Episode 21

The ladies of Sigma Gamma Rho have left their meeting when JENNIFER realizes she has forgotten something very important.

(JENNIFER reaches into her shoulder bag to grab the sorority handbook and read it on the way home.)

JENNIFER - Hey Angie, did I give you my copy?

ANGELIQUE - No, I have mine right here.

JENNIFER - I put it in my bag and now...

(JENNIFER stops walking and looks in her bag.)

JENNIFER - What the heck?

ROSALIND - Are you sure you put it in your bag?

JENNIFER - Yeah, where else would it be?

ANGELIQUE - Did it fall out? Maybe you left it in the room.

(JENNIFER is looking on the ground.)

ROSALIND - Well we didn't go far. It has to be between here and the room. Let's just walk back and find it.

JENNIFER - Okay.

ANGELIQUE - I think we need to hurry up. What if someone stumbles across our handbook and picks it up?

(They look at one another.)

JENNIFER - Okay come on!

(They quicken their step yet carefully look on the ground.)

ANGELIQUE - Are you sure you put it in your bag?

JENNIFER - I'm almost positive I did. I mean I remember paging through it quickly when I was sitting down, and then we stood up to leave... yeah, I tucked it in here... I think.

ANGELIQUE - You think? I'm gonna need for you to know.

JENNIFER - I mean I'm pretty sure. It's not like it was that long ago so it aint hard for me to remember.

ANGELIQUE - Well Andy is gonna have a fit as she should. This is very important, we have to find that handbook!

JENNIFER - I know I know! You don't have to yell at me!

ANGELIQUE - But how can you put something like that down and lose it?

JENNIFER - I said I didn't lose...

ROSALIND - Hey hey hey! Come on! This aint helping find the handbook. Now it's probably back in the room. So stop bickering and let's hurry up.

(JENNIFER and ANGELIQUE become silent as they hurry back. They get to the building.)

ROSALIND - Now we need to go back in exactly how we came out. We did come out the front door, but we took the other staircase at the end of the hall didn't we?

JENNIFER - Yeah, we did.

ROSALIND - Okay come on.

(They go in and retrace their footsteps.)

ANGELIQUE - Well it definitely isn't out here in the hall.

ROSALIND - Well that narrows it down. If it isn't on the steps leading upstairs, then it has to be in the classroom that we met in.

ANGELIQUE - Yeah.

(They get to the stairwell.)

JENNIFER - Doesn't seem to be here either.

ROSALIND - Okay well let's hurry to the room.

(They lightly jog to the top step and through the stairway door. Looking around, they don't see anything in that hallway and they hurry to the room.)

ANGELIQUE - Let's get this thing and get out of here. You're gonna have to be more careful Jenn.

ROSALIND - Hell yeah.

JENNIFER - I'm sorry yall, I will.

(ANGELIQUE opens the door.)

ANGELIQUE thinks - Oh shoot!

ROSALIND - Uh... excuse me... what are yall doin' in here?

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TIA has gone into the bathroom to temporarily get away from SETH. While there, she gets a phone call.

(TIA's cell phone rings.)

TIA thinks - Thank God!

TIA - Excuse me for a moment Shareesa.

SHAREESA - Sure, I'll go back out and tell Seth that you're on the phone but will be right out okay?

TIA - Oh thank you.

SHAREESA - No problem.

TIA thinks - Good! I hope this is Camille!

(SHAREESA leaves and TIA reaches in her purse for her cell phone. She answers it without even looking at the display.)

TIA - Hello?

PHIL - Hey. What you up to?

TIA thinks - Oh shit!

TIA - Phil. Uh hi.

PHIL - Hey, wassup?

TIA - Uh... nothin'.

PHIL - Where are ya?

TIA thinks - Shit!

TIA - The library.

PHIL - Oh yeah! Great!Where are you? I'm walking into the library now.

TIA - Um...

TIA thinks - Shoot!

TIA - Um... I'm actually not there yet Phil, but I'm on my way there. Where are you gonna be? I can meet you there.

PHIL - I'll probably be in one of the study rooms. I'm meeting some people from my calc class.

TIA - Cool. I'll meet you in there then. I'll come by.

PHIL - Okay great because I got something for you. So I should see you in a few minutes then?

TIA - Well it might take me...

