McFarland, USA Page #2

The way that lot faces,

the sun's too hot.

Fries up your little verduras.

Lucky for you,

I have a little tree I can sell you.

In 5 years, seor,

you're gonna have a nice yard

with some nice shade.

Five years?

I don't think so.

You know, they got sodas in the store.

Water is free, White.

How long have you guys been at it?

Since five.

Five?

5:
00 a.m., White.

"AM" means morning, ese.

Not the radio.

Hey, White. Chop and channel your Jeep,

glass finish it, crank up the bass,

hop up and down... You'll fit right in.

Yeah, when pigs fly. Who's the driver?

That's Javi.

Victor's uncle.

He just got out.

Out? What do you mean "out"?

Out.

Victor polished that rig

every day Javi was inside.

Where's his father?

He's still in there.

See you later, White.

Come in.

Right, I wanna get right to this.

Coach Jenks tells me

that you and he had

an altercation at the game.

- A what?

- An altercation.

Well, I wouldn't...

I wouldn't call it that.

Well, whatever it was,

Coach Jenks doesn't think

this arrangement is gonna work out,

and he's asked for you to step down.

Now, I feel that if he's the coach

of the football team...

Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. You...

- You're firing me?

- Nobody said you were fired.

Well, he just asked me to step down,

and you didn't say no,

which in my language

means you're firing me.

- Hold on.

- I just moved my family here.

Hold on, Jim!

I don't have the staff

to go around firing people,

because some insecure jerk

who can't stop eating his apple

got all bent out of shape.

- What did you...

- Shut up!

You had a chance to talk

and you let me do it for you.

You're dismissed.

- Am I fired?

- No, you're not fired either.

Now get out of here.

Look, I don't know

if this is a pattern with you,

and I don't know which one of you

was a bigger jerk out there,

but I'm counting on it

that it wasn't you.

Because I need a PE teacher,

and I need a life science teacher.

I don't know how that sits with you,

but that's how it sits.

All right, run a lap.

Go.

Go.

Hi, Jamie.

Hi.

How was school today?

It was okay.

Can I have half of that?

No, but you can have that half.

Yeah, you see that, carnal?

I was down.

How do you like getting smoked?

What now, jefe?

Run another one.

Sure.

Wow. They are fast.

They are.

You want another one?

You know, you're in

the wrong sport, Sameniego.

Not anymore. Coach cut me.

You, too, huh?

Seriously?

You got fired from football?

In your first week?

All right. Don't rub it in.

Congratulations, White.

They're treating you like a picker.

David, Damacio, Danny.

Wake up - it's late.

Your father is waiting in the truck.

Don't be lazy.

The world doesn't wait for you.

May God bless you.

Thank you, Grandma.

David, Damacio - hurry up.

Pay attention and respect your teachers.

See you later.

I hear football didn't work out.

You need something to do

with all of that spare time of yours?

What'd you have in mind?

Migrant parent meetings,

literacy programs, food banks,

support groups.

These families need help.

No, it's not really...

Not really my sort of thing.

You live in McFarland, right?

You ever taken a look out there?

This is one of the poorest

towns in America.

These kids are invisible,

they are expendable.

They come from the fields,

and they go back to the fields

unless the prisons get them first.

You notice we got one right next door?

Yeah, I...

I noticed.

Handy, huh?

Mr. White, it's pretty clear

you don't wanna be here.

But for these kids,

these are the best years of their lives,

and if we're gonna reach them,

now is the time.

But I guess that's not

your kind of thing.

Thanks.

You're welcome.

You know that kid?

Yeah, it's Thomas Valles.

What do you know about him?

Nothing.

You like him.

No, I don't.

She likes him. Get closer.

Dad, don't, please.

- Can I talk to you a minute?

- Yeah.

You mind if I shut the door?

This requires a shut door?

Cross country running.

California is holding their first

state championship this year.

Cross country?

That's a private school sport.

They breathe different air than we do.

No, it's the same air.

You do understand we don't

have a cross country team?

Yeah, what I don't understand

is why we have a football team instead.

I mean, we have kids here

who seem like they can run forever.

They carbo-load on rice and beans.

I mean, they pick in extreme heat,

they go to school all day

and some of 'em even run home.

I've seen it.

- And it's unbelievable.

- Yeah.

And you've just described

half the kids in the Central Valley.

Jim, let me ask you something.

You've coached cross country before?

No.

- Track?

- No.

But you ran?

Competed in high school maybe?

No.

Well, you sound perfect.

Why are you following me?

Do you know how fast you were going?

What are you, a cop?

Look, I don't know

if this car's speedometer is right,

it's an old car, but if it...

If it is, you're running

almost 12 miles an hour.

Means you'd run a mile in five minutes.

So?

You always run that fast?

I don't got a car, all right?

- Can I give you a lift?

- No.

But you can quit following me.

These are the times

from last year's county meet.

And this is

where Thomas would be right now.

Top 10.

Top 10 in the state,

and he doesn't own a pair

of decent running shoes.

Look, Jim, you might be right.

But there's too many issues here,

the school board being one of them.

But if I had board approval,

you'd back it, right?

Well, yeah, sure,

but that's never gonna happen.

California public school system

pre-approved six new sports

a few years ago to

get funding for new lockers,

including guess what?

Cross country.

And a cross country coach.

Yeah, it says it right here.

"Cross country coach."

First four runners get one of these...

Nice and cold.

Get on the line.

On your marks...

Get set...

Go!

Johnny, stop bothering

those girls and get over here.

Yes.

I wanna ask you a question.

You think the guys in my class

would be into cross country?

Country western ain't my thing, boss.

Cross country running, wise guy.

For what?

To win, to compete.

To impress girls.

Nobody wins around here, White.

Doesn't have to be that way.

I watched you run.

You can beat somebody.

If I felt like it.

Which I don't.

What do you say?

You want to help me get a team together?

How many do we need?

Seven.

You can start with that knucklehead.

Johnny, make sure one of

those guys is Thomas Valles.

Hey, ese.

You wanna be on the running team?

Nope.

Come on, man.

Just think about it. Say yes.

Hey!

I wanna talk to you guys

about a running team.

Johnny.

You wanna be on the running team?

I'll be on the running team.

You guys wanna be on the running team?

Hey!

I got you now, Cardenas.

You are this far from juvie, son.

Jose.

You get me my change?

My change got stuck in the machine.

I asked Jose to get it out for me.

You're not helping them, White.

What did you do that for?

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