All language subtitles for Streetwise.1984.720p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX]

- I love to fly.

It's just you're alone.

You have peace and quiet.

Nothing around you
but clear blue sky.

No one to hassle you.

No one to tell you where
to go or what to do.

The only bad part about flying
is having to come back down to

the fucking world.

- Spare
some change, ma'am,

so me and my father can
get something to eat?

-No, I don't, son.

-All right.

Why not say you're
my father, man?

- No.

All right, then get lost.

I got to make some money.

- Living downtown,
a typical day was I'd get up at

12, take a shower,
get something to eat,

then three o'clock, I
was on my robbing streak,

start robbing people
until six, seven o'clock.

-Spare some change, sir?

- Then
I go get my drugs,

get my food.

Get my-- whoever I gonna
sleep with for that night.

-Wassup, wassup?

-Not much.

-Spare some change?

-Hell, no.

-Let me get a kiss.

-Hell, no.

-Oh, what a life.

Sorry.

- Party until 12.

Everybody would
turn in and stuff.

-Look at that bleach blond.

- What?

Dogs?

Does she live on
a farm, or what?

15 dogs?

-Sir, you wouldn't be able to
spare a little bit of change?

Not at all, huh?

You know you're a fucking dick?

- I wasn't even thinking
about running away or nothing,

but my dad once told me, if I
ever got caught selling pot,

never come home
'cause he'd kill me.

So when it all came
down, I just said,

"Oh, well."

- I never
miss my mom and dad.

They're just part of my
past now the way I look at it.

-Rat, you going with her?

-What?

Where?

-You going with her?

-Who her?

This is my old lady here.

Why?

-Where you be livin' at?

-I be living at the ♪Y-M-C-A♪.

- There's this
old abandoned hotel,

and we took all the furniture we
could find in all the different

rooms and put it all
into this one room.

And we'd just carry water up
in these gallon jugs 'cause it

didn't have no
water or electricity.

And we'd just shower down at
this place called the Compass on

Washington Avenue for 50
cents, and do our laundry in the

laundromat and whatever it took.

You know, it was
pretty easy actually.

-Smash, bang, crash 'em up.

- And then me and
Jack just started hanging out

together.

I never would have even thought
about catching the train,

except for Jack.

He showed me the ways of
the trains: how they run,

where they go.

And Jack taught us you can tell
the main track because it's set

highest.

They got a gravel mound, and
it will set higher than all the

rest of the track.

And then you just look north,
and that's toward the north

yard.

Then you just count three
tracks over to your right.

And then we'd just jump on
a train and be on our way.

- I want to be really
rich and live on a farm with a

bunch of horses, which is my
main best animal and have three

yachts or more and diamonds
and jewels and all that stuff.

- So you
don't have any symptoms right

now?

-I don't think so.

- But you do
have some concern that you might

have a sexually
transmitted disease?

-Nothing serious.

It might just be
trichomoniasis again.

I don't know.

- Uh-huh.

Ever have one before?

-Mm-hm.

-
What did you have?

-I've had
chlamydia, trichomoniasis,

and gonorrhea.

-
That's quite a bit.

- I figure it's very
strange that older men like

little girls 'cause they're
perverts is what they is.

I mean, I like the
money, but I don't like them.

- You've been
sexually active since the time

you were treated?

- What do
you mean by that?

- Good question.

Have you had sex with
anyone since you were treated in

Portland?

-No, just dates.

The first date I turned
was about two Thursdays ago.

Then I turned
another one on a Friday.

- Some dates are nice.

And some of them, the
young ones are really cute,

but I don't want to
be interested in them,

'cept for the money, that's it.

- When we'd
get real low on money,

I'd take Mike's .45,
because I'd sold my .38,

and I'd go roll a queer.

-Tastes like Columbian to me.

-Ain't that bud
that's going around,

that's for sure.

-Oh, no way.

You've got to buy
that stuff in grams.

I think it went out.

- What did?

- Oh, I guess not.

You know Alan and that
guy he was running around with?

He had us walking around Mount
Vernon for two days looking for

this queer that turned
him onto all this procaine.

We was gonna live in
his house for a day.

And then when he went to bed we
was gonna tie him up and take

all his money he had in his wall
safe: all this procaine and all

this marijuana stuff he had.

We walked around Mount Vernon
for two days looking for this

guy.

I finally told
Alan and his friend,

man, I told him,
"Fuck off, man."

Me and Mike got on the freeway
and hitchhiked all the way up to

Bellingham.

-That's when you had all those
fucking keys and the cops was

asking you--

-Yeah!

Whatever happened to that
Burlington Northern key?

-My mom's got all my keys.

-Just a little bit?

Spare some change?

-You know I can't
spare no change.

-C'mon, man.

I'm poor.

'Scuse me, sir.

Can you spare a
little bit of change?

- I used to
least bring in $300, $400.

For a blowjob, it
would be 30 on up,

and for a lay, it
would be, like,

40 on up.

Most of these veterinarian
hoes would charge more than,

you know, us little kids do.

-Isn't it after every two
weeks you can get pregnant,

after your period,
every two weeks?

- You can get
pregnant any time during your

cycle.

A person can even get pregnant
when she's having her period.

It's not as likely.

-Okay, because I pulled a
date and didn't use a rubber,

because he said he
didn't use them.

- How
often do you usually have your

periods?

- Three or four weeks.

- Uh,
huh, they come pretty regular?

- Well, I just
started in August.

- Just in August?

- August 17.

- So you only
had the one in August and the

one in September?

Uh-huh, okay, so
you've barely begun.

Did you ever have
periods before then?

- Uh-uh.

- You're how old?

- 14.

- And how
would you feel about being

pregnant?

-I want a baby.

- You do?

-But not by a new trick, though.

- But if
you're pregnant right now then

it would be a
pregnancy by a trick.

And what's your feeling
about being pregnant,

if you are, if
a trick is the father?

-Well I'm not
getting an abortion.

- You might.

-No, I won't.

- Oh, you
would not get an abortion.

-I don't believe in it.

-
Tell me about that.

What's your
feeling about abortion?

-It's like you're
murdering somebody.

Murd-- I can't
pronounce the word.

But it's like it's a
little baby inside you,

and you're just killing it.

And it's not fair to the baby.

I mean it's not the baby
fault, you know what I mean?

- So that
would not be a choice for you?

-Uh-uh.

So you want to put your feet up?

I'll slide these things
down a little bit...

This one's stuck.

Okay.

Slide your bottom
all the way down.

- My blanket's falling.

-A little bit farther
'til you can feel me.

Okay, that's good.

Just like that.

- I used to turn
dates lot and lots of times.

Every day I'd be
pulling dates day and night,

day and night.

Then it's just like I got busted
five times, so I don't pull

dates that I don't know.

-Everybody say I did
something when I was,

but I know not to fuck around.

-He sold me a gun,
and it didn't work.

- Who sold you a gun?

-I gave it to this
other dude to shoot,

just blew up in his hands.

-Hey, you wanna
buy a knife off me.

I got two little buck
knives and a pick sticker.

-Homeboy, hand it to me.

I seen the bullets in it.

I said, "Thanks for the gun."

He said, "You
ain't taking my gun."

I said, "Ah, come on."

-My mom, when first
she went on vacation,

about four
o'clock in the morning,

they left Friday.

She comes down,
and she wakes me up.

She goes, "We're leaving now."

And I go, "Yeah, yeah.

It's four o'clock
in the morning.

Bye, you know."