PHIL - Hello?

TIA - Phil?

PHIL - He...llo...my phon...out...so...ya in a f...inutes...

TIA - Phil?

TIA thinks - Damn!

(She hangs up.)

TIA - Damn!

(TIA looks at her watch.)

TIA thinks - Damn, I need a plan... and fast!

(She waits to think of something before she goes back out.)

TIA thinks - Wait... Camille got me into this...

(She dials CAMILLE's cell phone.)

TIA - ...and her butt is gonna get me out!

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ANGELIQUE - Let's get the handbook and get out of here. You're gonna have to be more careful Jenn.

ROSALIND - Hell yeah.

JENNIFER - I'm sorry yall, I will.

(ANGELIQUE opens the door.)

ANGELIQUE thinks - Oh shoot!

ROSALIND - Uh... excuse me... what are yall doin' in here?

(ROBBIE and TAMMI are startled and turn around quickly. TAMMI pulls her shirt back down and ROBBIE steps back from her.)

ROBBIE - Damn doesn't anybody knock anymore?

(ROBBIE smiles as TAMMI fixes herself.)

ROSALIND - I didn't think we had to. We're in a classroom on a college campus. Not the Holiday Inn.

TAMMI thinks - Oh my God this is so embarrasing!

ROBBIE - We just stepped in here, I thought the building was basically empty.

ROSALIND - Uh huh.

(JENNIFER is looking around the room. She doesn't see the handbook.)

JENNIFER - Did you guys happen to see a book in here? On the floor or anything? It's blue.

ROBBIE - Naw, we actually just stepped in here like right before yall came in. And we really didn't take time to look around the room, if you know what I mean.

(ROBBIE smiles as he and TAMMIE walk toward the door.)

ROSALIND - Rob are you sure you didn't see anything in here?

ROBBIE - I'm positive. I literally just walked in here before yall. I didn't notice any kind of books or anything.

JENNIFER thinks - Dammit!

ROSALIND - Well was there somebody else in here when you got here?

ROBBIE - Naw, the room was empty when I came.

TAMMI - What about that janitor that we saw in the hall?

ROBBIE - But he wasn't in here.

TAMMI - Yeah but maybe he was in the room before we got here and then in the hall after as we walked up.

ROBBIE - Yeah, that's true. There was a janitor in the hallway. We were hesitant to come in here because we thought he'd come in and catch us doin' the do. Ha ha ha!

TAMMI - Robbie!

(ROSALIND sighs.)

ROBBIE - Well anyway, he started to walk down the hall in the other direction, so we came in here. Maybe you should check with him. He couldn't have gotten far and he may have come in here and cleaned up or something. Maybe he picked the book up.

JENNIFER - Thanks! Which way did he go?

ROBBIE - He went down the hall... that way.

JENNIFER - Thanks Rob!

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BUCK is sitting on the trainer's table in the gym. His ankle is wrapped up and in ice and he is waiting for the x rays to come back. JUNE is by his side.

(silence)

JUNE - How you feelin' baby?

BUCK - Aight.

(silence)

JUNE - Does it hurt at all?

DERRICK - No.

(silence)

JUNE - Do you remember at all how it happened?

(BUCK hasn't looked directly at JUNE yet.)

BUCK - Yeah, I remember how it happened. I was in a crowd of rowdy ass niggas and my ankle twisted. That's how it happened.

(BUCK drops his head again and grimaces in pain. JUNE slowly walks over and grabs BUCK's hand as the doctor comes into the room.)

DR. REED - Well Buck, your x ray shows good news and bad news.

BUCK - I can take it Doc. Hit me with it.

DR. REED - Well the good news is it isn't broken. See right here...

(The doctor holds the x ray up to the light.)

DR. REED - ...this is where your pain is coming from right here.

BUCK - Okay, so what's the bad news.

DR. REED - The bad news is that however you did this, you did it pretty good. It's a serious sprain and you're gonna have to keep weight off of it. For a while.

(BUCK looks away.)

DR. REED - So what I'm gonna do is...

BUCK - Dr. Reed, what do you mean by a while?

DR. REED - Oh... uh I'm gonna monitor you over the next couple of weeks and bring you in for more testing. Mobility testing and stretching. Then we'll see if you can...

