[Scene: The screen is completely white. The sound of upbeat pop music can be heard. It sounds something similar to Katy Perry. The area is now visible. Devonte lays on a bed staring at a ceiling. The ceiling is light tan, as well as all of the other walls in the room. The carpet is a thick and is colored dark brown. The shelves are messy with a variety of items on it, and the floor is littered with around a dozen clothes. The room has two windows to which all the blinds are closed.]

Devonte hunches out of bed to look at his cell phone. An alarm app seems to be on. The top says the time which is 6:41AM, the middle of the screen scrolls an artist and song title “Riki O. - Make Dreams Happen”. Under the scrolling song title are the buttons “Snooze” and “Dismiss”. Without thinking of it, Devonte selects “Snooze” and goes back to bed.

A shot of an old clock face is shown. It is currently 6:54AM. The camera changes to a shot of the entire room. It is of an old kitchen and living room. The two rooms are connected with one another with just a knee divider separating them. The counters and cabinets are made of wood and are of a faded brown color. There’s also tan wallpaper that surrounds the area with images of flowers. It too is very faded.

The room could give the impression that one is trapped in the 1970s, not only due to the outdated designs, but also due to the appliances and electronics throughout the room. In the kitchen there is an old nobbed controlled microwave, a hung corded phone, and a clock radio. In the living room sits a large 36” CRT TV on a wooden shelf. Right under it is a duo DVD and VCR.

The only thing that seems fairly modern is a grey laptop that sets on the reddish kitchen table. The table has a variety of open envelopes and papers. Beside the table sits an older black woman who seems to be well into her fifties. She is looking through a stack of papers from the open envelopes with her reading glasses. The TV is on and echos throughout the room. It is set on a church sermon. Devonte comes out of the hallway wearing a plain logo-less wrinkled T-shirt and blue jeans, and backpack. He looks very groggy.

Older woman: “Devonte.”

Devonte: “Yes.”

Older woman: “You’re not going to make breakfast for yourself?”

Devonte: “I already got a poptart.”

Older woman: “When?”

Devonte: “I packed it last night.”

Older woman: “I didn’t see you.”

Devonte: “A few nights ago I packed a bunch.”

Devonte heads toward the front door. He peaks out of the door and waits a few seconds. He then begins to exit.

Older woman: “Devonte.”

Devonte looks behind him.

Older woman: “You’re going to school today right?”

A bus pulls up in front of the house. Devonte exits the door without saying anything. The older woman shakes her head.

Older woman: “I’m calling to get his ass out of here. Had enough of his shit.”

[Scene: A bus is in frame and then quickly leaves. Devonte is in front of what seems to be a sizable high school. The school is made of beige brick and mortar. There multiple brown doors that act as the entrance to the school. To the side of the doors are large windows that climb nearly to the roof. There are aluminum letters hanging in front of the building spelling “Hillside High School.” To the side of the school is sizable parking lot. Rows of students are entering the entrance of school, coming from both the buses and the parking lot.]

Staring at the entrance, Devonte sighs and walks toward the parking lot. He passes rows of parked cars, which seem to stretch from being the most luxurious cars to beaters. At the end of the lot is a school aged boy. He’s a bit on the short side and is Hispanic. He’s wearing slightly dirty clothes and a baseball cap. Devonte approaches him.

School Aged Boy: “Where’ve you been?”

Devonte: “I came as soon as my bus came.”

School Aged Boy: “Just got here now?’

Devonte: “Look at the time.”

The School Aged Boy pulls out his cell phone.

School Aged Boy: “7:34.”

Devonte: “And what time do buses arrive here?”

The School Aged Boy puts his cell phone back in his pocket.

School Aged Boy: “You made your point.”

Both of the boys walk beyond the parking lot, and begin to cross the field beside it.

[Scene: Sitting beside a highway and a backroad is a small house. It is very old and decayed with most of the former white paint peeled off. The grass is exceptionally long and there are no cars in it’s gravel driveway. It’s very apparent that the house is abandoned.

