Intermission

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“* 
FADE IN:
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EXT. WHITE CASTLE – ELIZABETH AVENUE – NEWARK – NIGHT
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11:03 P.M.
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Friday night.
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And White Castle parking lot on Elizabeth Avenue is packed.
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It looks less like a fast food join and more like an exotic car show with bad intentions.
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HELLCATS.
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DEMONS.
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AMGs sitting low on twenty-twos.
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A BENTLEY BENTAYGA idles beside a battered Nissan with one working headlight.
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Bass rattles windows.
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Weed smoke hangs over the lot.
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Everybody who’s anybody is either here–
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Or on their way somewhere better.
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Across the city, Newark is still buzzing from the MONEYBAGG YO and LIL BABY concert that just emptied the Prudential Center.
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This is intermission.
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Food.
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Girls.
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Numbers exchanged.
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Lies told.
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Then the afterparties.
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Near the HAWTHORNE AVENUE entrance sits a BURGUNDY DODGE CHALLENGER SRT DEMON.
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Polished like wet blood.
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Three young men lean against the hood.
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BIZZY WILLIAMS, 17, handsome in a rough-around-the-edges way. Loud without trying. The kind of kid who could turn an arraignment into a comedy special.
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Beside him–
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DARIUS “D” CLARK, 17.
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Lean.
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Quiet.
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Observant.
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His eyes are different.
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Always processing.
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Always taking something apart in his head.
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And–
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LIL RODDY, 16, anxious to prove he’s older than sixteen.
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Three GIRLS stand with them.
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Bizzy’s girl, TIFF, finishes telling some animated story.
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Bizzy hasn’t heard a word.
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He’s watching her lips.
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TIFF
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So, did you enjoy the show?
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BIZZY
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Hell yeah.
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TIFF
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I meant did you enjoy the show with me?
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Bizzy thinks.
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BIZZY
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That’s a different question.
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Tiff smacks him.
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BIZZY (CONT’D)
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Ow! Damn.
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TIFF
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Asshole.
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BIZZY
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What I do?
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TIFF
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Nothing. That’s the problem.
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She folds her arms.
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TIFF (CONT’D)
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Thanks for the tickets, though.
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BIZZY
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No biggie. I found ’em.
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Tiff stares at him.
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Then–
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SMACK.
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BIZZY (CONT’D)
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Jesus Christ!
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TIFF
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At least let me think you was thinking about me.
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Bizzy throws both hands up.
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BIZZY
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I was!
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TIFF
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How?
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BIZZY
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I found the tickets in a car–
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Darius closes his eyes.
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He already knows.
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BIZZY (CONT’D)
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–and I thought about you.
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Another SMACK.
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BIZZY (CONT’D)
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Yo! Why you keep putting your hands on me?!
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DARIUS
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You should probably stop talking.
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BIZZY
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See, that’s why I don’t tell the truth.
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DARIUS
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That ain’t why.
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The girls laugh.
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Bizzy points at Darius.
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BIZZY
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See? That’s my little brother. Supposed to have my back.
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DARIUS
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I got your back.
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(beat)
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Your mouth on its own.
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More laughter.
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Darius smiles.
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For a second, he’s seventeen.
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Just seventeen.
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The girl beside him, KEISHA, touches his wrist.
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KEISHA
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You always this quiet?
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DARIUS
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Nah.
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KEISHA
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So why you quiet now?
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DARIUS
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I ain’t got nothing to say.
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KEISHA
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You could ask for my number.
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DARIUS
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Why?
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Keisha’s smile disappears.
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Bizzy nearly chokes laughing.
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KEISHA
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Damn.
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DARIUS
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I ain’t mean it like–
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KEISHA
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How else you mean it?
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DARIUS
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I got a girl.
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KEISHA
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And?
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Darius looks at her.
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Genuinely confused.
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DARIUS
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And I got a girl.
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Tiff leans toward Keisha.
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TIFF
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Girl, I told you. D don’t be stepping out on Jalisa.
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Keisha rolls her eyes.
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KEISHA
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Whatever.
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DARIUS
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You asked.
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Bizzy watches Darius.
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A little smile.
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Proud.
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Then Bizzy’s eyes shift.
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Across the lot–
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A BLACK RANGE ROVER.
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Blacked-out windows.
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Creeping along the curb.
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Too slow.
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Bizzy’s smile disappears.
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Darius sees the change before he sees the truck.
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BIZZY
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Yo, D.
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Darius follows his eyes.
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The Range.
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BIZZY (CONT’D)
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Let’s roll.
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No questions.
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Darius opens the passenger door of the Demon and reaches inside.
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A BLACK BACKPACK.
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He shoulders it.
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Keisha catches his hand.
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KEISHA
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Wait.
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Darius turns.
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KEISHA (CONT’D)
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Take my number. You can call me.
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DARIUS
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Nah, shorty. I’m good.
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He pulls away.
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Gentle.
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Bizzy kisses Tiff.
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BIZZY
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I’ll call you.
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TIFF
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You don’t have my new number.
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BIZZY
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Then you call me.
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TIFF
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I don’t have your new number.
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Bizzy pauses.
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BIZZY
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See? That’s crazy.
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TIFF
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Bizzy–
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BIZZY
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Love you!
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He jogs away before she can hit him again.
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The Range Rover stops.
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Rear door opens.
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Darius and Bizzy climb inside.
 *”