BUCK - The next couple of weeks? Doc I can't do that. We've got a game that puts us into the tournament.

DR. REED - When is that game?

BUCK - Friday.

DR. REED - Oh no... there's no way you can be rehabilitated by Friday. That's out of the question.

BUCK - Dr. Reed you don't understand. We have to...

DR. REED - No Buck, you don't understand. Your ankle is going to start to swell up larger than it is now. You're gonna have to wrap it. You won't even be able to fit it inside a shoe, let alone jump around on a basketball court. So even if you could put weight on it, which you can't because of the pain, there's no way you can play.

(silence)

(JUNE starts to rub the back of BUCK's head.)

DR. REED - Understand what I am saying Buck. The more you put weight on the ankle now, the worse you are making the healing process okay? So what that means is, you're gonna try and make yourself ready to play within a few days and mess up your lifetime of playing basketball. It's impossible and not hardly worth the risk. You're risking a much more serious injury. It isn't worth it.

(silence)

DR. REED - Buck do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?

(BUCK is looking down at his ankle and moving in gingerly.)

DR. REED - Buck are you listening to me?

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SETH is in the restaurant seated with AHMAD and SHAREESA. He is on the phone with his sister KIM.

SETH - Wassup?

KIM - Nothin', where are you?

SETH - Came out to eat. Me, Maad, Shareesa and Tia.

KIM - Who?

SETH - Me and Ahmad...

KIM - No, what girls?

SETH - Shareesa, and Tia is here with me. Why you know her?

KIM - Tia the Delta?

SETH - Yeah.

KIM - Yeah, I know her. Uh huh.

SETH - Why you say it like that?

KIM - What you doin' out with her?

SETH - What's wrong with being out with her?

(SETH looks over at AHMAD and SHAREESA to see if they are paying attention. They're talking to one another and aren't listening to SETH. He turns away and talks lower.)

SETH - What's wrong with me goin' out with Tia?

KIM - First of all she's shady.

SETH - Shady? What you mean?

KIM - She is! All them Deltas are shady.

SETH - See, I knew you were gonna say something lame like that. If that's what this is about then...

KIM - That aint all Seth.

SETH - Whatever Kim.

KIM - I'm serious, doesn't she date one of the Kappas?

SETH - I don't know. But if she did, he must not be handlin' his business because she sent me an email. That's why we're out here in the first place.

KIM - All I'm tryin' to do is look out for you. If you don't wanna listen, then it's on you. But if I'm not mistaken, she goes out with one of the Kappas.

SETH - Are you sure?

KIM - I think so. Hey bro, I'm just trying to help.

SETH - Well thanks but no thanks. I'm a big boy and I can take care of myself.

KIM - Whatever Seth. Anyway, holla at me later.

SETH - Okay.

(They hang up.)

SETH thinks - Tia aint with no Kappa. And if she was, probably aint got no game like me.

(SETH sits back and smiles.)

AHMAD - That was Kim?

SETH - Yeah, talkin' shit. Talkin' bout I shouldn't be out with Tia because she's a Delta.

(AHMAD and SHAREESA laugh.)

AHMAD - Oh please.

SHAREESA - Well you know how them Zetas are. What do you expect?

AHMAD - Hey now! They our sorors! Watch your step lady!

(They all laugh as TIA comes back out of the bathroom. SETH stands up.)

SETH - Hey, I thought you fell in or something. You okay?

TIA - Yeah... well actually no. I'm not feeling too well.

SHAREESA - Oh I'm sorry to hear that.

TIA - Yeah, I haven't been getting good rest lately. My stomach is upset and my head is now bothering me.

SETH - Well maybe if you drink a club soda or something.

TIA - Naw, its best for me to just lay down. I'll be fine by morning.

AHMAD - Well okay.

SETH - Okay guys, well I guess we'll catch up with yall later then.

(SETH grabs his jacket.)

TIA - Oh no Seth, you stay. I don't want to pull you away.

SETH -Naw don't be silly. I'm not gonna let you walk home alone. I'll take you.

TIA - No, it's okay. Really.

SETH - Girl please, I got you. Come on.

(SETH grabs TIA's hand and he turns to leave.)

SETH - See ya later guys.

AHMAD - Okay bruh. Later. See ya Tia.

(TIA looks back as she is being led away.)

