Episode 2

THERESA is in her room taking a nap.

(THERESA's telephone rings.)

(silence)

(The phone rings again and she wakes up and grabs it.)

THERESA - Hello?

BREANNA - Ooooooooooooooooooo -ooop!

THERESA - Hold on...

(THERESA puts the phone down and throws the Delta sign with her hands. She picks the phone back up.)

THERESA - Hello?

BREANNA - Are you sleep or something?

THERESA - I had to put the phone down to throw you the sign!

BREANNA - Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

(THERESA laughs also.)

BREANNA - What! Girl how was I supposed to know you were throwing the sign?

THERESA - You gotta just feel it man! You gotta just feel it!

BREANNA - Ha ha ha ha, you stupid! You sleep aint ya?

THERESA - Naw, I aint sleep Tweetle.

BREANNA - Yes you are Tweetle!

THERESA - Okay okay, I was just dozin' for a hot second. But I need to get up so I'm glad you called.

BREANNA - Why you so sleepy in the middle of the day?

THERESA - I had an exam today. I haven't slept in two days.

BREANNA - Oh that's right. How did it go?

THERESA - You know how I do girl! I devastatingly aced it!

BREANNA - Do your thing soror! Let me come rub up on you line sister so I can get some smarts!

(They both laugh.)

BREANNA - Well what are you doing for the rest of the day? You wanna hang out? I got something to tell ya.

THERESA - Aw I can't today Bree. I'm about to have some company in...

(She glances over at her clock.)

THERESA - Probably in about fifteen minutes.

BREANNA - Oh. Who's comin' over?

THERESA - Aren't you the nosey little Tweetle!

(BREANNA laughs.)

BREANNA - And aren't you the secretive big Tweetle!

(THERESA laughs.)

THERESA - Anyway, what you got to tell me?

BREANNA - Oh yeah, that's the reason I called you in the first place.

(THERESA yawns.)

THERESA - I'm all ears Bree. Wassup?

BREANNA - I think... I mean, I think I think that... I um... like somebody.

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REGGIE and JASON are in the Callis Student Union. They're sitting down talking.

JASON - I still don't believe it! This is bullshit!

REGGIE - I don't want to believe it either but damn man, DNA tests don't lie.

JASON - You honestly believe that Nino cheated on Candace? Come on man!

REGGIE - J, they just did a DNA test on the baby. Those tests are like ninety nine point nine percent accurate. Don't you watch the Maury show?

JASON - I'm serious man. I just can't believe it.

REGGIE - I mean, I feel ya but what are we supposed to think? Nino was a man and men do things like that. He wasn't an angel.

(JASON turns away looking bitter.)

REGGIE - Look man, I know Nino was... is your spec. And I know you two had a real special relationship. But at the same time, realize that Nino was my line brother and we were close too. I loved Nino man so I think I was the most shocked out of everyone who knows. You're not alone.

(silence)

JASON - How's Candace?

REGGIE - Taking it pretty bad. Bobby said she flipped the fuck out in the doctor's office.

JASON - That bitch Caryn! Damn!

REGGIE - Yeah man.

(silence)

(REGGIE looks at his watch.)

REGGIE - I gotta go to class.

JASON - What time is it? I probably gotta go too.

REGGIE - Almost noon.

JASON - Yeah, I gotta go.

REGGIE - You walkin' across the yard?

JASON - Yeah.

(They both pick up their bags and head out of the student union.)

REGGIE - Oh wait, the new Sands is out. Let me grab one.

JASON - Grab me one too man.

REGGIE - Aight.

(REGGIE runs over and picks up the student newspaper. He grabs an extra one for JASON.)

REGGIE - We need to be there for Candace though. I can't imagine the hurt she's going through, ya know?

JASON - Yeah, I know. You think its cool for us to call her?

REGGIE - Oh yeah. That's cool. Do that.

JASON - Aight.

(REGGIE looks at the front page of the paper.)

REGGIE - Oh shit!