The scene changes again to the inside. Trendy hip-hop music echoes throughout the house. The kitchen contains stripped off wallpaper, a rusted sink, refrigerator, and stove, and a floor with broken and missing tiles. There is a hallway with pink carpet with wood, nails, and debris covering it to the point of it being near unusable. The living room has the same pink carpet with multiple stains on it. There are an assortment of crates, both plastic and wooden, that are being used as chairs and stands. One crate is holding up a portable speaker system hooked up to an iPod shuffle, to which the music is playing through. Another crate is holding up a 24” LCD TV, with the other holding up a game console.

In front of the TV are sitting two individuals. One who is a white male, average height with long hair. He is wearing a long TV shirt with BMX logos, and blue jeans. The other is a boy who seems to be of mixed black and white race. He light brown skin, an afro, and is wearing a Batman T-shirt and dark blue jeans. Through the windows one can see the Hispanic boy with the baseball cap looking inside. It’s a bit difficult to see him since the windows are dirty. He leaves and seconds later a knock is heard from the front door.]

The white boy in the BMX shirt pauses the game and stands up. He heads to the door to open it. The Hispanic boy with the baseball cap walks in with Devonte right behind him.

White boy in BMX shirt: “Why are you looking in here?”

HIspanic boy in baseball cap: “To see if you were here.”

The white boy in BMX shirt shakes his head.

White boy in BMX shirt: “You’re going to fuck us over one day Joe.”

Joe: “I’ll be more careful.”

Joe and Devonte sit on two crates about half a dozen feet away from the previous two in front of the TV. The white boy in the TV shirt sits back down in front of the TV and starts the game back up. The game is some type of co-op first person shooter. Upon closer observation, the TV and game system are hooked up to a portable battery system.

After thirty seconds of silence, Devonte stands up. The white boy in the BMX shirt immediately pauses the game and walks to the hallway.

Devonte: “Charlie, what’s going on?”

Charlie: “I just got done organizing everything, I won’t let ya’ll dirty asses fuck it up.”

Charlie continues on through the hallway. After twenty seconds, he comes back with weed wrapped in Saran wrap and a piece of aluminium foil. He throws it to Devonte who catches it with one hand. Charlie sits back down and restarts the game. Devonte takes out the weed wraps it up with the aluminium foil. He then reaches in his backpack and pulls out a lighter. He lights up and begins smoking.

Mixed boy in Batman T-Shirt: “Devonte you want to get in on this?”

Devonte: “Nah.”

Mixed boy in Batman T-Shirt: “Huh?”

Devonte: “No, Edgar.”

Edgar: “Alright.”

Charlie: “We’re more than halfway there, let’s just finish it.”

The two continues playing the game for twenty more seconds. Devonte continues to smoke, while Joe stays watching the game.”

Edgar: “Devonte.”

Devonte: “Yeah?”

Edgar: “I thought your foster mom said one more missed day and it will be over.”

Devonte: “She always says that shit.”

Edgar: “You sounded spooked out about it last time.”

Devonte: “That was last time.”

Charlie: “He’s paycheck, she’s in it for the money, unless he really fucks up she won’t let go of him.”

Joe has his hand out in front of Devonte. Devonte glances at it and takes a large puff. He then hands the over the joint to Joe.

Devonte: “Has your mom said anything?”

Edgar seems focused on the game.

Devonte: “Or your dad? Edgar?”

Edgar: “Huh?”

Devonte: “Has your mom or dad said anything about you missing school?”

Edgar: “I don’t talk to them.”

Devonte: “It’s been a while.”

Edgar: “I don’t like to talk about my personal life.”

Joe passes the blunt back to Devonte. Devonte takes another hit. Suddenly the music stops. Charlie pauses the game and walks up to the iPod and looks at it, and then unplugs it.

Charlie: “Shit. It’s dead. Edgar, do you have your cell phone?”

Edgar: “My parents cancelled my plan. So I chucked it.”

Charlie: “Devonte, you have your cell phone?”

Charlie puts out his hand. Devonte stands up and hooks his cell phone up. Charlie puts his hand down and looks confused.

Charlie: “Why didn’t you just hand it to me?”

Devonte: “I’m protective of my phone.”

Charlie: “I can see that.”

