Lincoln Heights (2006) s01e01 Episode Script

Get your hands up! Nobody move! Get your hands up! You got this, okay? Let's go! Let's go! Hands up.
Let's go! On your back! Everybody up! Everybody up! Stay there.
Back door clear.
Gross.
Hey.
Check it out.
The way these people live.
Correction by AdrianoCSI Taylor, you freak! Mom, he just busts in while I'm in the shower.
Hey, big deal.
I didn't even get a real look at her small, pointy breasts.
You are so not gonna live to see your 12th birthday! I'm gonna be late if I don't get in there.
Eddie? Cassandra, three minutes.
Dad, I need to-- Not now.
Taylor, fold up them blankets and put 'em in the closet.
Let's all get breakfast.
I need everybody to just hang in there a little bit longer.
We are not gonna be living on top of each other like this forever.
Why are we stopping? I was always taught not even to slow down through the Heights.
Tell me your dream house.
Dream house? We just need more room.
Two stories or one? I don't care.
No, it's your dream house.
So dream.
Two stories.
How many bedrooms? At least so Tay can have his own room.
The girls could still share.
Dream, Jenn.
Okay.
Um, a room for each kid, a bedroom for us-- A big bedroom for us, master bath, at least two other bathrooms for the kids, kitchen, dining room, den, big playroom.
Mm-hmm, staff of five just for the upstairs.
Actually, we'd be responsible for cleaning it and maintaining it ourselves.
What? And where is this fine mansion of ours? You've lost your mind.
Look, I know the idea takes a little getting used to.
That's because it's a bad idea.
The price would be half of the appraised value.
We're talking 50% of what the house is worth.
We're not talking about this at all.
Look, interest 2% below current rates.
Do you realize what an incredible deal that is? It's like what we're paying for a tiny apartment now.
But we'll own a house.
Application.
It's real easy to fill out, but it'll take a while to process.
So we can wait until fall to switch the kids to a new school.
All I'm asking is that you have an open mind.
Don't answer right away.
Just think.
Have a sip of wine.
Okay, look.
Don't have a sip of wine.
We could take our time.
Now, after some calm reflection, what do you say? No.
Maybe I rushed you.
Even with all the incentives they're throwing at us, the department really believe they can get some schmuck to move into this dump? I'm considering it.
Yeah.
You got some guts, man.
We patrol the area.
I shouldn't be intimidated about living in it.
I meant to suggest the idea to Jenn.
Some folks are trying to make a neighborhood.
Look, house with a fresh coat of paint.
Over there they got a rose garden going.
Pot must be planted in back.
Hey! Hey.
I thought you stopped taking the evening one.
It's only once in a while with the new insulin.
Hey.
Hey.
They been talking about something.
Money.
It's usually money.
No, I mean something's definitely up.
We're moving, maybe.
Moving apartments? Well, dad made that comment about us hangin' till we got more room.
Maybe it'll be those garden apartments over on 14th street.
Man, they're huge, and they have a pool.
What makes you think it's gonna be around here? You mean this might be changing schools, leaving our friends? Those of us who have them.
But why aren't they telling us? Been playing hoops? McDill Park? I saw they put the lights in.
They did, but they're all shot out.
Guys.
Lights on this street look good.
What's your deal, man? What makes you think I have a deal? Everybody has a deal.
I'm just trying to get a feel for the neighborhood.
I used to live a couple blocks away.
Eddie Sutton.
And you are? Donelle.
Crack house.
Cops closed it.
I know.
Yeah, I know you know.
You were one of the cops.
You don't have a problem talking to a cop.
You could be George Washington Martin Luther Bush.
But here, you're in my yard.
Brutus! Be quiet! No parking on the good side.
I'm gonna have to move the car later.
Of course, it wouldn't be a problem if we had our own driveway.
You were there, weren't you? At that house.
Just wanted to see what it felt like at night.
How's it feel? It's not Disneyland.
Tough? Maybe.
Tough as when you lived there? Isn't that right where you grew up? About a couple blocks away.
Didn't you tell me that you couldn't wait to get out of there? That getting out saved your life? It's different now.
You just raided a crack house in the middle of it.