JASON - What?

REGGIE - They got a story on the front page about that fight that went down at Amgis, between frat and the Kappas.

JASON - Oh yeah?

(JASON opens his paper.)

REGGIE - Hold up, let me read this.

(REGGIE sits down on a bench on the yard and begins to read.)

JASON - Reg I'm about to be late for class so I'm gonna catch up witcha later.

REGGIE - Aight J.

JASON - I'll probably call Candace tonight.

REGGIE - Cool.

(REGGIE hasn't looked up, he's still reading. JASON walks off.)

REGGIE reads - ...the altercation started when several members of Alpha Phi Alpha approached members of Kappa Alpha Psi in a popular hang out near campus. The two parties involved allege that the Kappas were sitting down talking and the Alphas started to bother the Kappa brothers. Several witnesses claim that the Kappas were highly outnumbered. Although the Kappas tried their best to maintain order, it seems the Alphas were set on initiating a brawl. The fight began and spilled outside of the club and into the parking lot. It turned into one of the worst group fights in school history as several members of the Kappa Alpha Psi chapter were hurt or bruised. The Alphas are under investigation for the incident both by Amgis campus officials and by local authorities. Many students say...

REGGIE - What the hell?

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BREANNA is on the phone with her line sister THERESA.

THERESA - So what you got to tell me?

BREANNA - Oh yeah, the reason I called you in the first place.

(THERESA yawns.)

THERESA - I'm all ears Bree. Wassup?

BREANNA - I think... I mean, I think I think that... I um... like somebody.

THERESA - Really? Well who is it?

BREANNA - See, that's where there's a problem.

THERESA - Huh?

BREANNA - It's Brandon.

THERESA - The twin?

BREANNA - Yeah.

THERESA - Why's that a problem?

BREANNA - He dates Denice. But he doesn't seem happy. We talk all the time and all he talks about is how unhappy he is and how he wants to get out. He confides in me about how they argue and fuss all the time.

(silence)

THERESA - Bree, let me give you some real good advice.

BREANNA - Uh oh.

THERESA - The last time you put your heart out to someone you got really hurt. And I think one of the problems was that you didn't think the whole thing out from the beginning. You got caught up in nice words and wound up getting your heart broken and getting in all kinds of mess. If he has a girlfriend, happy or not, he has a girl.

BREANNA - Yeah.

THERESA - And he shouldn't even be tellin' you the business between him and his girl. He needs to be tellin' that shit to her.

BREANNA - But she won't listen to him. Here he is a good man, and his own woman won't take the time to talk to him and find out what's on his mind and heart.

THERESA - So you figured you'd listen?

BREANNA - He just tells me.

THERESA - Bree, you need to be real careful with this. I'm tellin' you.

BREANNA - I'm listening Theresa. Really I am.

THERESA - And let me ask you this. If he has a girl, what makes you think he's gonna leave her and be with you?

BREANNA - I don't think that at all. I'm just tellin' you that I think I like him. What he does is his business.

THERESA - Uh huh.

BREANNA - What?

THERESA - Come on, be real. You know you'd be happy if him and Denice broke up and he came right up to you next. Don't lie.

(BREANNA laughs.)

BREANNA - I just think he's a good guy and Denice is probably missing out on someone special.

THERESA - Yeah, someone who'll talk bad about his own girl behind her back.

BREANNA - Dag Theresa you make him sound real shady. It wasn't even like that.

THERESA - Mmmm hmmmm. Shady is as shady does. And nobody knows shade better than me!

(They both laugh and there is a knock on THERESA's door.)

THERESA - Oh that must be my company.

BREANNA - Who is it girl? Why you trippin'?

THERESA - Ha ha ha ha, you really wanna know?

BREANNA - Yeah, tell me.

THERESA - Okay it's...

(click)

(THERESA laughs as she cracks up laughing. She rolls out of bed.)

THERESA - Hold on a second!

(She runs into the bathroom and splashes water on her face. She quickly dries her face off and pulls her hair into a pony tail. She checks her breath.)