And she goes, "I know
that you're a prostitute and

everything, and I know
what you've doing and stuff,

and I know that
you've got money."

And I jumped up and said,
"Did you look in my purse,

you know?"

And she goes, "No."

And I go, "Mom, I am not.

Just leave, you know."

She goes, "Fine.

Thanks a lot."

She goes, "I'll remember this.

All week, I'm going to be
thinking about how much you love

me and everything."

I don't care.

She doesn't care about me.

She never did.

She doesn't.

Oh, well.

-My momma cares about me a lot.

-Where is she?

Where she live?

-She went to Eastern
Washington, I think,

for the weekend.

-That isn't even really my mom.

I was adopted.

I don't even know who
my real parents are.

I don't know if they're
dead or alive or what.

I'm going to find out though.

When I'm 18, I'm going
through the court system and

find out, but I don't know.

Sometimes it seems
like a waste of time.

If they didn't care
enough to keep me,

why should I care enough
to find out who they are?

-Well, you know, they could
be rich though right now.

You know what I'm
saying, rich, real rich.

Or they could be bums.

- My real
dad, I've never known.

He could be the guy
that's really rich,

driving a Mercedes.

Or he could be one of
these bums on the street.

I don't know.

I really want to meet him.

For all I knew, he could be one
of these dates rolling around.

I could have dated
him for all I know.

-What?

♪"Electric Avenue" by Eddy
Grant plays from boombox♪

- Sir, come here.

Where's that fresh
dude with the gun?

-Uh, he's in jail.

He got busted.

-I meant-- I'm gonna
spare some change here.

I love sparing change, man.

- All right, Let's go.

You hit people on that side.

I'll hit 'em on this side.

- All right.

-Ma'am, you wouldn't be willing
to spare a little change,

would you please?

-'Scuse me, sir.

Could you spare some change
for me and my little brother,

so we can get something to eat?

- Where's your brother?

- Right there.

He-- he spare changing
too, so we can get some food.

-That's for you--

-How you doing?

-This is for your brother.

-Thank you very much.

- Rat, his
panhandling technique is

a little on the rusty side.

He gotta take lessons from me,
but me and him can make some

good money.

We did once or twice.

- All right.

- Your mom is where?

- I don't know.

San Diego somewhere.

My dad is in jail.

Life's a bitch, ain't it?

-Are you originally
here from Seattle?

-Nope.

-Where you from?

-Port Orchard.

Well, Washington, yeah.

Been in New York once.

I left.

I hitchhiked there-- was
there for an hour and left.

-What jail is your dad in?

-King County, going up to Walla
Walla State Penitentiary for

burglary and attempted arson.

So where you been living, before
you lived in that-- wherever you

live at?

- In that hotel?

-Yeah.

Is it seriously deserted?

How long you been living there?

- Shit, since a month
after I got here to Seattle.

-Where're you from originally?

- California.

-What part?

- Sacramento.

-I went through there one time.

It was bunk.

- I don't like Sacramento.

I lived right on the
outside of Sacramento.

-I went in there and some
faggot was tryin' to pick me up,

but I robbed him for $150.

- Really?

-Yep.

- Take his car too?

-Hell no.

I hitchhike.

I love hitchhikin'.

Not in Seattle though, 'cause
the only ones that'll pick you

up is hippies,
stoners, or fine girls.

I like the fine
girls to pick me up.

-I just started
doing this stuff.

I never even thought of
whoring before I got down here.

Then-- you know Tracy?

-Uh-huh.

-She used to live with me
when she was a homegirl.

She used to live with me because
her parents kicked her out.

Then she disappeared.

She went downtown with Lorna.

You know Lorna?

-Mm-hm.

-Lorna came back
and said, "You know,

Tracy's a ho now."

So then I got really
worried about her.

I go, "Oh, I gotta go get her.

I can't let her do that stuff."

'Cause I always
heard bad things about,

like, white slavery, that
she's gonna get beat up and

everything.

That's what scared me.

So I thought, you know, I gotta
come down and get her out of

there, whether I
gotta kidnap her or what.

I come down here, and I
see her, and she goes,

"Oh, yeah, it's great, man."

So I'm just sittin'
there going, "What?

I heard that you
don't like it down here,

that you're getting
beat up, and raped,

and everything."

She said, "I'm
making so much money,

and it's so easy.

The money comes so
easy and everything."

She goes, "It's great.

You gotta do it."

And I sat there, and I go, "Huh,
how much money do you make?"

and she started naming
off, and I just thought,

"Wow!

I think I'd better.

You know?"

Hi, Dan.

This is Kimberly again.

Yeah, so have you decided:
do you want a date tonight?

-Juan always be lettin' those
broads wear his coats and shit.

That bitch ain't gonna
listen to him for long.

She only breaks $30 wops.

-Floyd hit
me so goddamn hard,

man, when I woke
up, man, it was dark.

I had to ask people
around me what had happened.

-First time, he goes, "If
anybody comes to beat you up,

and I come and save you, that
means you gotta work for me."

-Who said that?

-I hope he doesn't get
somebody to beat me up,

so I gotta work for him.

-What you talkin' bout?

I don't do nothin' for free.

I'm a pimp.

-He'll kill you.

He'll kill you.

He'll ass-fuck you,
fuck you in the ear,

or anything.

But--

-Who?

-I'm serious: Don't
fuck with Patrice.

-Who?

-I don't know
about all that, but...

I know you're making
a serious mistake.

-I'm gonna go out to those high
schools and get me some fresh...

-He shoots up.

He's a drug fiend.

-Well, what do you want to do?

Who do you want to be with?

-I don't know.

I'm confused.

I don't know who's
the right person.

I just don't know.

-I know they know I'm fine.

See you later...

babe!

-Look I'll tell
you the truth, okay,

and this is the honest
truth: with me you'll be safer,

happier, and richer.

-Hey, come here, eh!

Michelle!

Girlfriend!

-He raped me last year
when I first came downtown.

-He raped you?

He raped me too,
and he my money too.

Up in that hotel, he came up
there and tell me he was gonna

rob this dude.

Oh, man...

-He took a fucking-- coat-hanger
and heated it up on the gas

heater and said he was gonna
beat me if I didn't take off my

clothes.

I said, "I ain't
takin' off my clothes.

-We're scaring her.

It's the honest truth.

-We don't mean to scare you.

We're just
telling you the truth.

-She's running from me.

Look at her run from me.

-You get beat up and some of
these girls end up gettin'

killed.

-What you think I'm a bad guy?

Is that why wanna do
something like that--

-No!

-Huh?

Why would you even think-- what
would give you the audacity to

even think of me like that?

-People get killed out here.

They go to jail down here.

Everything happens down
here, and none of it's good.

-I haven't seen
nobody get killed.

-I saw a guy get the shit
get kicked out of him by three

niggers over in front of TJ's
this morning and get hauled off

in the ambulance.

He got the shit kicked out of
him because he pulled a big old

steak knife out on him.

You missed that one, but
it was just this morning.

-Who cares?

I don't really care.

Whatever happens happens.

- I should pass the
word around: you're a snitch.

- Chris,
just leave me alone.

-What you gonna do about it?

Huh?

-I'm gonna quit.

- Snitch!

-Sorry, but I ain't no tramp,
and I ain't a fucking snitch

either!

- Say it to my face!

-I'm getting pissed.

- Um, no,
don't take a message.

Um, did he say what time he
would be back or anything?

Okay, well, thanks anyways.