The raid shows the Man is serious about cleaning the place up.
They're taking care of business.
Filling the potholes, fixing the lights.
There's more money for schools.
Cops are patrolling.
This housing program is part of the effort.
But it won't work if no one participates.
So that's what this is.
This is about more than a bigger house or a good deal, isn't it? Everybody tells me I can talk.
But sometimes you gotta do or all you are is talk.
Then this is about the whole reason you joined the force in the first place.
I don't know.
Maybe this idea is a little too crazy and wrong for this family.
So if I'm nuts, just tell me.
Oh, I know you're nuts.
Here.
What's this? Read up.
Any place is gonna look a whole lot better with some plants and a fresh coat of paint.
If it doesn't work, we don't have to stay.
All I'm asking is that you give it a chance.
Hey.
Hop in, guys.
I got time to drop you to school.
Yeah, right, dad.
And ensure nobody talks to me the entire semester? Maybe even the rest of my life.
Lizzie? Tay? I like to walk.
I think I better watch the girls.
Good morning.
How you doing? Morning.
I'm starting to feel like I got some gross, infectious disease.
It's the uniform.
LaRoy was arrested for rape two years ago even though the victim described the suspect as young, short, and white.
They let him go.
But he still has neuralgia in both wrists because the cuffs were so tight.
Folks around here see the police as more dangerous than the Ebola virus.
Hey, kid, what you buying? I'm buying yogurt.
That's a buck.
How much you got? Five bucks.
That's four for us.
The rest is for my lunch.
Man, that's five for us for talking back.
Ah, stop.
Okay, start finishing up and get ready to turn your work in.
All right.
Charles.
Welcome to Robeson High.
We don't get many boys signing up for this class.
Please take a seat.
Don't even think about it, girlfriend.
His ass is mine.
All right, Rhonda, Deb, Shamiqua, Jessie P.
, Jessie W.
, let's look sharp out there! One, two, three, Falcons! So how was the game? Great, from the bench.
I mean, I got some pictures, but I'm not in any of them.
Your new coach has already figured out you suck? Hey.
It'll just be a matter of time before she figures out how good you are.
Don't try to cheer me up, dad.
At my old school, I got playing time.
And in the old neighborhood, I had friends.
People didn't push all their stuff around in shopping carts.
Come on now.
You guys just focus on the negative.
You know what.
Let's take a ride.
I'm gonna show you guys something.
All right? Get in the car.
That's where I had my first job when I was ten years old.
Mr.
Wilson made me sweep the floor till you could eat off of it.
You had a job when you were ten? Boy, you don't know how good you got it.
Now this.
This used to be the spot.
Are you kidding? That used to be the Lincoln Heights Roller Derby.
Roller derby? You mean skates and cheesy disco music.
Talkin' skates and jams, jams and skates.
Your daddy could get down.
Even back then, people said the Heights were nothing.
But you watch.
It's gonna make a comeback.
I went to Sunday school here every week.
Sang in the choir.
Even had my first kiss at a potluck dinner.
Over here, I learned how to box.
Had a mean left hook.
I could even do the Ali Shuffle.
Ah, the taco stand.
50 cent tacos.
I used to stuff myself sick.
Oh, those were the days.
Kids, this is where it all began.
Right here.
Let me see the ball, Tay.
Right here is where I dunked on LeRoy "Sugar" Watkins.
Anybody with that name deserves to get dunked on.
Come on now.
Get a shot in.
No, thanks.
See? You gotta be ready to shoot no matter how long you been sitting on the bench.
I was the 12th man when I dunked on Leroy "Sugar" Watkins.
All right.
Check me, Tay.
I can't score on you, I can't score on anybody.
Whoo! Now see, that's the shot that's gonna get you in the game.
Come on.
You got it.
Whoo! Look at that.
Look at that.
Get out.
Get out.
Come on.
Come on.
I love it! Come on now! See what's happening.
You let your sister score on you like that? Oh! One more time.
Come on now.
It takes at least ten minutes to lock all the doors and turn off the lights in this house.
And you like that, don't you? Yes, girl, I do.
And you know what's the best part? What? Listen.
I don't hear anything.