THERESA thinks - Cool!

(She skips out of the bathroom and smiles as she opens the door.)

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DENICE has left SHARONDA's place and is now back in her own room. She's reading and there is a knock on her door.

DENICE thinks - Who's this?

(She gets up and opens the door.)

DENICE - I thought you were at practice tonight?

BRANDON - I skipped practice.

(She steps aside and BRANDON walks in.)

DENICE - You didn't go to practice? Why not?

BRANDON - We need to talk. I can't concentrate on drums right now, I need to talk to you.

(DENICE closes the door.)

DENICE - I agree, we do need to talk but I didn't want you missing practice. I thought you told me that if you ever missed practice you couldn't play in that weekend's game.

BRANDON - I'll deal with that later. Us talking is more important.

(They both sit down.)

BRANDON - Denice we got some issues.

DENICE - Finally we agree on something.

BRANDON - So I see you've noticed too then.

DENICE - Yeah. How could I not?

BRANDON - So what are we gonna do Denice?

(silence)

DENICE - I don't know. I try to get along with you but the more we talk the more we argue.

BRANDON - Yeah.

DENICE - And sometimes I think you choose a different opinion from me just to be different.

BRANDON - Huh?

DENICE - Like last week. I asked you if you wanted to go to the diner to get ice cream.

BRANDON - Yeah, and I didn't feel like getting ice cream.

DENICE - But Brandon, I was only askin you that to test you. You love ice cream way more than I do. And I really didn't feel like getting up to go anywhere. But just to prove to myself that I wasn't crazy, I asked you if you wanted to get some. Normally, you'd be more than happy to get some vanilla ice cream. But because it was something that I wanted to do, you didn't want to go.

BRANDON - That's crazy Denice. First of all, I just didn't feel like ice cream that night and more importantly why are you testing me on some old silly shit.

DENICE - Because I don't want to be the crazy one. I know I aint crazy and I know I don't start all the arguements that we have. You start most of them because you must like being on the other side of the arguement fence than what I'm on. I don't know, I really think you get a kick out of arguing with me.

BRANDON - Don't be ridiculous Denice. That's stupid as hell.

DENICE - It's not stupid, it's my opinion.

BRANDON - No, it's stupid.

DENICE - See, there you go again. It may not be true or correct, and that's for you to prove otherwise. But it isn't stupid because it's my opinion and I'm entitled to that.

BRANDON - You're not entitled to test me to see what I'm gonna say or to see what I'm gonna do. To me, that's a problem right there. Just say what you mean and mean what you say. If you don't want ice cream, then why the hell are you asking me to go to the diner to get some thinking that it's only gonna start an arguement? I'm not your test monkey Denice.

DENICE - And I'm not stupid so stop saying that.

BRANDON - I didn't say you were stupid.

DENICE - You said my opinion is stupid.

BRANDON - It is. That is some stupid shit.

DENICE - Then you're basically saying that what I think is stupid. What's up with that?

(silence)

DENICE - We can't even have a civil conversation about the fact that we argue a lot. Even that turns into an arguement.

(silence)

DENICE - And I was just telling Sharonda that...

BRANDON - Sharonda? You been talking to her about us?

DENICE - I needed somebody to talk to.

BRANDON - Damn Denice, why her? This is between you and me. Why you bring that loud mouth up in my mix.

DENICE - She's not a loud mouth. And are you saying you haven't told anyone? You didn't tell Brendon?

BRANDON thinks - We just don't get along. We argue all the time. We don't get along at all.

BREANNA - Maybe you aren't trying hard enough.

BRANDON - I try all I can. I don't know what else to do. We argue about little petty shit all the time. I can't even talk to her.

BREANNA - Well you can talk to me. If you ever need someone to confide in Brandon, you got a friend in me.

BRANDON - No I didn't tell Brendon. This is between me and you Denice and I don't appreciate sorors being all up in our business.