Bye.

There's nothing happening!

-I ain't tryin' to get
in nobody's business.

-I want you to call your man and
tell your man I want to beat you

up, but I want to
talk to him first,

to let him know what's goin' on.

'Cause he's streetwise
like a motherfucker.

If you wanna be
downtown, you gotta be cool.

You better learn the ways of the
streets before you start hangin'

down there and doin'
shit like you're doin'.

-We got five suspects,
and he was one of 'em.

- Me and Jack
are real good friends.

He'll treat you right.

He won't rip you off.

You know, when
your back is turned,

he ain't gonna stab you.

- Shit, what
is all this shit?

- I don't know, c'mon.

- You want a
jacket, a leather jacket?

- It's full
of grape jelly,

man.

- It's
the Chinese dumpster!

- When you
get regular dumpsters,

we call 'em regs.

You go there every night.

You check all these dumpsters,
all these different places,

and you can tell, because
they're regs, what's been there

last week and what was
put in there that night.

'Cause alot of
people say, "Well,

shit, that shit could be a week
old and you can't even tell,"

but you can
because it's your reg,

you know, it's your
regular dumpster.

-Look at this.

-Oh, I think I hit the jackpot.

Jesus Christ!

-This little boy is a love bird.

- Young,
dumb, and full of cum.

-Uh, you fool!

- Oh, is he
gonna kick his ass?

He's gonna kick his ass.

They both are.

-I told her I'd even
give her bus fare.

-Really?

-I don't want to
see her get beat up.

She's too young.

What are you?

-I'm 15.

-You ain't even 15.

Don't tell me that.

You ain't 15--

- next year--

-Bullshit.

Bullshit.

You're talking shit.

How come you can't
say it to my face?

You ain't 15.

Look at me.

You ain't 15.

-That's good.

-That's good.

-She ain't 15.

She gonna get you in trouble.

- I've talked
kids into going home.

-They say 13 will
get you, uh, 20!

- I help a
lot of people out.

-13 years old!

- I ain't got to prove
myself to show that I'm a girl.

I've thought about
not being a lesbian,

but then every guy I've ever
been with has screwed me over

anyway.

I get along with
straight people too.

Just, most of them think that
because I'm gay that I'm trying

to pick up on their girlfriends.

To tell you the truth, I got to
like somebody a lot to even kiss

'em, to tell you the truth.

See, I'm my own
type of person, I am.

I protect a lot of people.

This bum was trying to feel on
this friend of mine's chest.

I literally walked up and made
him come back and apologize to

the girl because she's
not public property.

I could understand if it was a
telephone pole or something,

he could touch it then.

It's just the way I am.

I've been like that since I've
been down here 'cause nobody did

nothin' for me.

So, I made him come back and
apologize and sent him on his

way.

I just told him, 'Go on,
man, get out of here.'

He left.

- She has grown up quite
a bit since she's been on these

streets.

She's 14 going on 21.

-Extra pickles too, mom, please.

-Put extra pickle on that.

- Oh,
when I was drinkin',

Erin and I used to get
in some bad arguments.

See, I could see it in
her mind, she's thinkin',

"Oh no, not again."

-I don't like
mustard or ketchup.

It's gross.

Mmm!

Thank you, mom.

- I don't know
why I started drinkin'.

Just cause of
boredom half the time.

I don't know.

-Too much juice!

-C'mon, two more bites.

-One more.

-Uh-uh.

-I don't like the bread.

- See, I've
had Erin all my life.

I've had to bring her up myself
and then-- and then one day,

I suddenly get married,
and I think she likes Tom,

but she just
doesn't want to admit it.

-Feel like I'm pregnant.

-Oh, goodness.

-Don't you have
no whipping cream?

-No.

- My fear is that
someday I'm going to get a phone

call or a knock on my door and
it's-- and she's not going to be

there anymore.

-Hi, babies.

Hi.

- We started living
at Larry's a couple months ago

because my mom and dad had got
kicked out of their apartment,

and Larry offered
them a place to stay.

- Ow, shit.

- Naturally you call
somebody who marries your mother

a dad.

- Don't fall.

-
Sometimes he's an asshole,

but he's in the
treatment center.

He's going to stay
there for two months.

- Oh, for crying out loud.

Damn, dog.

-Quit pissin' on the floor now.

Look at this mess.

Open the other door.

- Oh crying
out-- damn that dog.

She left her out.

-What happened to this house?

I cleaned it.

Oh, I'm going to spray
some deodorant around here.

-Oh, my book.

-Spray some right guard.

- You wanted the dog, Erin.

I didn't want her.

- I need more makeup, mom.

I want a cloudy blue.

-Yeah.

-And I want meadow violets.

-Yeah.

- She's always
wanting this and wanting that.

Now when you're a waitress,
you just don't make that much.

-I want these three
frosts: the blue ,

country lavender.

- One day she come home,
and she told me she made $200.

I nearly fell off my chair.

- he best of bronze.

-That costs too much.

Look at the price on that.

-Two for $4.99.

-Oh, two, oh.

- When Erin
first told me about this,

she thought I would be really
angry with her and hate her,

but I don't.

- You going to need
some money for the weekend?

- Yeah.

- It's just a phase
she's going through right now.

I can't stop her from doing this
'cause she's just going to do it

anyway.

-How much money can I get?

- Why?

-Just wondering.

- So you can
spend it foolishly?

-Whatever.

Can I get 20?

- No.

- 10, 15?

- No.

- 10?

- Maybe.

-You gonna be gone
the whole weekend.

-No.

- I'm not gonna
spend it on no dope.

- She's very bullheaded.

She kinda resented
me getting married.

She and Tom-- he
tries to correct her.

-Ugh.

- What?

-I was gonna say, you think
I'd be getting that makeup by

the end of this
month or next month?

- Probably about the 17th.

- The 17th?

- Of October, yeah.

-Isn't that the
day you got married?

- Oh yeah!

How 'bout that?

- He
beats up on my mom.

He broke her leg before.

-I betcha Dad's gonna
start bitchin' at you,

probably.

- No.

'Bout what?

-Probably wondering if you
sleepin' with Larry or not.

- Oh, Erin!

-I'm not saying you did.

- For heaven's sakes.

-That's what he's goin' to
start bitchin' at you about.

- He doesn't work.

He depends on my mom a
lot, which is not right.

I think a man should
support the woman.

He says, "She doesn't have the
money" and all this other shit,

and I say, "It's because of you.

Because you
spend her money on beer,

and she doesn't
have time for me."

Now my mom's in a mess
she can't get out of.

I feel really sorry for her.

- It'll be a year.

Year has gone by fast, huh?

Huh?

Mom?

- Yes.

Don't bug me.

I'm drinking.

- When I first ran
away and came here to Seattle,

I was tired of being the
middleman between my mom and my

dad's divorce.

I told my mom when I called
her about two weeks after I got

here, you know, that I was
in trouble with the law,

and she understood it, you know.

She said, "All right, I'll
see you when you're 18."

And I said, 'All right."

And then about a month later,
I called her again and I said,

"Hey Mom, how's it going?"

And she said, "It's awful.

I'm broke.

He's trying to drain me, trying
to make my life miserable."

And she started crying a
lot, asking me to come home,

and I just said, "Mom, I
gotta go," and I hung up on her.

- Sir, you
wouldn't have a dime,

would you?

I need to finish my laundry.

- Then I
never called her again.

I never wrote her a
letter or nothing.

-I need to finish my laundry.