Yes.
No electric bass coming from the apartment below.
No bangin' and heavy breathin' coming through the wall next-door.
That's nice.
Not that, if you weren't bothering anyone else, heavy breathing would be a bad thing.
Get back here, boy! Should we call the cops? Yeah.
Only I am the cops.
Don't make me come out there.
I will whip your ass! Where the hell you think you're going? Away from your ass.
Well, you ain't going nowhere with my son.
LaShon, gone on.
Get back in the house.
Now! No! Hey, cut out all that cryin', boy! Don't talk to him like that! Everything okay here? Look, this ain't got nothing to do with you, cop.
Fair enough.
Just heard a little commotion.
Thought I'd check in.
Boy, I said quit all that cryin'.
Leave him alone.
You don't tell me what to do.
This is my house! I said cut all that damn cryin'! You don't disrespect your kid like that.
Just trying to teach him to man up.
Then show him how to be a man.
Hey, in the future it would be best if y'all kept your disputes inside.
We don't need no cop gettin' in our business.
I didn't come here as a cop.
I came as a concerned neighbor.
Well, neighbor to neighbor, you need to back off.
Wake you up? Units near the Main Street Bridge.
245--stabbing victim.
12-A-50, you on the ear? A-50, go.
You're primary on this call.
Copy that.
On our way.
Stand back! Step back.
Step back.
Come on.
Step back.
All right, now just relax.
Right shoulder probably above the lung.
You were lucky on this one, but someone was trying to kill you.
Now who was it? I didn't see him.
He stabbed you from the front.
I don't know who it was.
We can show you pictures to ID him.
The next hit, if it's on the other guys, we'll come looking for you first, Donelle.
I didn't get a look at him, man.
All right, coming through.
Anybody see anything? Hey, blue jacket! Name of the stabber, rat hole.
I didn't see nothing.
Ah! Jorge.
Jorge Martinez.
Now, where do we find Jorge Martinez, huh? I don't know where he lives, man.
What about his school? Robeson High, I guess.
How do we tell him from the five other Jorge Martinezes who go there? He's buff.
He's got a tattoo of a snake, and he's like a gimp.
A gimp? One leg's too short or something.
Get outta here! What? What happened? You okay? I'm fine.
The kids? They're okay.
I got home first and found it.
They're upstairs inventorying their rooms.
Jenn-- Well, tell Nikki and Frannie I said hj.
Me? It all kinda sucks.
Hey, kiddo.
Time for bed.
All right.
Gotta go.
Yeah, you too.
If I get home early tomorrow, you wanna go shoot some hoops? I got a ton of homework.
You won't get home early anyway.
Done with your night watchman routine? I guess we need a day watch too.
Houses get hit in the best neighborhoods, Jenn.
I can show you the crime logs.
That's reassuring.
Are people as unfriendly in the best neighborhoods? What's a little unfriendliness? I dealt with a lot more crap growing up around here than any of you can imagine.
So we all have to put up with crap So you can work out the trauma of your rotten childhood.
Keep your voice down.
Right, we don't wanna disturb the peace of the neighborhood.
This is gonna be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
If this kid was involved in the stabbing What is she looking at? Chill, sister.
They ain't coming at you.
What'd you do? Martinez.
Martinez, Jorge.
Not much of an attendance record.
How about an address? I can't give the address without the parents' permission.
We need to speak to him about a serious stabbing incident.
All right.
I'll try the home.
Do you know who was stabbed? Donelle Williams.
Is he-- He'll be all right.
Do you know Donelle? Yeah.
I had him in English last year.
Good student, bad student? Problem kid? No, not a problem.
I mean, he was interested in his reading when heid it.
And when he talked about the material in class, he had something.
What'd he have? Intuition.
I thought if he'd just focus from this point on, he'd be one of the kids who went to college.
No answer.
Look.
I wish I could give out the address, but I can't.
Fairly breezy, with highs today downtown 68 degrees.
Temperatures drop to the low 50s this evening.
Tomorrow, expect pretty much the same-- Your sash is damaged.
I'll have to come back with a new piece.
I didn't realized we'd called anybody.
You didn't.