Charlie sits back down and unpauses the game. Devonte scrolls down a series of playlists until he gets to the bottom one titled “For Chillin’”. He selects it and trendy hip-hop music begins to play. As Devonte walks to sit back down, Edgar has his hand out. Devonte hands him the blunt. Devonte proceeds to sit back down.

Joe: “So what we doing today?”

Charlie: “We’re going to the scrapyard.”

Edgar: “You’re car’s still not working?”

Charlie: “It’s the battery that’s acting up. And Joe, it’s going to work last time. I need you to sneak to the other side of the fence while I throw you goods. I see more people buying tires off Craigslist.”

Edgar: “Last time was lame. I just stood around the whole time.”

Charlie: “It’s not my fault you didn’t capitalize. I made $35 bucks.”

Edgar shakes his head.

Edgar: “Not worth it.”

Charlie: “Only if you get caught.”

Charlie inhales the joint. While doing this an enemy on the screen ambushes Charlie’s in-game character and kills him.

Charlie: “Fuck!”

In a rage, Charlie throws the controller in front of him. He proceeds to stand up and walks forward trying to go across the room. However, his foot doesn’t go over the dangling power cord connecting the TV to the battery pack. He ends up tugging on the cable, to which the TV then falls.

Charlie: “Shit!”

Charlie runs to the TV and picks it up. The screen is black and there is a crack on the bezel. He keeps hitting the power button but the screen doesn’t turn on.

Charlie: “Joe! Do you have a TV at your house?”

Joe: “A TV?”

Charlie: “A spare TV?”

Joe: “No, my Mom only has one.”

Charlie: “Devonte-nevermind it’s probably just old shit.”

The room is silent as everyone stares at the TV.

Charlie: “Alright, let’s go to my car.”

[Scene: The group of boys are now walking alongside the road in front of the house. They seem to be a quarter mile from the house when they take right. After ten feet, they pass by some bushes in which a black 2003 Ford Escort hides behind. The boys open up the car door. Charlie in the driver’s seat, Edgar in the passenger, while Devonte and Joe sit in the back. The inside of the car is filled with trash, primarily fast food bags, wrappers, energy drink cans, and cigarette buds.]

Edgar: “So where we going?”

Charlie: “To get a TV.”

Charlie adjusts the rearview mirror and switches the car into drive.

Edgar: “Yeah but where are we going?”

Charlie: “I got a place in mind.”

The car begins to move and then turns into the road. It drives off toward the highway.

[Scene: The car pulls into a Goodwill parking lot that seems to be fairly busy. The four boys walk into the store. Inside the store is filled with rows of clothes in the front to back, stacks of books, electronics, and media to the right, and checkout desks to the left. The boys go into the right side of the store.]

Each of the boys are rummaging through the shelves, taking what they find of interest.

Charlie: “Okay, I want to be in and out of here in no more than two minutes. Grab what ya’ll like.”

Charlie and Joe look through the games and movies section, taking any discs that interest them. Most of them are either sports games or action films. Devonte is in the music aisle and pretends to browse around. He occasionally looks back behind him where there are rows of books. Edgar doesn’t engage browsing around and just stands in place.

After a minute, Charlie gestures toward the others to take his lead. They move over to the large electronics sections, where stands one lone TV. It’s a small pink “Hello Kitty” themed LCD. It even has a small Hello Kitty doll sticking out on top.

Charlie: “Nuh-uh.”

Edgar: “A TVs a TV.”

Charlie: “We didn’t come here to get one that makes me look like a fag.”

Charlie looks around the store and sees two doors right across from him. They have little windows to see inside the room. In the room are multiple bins of freshly dropped off items.

Charlie: “Let’s go in there.”

Edgar: “You serious?”

Charlie: “We’re just make sure nobody is in there. There’s more stuff and there’s an easy exit. Two birds with one stone.”

Edgar: “I’m not going in there.”

Charlie: “Fuck you Edgar.”

Edgar: “You can say what you want, but I’m not doing it.”

Edgar turns around begins to walk away.

Charlie: “Fine! You can walk home!”

Charlie looks at Joe and Devonte.

Charlie: “I’ll open the door and look in. If no one is there, we go.”

The three boys walk toward the doors. Charlie opens it up and gives a quick look around. Nobody is in sight. He goes through the door in which Joe and Devonte follow through. The room is filled with multiple blue bins and various large items on the floor.

Charlie: “Fucking jackpot.”

On the floor sits multiple TVs. But what stands out is a silver 46” Samsung LED. Charlie picks it up and hands it to Joe. He then looks through the bin by it.

Charlie: “Take what you want and go.”

Rummaging through the bin, Charlie grabs another sports game. Devonte looks through a bin and sees two books that captures his eye. One titled “The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther” and the other titled “A People’s History of the United States.” As Devonte picks them up, Joe looks at him. Devonte notices this and drops both books. Charlie picks up one more game, which seems to be a first person shooter.

Charlie: “Let’s go.”

The boys exit out of a door leading to a drive thru outside, where people drop off their donations. As they walk outside, Joe accidently walks over a hose on the floor, which in turn triggers a bell to ring. After a few seconds someone comes outside and sees the boys walking to the car. It turns out to be a staff member of Goodwill.

Staff Member: “Excuse me!”

The boys ignore the man as they continue to walk toward the car.

Staff Member: “Excuse me!”

Charlie opens the driver side door and unlocks the car. The boys throw the stolen items in the car and hop right in. Charlie starts the car and quickly reverses and then floors the gas to get out of parking lot. The staff member stands in the parking lot looking at the car. The boys drive back onto the highway.

Charlie: “Shit that was fucking close!”

Charlie turns around to Joe.

Charlie: “Did you trip an alarm? I thought I heard ringing.”

Joe: “No.”

Charlie turns to Devonte.

Charlie: “Did you trip an alarm?”

Devonte shakes his head.

Charlie: “Did you hear anything?”

Devonte shrugs.

Charlie faces forward.

Charlie: “Fuck.”

The car is quiet for a couple seconds. Charlie lights up a blunt.

Charlie: “Figures that Edgar would puss out. He just wanted a place to stay.”

Charlie inhales and then exhales the weed.

Charlie: “Probably finally went home. Temper tantrum. He was never serious.”

A few more seconds pass by. Both Joe and Devonte are silent, Charlie looks around at both of them and then looks back in front of the road. He holds up the blunt.

Charlie: “This is for me. I earned this. My plan, my car, my reward.”

Charlie puts his hand down. He slows down the car to a red light. As the car is stopped, he inhales again. Suddenly the sound of police siren is heard, and a police car approaches them from the back. Charlie steps on the gas and runs the red light, he also rolls the windows down and throws the joint out. He only makes it two dozen yards before he is caught up in traffic stopped at a red light. Charlie slams on the brakes and runs out of the car. A second later Devonte and Joe follow suit. Charlie runs down the sidewalk along the street, as he turns he runs towards a shopping district. Joe follows him as he quickly catches up. The police officer hops out of his car and chases after them both.

Devonte on the other hand runs the opposite direction toward a subdivision. As he runs toward a fence, another police car can be seeing approaching from far behind, but it is unsure whether or not they can see Devonte. Devonte hops over the fence and begins to run through various backyards of the houses. He keeps running and looking forward, as he hops over any obstacle in his path. After running for a few minutes straight he eventually stops to catch his breath. He looks behind him and sees nobody there. He begins to walk again across a wide field with the sun directly above him.

Time passes by and the sun is now at a near 45 degree angle. It's almost dusk. Devonte is walking through a new subdivision area that looks very much like the last. He is currently progressing in between two houses, which makes the immediate area look somewhat like an alley. Devonte takes off his shirt and airs it out. He looks at it and is concerned about the sweat marks. He puts his shirt on and then tries to tidy up his hair. He casually strolls out of the path and to a sidewalk. He stops with a concerned look on his face. He sees a police car in front of house just to the right of him. The house’s door opens and it is of Devonte’s caretaker who is holding a cigarette and is shaking her head.

Caretaker: “Goddamn worthless.”

The caretaker inhales the cigarette.

[Scene: The screen becomes black.]

Distant voice: “Why do you choose to be a coward?”