I need one more dime.

-Here you go, son.

-Thanks a lot.

Have a good day.

- Fuck it, you know?

Let her think what she wants.

I'm dead.

Whatever she wants to think, but
I don't want to listen to her

cry, making me feel bad.

-That building at
1420 Second Avenue,

by the grace of God, will be the
new shelter that will sleep 200

men and 15 women
and two families.

And all we ask
from you is one dollar.

We don't ask for tens,
20s, and hundreds,

but you let God move on
you and you give one dollar,

and God will bless you.

For 14 years I
believed that God was dead,

but I do not
believe that anymore.

Billy Graham convicted me when
he pointed his finger right at

me and said, "God
wants you to serve him!"

-When you leave
here whatchu gonna do?

You gonna go home.

Right, brother?

-Sure am.

-Yeah, you're gonna go home, and
you're gonna go into your big

house, and get
into your big bed,

and sleep with your big
wife, and all that there,

brother.

-I'm gonna go to my house
and I'm gonna pack food for

tomorrow's food bank.

-Okay, what religion are you?

-I'm Pentecostal.

-You're Pentecostal?

That's what I was
raised as a Pentecostal,

but I don't believe that shit.

You want to know how
they're working us?

This is how they working us.

-This is the first time...

-Remember once
a year in school,

when they'd tell you "Bring
your canned goods and give

'em to us?"

That's what they're doing.

They say "Bring your canned
goods and give 'em to us."

Then they turn around
and give them back to you.

-And then they say, "We're
doing something for y'all.

Give us some money.

We're doing
something for y'all."

That's how they're
working us, man.

I could stand out
here and say, "Yes,

Lord.

Thank you, Jesus.

Gimme a dollar."

I could do that.

-Well, you could.

-Yeah, right, I could,
and probably get a dollar.

-It's your privilege.

-But you see, man, see
all this is nothing.

-But I'm not
standing here for me.

See, you would be
standing there for you.

-Who you standing here for?

-I'm standing there for you.

-You standing here for me?

-That's right.

- Ain't that nothing!

- 'Cause you
might be hungry this winter.

- You
ain't give me a dime.

We're wise out here, man.

We're streetwise because--

-I'm telling you--

-You know, the-- the whole
situation is everybody scammin'.

You're scammin'.

-You and I are gonna have to
talk down and talk about this.

-Brother, we do that too.

-Maybe you can wise
me up a little bit.

-Yeah, 'cause you
need a lot of wisin'--

- If you think you're
going to get rich standing out

here.

What gives you the audacity to
think that we gonna come off our

street life into
your program, right?

-I don't want you in my program.

-Ah, just a
second ago you said--

-All I want to do-- all I want
to do is just bring you in and

give you a good night's sleep.

- And then I can
wake up in the morning,

go downstairs, and eat
some Captain Crunch?

-Cookies and coffee
or whatever we got.

-And I can leave
and come back again?

-Then you can leave again.

-Can I bring my
girlfriend there if I want to?

-No.

If you do, she'll have to
stay in a different place.

-No, brother.

It don't work like that.

-Yeah, it works that way.

No, but I like you, brother.

- I like you too.

What's your name?

- Tom Robinson.

- Let me have a card.

Can I have a card?

- Okay.

- There's
many different scams.

There's eat and run.

That's where you go
into a restaurant.

You know, you order something.

Usually, they'll set you right
by the cash register if you look

young and like you don't have
no money so they can see you.

But right by the cash
register is right by the door,

so that works out even better.

There's also dumpster diving.

You call Shakeys' Pizza.

You can do it right out in front
of the restaurant at a payphone.

They got a
payphone out front.

You call 'em up and order
these Hawaiian-style pizzas with

Canadian bacon, you know.

-Yes, I'd like a large pepperoni
pizza with pineapple on it.

- They ask your
name and your number.

You give it to 'em.

-Uh, regular crust.

Richard.

345-9762.

Yes, it is.

All righty, bye bye.

- You hang up.

They call you right
back, you know.

You say, "Yeah, I
ordered this, this,

and this," and they say
"Alright," and you hang up.

-Yes, this is Richard.

Yes, I did.

Thin-crust with
pepperoni and pineapple.

All righty, bye bye.

- And then
in about an hour,

you know, nobody
comes to claim the pizza,

and they set 'em out in
the dumpster in the boxes.

And you go over there, and you
got six or seven free pizzas.

It's easy to survive without
pulling tricks or dates on the

streets.

-You get two hits
out of every pack,

man.

Five dollars a hit.

I sell it all the time, man.

Sells like pancakes.

Hell yeah.

Me and junior made
over a hundred and

something bucks selling
nothing but bunk at a concert.

Then we went and bought
some good cocaine and psshook.

- You never really
see James around that much.

He's always off going
somewhere, you know.

Won't tell anyone
what he's doing.

I doubt he's
turning tricks, though.

-The first one you
do, the last two we do.

But you make sure
that we do them,

okay?

It's your responsibility to make
sure that you walk out of here

alive.

Okay, hold a fist for me.

- You gotta be
over 18 to sell blood,

so the kids on the
street can't sell it,

so they can't
make money that way.

But if you get a fake
ID and you look 18,

you can go there and sell blood.

-I ask Steve.

He gives me big old
leftovers like this.

Big old plateful
that's this high and shit.

-Leftovers.

-I could give you a big old foot
full of something right now.

-No, leftovers
from the same night,

you know, like lasagna and shit.

-49th and Kenyon.

He was telling
me your friends--

-No, my friends.

I said, "Remember
that address for me."

-Oh, okay.

-Hey, back off.

-Donna!

-Back up.

-Give me your money, boy.

Give me my money.

- Give you your money?

- Yeah, give me the
scummy money when I take it from

you.

- Donna!

- How much money
you think I took of yours?

- Whatever you
got in your pocket's mine.

- Uh, let me see.

- Crap!

- What was that?

- We just playing.

-If you're a goddamn woman,
why don't you act like one?

-Fuck you.

Fuck you.

-Don't you know how?

-Fuck you!

-Don't you know how
to act like a woman?

-I am a woman!

Yeah!

-Well, then act like one!

-I don't have to act like
all these bitches down here,

hell no!

-I'm not talking about
acting like a bitch!

I'm talking about
acting like a woman,

Lulu!

You don't do that!

-Well, fuck you!

You ain't my man!

You don't tell me shit!

-And I wouldn't be your
man even if you liked men!

-You can't tell me shit!

I tell you right now--

-Bitch, I tell you
all kinds of things!

-You can't tell me nothing!

-Bitch, I'm telling you
all kinds of things!

-Fuck you, punk!

Yeah, punk!

-Bitch!

-Punk!

-Ho!

-Punk!

-Tramp!

-Get your K.C.!

The one with the
burning goddamn gonorrhea!

- I ain't
putting on a dress for nobody.

I haven't done it
since I was 16.

I've had my nose
broke five times,

and I've had both sets of my eye
bones on top and bottom broke.

I've had my jaw
cracked three times.

I'll tell people now, they
can beat the shit out of me,

but they're not getting
me away from down here.

-Calvin and Erica
been down here?

-Erica was, yeah.

-'Cause this girl told
me they're after my ass.

I gotta keep it cool.

-Man, I wouldn't
even worry about them.

-I don't know.

There are a lot of people after
my ass 'cause I'm not working

anymore.

So I don't know.

-Well, be with me and
you wouldn't have to work.

- No.

-I'm serious.

-No.