TIA - Bye Ahmad.

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BUCK is limping from the training area in the gym. His arm is around JUNE's shoulders, moreso for support.

JUNE - Buck, I think you should listen to what the training doctor was saying.

(BUCK is silent.)

JUNE - I know the game is a big game but...

BUCK - June.

(JUNE becomes silent.)

(silence)

BUCK - I don't wanna talk about not playing okay? Now if you wanna talk about helping me get ready to play, we can talk about that. But as soon as the doctor said it wasn't broken that was my green light to play.

JUNE - But Buck, what if you hurt yourself worse by trying to play in this game?

BUCK - I won't.

JUNE - How do you know?

BUCK - Because I know myself. I know how I ball. And I won't.

(silence)

JUNE - Buck I love you and I don't want to see you get yourself hurt.

(BUCK doesn't respond as they walk out of the building.)

(silence)

JUNE - Buck?

BUCK - Yeah.

JUNE - Are you upset with me?

(BUCK pauses before he answers.)

BUCK - No.

(silence)

BUCK - I'm mad that I can barely walk June. That's all.

JUNE - Oh. Okay.

(silence)

JUNE - If there's anything you need for me to do, just ask. You know I'm here for you and whatever you decide, I'll help you.

(silence)

(BUCK stops walking and takes his arm off of JUNE's shoulders. He turns to face her. He looks away and tries his best to choose his words wisely and curtail his anger.)

BUCK - You know what I'm gonna need for you to do?

JUNE - What baby?

BUCK - I'm gonna need for you to stop hangin' out at every single party and every single event on campus. That's what I'm gonna need for you to do.

JUNE - Excuse me? I thought you said you weren't upset with me.

(BUCK doesn't answer. Instead he turns and hobbles on.)

JUNE - Wait a minute! What are you talking about? Are you mad at me or not?

BUCK - All I'm saying is this...

(He stops walking again.)

BUCK - ...you gotta be at every single party with your sorors. Every single student happy hour. Every single step show. But you don't come to every single one of my games.

JUNE - That's because you guys play like three times a week! Every time I turn around you got a game, and I have to come across over here to see your games. I do go to Ahpla remember.

BUCK - June, there's a huge fight goin' on at some stupid ass happy hour...

(BUCK is raising his voice.)

BUCK - ...and my soon to be wife is in the middle of it. What the hell were you doing there in the first place? Do you know you could've gotten yourself killed?

(silence)

BUCK - And here I am looking for you and I get my ankle busted up. Damn!

(BUCK tries to put a little pressure on his ankle but he can't. He hops off of it.)

BUCK - Dammit!

(silence)

BUCK - June I think you need to grow up some.

JUNE - Grow up some? Wait a minute, here you are being told by a doctor that you need to stay off your ankle and you can barely walk, but you're gonna disregard what he's saying and possibly end your career now... I think you're the one with some growing up to do.

BUCK - What!

JUNE - You weren't complaining about me going out with my girls before. It was never an issue.

BUCK - I just never said anything about it, its always an issue. And don't bring up basketball because you don't understand.

JUNE - I don't understand? I understand you can't walk but you want to play in the game on Friday. I know the games are important to you Buck but baby this aint the super bowl or whatever. You don't have to play in this game.

BUCK - Yes I do.

JUNE - No you don't!

(silence)

(BUCK turns around and starts to walk back toward the gym.)

JUNE - Where are you going?

BUCK - To the court. I'm gonna show you that I'm fine and that's there's nothing keeping me from playin' in that game on Friday!

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SHARONDA's cell phone rings.

SHARONDA - Hey lil cousin.

MIYA - Hi!

SHARONDA - You up here on campus?

MIYA - No but I'm heading over to you now. I got something to show you.

SHARONDA - Oh yeah? What you got?

MIYA - Well I came over to Amgis' campus. Mona mentioned some kind of party to me so I wanted to go.

SHARONDA - Uh huh.

MIYA - But when I got here the party was canceled or something. I can't even find her.

SHARONDA - Oh.

MIYA - So anyway, I was walking back across campus and I came across some kind of book on the ground. Like a handbook.

SHARONDA - A handbook?

MIYA - Yeah. For Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority incorporated. It's really interesting. I was reading it and I wanted to bring it over and show it to you.