Act 4, SCENE 1 EXT: AC HIGH – NIGHT
RICKY runs outside with the rest of the boys and LOCO laughing. They run into the DEATH CAR. They start piling into the car quickly.
RICKY:
You got the whip tonight?
LOCO:
Move your ass! Let’s go!
Once inside the car, they speed off.
ACT 4, SCENE 2 INT: AC HIGH AUDITORIUM
LEIGH is waiting for JAMAL. She has been waiting for a while.
DARLAH:
Hey that song sounded like Jamal.
LEIGH:
It was him.
DARLAH:
I like that. Old fashion serenade and shit. You gotta give him something special now, girl.
LEIGH:
I will when he comes back.
DARLAH:
Where’d he go?
LEIGH:
I don’t know. I’ve been looking for him.
LEIGH grows concerned.
ACT 4, SCENE 3 EXT: MAYOR’S HOME – DINING ROOM
MAYOR GEORGE APOSTOLOU and his wife, CHRISTINA, are sharing a meal at a dining room table. MAYOR pours himself a refill of dark liquor and takes a swing.
CHRISTINA:
You might want to put something in your stomach before you get drunk.
MAYOR:
I’m fine.
CHRISTINA:
Aren’t you hungry?
MAYOR:
Yeah.
CHRISTINA:
Because you’ve sat there for ten minutes, drinking like a thirsty camel. You haven’t even lifted your fork.
MAYOR lifts up his fork high off the table and lets it fall back onto his plate with a clatter.
CHRISTINA:
That’s childish.
MAYOR:
Wonderful. Any other critique for me?
CHRISTINA:
I had something made for us, despite wanting to throw up from the smells, because you had a hard day. The least you can do is hold it together for one dinner. But maybe you’ve missed so many you forgot what they’re for.
MAYOR:
If you wanted to play pretend, you should’ve kept your hair on.
CHRISTINA:
It’s a wig. It’s fake, like so many other things in this house.
MAYOR:
Christina…
CHRISTINA:
You’ve relapsed didn’t you?
MAYOR is silent.
CHRISTINA:
You promised me, George.
MAYOR:
You see what I’m dealing with!
CHRISTINA:
You promised me that you had this under control.
MAYOR:
Why is it always me sacrificing for us? Why do I give and give, while everyone else just keeps taking from me. This is my life! Where are you going?
CHRISTINA:
I’m tired. Eat. Don’t eat. Get as drunk and high as you want and crack your skull. I don’t care anymore. Just give me some peace.
MAYOR:
There you go! Take all the peace you want from me. I can afford it!
CHRISTINA limps out the dining room. MAYOR is left in the dining room to drink alone.
ACT 4, SCENE 4 EXT: AC – NIGHT
DEATH CAR pulls up to the curb and LOCO, RICKY and others members climb out of it laughing.
RICKY:
Yo, lemme see that video again. That’s worldstar shit right there.
LOCO quiets RICKY and the group down.
LOCO (into the phone):
Yea I’m done. You can have it back.
LOCO tosses the keys into the driver’s seat of the car and walks away.
LOCO (Into the phone):
Have fun tonight.
RICKY:
We good?
LOCO:
Smooth.
RICKY:
Nah I mean, is we good?
LOCO:
You did exactly what you were supposed to do. We good.
RICKY:
Turn up. Jay got what was coming to him.
LOCO:
Facts.
RICKY:
I wasn’t going to pick him over fam, feel me?
LOCO:
And that’s why I like you over everyone else. You a ryda.
RICKY:
Let me see that video again, bro.
LOCO:
One more thing to do.
LOCO is texting on his phone. When he’s done, he smiles. He throws his arms around RICKY and the group starts walking away from the HEIGHTS towards Caniff Park.
LOCO:
We gotta keep this shit going.
ACT 4, SCENE 5 INT: AC HIGH
LEIGH gets a video message from loco.
LOCO (text):
surprise!
The video plays automatically. JAMAL is beaten and bruised and bloody on the floor of the men’s bathroom. LOCO holds up his box cutter.
LOCO:
Shut up and close your eyes!
Box cutter goes in and as JAMAL screams off screen, LEIGH turns away in horror. She cries.
DARLAH:
What’s wrong?
LEIGH hands her the phone. DARLAH rewatches the video disgusted.
LEIGH:
Where’s Jamal?
LEIGH goes through the dance asking everyone, until she runs into security. DARLAH shows them the video. SECURITY is alarmed and starts calling for help.
SECURITY:
That looks like the bathrooms.
LEIGH runs away from the security, but they don’t catch her in time.
ACT 4, SCENE 6: BATHROOM
BATHROOM door bursts open and the lights turn on automatically. LEIGH freezes in the doorway. She is joined quickly by DARLAH who gasps in horror and the security guard.
Quickly zoom in on the bloody mess of JAMAL and written on Jamal’s forehead is SNITCH.
LEIGH opens her mouth to scream silently.
END OF ACT 4
Act 5, SCENE 1 INT: MAYOR’S HOME – NIGHT
CHRISTINA is getting changed in the bathroom upstairs.
MAYOR is downstairs in the dining room still drinking.
ACT 5, SCENE 2 EXT: MAYOR’S HOME – CONT’D
A cop car outside the Mayor’s home sits idle. There is one GUARD sitting in the car playing a game on his cellphone.
DEATH CAR pulls up across the street from the Mayor’s home. The car doors open and several feet climb out.
CUT TO: INT of the cop car.
GUARD responds to tapping on the passenger side glass and is surprised to see a masked person.
GUARD is about to respond, when his window is punched in, his head is grabbed and strangled from behind.
ACT 5, SCENE 3 INT: MAYOR’S HOME – CONT’D
MAYOR hears something and checks his window.
From his viewpoint all he sees are trees of Caniff Park and the glow of the HEIGHTS beyond it.
CUT BACK TO ACT 5, SCENE 4: One of the masked men drags an unconscious guard out of sight as another stands outside the front door. He grabs the door knob and twists it, until it breaks easily. All the masked men walk inside quietly.
ACT 5, SCENE 5 INT: MAYOR’S HOME
The Masked Men split up inside the house.
One walks directly into an empty dining room.
Another walks upstairs. CHRISTINA walks out the bathroom and before she reacts the masked man lays a hand on her and she falls asleep.
Another walks into a study and a gun is cocked in their direction.
MAYOR:
Take one more step, and I will blow your head away.
Masked Man tilts his head curiously.
MAYOR:
Get the fuck out my house.
The Masked Man moves, and the MAYOR fires his gun, but the bullet bounces off and hits the door. The Masked Man is too quick and easily disarms the MAYOR and shoves him to the ground. The other MASKED MEN walk into the room and corner in the MAYOR.
MAYOR:
If you hurt me, they’ll never stop gunning for you. Do you want to die? Huh! Or do you want money? I got money. Take it. Answer me! What do you want from me?
A MASKED MAN #1 kneels in front of the MAYOR.
FLASH BACK to (ACT 3, SCENE 11: REV’S KITCHEN)
OMAR:
Don’t give into it.
AMED:
We’re here for you. Always. Just tell us what you need.
SISTER looks over all their faces. She is breathing heavily.
HARD CUT BACK TO ACT 5, SCENE 5 – CONT’D
The kneeled down MASK MAN #1 is also breathing heavily and lifts his mask to reveal…SISTER.
SISTER:
The truth.
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