-No motherfucker's
gonna fuck with you.

-No, I'm just not going
to come down here anymore.

I just-- I was just
coming down here today.

-Then let me get
your phone number,

so I can call you, so we can
go out for pizza or somethin'.

-I don't have a phone right now.

-Well, let me give you my
number and you can call me.

-OK, whatever.

-Anybody got a pen?

I don't got no pen.

Anybody got a pen?

Sir, anybody got a pen?

Nobody got a pen.

Fuck.

There's a pen, thank you, sir.

Anybody got a
piece of paper now?

-Whoa!

- Well, you gained
about three inches in height

since we saw you almost
a year and a half ago.

You haven't gained much weight.

You're about the same
weight as you were.

-I eat all the time, but I
don't gain no weight or nothin'.

I think there's a worm
inside me or somethin'.

-Think you got worms, huh?

-I dunno.

I want to get it checked out.

-Sure.

Can you sort of straighten up?

Do you spend a lot of
time on the streets?

-Yup.

-What do you do down there?

-Panhandle.

Just hang around.

Hug all the girls and stuff.

-Mm.

You got a
lot of girlfriends?

-Yup.

-Mm.

Let's see those tonsils
and see how they look now.

That's good.

Take it easy.

When did you have
tonsillitis last?

-Um, let's see.

When I was locked
up in Echo Glen.

That was maybe two months ago.

- Did you
go to school last year?

-Nope.

For two years I
haven't been to school.

- So you haven't
been to school since you were

12?

-No.

I'm 16.

-
You're 16 now?

-Yep.

-Does it hurt when I do this?

-Nope.

It feels good.

- Feels good, huh?

What do you think
you'd like to do someday?

-I dunno.

- Anything
interest you at all?

-Nope.

-You got lots of big
glands in your neck.

You got chronically
infected tonsils,

which certainly don't help your
growth and your nutrition any.

-I might join the Navy if
the world lasts that long.

Reagan's sending
all them Marines,

shootin' everybody.

All them Marines
get to shootin',

cuttin' out Russia, and Russia's
probably gonna bomb us or

somethin'.

Ow, right there.

-That hurts, huh?

-Yeah.

-That hurt bad or just a little?

-Just a little.

-Just a little, huh?

-Ow, right there it hurts.

Oh, yeah.

- Yeah, I had a blade
like that till I got busted.

It was that black
one right there.

-You ain't got 50 cents?

-Not today.

I got a job.

You want a job?

-Nah.

Why don't you just walk up to
some guy and ask him for 50

cents to catch the bus?

-'Cause I don't have
a face like yours.

-Aw, it'll work.

He's the worst
one on Pike Street.

He's the worst one
out of them all.

He'll be your buddy
when you're face to face.

As soon as you turn around,
you got a knife in your back.

It ain't worth it.

- You
learn how to fight,

one way or another,
or you disappear.

I know how to fight,
but I like disappearing.

My mother and father got a
divorce when I was about a year

old.

My mother decided I
should go to a foster home.

About five years
ago, my father said,

"I want you to come over."

So, I spent six
months with my father.

Six months were up,
nobody could find my mother.

A year went up, nobody
could find my mother.

My father got tired
of me and my sister.

He told me to leave.

I left.

-Hi.

Is mom there?

Hi.

Howya doin'?

Nothing, just called to
tell you I'm okay and shit.

Where am I?

None of your business.

You don't even know.

No, call me a prostitute.

Come on, I dare you to.

No, that's not what I'm doing,
but that's what you called me

last time I was gone.

Yes, you did.

I called to tell you I'm
okay, to see how you were doin',

and now I'm going to
hang up saying I'm okay.

And I hope you have fun
with your stupid-ass husband.

Bye.

Ooh, she pisses me off.

-
Shellie's a real sweet girl.

The streets is nothing
for a girl that young.

I mean, 14 years old
and on the streets.

I've taken care of her a
little here and there,

made sure she's eaten.

She's like a little sister.

I like women for the
simple reason they're sweet,

they're caring, they need care.

-Somebody that
cares and loves me.

In return I'll give them
everything I've got--

-I've made many mistakes--

-You've never
lived on the streets.

-I've made many mistakes.

I have so lived on
the streets before.

-Not like this.

Not like I have.

-I don't want to live on
the streets like you have.

I'm not going to either, man.

-Are you going to
help me dye my hair?

-Hell no.

I can't dye hair, man--

-I'll do it myself then.

I don't know how
I'm going to do it,

but I'm going to
do it myself then.

-Why do you want your hair dyed?

To change?

-Not actually to change, to get
away from everything because--

-That ain't gonna get
you away from jack-shit,

honey.

-It will, considering
I'm gonna dye my hair.

- My
mom's got seven kids.

She's 32.

-I can't have you
livin' out on the streets.

-So?

I can't have me livin' here.

-I'm trying to get
some input from you,

Shellie, besides--
anything but sarcasm.

- That's
all I get around here.

That's all I ever
hear from Larry.

- That's his way
of dealing with people.

-Right.

He makes me sick.

from when I was little and
he was a pervert and shit.

When every time I remember that,
every time I remember what he

did to me, when he took
advantage of me and shit--

- I didn't know,
you wouldn't tell me--

-I didn't know it until
you started asking me!

-But you wouldn't tell me then.

- I told
you that he did.

When you asked me if
he did a certain thing,

I said, "Yeah."

And then when you went and told
him, ever since then he's hated

me.

-Yeah, but he
didn't do it anymore.

- So?

I still hate him for
doing it to begin with.

- My wishes would be
to have a small family that was

happy.

Just my older
brother, my real dad,

and me, and my mom.

Nobody else.

Shadow asked me if he
found a place for me to stay,

a permanent place,
would I stay there,

and I said, "Yeah, probably."

He said, "Well, Patti and
Munchkin say you can stay with

them.

They need the money for rent."

- I grew
up with Munchkin.

For a long time, I
ran around with him.

And Patti, I met her down here
about three years ago beatin'

the heck out of some old dude
'cause he said somethin' wrong

to her.

Patti and Munchkin
are very-- they were,

in my eyes, made
for each other.

They argue, but doesn't
all love affairs argue?

-Get him, honey.

- They're together,
and that's the way it is.

Patti and Munchkin are a team.

That's the way
they work the best.

A street couple that are
struggling to survive.

- Every person, no
matter how big or tough they

are, should
always have a partner.

You never want to go
on the streets alone.

It's a mistake.

It's just you'll get
lonely, you'll get upset,

you'll get beat up.

Because you never can tell if
someone's gonna come up from the

front of you and start
to get your attention,

and then-- this other dude is
gonna walk up behind you and

bust your fuckin' head.

Partners are always better.

- Immediately after
mixing, squeeze preference.

Mix all mixture until
thoroughly saturated hair.

Loosely pile hair
on top of head.

Leaves your hair
silky, , shiny,

and free of tangles.

- I
consider myself a playboy.

A boyfriend is you're
obligated to one girl.

-Pile on head lightly.

- I considered myself
dependent upon a couple of girls

supporting me.

But as far as being a pimp, no,
I never pushed them out onto the

streets.

You can't be a boyfriend
and have three girlfriends,

but you can be a playboy.

A playboy is what
I consider myself.

- Standby
alert, death star approaching.

Estimated time to
firing range: 15 minutes.

-Let me see, Shadow.

-See?

-Thank you.

-You know--

-Hi, little boys.

Want some candy?

-God damn.

I can just see what you're
giving those little boys.

