Rock and a Hard Place Page #7

---

Will you stop crying?!

I'm not crying, sir.

Well, I don't know what

the hell you're doing,

but you're not freaking moving.

- This cadet got sand in his eyes.

- Oh, well.

Hey, stand up.

Stand up, sweetheart.

Stand up. Stand up.

- You hurt?

- Sir, no, sir.

- Really? Really?

- No, sir.

- Well, you shouldn't have done what you did, freak.

- Aye, sir.

Lean forward. There you go.

Now clear that crap off your grape.

You all right now? Good. Come on, let's go.

- Mule kick.

- Aye, sir.

- You gotta be out of your mind.

- Aye, sir.

(chatter)

Lopez:
Hey, where's your cookies at?

Cadets:
Aye, sir.

- Hey, want a cookie?

- Sir, no, sir.

- You sure?

- Sir, yes, sir.

- There you go.

- I don't want that trash, sir.

- Hold that, hold that.

- Sir, no, sir.

- Hold it.

- Sir, no, sir.

- You sure?

- Sir, yes, sir.

I think he's all right now.

- Hey, come here, numb nuts.

- Aye, sir.

- Get in that freaking head and clean that crap off.

- Aye, sir!

(pants, sighs)

(birds chirping)

Johnson:
I'm on my way to

James Dukes' family home.

His brother is the one that

I'll be seeing... Gilbert.

We've talked over the phone, and

he said his mom would be here also.

His brother brought

it to my attention

that a house here on my left

is the house that James broke into,

which caused him to be arrested.

- How you doing, Mr. Gilbert?

- Nice to meet you, finally.

- Hey, same here, yes.

- Yes.

- What type of dog is this?

- Uh, it's a mixed dog.

Oh, my son had one just like that.

Yeah? I love my dog.

Don't come out the gate, Lucky.

(whimpering)

- Hello?

- Mom.

- Woman:
Yeah?

- Here goes Mr. Johnson, James's counselor.

This is the picture when he got arrested.

He looks terrible.

As you can see, the new and improved James.

- (all laughing)

- Yeah, that's good.

Oh, man, he's standing up

straight like he's in the service.

Johnson:
Oh, well, he's... yes.

- He looks a little rough.

- Over here, he look rough and raggedy

with James over here.

In the camera, he have his hair cut low,

shirt in his pants.

Yeah.

Has he ever had a job?

- He ever work for a...

- No.

- ...where he got paid a salary?

- No.

- Never had a job.

- Never worked, yeah.

- Did he finish high school?

- No.

- What grade?

- He need to do his high school.

- What grade did he...?

- Uh...

Gilbert:
I believe eighth grade.

He never finishes 'cause

he always get into trouble.

He's always saying he gonna

change, and he doesn't.

And it really hurt when... to see

that he's always getting into trouble

because I didn't raise him like that.

And I hope he do good and make me proud.

(bugle playing)

Get under the damn covers and

face the freaking bulkhead.

Cadets:
Aye, sir!

Best time of the night...

when you get to dream.

This sh*t crazy, man.

You can't smile, you can't... nothing,

you can't touch yourself,

you can't move at all.

(sighs) Crazy.

(snoring)

- (officer vocalizing commands)

- (toilet flushes)

(cadets shouting in distance)

Lopez:
Hey, Cadet

Dukes, get over here.

Aye, sir.

Yay, Cadet. Yay, Cadet.

Sir, Cadet Dukes reporting for orders, sir.

- Hey, come in here, weirdo.

- Aye, sir.

(dial tone, dialing)

(line ringing)

- (phone ringing)

- Mrs. Dukes:
Oh, here it go.

It must be this.

- Heller?

- Hello?

- Mom?

- Hey, bugs! What's up?

- Nothing.

- (both laughing)

- What's up, boy?

- What's going on, bro?

Are you talking to your mother?

Hold on.

Sir, Cadet Dukes requesting

permission to speak, sir.

- Yeah, speak.

- Aye, sir. Sir, my brother's next to my mother, sir.

They're on speaker phone, sir.

Well, you know, you better

stop with that "bro" crap

and all that garbage, you understand me?

- Sir, yes, sir.

- Good.

Aye, sir.

- Hello?

- Mrs. Dukes:
Yeah.

Oh.

- I'm doing good.

- I know they're trying to break you.

Don't let them break you.

Show them you can do it.

- Ma'am, yes, ma'am.

- What?

Oh, no, I was saying, "Yes, ma'am."

Oh, you... oh! Oh,

shoot, you're scaring me.

I didn't even know what you were saying.

I'm not used to that sh*t.

I know. I can't... I

can't get it out my system.

Everywhere I go, that's what I

say, "Ma'am, yes, ma'am. No, ma'am."

Well, hey, that's good.

- So, what's good, bro?

- See, they're teaching you something over there.

And I'm glad you're

in the boot camp.

In a way, I'm glad I'm here, too,

'cause I'm, like... I'm really

learning, like, at the same time.

All the bad stuff is coming up out of me

and I'm starting to, like, change

my life and change my ways and...

- 45 seconds.

- Aye.

Gilbert:
Man, what's up,

man? I'm proud of you, man.

You hold your head up,

man. So, what's up, man?

What you going through

in there, though, man?

- Like, what's going on? What you gotta do...

- I can't even...

I can't even talk, bro, 'cause

I got 45 seconds, Eugene.

- Dang, are you serious?

- Lopez:
30 seconds.

- 30 seconds.

- When am I gonna talk to you again?

I don't even know, Eugene.

I gotta go, though. Um...

Tell Mom I said I

love her, all right?

Yeah, I love you, too. I'm here.

- Lopez:
10, nine...

- All right, I love you, Mom.

- Love you.

- Love you, too, bro.

- All right, bye.

- ...six, five...

- Mrs. Dukes:
All right, take care.

- ...four.

I think he was about to cry this day, Ma.

No, he was not gonna cry.

Yeah, he was. It sounded like

it. I know my little brother.

I've seen this a million times.

And there ain't nothing wrong with it.

You let her down,

but now you're not gonna do that anymore.

You're gonna... gonna do your best.

You're gonna be a good son.

You're gonna make her proud.

Aye, sir.

- Do you understand?

- Sir, yes, sir. (sniffles)

- I'm gonna let you make a head call real quick.

- Aye, sir.

- Get your thoughts together.

- Aye, sir.

- Now get out of my face.

- Aye, sir.

Goodbye to you, sir.

- Hey, get out of here.

- Aye, sir.

May I now say good afternoon, sir?

(grunts)

Cadets:
One, two, three, four,

five, six, turn.

One, two, three, four,

five, six, file.

Everybody half step,

column in a line.

(officer vocalizing commands)

(commands continue)

Officer #2:
Those guys,

especially Dukes...

he's been giving it

all since day one.

And look at him now.

He's doing good. No complaints.

He's a good kid.

You know, I'm glad that

he came through the program

and he had this second chance.

Tomorrow, hopefully, if

everything goes well,

we select work crew, details that will work

on day shifts, 7:00 to 3:00.

They go out to work

for the community.

Today, we're going out on work crew.

We're gonna go out there

and beautify our community...

pick up litter, debris.

As to who's coming out,

when I call your name, step forward.

- Cadet Stokes.

- Sir, yes, sir!

- Cadet Plemons.

- Sir, yes, sir!

- Davell!

- Sir, yes, sir!

- Cadet Dukes.

- Sir, yes, sir!

- Cadet Guzman.

- Sir, yes, sir!

To my truck. Let's go!

(guard over PA) Don't

get too close to the curb.

My main goal right there is to go home.

Every time I come out

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes