Poetic Justice Page #12

THE CARD TABLE Where Chicago notices this also. He is pissed. Offscreen, someone

asks him to deal his hand. He does so, never

taking his eyes off of ...

IESHA AND JOHNNY We PAN from Iesha's drunken smiling face to the handsome face

of Johnny.

THE OLD WOMEN Are having a field day. All three of them are talking away and

looking out the corner of their eyes.

JUSTICE Gets up from the children and walks over toward lesha. WIDE As Justice

approaches lesha and Johnny.

JUSTICE:
I gotta talk to my friend for a second.

RACK TO CARD TABLE Where we MOVE IN on Chicago's face.

LUCKY:
Looks at Chicago and then over toward lesha.

HACK TO SHOT Where lesha pulls away from Justice and goes back to talking with

her new friend.

CHICAGO Gets up and throws his entire hand down. We PAN OVER to Lucky, who takes

off his hat and scratches his head.

LUCKY (under his breath): Oh, sh*t!

WIDE SHOT As Chicago walks into the shot toward lesha and Johnny. lesha looks

over at Chicago nonchalantly. She doesn't even

acknowledge his presence. Chicago grabs her arm. Iesha pulls away and tries to

resume her conversation. Chicago pulls her again, and

lesha walks away toward the parking lot. Johnny tries to interfere and Chicago

pushes him. She begins cursing loudly, making it more

of a scene than it already was. Chicago and the brother get into a fight.

Several family members attempt to break it up.

JUSTICE Is embarrassed. She looks over at Lucky.

LUCKY Looks back at her. Their eyes meet.

LUCKY (to the card group): Y'all don't mind if I take some food to go, do you?

THE TABLE Where the old women sit.

AUNT JUNE:
Humph, that ain't gonna last long.

CUT TO:
88 EXT THE ROAD--DAY: OVERHEAD ON CRANE As we see the empty road, then

ZOOM as the truck goes up into the

distance. We hear lesha and Chicago arguing.

89 INT. THE TRUCK--DAY LUCKY Is driving once more. He taps his fingers on the

steering wheel and looks over at JUSTICE Who

looks at him shakes her head and looks out the window.

THE BACK Where Chicago and Iesha are going at it. Swinging insults like swords.

CHICAGO:
What's your muthafuckin problem, huh? What's your muthafuckin problem?

Why you disrespect me like that, huh?! Why

you disrespect me?

IESHA:
F*** you! You don't own me!

CHICAGO:
F*** you, b*tch! F*** you and your p*ssy!

IESHA:
If I'm a b*tch, why you wit me, huh? Why you wit me?! Leave, then! Step

tha f*** off! 'Cause I ain't in the business of

keeping niggas when they don't wanna be kept! All that talking--do it while you

walkin.

THE FRONT Justice is fed up. She looks over at Lucky.

JUSTICE:
Pull over.

90 EXT. RESTSTOP--DAY Where the truck pulls over in line with a row of ten-

wheelers.

91 INT. THE TRUCK--DAY THE BACK

CHICAGO:
Why we stopping?

IESHA:
Good, I gotta pee.

CHICAGO:
'Cause you drinking too much! That's your goddamn problem. You an

alcoholic b*tch!

They continue arguing back and forth.

91A EXT:
RESTSTOP--DAY

THE PASSENGER DOOR Justice hops out of the truck and goes toward the back. THE

BACK Of the truck, where Iesha (bottle in

hand) opens the door.

JUSTICE (coolly): C'mere. I gotta talk to you.

Iesha faintly sees the anger on Justice's face but is not aware that it is

directed toward her.

IESHA (sweetly and drunk): What's wrong, J? Lucky talking sh*t again? I'ma f***

him up! Where he at?

Justice lures Iesha out to the middle of the parking lot. The latter is holding

her stomach. A few truckers walk past to notice the two

girls arguing. Iesha begins to convulse, then she throws up on the ground. She

calmly and coolly accepts a tissue from Justice, then

says ...

IESHA:
What's the problem?

Justice grabs the bottle out oflesha's hand.

IESHA:
My drink!

JUSTICE (smashes the bottle on the ground): This is the problem! (pushes Iesha

in anger) You acting like a stupid b*tch, Iesha! A

stupid, alcoholic b*tch! I'm tired of seeing you get drunk! That's why I don't

go nowhere with you--'cause you get crazy! You just like

my damn ... momma was.

Iesha looks at her angry friend as if stunned. Actually, she is drunk. lesha

sways back and forth as if in a daze. She begins crying.

IESHA (crying):
I'm sorry.

Justice's anger gives way to compassion. She hugs her friend. WIDE SHOT As they

hug each other and an eighteen-wheeler pulls out

and away. ANOTHER ANGLE As the large truck goes past, to reveal the women once

more.

JUSTICE:
It's all right. It's all right. You my girl and all, but you gotta

chill on the liquor. Iesha continues to cry, mumbling in a

drunken tone about how much she values Justice's friendship: "You helped me when

I had that abortion," etc. Crying gives way to

sniffles, and lesha tries to regain her composure. She turns around to see ...

REVERSE ANGLE THE TRUCK Where Lucky and Chicago sit by the front of the truck.

Chicago is looking at Iesha.

IESHA'S FACE As she wipes her tears away and stands up straight. She looks in

her Fend bag to pull out some tissue, maintaining her

dignity in front of the men.

IESHA:
I gotta pee.

Justice looks at her friend and almost cracks a smile. They walk off toward a

restroom.

JUSTICE (playfully): Cow.

IESHA:
You a cow. Cow! Mooo!

BACK TO TRUCK:

LUCKY:
I'm telling you she's crazy, Loc. You better get ridda her.

CHICAGO (upset):
Damn man, I gotta piss. I 'ma go over here and piss in the

field. Get my nuts close to nature and sh*t.

As they walk off.

DISSOLVE TO:
92 EXT JUSTICE'SHOUSE-SEVEN YEARSEARLIER--DAY We see an early-model

1 980s car pull up the driveway.

Out the passenger door springs a twelve-year-old Black girl. This is Justice,

seven years younger. She runs toward the house. The

driver of the car is Geneva, Justice's grandmother.

GENEVA:
Girl, you better come on back here and help me with these grocery bags!

THE STEPS Where Young Justice reluctantly shrugs her shoulders and walks back

toward the car.

93 INT. JUSTICE'S HOUSE--THE KITCHEN--DAY Where Justice and her grandmother put

away the groceries. Geneva snatches a

box of cookies out of Justice's hand.

GENEVA:
You'll spoil your dinner. I'm making ox tails. (calls out) Alfrieda!

Frieda! Go tell your mother to come here!

The little girl takes off.

93A INT JUSTICESHOUSE-DAY THE STAIRS As Young Justice shoots up the stairs.

938 INT JUSTICE'S HOUSE--DAY THE TOP OF THE STAIRS

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