I'm going to get a tattoo right
there to cover this mess up.

-Why?

-Why?

Because that looks sick.

Hold on.

That right there is what
I'm going to have done.

-Really?

- You ever heard of
D&D, Dungeons and Dragons?

You have?

Far out.

Guess how much this is gonna
have to cost me to have done as

a tattoo right here?

-How much?

-50.

-Me and Patty want to get
dragons on each side of our

arms.

-I want to get just this dragon.

It's one of my characters.

It's my character.

- Shut up.

Son of a fucking bitch.

- I don't
know what's my problem...

But now she's married again.

That's why I'm not at
home 'cause I can't stand my

stepdad.

-Nobody can stand
their stepdads.

-Some people get
along fine with them.

My first stepdad was okay.

-I got an idea that's fantastic.

We'll make some money
and we'll put it in,

uh, Lee & Sons Thrift Shop.

We're gonna open
up our own store,

like that thrift store I had.

-Mm-hm.

- Now when I get out, as
soon as I'm out a little while,

I want you to come with me
'cause I've already talked to

some people about a
building in maybe Redland.

Look around out there.

See if there's any good
thrift shops out there.

-All right.

-I was supposed to
get out this Friday,

but I won't because I've got to
wait for the damn parole board.

If it'd just been that
burglary it'd be all right,

but it was that
stupid arson thing,

so the board
wants to talk to me.

And like he said
and everybody says,

you know, I've done 30 years.

What the hell good is it going
to do to make me do a couple

more years.

I've only got three
years left on my max.

- Are you in
a cell by yourself?

-No, I'm in the, uh, mean tank.

It's A5.

That's the mean tank.

That's for guys who've done
time and everything before.

- For a
felony and stuff?

-Yeah.

- Is a bunch
of the jokers in there?

-Two of 'em are, yeah.

- Is one Stubbs?

-Yeah.

- Tell
him I said, "Hi."

-Yeah, yeah.

What's this?

You're gonna have to
take your tonsils out?

-They say it's always
infected and stuff,

so I don't know.

They think that's why
I'm so small and stuff.

- Well, you
know that's funny.

I was that way, too.

-Were you small
like this and stuff?

- Yep, yep.

-So it could just be...

- And then
they took them out,

and about a year after that I
got almost as big as I am now.

-'Cause I eat all
the time and stuff,

but I don't gain no weight.

- Yeah, I know.

-So what-- so you
think it's just,

um, whadaya call it?

- Tonsils and adenoids.

-Yeah, but--

- Hed--
heditary-- hereditary--

-Yeah, yeah.

-How much are you smoking?

- I'm cutting down to
maybe four cigarettes a day.

Four or five.

-All right, that's good.

Don't smoke too much
'cause that's bad too.

- All right, hold on.

-Still messin' with that weed?

- Huh?

-Still messin' with that weed?

- A little.

-How 'bout anything else?

- Nope.

-Let me see your arms.

- My arms?

Why?

-Undo your sleeve.

- Naw, I haven't
been doing none of that.

Here I'll even show you.

See?

Nothin'.

-Okay.

What you messin' with?

- Huh?

-What you messin' with?

- Nothing.

-You're a smart kid.

You're a good-looking kid.

You've got intelligence.

You've got my brain.

But you're like me.

You're a con man, Dewayne.

Whadaya wanna be?

A little punk on the street?

Huh, eh?

You wanna be a little punk?

A little smart-ass little punk.

That's all you think you are.

You're going to wind
up just like I am.

Look at me when I talk at you.

Look at me.

Pay attention to me.

That's the dang trouble.

You haven't paid
any attention to me.

There's a guy in our
tank, 24 years old.

They just gave him
four life sentences.

24 years old.

It won't be too damn many
more years that they'll be doing

that to you.

They're not going to slap your
little hand and send you off to

Echo Glen or some damn place.

Is that what you want?

Huh?

- No.

-Yeah, you say that now 'cause
you're sittin' here talking to

me, but-- get your
hands out of your mouth!

Let me see your fingers.

Still biting your
damn nails, too,

ain't you?

- Yep.

-Huh?

- Yep.

-When are you
gonna stop doin' that?

Huh?

When you gonna stop doing that?

You're out there,
tough guy on the street,

man.

Bigtime tough little
punk is all you are.

Can't even quit
biting your fingernails.

You're too goddamn
little to be tough,

kid.

I'm serious.

I love you very, very much, even
though I get mad at you and want

to kill you.

I love you.

You're all I got.

And unfortunately,
I'm all you've got.

I'm gonna make it up to you, eh?

For all the stuff we didn't do.

You know?

I know I have to talk
rough to you sometimes,

Dewayne, but you know
that I love you a whole big,

big bunch.

If I get out this
time, if I get out,

I'll keep you straight
and you keep me straight.

Is that a deal?

-Mm-hm.

- Huh?

-Mm-hm.

-Just remember, you
and I is all we've got.

Together, hey, ain't
nobody can whip us,

ain't nobody can
do anything to us.

I love you.

- All right, bye.

- Look at you: all beat
up and cut up and scarred up and

drugged up.

I haven't seen
you in two months.

You didn't even call me.

I can't get over that.

After I sent for you all
the way from California,

down there stranded.

And you didn't even thank me.

You ought to thank me now.

-Thank you, Mom.

-Call her up.

You can call her up.

Nikita and them calls
me, and Todd calls me.

Do you love your mother?

-Yes.

-When are you gonna show me?

Hm?

When are you
gonna make me proud?

- So
that's what you should do,

you should stop and see
mom, you know what I mean?

'Cause she is the only one
gotta guide map to your life.

'Cause you can't go nowhere
unless you ask your mother

advices and
things, you know that?

- He don't
want no advice right now.

He thinks he's doin' it.

- That's why
he's gettin' knocked around

and beat around, too.

-I love you, Patrice.

You wanna go eat somethin'?

I'm not gonna just
give you my money now.

If you wanna go eat
somethin', I'll feed you.

-I'm not hungry, ma.

-Yes, ya are.

-
What did you eat today?

-Some cookies and, um...

And some juice.

-You want something
hot in your stomach?

That's what you need.

Well, if I give you
some of my money,

whatcha gonna do with it?

-Save it.

-Oh, yeah.

How're you gonna
save it out here?

You'll just tell me
anything just to shut me up,

huh?

-I'm tellin' ya.

He gonna save it.

- You got some money?

-A little change.

-If I think you're
buying a pack of cigarettes,

next time I see you I
won't give you a dollar.

-Okay.

- Or some weed.

-You'd better not.

You know that's hard-work money.

I worked for that money.

You spend it wisely, okay?

-Okay.

-When you get straight, you
know where your house is.

-Okay.

-Okay.

-And the only way you
can really get straight

is to stay in touch with mom,
because you can't straighten

yourself.

- I have seven
brothers and sisters.

I lost one seven months ago
from cirrhosis of the liver.

She was 26.

I loved her alot.

It made me sort of
loony for about a month,

a month and a half.

People thought I
was going crazy.

I wasn't going crazy.

I just couldn't handle it.

- I just got out of
jail not even a month ago.

I ain't gettin' in
no trouble, punk.

I bet you guarantee I
got a bruise on my arm,

guaranteed, and I'm
pressing charges on your ass.

Punk.

'Cause I hate you and I'm
gonna get you for that.

- him?

- I'm not a him.

I'm a her.

-I'm pressing charges on him.

I want you to know
that right now--

-Okay, fine, you do that.