DENICE - Brandon I can't believe you didn't tell Brendon.

BRANDON - You calling me a liar now?

DENICE - Of course not. If you say you didn't tell him, you didn't tell him. Whatever.

(silence)

BRANDON - Denice, this just isn't working.

DENICE - No. It really isn't.

(silence)

BRANDON - Maybe it was a bad idea. I've known you for years and maybe we should've kept this whole thing at friendship level.

DENICE - Maybe.

(silence)

(silence)

(silence)

BRANDON - I need to go.

(BRANDON gets up.)

DENICE - So what does this mean?

(DENICE stands up.)

(silence)

BRANDON - No hard feelings. I'll always care about you.

DENICE - Yeah.

BRANDON - But its better if we just go back to being friends.

(silence)

DENICE - Yeah.

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REGGIE skips class and walks down to the office of The Sands, the Ahpla student newspaper.

(REGGIE walks in.)

KIM - Hi, may I help you?

REGGIE - Yeah is Xavier here?

KIM - No he isn't here at the moment. You wanna leave a message for him?

REGGIE - Yeah, I do. Well actually, is the chief editor here?

KIM - Yeah, hold on.

(She picks up the phone and dials.)

KIM - Hey, there's someone here to see you.

(She covers the phone.)

KIM - What's your name?

REGGIE - Reggie.

KIM - His name is Reggie. Yes. Yeah student. Okay.

(She hangs up.)

KIM - She'll be right out.

REGGIE - Thanks.

(REGGIE starts to look at the article again while he waits.)

REGGIE thinks - This is some bullshit!

(A girl walks out from the back area from behind where KIM is sitting.)

DARIA - This is the person here to see me?

KIM - Yeah. Reggie.

(REGGIE looks up as DARIA approaches extending her hand.)

DARIA - Hi Reggie I'm Daria. I'm the editor n chief of The Sands. What can I do for you?

REGGIE - Hi. I wanted to actually speak to Xavier because I just read the front story in this week's edition and the cover story is very inaccurate.

DARIA - Let's sit down.

(REGGIE follows DARIA to a table with two chairs. They sit down.)

REGGIE - I can't even believe yall printed this. This story is mad twisted.

DARIA - We check for the accuracy of anything we print. For this particular story, none of us were at the fight at Amgis. But as soon as Xavier heard about it, he rushed over there. By the time he got there, there were several students still outside and he got to interview a lot of them.

REGGIE - But Xavier is a Kappa. Did you read this thing?

DARIA - Yeah, I read it. Xavier interviewed Kappas as well as some of the Alphas that were there and some other students that saw everything go down. Were you there?

REGGIE - No I wasn't there but I spoke to my frat brothers as soon as the fight was over. It didn't go on anything like this. This is slander against my fraternity.

DARIA - Not if this is the truth. And neither of us were there. I stand behind all of our writers and I especially stand behing Xavier.

REGGIE - You can't possibly believe that a fraternity member is going to give you an unbiased story on a fight involving his own fraternity brothers. Why did yall even let Xavier do this story?

DARIA - Xavier had the story done before I even heard about the fight. He heard there was a fight and he ran over there. He knew it was an opportunity for a good story and to get the facts out. How can I discredit that?

REGGIE - You can discredit it by reading it. He makes it sound like the Kappas were minding their own business and the Alphas came up and started the whole fight. When I know what went down and I know who approached who?

DARIA - But if you weren't there, it's your word against the word of someone who was there. So who's the more credible source?

REGGIE - All I know is this story is some bull and when people at Amgis see it, its really gonna hit the fan.

DARIA - Well I'm sorry this piece upset you Reggie, but like I said, I stand behind Xavier as one of our best writers. If he wrote this, then its accurate enough for me.

REGGIE - Get ready for a backlash because when my frat brothers at Amgis see this story, they're gonna come after some heads over here. Trust me when I tell you that the Amgis Alphas are gonna be pissed!

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BRENDON comes in from band practice. He throws his sticks on his bed and plops down.