You folks haven't been able to buy a break since you moved in, so some of us thought we outta start being a little more welcoming.
You take the back.
I'll go up here.
Jorge Martinez! Jorge Martinez.
You Jorge? Back door! Back door! I got a drive-by shooting.
2527 Market.
You're home early.
My last period was cancelled.
That's a huge snack, Tay.
You know what all that food's gonna do to your sugar levels.
I'm taking the night shot again.
Is this from eating junk at school? I didn't eat junk.
You're like a barracuda every day when you get home.
I'm having a growth spurt.
Do you need more lunch money? No.
No, mom.
Don't give me more money.
I heard he had a wife and a kid in Mexico.
I heard he, like, smoked his stepfather or something.
Yeah, and he did time in Texas or Iraq or some place like that.
Yo, bro.
You as bad as they say? Okay, was that a yes or a no? What? You have Gilmer for Algebra.
Yeah.
I'm supposed to ask someone for the homework.
Page 36.
No, wait.
Page 38, even problems.
You're welcome.
That's four fouls on her! Are you nuts? What are you doing? Stay in.
They make you use this wheelchair.
You know about Jorge Martinez? I heard.
Just what I didn't want to happen.
We'll be looking for the shooters.
But you were in here, so that gives you something unusual, Donelle.
Yeah, an alibi.
An opportunity.
To stop living a life always reacting to yesterday and start dealing with tomorrow.
Tomorrow? A teacher read us this speech from this play in class.
"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.
" "Life is a tale told by an idiot.
" Now how right-on is that? I don't usually get gangsters quoting plays.
But it proves the point.
What point? What your teachers say.
Put in the work and you could graduate even go to college.
I'm starting a program down at the old Y.
Gymnastics.
You should come by.
I think you'd enjoy the workout.
We could talk.
About what? Tomorrow.
Gettin' outta the hood.
What you wanna do when you grow up.
All right, look.
You just don't get it.
I don't have tomorrow.
And there's no way that I'll ever live to be grown up.
Let's get out of here, man.
So you are sure sixth period biology wasn't cancelled today? All right.
Thank you.
Yeah? You feel like telling me what's going on? No.
Well, why don't you anyway? You know, when I was in school, I had this problem.
My mama would make me the best lunches.
Fried chicken, meatloaf sandwiches, fresh fruit.
I mean, great! And there was this big, overweight girl in my class.
Tina Gawicki.
The last thing that Tina needed was more food.
But every day, she would take my lunch, and then give me hers, which was usually this old, stale piece of cheese on an even more stale piece of bread.
So what did you do? I didn't know what to do.
So I put up with it at first.
Then I told my older sister.
Aunt Vera? Now, you know that Aunt Vera does not always set the best example for the way we want you kids to behave.
So I'm not telling you this so you can-- So what did she do? She baked brownies with an extra ingredient from the drugstore.
You know what a laxative is? She put in about two boxes worth.
Then she put the brownies in my lunch bag as an extra treat for Tina.
Did she eat 'em? I think she must have.
Now, okay, I am an adult, right, and a nurse.
And I would never approve of you doing anything like this.
Medically speaking, it really could be quite dangerous.
Did you kill her? Nono, Tay.
No.
She was okay after a couple days.
But she never took my lunch again.
I don't bring my lunch, so that wouldn't work anyway.
Work with what? Let's just say someone we know had a similar problem.
I might have a more medically acceptable way to deal with it.
You can't tell dad.
We don't have to call the cops.
Boys, Mrs.
Sutton has made a serious charge.
She says that you've been taking her son Taylor's lunch money.
No way, Mr.
Jeffers.
Maybe she has us confused with somebody else.
Do you have any money on you today? No, I don't.
Reef? Sure, I got money.
What's wrong with that? How much? Five dollars.
Mrs.
Sutton says that she gave her son five one-dollar bills this morning.
Lots of people have five dollars.
My mama gave me this money.
She likes me to eat right.
Mrs.
Sutton, most kids in this school probably have a few dollars in their pocket.
With writing on it? May I? This bill does appear to have some writing on it.
I write on money sometimes.
Really? What's it say on this one? I write different stuff.
I've seen lots of money with writing.
Anybody could've put it there.
Could you check your email, please, Mr.
Jeffers? I sent it this morning before school.
Just take a look at the time.
Photo attached.
Open photo.
Thisisyourlast rip-off.
Okay, huddle up, ladies.
Come on, let's go! Okay, ladies.
Last play.
Jessie P.
, Jessie W.
, Rhonda, Deb, Shamiqua.
Jessie, what? Ms.
Epps, I have monster cramps.
It's one play! I feel like I'm gonna pass out.
Okay.
Lizzie, you're in.
Come on, ladies! Let's play some ball! Double-team the man that gets the inbound pass.
Come on! Here we go! All right, Lizzie! Geez.
You really gotta stop sneaking up on people.
Sorry.
Was there something? I saw the drawing you were doing in class.
No, it was good.
Really good.
You're, like, the only one in class who knows what she's doing.
Hey, what's going on? A little fundraising.
I didn't okay that.
While you was in the hospital, I called the work for the set.
Jorge Martinez was huge for our rep.
And you know, Donelle, some people aren't sure you woulda done Jorge.
Whatever.
I'm out now.
You're still recovering, dude.
And we gotta keep productivity up.
So how come the cops are after you? How come they're after you? No, wait.
They already caught you, right? For offing your stepfather, was it? And they put you behind bars in Baghdad.
Frankfurt, Germany.
An Army base.
He was a master sergeant.
He got drunk one night, and I thought he was gonna hurt my mother.
So you shot him? I hit him with a schnitzel.
With a? Dinner.
Fell over and hit his head on the table and blacked out.
Probably from the booze.
They threw us both in the brig while they investigated.
Then my mother brought me back here to let things cool down between me and him.
What'd you do? Nothing.
All right? Nobody's after me.
So we don't have that outlaw thing in common if that's what you're thinking.
It's broad daylight.
It's your own hood.
You don't screw your own hood.
You can come or not.
Everybody in the back! Right now! Move, move, move! Get in the back! Come on! Move! Where you going? Get down, get down! Get down! Get down, get down! Down! Open it.
Let's go! 211 in progress.
La Central Market.
File in along Third and Central.
12 Adam 30.
Show us code two on Arroyo, responding.
Come on, man.
What's taking you so long? Hurry up! You're burned! Let's go! Come on, man.
We're almost in.
The cops are out front! Come on, fool! Hurry up! Hurry up! Hurry up, hurry up! Let's go! Hurry up! Donelle! Let him go, Donelle! I wouldn't have picked you for this.
Yeah, well, it wasn't my call.
I just had to protect my boys.
You did what you can do.
You can put the gun down now.
Nobody's gotten hurt.
And it's still armed robbery, even if I didn't start it.
I'll talk to the D.
A.
Yeah, right.
I know that you think you're some kind of good talker, but you ain't that good.
Let these other civilians outta here.
You got no beef with them.
Go.
Come on, come on.
Everybody.
Hey, hey! Donelle! Donelle.
Donelle! Hey.
You know what? I was actually thinking about taking that gymnastics class of yours.
You can still do it.
I can't move my arms.
Don't you need your arms to do gymnastics? Eddie? It's over.
You guys hung in there for me, but I shoulda never put you through this.
It hasn't been so bad.
Lizzie, you can adjust to just about anything.
And that quality's gonna serve you well.
But we've been given the cold shoulder on this street.
At first, but they've started to warm up a bit.
This house was broken into.
But the neighbors helped us out.
And today, Cassie was put into a danger I just can't accept.
Don't tell me you weren't frightened.
I was terrified.
But the same thing could've happened anywhere else in this city.
Guys, do you hear what I'm saying? I'm done.
You win.
As soon as we can find a place in the old neighborhood or an area like it, we're moving out of here.
You know, I'd be okay staying a little longer.
Yeah, I think I could handle it.
I'm down.
Why don't I help you put this back? When the road gets dark And you can no longer see Let my love throw a spark And have a little faith in me When the tears you cry Are all you can believe Just give these lovin' arms a try, baby And have a little faith in me Have a little faith in me Have a little faith in me And have a little faith in me Have a little faith in me, baby