-Are you a sergeant?

-I'm asking you to
please calm down.

-I'm calm.

-Now will you please leave
because we have quite a crowd

here?

- You're a punk!

Punk!

- Giving
blood, there's pain.

Falling in love, there's pain.

All you feel is the
first initial needle.

The rest is lingering pain
from when the needle's

pulled out.

-That burns.

- That's
the worst part of it.

-Yeah, I know.

-
How do you like it?

-That's nice.

-Honey, come and help
me figure this out.

Now hold this.

Right here.

-Right there.

-Bring your head back up here.

- The
shit burns your eyes,

I'm telling you.

-You're not supposed to
have your eyes open.

-Yeow, you poked
me in the eye now.

-Stop being a jerk.

- Thanks.

You just wiped it right
across my fuckin' eye.

God, man.

- Why don'tcha do
your own fuckin' perm, then?

- I probably have
about a hundred kids on my

caseload.

'Course Patti is Patti.

She's an individualist, and
she'll go along with you if

you're doin' what she wants, but
she ain't gonna do a damn thing

she doesn't want to do.

-I knocked on the door, and I
was just worried about you.

-I don't care how worried
you're gettin' about me.

All I gotta say is that you
don't got no right walkin' in my

house.

-But this morning,
we've got, you know,

job therapy--

-We know that, but, Jerry, you
gotta understand that you can't

just be walking into my house.

You might get shot
as far as you know.

-Well, I took the chance
on ya wouldn't shoot me.

And then I did.

I banged on the
door, and I said--

-Well, the next time
you're gettin' shot,

OK?

-OK.

So that means the
rent's due today,

right?

-No.

- And if
you're gonna stay here--

-Not from what Bob says.

-Not from what Bob says.

- It is.

-I told Bob I'd give him $20,
and I told him I'd get him the

rest on Friday.

- This is the deal.

If you're gonna stay here, you
gotta go out to job therapy.

- You can't
tell me what to do.

- Patti,
we've been together,

we've been working
together on this thing--

-You and me ain't been together.

- And we have.

We've been working
together, Patti.

And I'm concerned
about you, you know?

I don't want you guys to
have to hit the bricks again.

I don't want you to have to
get back into some crap that you

shouldn't be involved
in to pay your rent.

You've got a chance
to make it a good way,

okay?

Now this guy has got some ideas
that can help you get a job.

That's a better life for you
than having to be hustling on

the streets or be
down there pushing--

-Who says we're
hustling down on the streets,

huh, Jerry?

- Oh, come on.

How else you gonna
make your money?

- Most of the
kids on the street,

that's how they survive.

They feel like if
they don't do the dates,

that they're gonna be broke,
they're gonna have to dumpster

dive, they're gonna
have to beg for money,

and that's gonna make them
feel, 'cause they're girls,

like "Oh, I'm no good.

I'm dirty, I'm
rotten, I'm a scum,

I'm living in this
rat-hole, you know,

no water, no
electricity, no nothing,

I'm beggin' for money"...

I guess they feel that's
worse than pullin' dates.

I don't know what
their problem is.

- Munchkin's the one
that wants us out there 'hoing

and shit, and I
don't want to do it.

The only reason why I'm
out there is because,

like I said, Patti's out there
and she has to have somebody

with her.

-Hi.

- How you doin'?

- I'm
okay, how are you?

-Oh, hi.

-And when I moved in
with them, I said,

"Patti, I don't wanna
be 'hoing or anything."

She said, "You won't be.

Munchkin's not gonna
pimp you or nothin'."

-Do you turn dates now?

-Hell, yeah.

With her, me and Patti do.

I try to tell
Patti I don't want to,

and she'll start bitchin' at
me saying that I just missed a

hundred dollar date.

Every time I fuck up, she says
it was a hundred dollar date.

- When you do make money,
do you give it to Munchkin?

-I give it to Patti--

- All of it?

-And Patti gives it to Munchkin.

- And you haven't
got nothin' out of it,

huh?

-Uh-uh.

Me and Patti are
both mad right now,

because Munchkin's
sending us out here,

and he's sending both of us out
there to-- to fucking get him a

suit!

All he-- all he wants is a
whole bunch of clothes and shit.

Get this, Patti hasn't
pulled any dates today--

- And you have?

-And I did two.

40 bucks each.

- No, you
don't know what I'm doing,

man.

I don't like the
shit that you think.

-Neither do I.

-
Doesn't make me happy.

-That's why I walked by
without even talking to you.

For the simple reason that
that's what I thought what you

were doin'.

- But I ain't.

I don't do that kind of shit.

I told you.

-Then what the hell you
doin' just sitting there?

- I'm talking!

-All he does is shoot
the shit up his damn arm,

man.

-Well, I told her, I said,
"Hey, I can't handle this.

I'm gonna take off and shit."

She-- last night she says,
"You ain't goin' nowhere."

And I said, "Yes I am."

This morning she was even
talking all this shit about how

she was gonna sock me if I even
tried to go up there and stuff.

I mean I was just trippin' out.

How the hell can these people
just think they own me and shit?

Nobody does.

-You can end up with the
wrong people down here.

It's just--

-You wanna know who set me
up with the wrong people?

-Who?

-A person by the name of Shadow.

-Huh.

-You changed too.

When I first ran into
you, you were real sweet--

- I still am--

-Oh yeah, uh-huh.

- I still am.

-When you ended up at George's,
you were a real pain in the ass.

Now you're even worse.

- I was a
real pain in the ass,

because you
fuckin' bullshitted me.

You don't bullshit with me!

- But I keep wantin' to.

I don't know why.

Probably because I like you.

Drop that cigarette!

- It's not done.

Now it's done.

"America, the Beautiful"♪

- I like alot of
the girls on the street.

Tiny, I like her especially.

She's a sweet girl.

-Jesus Christ...

Wanna go swimmin'?

- Ya think I'm
crazy or somethin'?

Right, let's just jump in.

-All right.

How about a backflip?

- The reason
why I think Rat is cute,

and the reason why
I love him so much,

is because he's got pretty eyes.

I think they're brown or
blue, one or the other.

- I gotta go
back to school someday.

'Cause I need a diploma, so I
can get into the Air Force.

But right now
the Open Road,

USA is for me.

- Check you out!

- I didn't talk to
her much about her being a

prostitute.

She hadn't done it that
often from what she told me.

- Now where's
my kiss, honey-bunch?

- Not with braces.

-Okay, Dewayne, right in here.

There you go.

- I'm the
smallest guy in the unit.

-Yeah, for a while I thought
maybe you might be in the other

unit.

- Oh, junior boys?

-Yeah.

- Naw,
because of my age.

So when will I be released?

-Okay, now here's the deal.

I got a phone call
from Kim yesterday,

and I wasn't in.

Then I phoned Kim this morning
'cause I needed to talk to her

before you get out of here.

-They won't tell us nothing
unless we are his parents or got

a piece of paper that
says I'm his legal guardian,

and I'm not.

Do you understand
what I'm saying?

I am not his legal guardian.

-No, I don't
understand what you're saying.

-I'm temporary guardian.

Nope.

Fuck that pig.

-So all I can do is
just keep trying.

And as soon as I
get a hold of her,

I've given permission for her
to come down and get you and,

uh, the court workers signed the
papers so she can get you out of

here.

- What do
you want me to do?!

I'll do it!

I'll go down there and waste
some time and not find out where

the fuck he's at.

- Man, just shut up, man.