BRENDON thinks - I wish that nigga would tell me when he plans to skip practice. Shit! Everyone looks at me like I'm supposed to magically know where the hell he is!

(He grabs his remote and turns the tv on.)

BRENDON thinks - And the nigga aint answering his phone. What the hell?

(There is a knock on the door.)

BRENDON thinks - I hope this aint professor lookin' for Brandon! He gonna have Brandon runnin' crazy laps! Ha ha ha ha!

(BRANDON opens the door.)

BRENDON - Hey D, what's wrong? Where's Brandon, you know he missed practice.

DENICE - Yeah I know. Can I come in?

BRENDON - Uh yeah. Sure.

(DENICE comes in.)

BRENDON - Brandon isn't here.

DENICE - I didn't think he would be.

BRENDON thinks - Huh?

BRENDON - Then why are you here? What happened?

DENICE - We just broke up.

BRENDON - What!

(DENICE sits down.)

BRENDON - You are lying!

DENICE - Naw, it's true.

BRENDON - What happened?

DENICE - You don't know?

BRENDON - Know what?

DENICE - Brandon hasn't told you?

BRENDON - Told me what? Did he cheat on you? Oh shit!

DENICE - No Brendon, he didn't cheat. Everyone doesn't think like you ya know.

BRENDON - Shut up. So what happened? Why did yall break up?

DENICE - You honestly don't know?

BRENDON - How many times I gotta say no Denice?

DENICE thinks - Damn, he was telling the truth. He didn't tell anybody!

DENICE - We've been having big problems lately. We argue over every little thing. We don't get along at all.

BRENDON - But every couple argues.

DENICE - Not like this.

BRENDON - What you mean?

DENICE - I'm talking about every single little thing. If he says A, I'll say B. If he says north, I say south. We're just two different.

BRENDON - But that's what makes a relationship great. You want someone who thinks and acts and does just like you?

DENICE - No. I just want someone I can love. And talk to. Without fighting with. Our relationship became a tug of war as soon as we started dating.

BRENDON - See, there's your problem.

DENICE - What?

BRENDON - You just said it. It's went down hill when yall started. That's because yall started on some old shady shit. You know that when you told Brandon that shit when he was sick that that was wrong.

DENICE - But I only did that to try and help him. He couldn't remember anything and I was trying to help him get his memory back.

BRENDON - So you do that by telling him something that aint true?

(silence)

BRENDON - Yall started off with a lie. Started on the wrong foot. It was already fucked up.

DENICE - Yeah I know.

BRENDON - This is probably why Brandon wasn't in practice.

DENICE - Yeah, he came over to my room to talk. And we agreed that we just need to go back to being friends.

BRENDON - Damn! So where is he now?

DENICE - I don't know. I knew he wouldn't be here though. I came here to see if you were here.

BRENDON - Why?

DENICE - You know me. I always need somebody to talk to. Ya know.

BRENDON - Ha ha ha, yeah. Are you okay?

DENICE - I really don't know. I think this is probably the best thing right now, but I'm kinda numb right now. And I feel bad. Brandon said he hadn't told anyone about our problems and I thought he was lying. I thought he would've at least told you.

BRENDON - Naw, he never mentioned it to me.

DENICE - And here I am telling everybody in the world.

BRENDON - Dag, you did?

DENICE - I need people to talk to.

BRENDON - But damn D.

(silence)

BRENDON - Well what are you gonna do now?

DENICE - Nothing.

(silence)

DENICE - This is the best thing. There's no point in trying to fix it.

BRENDON - Are you sure D?

(silence)

DENICE - No.

BRENDON - Look, all I'm gonna say is this. I know Bran and I know you. Yall seemed like a match made in heaven. If you're sitting here feeling like you're not sure if breaking up is the right thing then I gurantee he's somewhere else probably thinking the same thing.

BRANDON thinks - Should I?

(BRANDON contemplates knocking as he stands outside of BREANNA's door.)