Pariah Page #8

CANDACE:

How’s it comin’?

LAURA:

It’s good.

Candace smiles at Laura and hesitates before closing the

door. Candace turns the radio off before ducking back out.

Laura sighs and flips back to the beginning of the book.

38 INT. SPORTS CLUB BASKETBALL COURT - DAY 38

Alike and Arthur cavort in a sloppy half-court game in the

fluorescent glare of the gym. Well-heeled clientele cross to

and fro munching power bars and sipping Gatorade. Arthur has

an awful shot, but Alike’s is worse. Alike heaves a huge

airball past the basket.

46.

ARTHUR:

Oh my God!!

Alike cracks up as Arthur chases down the ball.

ARTHUR (CONT’D)

That’s just embarrassing!

ALIKE:

You ain’t got no range, either.

ARTHUR:

Yeah but at least I hit the

backboard. Damn.

Alike rushes to guard Arthur who dribbles clumsily around the

key. He tries a crossover move and lobs an ugly shot toward

the basket.

ALIKE:

Brick!!

Laughing, they tussle over the rebound. Arthur recovers.

ARTHUR:

What’s the score?

ALIKE:

One up.

ARTHUR:

One?

ALIKE:

Yup!

ARTHUR:

One? Nah, I definitely have like

three. At least three.

Giggling, the pair rollick in another squeaky-shoed play.

39 INT. LIQUOR STORE - NIGHT 39

MACK, the store proprietor leans against the counter flipping

through a newspaper. Arthur, in uniform mulls through the

sports section. A ratty looking man, SOCK sips from a red

plastic cup.

Mack cranks the volume on the tiny television above the

counter.

47.

MACK:

It’s on again... Check it out Free.

Channel 5 and Channel 2.

Arthur appears on the TV screen, dressed in suit, tie,

sunglasses and looking impressive. He is talking to a news

reporter and a bad news graphic reading “East Side Drug Bust-Detective

Arthur Freeman” blots out the bottom of the screen.

SOCK:

Look who’s big time.

MACK:

Brother was looking clean though.

Looked just like, look like...uh-Danny

Glover!

Arthur and Mack laugh and slap hands. Sock sneers at their

revelry.

The bell over the door tinkles and a heavyset BUTCH WOMAN

strolls in. Her head is shaved and a thick wallet chain

clinks against her ample carpenter pants. All three men turn

to stare.

MACK (CONT'D)

Been more of that since they opened

up that new club ‘cross the way.

Arthur grunts and returns to his paper.

SOCK:

(to Butch Woman)

Excuse me Miss??!! Miiiiissss??!!

MACK:

Certain Friday nights they got, you

know special parties going on.

SOCK:

Or should I say Sir??!! Siiiir??!!

Hello?!!

ARTHUR:

Chill out, Sock.

SOCK:

Hey, my man! You hear me talkin’ to

you?!

Mack snatches Sock’s cup. Sock pivots around to protest.

SOCK:

Hey!!

48.

MACK:

Mind your business.

Sock yanks his cup back and turns to resume his taunts. He’s

caught off guard and stumbles backward as the woman pushes up

to the counter with a case of liquor. Arthur steps out of the

way and observes.

BUTCH WOMAN:

And a pack of Kools.

Mack nods and fishes under the counter.

SOCK:

Say, I been trying to get your

attention. Do you go by Sir or

Miss?

MACK:

That’ll be all ma’am?

BUTCH WOMAN:

Yeah.

SOCK:

Look I just had a simple question I

wanted to ask. See, I just want to

know how does p*ssy taste?

The woman directs her full attention at Sock for the first

time. Mack watches as he quickly punches in the sale. Arthur

stiffens.

SOCK (CONT’D)

You know, I just wanna know if you

go with women for the taste, or is

it just you’re too big, black, and

ugly so don’t no man want you?

Sock laughs at his own nasty joke and takes a sip from his

cup.

MACK:

$65.07 ma’am.

The woman counts out the money and smiles at Sock.

BUTCH WOMAN:

I can’t lie, p*ssy do taste good.

SOCK:

Oh yeah?

The woman takes her time putting away her change.

49.

BUTCH WOMAN (CONT’D)

Maybe you should try it yourself

sometime. Or better yet-

The woman picks up her case.

BUTCH WOMAN (CONT’D)

--ask yo’ wife how she likes me!

The woman winks at Sock. Arthur chokes back a guffaw. As soon

as the woman clears the door, Arthur and Mack explode in

laughter. Sock is livid and screams after her.

SOCK:

F***in’ Bulldagger! He-She! Dyke!

MACK:

Ask your wife!

ARTHUR:

She told you.

SOCK:

She ain’t tell me sh*t! I don’t

know what the f*** y’all niggas are

laughing for!

MACK:

Awww shut up. Your big mouth got

you in trouble as usual.

SOCK:

Thought you was my friend, Mack.

But I guess I ain’t expect you to

defend me Free, the way your

daughter is--

Arthur slams Sock against the counter before he can finish

his sentence.

ARTHUR:

Say what?!

MACK:

He don’t mean nothin’! He don’t

know what he’s talking about!

Arthur grinds Sock’s collar tighter around his trembling

fist. Sock glares back, clearly punked.

MACK (CONT’D)

He ain’t moved outside a two-mile

radius of where he crawled out his

mammy’s p*ssy. He don’t know sh*t.

50.

SOCK:

(to MACK)

I been to Poughkeepsie!

Arthur snorts and flings Sock loose.

MACK:

Carry your Poughkeepsie ass on out

of my store!

Mack sweeps Sock’s plastic cup off the counter and into a

garbage can. Sock tromps to the door.

SOCK:

F*** y’all!

ARTHUR:

I should arrest your ass.

SOCK:

Man, f*** y’all!!

MACK:

Free, don’t pay him no mind. Just

talkin’ trash.

Mack playfully jabs him in the shoulder and bustles

underneath the counter. Arthur’s eyes linger on the door and

his jaw tightens.

40 INT. LAURA’S KITCHEN - DAY 40

Laura swings through the front door of her apartment, Alike

close behind. She slides two twenty dollar bills underneath

the ceramic hen on the table and breezes into her bedroom.

41 INT. LAURA’S BEDROOM - LATER 41

Alike is a paper doll in Laura’s floor length mirror, dressed

only in boxers and a wife beater. Laura holds a bright orange

polo shirt up in front of Alike’s torso. Alike c*cks her head

to the side and considers.

LAURA:

Damn, this is your color. So what’s

the deal incog-negro?

ALIKE:

Mom has me hemmed up.

51.

LAURA:

Your phone ain’t broke. You coulda

called a nigga. Put this on.

Laura pulls away the orange polo shirt and hands Alike a

turquoise one instead. Alike hoists the oversized shirt over

her head.

ALIKE:

My bad. She’s making me hang out

with this chick from church. It’s

crazy.

LAURA:

Makin’ you?! You a grown-ass woman,

bruh!

Laura shakes her head as she plucks a brand new baseball cap

from the wall rack and drops it onto Alike’s head. Alike

considers and takes it off. Laura puts another cap in its

place. Before Alike can object, Laura tosses her a pair of

denim shorts.

LAURA (CONT’D)

Try these with it. So I guess the

piers is out for Saturday, huh?

ALIKE:

I don’t even know if that’s me

anymore.

Alike struggles into the jean shorts, widening her stance so

they don’t fall down. Laura tosses her a belt and admires

Alike’s reflection.

LAURA:

Yeah, that’s hot, yo. You should

rock that.

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