- Kim,
with that new baby,

she doesn't need
any of these problems.

You're in a really
touchy situation anyway,

right?

You're living with an
18-year-old who used to be real

active on the streets herself.

- Kim's 20.

-Is she 20 now?

- Yeah.

- Okay, legally,
she's not a foster parent.

-Well, then, give
me his phone number!

- Look in the phone book.

-Under Jerry Esterly?

- No, under
juvenile parole services.

-They're closed, Steve.

It's five-fucking-15 in
the fucking afternoon.

-I think it's really good,
you guys are working out like a

family, and I think it's a
good arrangement for you.

But I don't want you getting
busted and messing that up.

- All right.

- Okay?

Right now you're
charged with selling pot.

So as far as you
staying away from downtown,

I don't care whether you
stay away from downtown or not.

You've got a lot of
friends down there.

I think that you have to use
your own judgment on that.

-Yep.

-Okay?

Uh, you know the things you'd
better not be doing downtown.

-Yeah.

-I mean, the police,
everybody knows you down there.

-Yeah.

-Okay, if you're
dealing dope, they're gonna,

you know, bust you again.

And if you get busted again,
then you're not going to get out

of here until
after your hearing.

- She'll
start talking about,

"Oh, I wanna have a
kid," and all this shit.

She just wants to get too
serious at too young of an age.

She's only 14 years old, and she
makes it sound like she's ready

to get married.

-Well, then don't leave.

-I got to.

-No, you don't.

-Yeah, I gotta get Mike
out of Juvenile Hall.

-Why?

-Because I can't have my
best friend locked up.

I gotta go break him out.

- Check you out.

-I'm serious.

I'm gonna go break him out.

Then we're gonna go to Florida.

-And what if you get caught?

-Oh, well I'll still
be with him.

They'll throw me in
jail right along with him.

Women are a pain
in the ass on the road.

-Come here.

-I can't stand
watching you and that dog.

Shit...

Throw that thing out the window.

Ugly.

Aw, man, shit.

-We're not even going
to talk to you no more.

- I don't want you
guys being mad at me.

Somebody's watching.

-She's going to kidnap me
tonight and take me home--

-Listen.

-Yeah, she is.

-Go ahead and go with her.

-Why do you say that?

-Because if you
want to, go ahead.

Doesn't matter to me.

Aha, I found it.

-Oh, you did.

- We got into a fight.

She was drunk that night.

-Mama, go away.

- She was slappin' on
me and I was slappin' back on

her, because she hit
me and I hit her back.

-The masterpiece.

- The next
day she felt really bad.

- Finally, one
day, I woke up and said,

"Hey, I'm an alcoholic.

I'd better do
something about it."

- You comin'?

-Yeah, I'm a-comin',
I'm a-comin'.

-Goodbye, mama.

- Goodbye, honey.

I love you.

-I love you too.

-I'll be back.

- No fucking
walls or anything.

You got one little
stair into the bedroom.

And you can look over and see
the whole room in the front.

Then they have the bath and some
fucking see-through curtains.

-What's your name?

Did somebody hurt you?

What did they do to you?

Hey, really, I won't hurt you.

Looks like her jaw is broke.

-Her jaw is broken?

-She's been-- look it, she's
been bangin' her head on the

wall, going
through a few things,

her eyes are rolling.

-
Anybody see what happened?

- What
has she been taking?

- I don't know.

-
Open your eyes.

- Her tongue
was stickin' out.

- Come on now.

We're here to help you.

I want to look at
your eyes for a second.

- We
need to look at your eyes.

- Does
anybody know her here?

- No.

- You
take any medications at all?

- You have a
half an hour for visiting.

- A half hour?

-You're stupid!

- I am not.

It wasn't my fault.

- Well, if you wouldn't
have been in that next room

hangin' your fuckin' head
out the window yelling,

"Hey guys, I'm over here!

Look!

What you doing?"

- I didn't say that!

- Sitting there
halfway out the window talkin'

to 'em.

Can't ever keep
your fucking head in,

can you?

Like Brian says, "You can
take the ho off the street,

but you can't take
the street off the ho."

- Oh, well.

I guess it doesn't matter to me.

I didn't get arrested.

-You're lucky.

You're real lucky.

- You just gotta
stay one step ahead.

- You left me there!

-That's right.

I sure did--

- It wasn't my fault.

-You didn't say, "Hey
Rat, where're you going?

Hey Rat, take me with you."

- I woulda
never got caught.

I wouldn't be in
here 'til Monday.

- I'll be gone by Monday.

-I don't want you to leave.

Why can't you wait
'til next Sunday?

- 'Cause, I got
places to go and things to do.

-Wait 'til next Sunday.

Come on.

This is the last time you
guys get to see me-- or you.

- Oh well...

You missed a good
fight there tonight.

Lulu kicked this
one whore's ass.

She said, "You bitch," and she
fuckin' smacked her right in the

face.

You know, she didn't smack her.

She punched her.

The broad fell down and jumped
up and took off running all the

way up to Pike
Street and then ran--

- Who was this girl?

-She's sort of tall.

She's real skinny, like
you, and she's got real dark,

short hair, black hair.

I'd show her to you but you
ain't getting out 'til Monday,

and I'm leaving Sunday.

-Why?

- Why?

-Why do you have to leave
a day before I get out?

- Why?

Because Monday, Mike gets out.

I'm going to
break him out Monday.

Thump, take their cuff keys.

Open the door, take
Mike's cuffs off,

and off to Alaska we go.

That simple.

Maybe we'll stop
through here and pick you up.

- Maybe?

-Doubt it.

I doubt it, but maybe.

Oh, well, so long...

Tiny.

Hey, Tiny.

What's the matter?

What's the matter?

-Nothing.

- Then why you crying?

If nothing's the
matter, why are you crying?

-You should have
figured it out by now.

- Well, I gotta go.

- Go, then.

- Hm?

Don't I at least
get a hug goodbye?

- I found
out in the morning that,

uh, there'd been a suicide.

Uh, I didn't know who it was,
and I didn't think of Dewayne,

even though I knew he
was in that institution.

Dewayne, um, hung himself.

The one thing that Dewayne
wanted was-- was a family.

And he wanted to grow up as,
uh, what he saw as just a

regular kid.

I think that he sort of
had that dream of,

uh, a mother and a father
and a house in the country,

maybe a horse or a
bicycle to ride on.

He just wanted what every
kid has a right to have,

I think.

At the funeral home,
there was his father.

There were guards, prison
guards, because of his dad's

status.

Three other people, all three
who worked with Dewayne in one

way or another as part of
the Social Service Agencies,

and that was it.

So it was pretty much
as his life has been.

It was a pretty lonely,
pretty skimpy affair.

- Lord, in our
lives, we are often confused,

and we often ask, "Why?"

But it is times like these when
our why becomes our strongest

cry.

- Get a
girlfriend, have a house,

or a car, or somethin'.

Have a little money in
the bank, get a job.

That's what I
expect out of life.

Not much.

- I love
you, and I'm sorry,

but I'll see you.

- It's my
understanding that Dewayne will

be, uh, uh, cremated and, uh,
his ashes spread on Puget Sound.

Dewayne was a, uh, street kid.

Dewayne drifted all his life.

And, uh, it seemed better for me
than just putting him in a hole

in the ground in a box
where's he's got to be there.

He's free.

He's never been that way before.

Bear's Picnic" by Anne Murray♪

♪"Take Care of All My
Children" by Tom Waits♪