looks at STEVIE THE LEADER, but gets a nod from the HUGE

ARYAN next to him. Derek moves to sit with them.

A WIDE SHOT OF THE YARD.

From a distance, he approaches the Aryan corner. They

casually greet each other. Derek then looks over to the

HUGE ARYAN from the cafeteria and to STEVIE MCCORMICK,

the crazy looking leader. Derek walks over and shakes

their hands.

CUT TO:

INT. PRISON LAUNDRY ROOM - MORNING

Derek quietly folds towels with a young, chattering black

man.

YOUNG MAN:

You got lucky, man. I was in the

kitchen for a year before making it in

here. Pots and motherfucking pans...

disgusting beef stroganoff sh*t...

boiling hot water...f*** that!

(looking over)

My name's Lamont, man.

Derek doesn't even look at LAMONT. Stone cold, he

continues folding.

LAMONT:

I got your back. Righteous white

Cracker with attitude. Just like the

Judge who sentenced me, man.

Lamont laughs but then becomes serious.

LAMONT:

If your smart though you'll remember

one thing. You're the n*gger in here.

Not me.

CUT TO:

EXT. PRISON YARD - DAY

DEREK'S POV. He sees Stevie McCormick conferring with a

Mexican gang leader. The Mexican hands Stevie a joint

through a handshake.

Derek turns and talks to two white guys who seem

impressed. Stevie walks up and takes a hit off his

joint.

STEVIE:

I was just talking about you. You're

Cammeron's boy?

Derek turns and stares at him.

DEREK:

His boy? No, I don't think so, man.

I'm not anybody's boy.

STEVIE:

Well...you know what I mean.

DEREK:

Nooo, I don't know what you mean.

Derek and Stevie lock eyes. Stevie sneaks a hit and

offers Derek.

STEVIE:

Here, man. Relax and have a hit.

Derek stares at him.

DEREK:

Nooo...how about you getting that

f***ing sh*t awax from me?

Stevie looks at him, ready to kill. The other two can't

believe Derek's gall. Stevie shrugs.

STEVIE:

You got a problem, man?

DEREK:

Excuse me? Do I have a problem? No,

I don't have a problem. Do you have a

problem?

STEVIE:

No. I don't.

Stevie stares at Derek and walks off. He turns back

again and he and Derek lock eyes. He walks back to his

group.

DEREK:

Who the f*** are you?

Derek turns back to the other two and they are already

walking away. Derek looks at the two and back to Stevie.

Stevie sits with HUGE ARYAN and says something to him.

CUT TO:

INT. PRISON LAUNDRY ROOM - EARLY MORNING

Lamont in mid-conversation.

LAMONT:

But I won't go down on that sh*t. No

way, no how. You ever been with a

soul sister?

Derek looks over and meets his eyes.

Lamont sees this and laughs.

Just for a second.

LAMONT:

Oh sh*t! Sorry, man! Forgot who the

luck I was talking to there for a

second.

(after a beat)

Let me ask you this one though cause I

don't know the white man's take. You

like eating p*ssy?

Derek can't help but smile.

LAMONT:

Oh man! You sick f***ing bastard!

You sick pig!

DEREK:

And you don't!? Shut up.

LAMONT:

Man...you don't know sh*t about the

brothers. We won't go down on that

sh*t if the b*tch was holding a gun to

our f***ing head.

Derek laughs and the two continue to converse.

CUT TO:

EXT. PRISON QUAD - DAY

A group of White Aryans are gathered in the yard. Derek

plays basketball with a mixed assemblage, including

Lamont. Derek continues to look over every now and then

at Stevie and his group. Stevie suddenly smiles towards

Derek.

Not understanding what it's all about, Derek turns

'around. Standing there is HUGE ARYAN and his STOCKY

FRIEND.. They proceed to beat the sh*t out of Derek right

in the middle of the court. The players circle as Derek

rolls on the ground. He gets bombarded with kicks and

punches, a few even coming from randoms on the court.

CUT TO:

INT. LAUNDRY ROOM - MORNING

A beat-up Derek quietly folds. Lamont stays quiet. He

glances over but knows Derek isn't in the mood.

CUT TO:

EXT. CAFETERIA - AFTERNOON LUNCH

Derek looks over to the white table and they something

amongst themselves. They break into laughter. Derek

thinks about eating somewhere else, but there's nowhere

to go. He walks BACK over to the white table and looks

at STEVIE.

STEVIE:

How's your face, man?

Everyone laughs. Derek sits and eats, his tail between

his legs.

STEVIE:

That'll teach you. Don't be a prick

to your superiors.

CUT TO:

EXT. NARROW PRISON CORRIDOR - LATE AFTERNOON

Stevie walks by himself and smokes a cigarette. He turns

a corner and standing there waiting for him is DEREK.

Derek stares him down.

STEVIE:

What do you want?

DEREK:

I'm right here, man. You wanna have

it out with me, let's go. Just me and

you though.

STEVIE:

Man...you are a stupid motherf***er.

You know that? When are you--?

Derek cracks him in the face and Stevie falls to the

ground.

DEREK:

Stupid?! You have anything else to

say, you little p*ssy! Hunh?!

STEVIE:

F*** you!

Derek kicks the man a few more times and takes off. A

few black prisoners laugh at Stevie from the PING PONG

TABLE.

CUT TO:

INT. PRISON SHOWER - MORNING

Derek puts his head down under the warm water and closes

his eyes. From out of nowhere, he is slammed out of

frame to the floor. HUGE ARYAN'and his STOCKY BUDDY from

earlier proceed to beat him. Bathers leave and after a

few moments, Stevie's boys drop their TOWELS.

HUGE ARYAN:

Well well well. A virgin.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. SHOWER - LATER

Derek lies on the tile floor, bloody and beaten.

HUGE ARYAN:

You ain't so tough now, are you?

The two men smile at each other, kick him and exit.

After a few seconds, LAMONT enters with the cart and

picks up dirty towels. He spots Derek laying on the

tile.

LAMONT:

Motherf***er. What now, man?

He tends to Derek. He picks him up, throws him over his

shoulder, and carries him off.

LAMONT:

Sh*t, holmes.

(carrying him)

Hang on to me, man. You're heavy.

INT. PRISON INFIRMARY - EVENING

Derek lies on a table, silent. A Mexican DOCTOR examines

his ass.

DOCTOR:

Well, you do have some tearing down

here. Christ. Okay. I'm gonna have

to stitch you up so I'll be back.

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