Angel Page #2

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So you're gonna

have a baby?

Yeah. It's exciting,

isn't it?

Just started telling people.

We wanted to wait to make sure

everything was okay with the baby.

I'm just starting

to feel it move.

It's really cool.

Are you gonna leave work?

No. No.

No no no no no.

I mean, I'll take

maternity leave...

that's a couple

of months or so,

but I'll be back.

Anyway, you'll be

long gone,

out of school and working

some great job.

I hope.

Yeah, you'll be running

your own computer company.

Yeah.

Well, I'll be up

for a while,

so you let me know

if you need anything.

- Okay.

- Okay.

- Good night.

- Good night, Angel.

Henry?

Morning. Oh, sorry,

did I wake you?

- Yeah.

- We're just taking off.

I left you a key

on the kitchen counter,

there's some frozen

waffles in the freezer,

and toast, cereal,

whatever. Help yourself.

- Okay.

- Eat something.

Okay? I'll see you

at school at 11:
00.

The Army? It's just

like prison, son.

Barbed wire all around you,

dudes yelling at you all day...

"Do this" and "Do that."

- How do you know?

- Reginald's cousin went in last year.

Virginia. Said the food

was nasty, too.

It's not worse

than prison.

Almost.

Tyrus told me when he

was in juvie upstate,

if you got in a fight

or whatever,

they sent you to solitary,

you get the "Dagwood Smoothie."

The what?

"Dagwood Smoothie." They take a baloney

sandwich, an apple, some milk,

put it in a blender, you gotta drink it

from a straw through the bars.

- Get the f*** outta here!

- For real.

F*** it,

I'll starve.

That's true.

Unless there was some

mustard on the baloney.

If there was some mustard

or mayonnaise on there,

that could be tasty,

actually.

Sh*t.

What if you just kept all your stuff

at school in the lockers?

Then when night comes,

hang out, stay up all night,

go back to school

in the morning.

Sh*t, I sleep through

all my classes anyway.

I might as well

stay up all night.

- Take a shower after gym.

- Nasty.

You don't take

a shower anyway,

no matter

where you are.

Shut up.

Bam! You see that?

Sayonara, b*tch!

I could sleep up

on the roof.

Why you obsessing on

sh*t like that, son?

You know what's

gonna happen?

You're gonna bounce around for a week,

and your dad will take you back.

I don't know

why you stressing.

Bam! What, motherf***er?

You're dead, go home!

I always get my man.

This is Daddy!

Ooh!

You going to school?

Hold up, hold up.

Come on. Move!

Look, I gotta go.

See you later.

- I didn't even set it off.

- You don't need to set it off,

you're late.

The rules change after 8:00 A.M.

And if you wanna keep running off

at the mouth, you can do it to Mr. Harrison.

All right, you're good.

Go ahead.

Before we can extrapolate

that information...

We don't know

at this point.

Are you in this class?

Yeah. Angel Rodriguez.

Go ahead and have a seat.

Mrs. Leonardis is out sick.

One of those insights

is that fighting behavior

in all species of animals involves

the same components.

Dr. Kravitz and his colleagues

list three stages

of aggression in lobsters

and fruit flies...

One:
limited aggression

where weapons are displayed

and the fighters

bump each other;

Two:
mid-level aggression,

with much pushing and shoving;

Three:
high-level

aggression, slugging it out.

- Have a good day.

- Thank you.

Here you go.

Thank you.

What happened

to your lip?

Nothing.

Tell him I'm in a meeting,

I'll call him back. Thank you.

I'm sorry.

Please, continue.

We were talking about the need

to come up with some strategies

for Angel and his father

to deal with conflict.

We can strategize

about whatever you want,

it's not gonna change

the situation.

I want him out

of the house.

At least in the Army

he can learn some skills.

We were hoping that you would

explore some other options...

There are

no other options.

My patience

has run out, period.

So in your scenario

he'd get his G.E.D.

- in the Army?

- Sure, that's fine.

What do you think about what

your father's saying, Angel?

l... I don't know.

Come on, Angel,

we want to hear from you.

What do you think's the best

thing for you right now?

Excuse me, I'm sorry,

but why are you asking him what's best?

He's not an adult,

and he certainly doesn't act like one.

I want to finish school,

get my diploma and go to college.

Okay, great.

It is his senior year, he's got enough

credits. Looks like a "C" average.

Okay, let's just

back up a minute.

There's a lot of fighting

going on in the house.

Your dad's girlfriend's

getting stuck in the middle,

that's not good either.

What do you think

you can do, Angel,

to help resolve this problem that you

and your father have been having?

Well, I got

this job lined up...

computer programming

and tech support.

So, I can work there

after school.

Only time I'll be home

is to eat and sleep.

I won't get

in their way.

I mean, I have got

skills already.

I don't need to go to

the Army to learn any.

I mean, maybe one day I'll own

my own computer company.

Oh, please. You're gonna

have your own company...

just like that?

You can't even get hired for a job.

How you gonna have your own company?

You're dreaming.

Mr. Rodriguez, let's try to be

respectful here. Angel has goals,

that's a good thing.

We don't want to discourage him.

I respect people

that respect me.

Have you ever

talked to my son?

Have you ever had

a conversation with him?

Do you know how many jobs

he's gotten and left in one week?

Do you know how many times

he's stolen from me

or lied to me about

where he's been?

You should know this.

You set him up with

that UPS job, right?

How long did that last

before he messed that up?

Do you think this boy

deserves respect?

Fine, you give it to him.

He's not gonna get it from me.

He still wets his bed

like a little f*ggot.

Pitiful.

Ahem.

Mr. Rodriguez, Angel is

coming to you with a plan.

I'm sorry. I know that

you're trying to help,

and I appreciate your concern,

but you don't know Angel like I know him.

And you don't know

what's best for him.

Excuse me.

I got a job I gotta get to.

Where are you headed?

I've got lunch.

You coming to

The Bridge later?

Yeah.

You come by my office, say 7:00,

we'll take the train home together?

Hey. Angel, that really

sucked in there.

I know, okay?

Your dad's intentions are probably good,

and I'm sure in his own way

he does care about you...

- hey hey hey, hold on a second.

- I've got lunch.

I haven't finished

talking to you.

Okay, that was

really f***ed-up,

but you have to take some

responsibility for this.

Now, are you really gonna get that job

you were talking about?

Are you really up

for finishing school?

Because your dad

doesn't think so.

Now you can be the kid he's talking about,

or you can be someone else.

It's up to you.

You decide.

Because if you let him

define you, you're finished.

Do you understand me?

Yeah, I understand you.

- Hey, Jamie.

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