We Grown Now (2023)

[bunniefuu]

What's up, man?

Eric, are you even

pushing it?

That's what I'm doing!

- You got it?

- Yeah.

Dang it!

Hey, Slug, Slug!

Hey, Slug!

Slug, give us a hand, will ya?

Why didn't y'all tell me?

Tenth floor.

You would have taken forever.

- And the elevator broke.

- It always is.

You right. I would have.

This mattress is heavy.

You're still not

gonna give us a hand?

Nah, nah, I'm good.

-Mama know you're jumpin'?

-Not unless you tell her.

-And what if I do?

-Gosh, go away, Dee.

-Let me jump.

-Why?

So you can get hurt

and start crying to Mom?

You're so mean!

Look, you about to cry

right now, aren't you?

That's not true!

You don't gotta be like that

to your sister.

Not everybody can jump.

Not like me.

In Cabrini-Green,

there's only one rule

on the playground.

It don't matter

how old you are...

how much money you got...

how big or tall...

or small.

All that matters...

is if you can jump.

I was flying, man.

That's the closest I got to God.

Wish you'd tell me

how you do it.

It's a secret.

If I told you,

I wouldn't be the best no more.

Keep it, then.

-You good on dinner, man?

-Yeah.

All right. See you.

There you are.

Why do you look so terrible?

Daddy is gonna raise hell

if he sees you.

- So?

- Boy, you in trouble!

- I hear you, Malik!

- I hear you, too, Amber.

Eric, you need a bath!

You ain't my mama!

Good for you I'm not.

Otherwise, I'd whup you.

So, you...

- Whatcha making?

- None-ya business.

Okay.

How much you charging, Grandma?

Two dollars.

You ain't

getting rich that way.

Hmm. Is that what you think

I'm trying to do?

How come these tins

never have any cookies in 'em?

Hey, I said $2.

Malik.

What'd I tell you

about that jumpin'?

Who told you?

La, la-la, la-la

You snitch.

She didn't have to

tell me nothin',

I just know. I'm your mama.

You should have seen me.

I broke a world record.

I was flying!

Oh, so now you braggin', huh?

You said I could jump

as long as I didn't get caught.

You think you're funny now,

don't you?

Mama, what did the microwave

say to the other microwave?

Go on, tell me.

"Is it me,

or is it hot in here?"

Ma.

That's a good one, Malik!

Don't encourage him!

Oh, sh**t!

Hey, little man,

what's going on in there?

Mm. Mm-mm-mm. See, you rowdy.

You do whatever it is

you wanna do,

regardless of what

anybody tells you.

Just like my daddy.

-Hey, Ma?

-Mm?

How do bears keep cool?

You gonna tell me anyway. Go on.

Bear conditioning.

You need to work

on your delivery.

Diana, baby, you're gonna fall

right in if you're not careful.

Little girl, why is

there yelling in my house?

- There's a spider, Mama!

- Oh, leave it.

What if it crawls

on my face when I sleep?

- It won't.

- It'll lay eggs on you.

When you wake up,

there will be baby spiders

- crawling out of your ears.

- God! Mama!

Can you stop

torturing your sister?

Why she acting like she never

seen one before? Grow up!

The one who needs

growing is you, little man.

Oh, my God, oh, my God.

Malik! Can you stop

playing with it?

-Get it out of my house!

-Okay! Okay! I'm doing it. Jeez!

Come on, you know

the deal. Hold his hand.

Grab your sister's hand.

Come on.

Bow your heads, please.

Thank you.

Heavenly Father,

thank you for this day.

We ask that you bless this food,

let it be nourishment

to our bodies.

God, thank you for all

you have given us

and that you continue to give us

every single day.

And, um, bless my father,

who would have been

70 years old today.

Bless him.

Mm-hmm.

- Amen.

- Amen, amen.

Isn't it funny

that we're celebrating

Grandpa's birthday

even though he's not even alive?

Still his born day.

We have to pay our respects.

But he won't get

any older.

It's been five years, Dolores.

You're just confusing them now.

I'm not confusing 'em, Ma.

How else are they gonna know

who their granddaddy is?

All right,

who's excited for dessert?

- Me, me, me!

- Yeah? Okay.

Eat everything on your plate,

you'll get dessert after dinner.

See, Ma? We're celebrating.

Get in the mood.

How 'bout making a dessert

for the living?

We've been eating this

four days in a row.

I'm about to turn

into a vegetable.

Why don't you cook?

I'm too little to use the stove.

No, you're not.

You're never too little.

Right? I was cooking at her age.

Mm-hmm

Set your mind to it,

you can do it.

I'm putting my mind

to McDonald's,

I don't see it on my plate.

All right.

Everybody close your eyes.

Come on.

Now, imagine...

you hear a frying pan sizzling.

And you can smell

some thick-cut bacon,

the best kind from the butcher.

And there's some potatoes

and some fried chicken

that was cooked

in that bacon grease.

And next to it,

is a big glass of orange juice.

It's cold, with the pulp

just floating at the top,

just how you like it.

And as your mouth is watering,

you look down.

Open your eyes.

Mm!

I'll get

the groceries tomorrow.

Don't forget my juice.

Everybody like it except you.

Can I help?

Your hands clean?

How about this?

You can help me

by counting this.

Ten, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 65.

Okay.

Now, you know what

this is for, right?

So $65 is for electricity,

$30 is for gas,

$20 is for water

and $250 for rent.

Now, all together,

how much is that?

Nope, I don't want you

using your fingers.

Come on, concentrate.

$355?

It's Sunday.

What're you testing him for?

Let him live.

Well, I went

jumping today.

I jumped higher than everybody,

even Malik.

Is that right?

How'd you even make these?

When me and Gordon

first moved in,

all we wanted was

a little color in the house.

Victoria gave us the fabric.

And I sewed it with that machine

I brought with me

from Mississippi.

Where in Mississippi?

Tupelo.

Your grandfather,

his parents, my parents,

all of our cousins

were born and bred there.

But you don't have

an accent, Grandma.

Well, it's pretty much gone now.

You lose it with time.

You miss that place?

Well, every once in a while,

it comes back in a dream.

Sometimes, I can...

I can even hear my mama's voice

calling me for dinner.

I miss my mama.

I miss the people.

But I do not miss

that place, no.

Every time you talk

about that place,

it's like poetry.

Well, there's poetry

in everything.

It could be nature,

it could be speech.

It could be a bird.

Can you stop picking at it?

Are you ever gonna

throw that out?

What you think, Malik?

Is this sweater too ugly

for your mama to be wearing?

-Nah.

-She gonna keep it

until it's nothing but rags.

Watch. You'll see.

What are you doing?

Holding you.

Like you used to hold me.

I love you, Ma.

What do you call a boy

who can't jump?

- What?

- Eric.

What do you call

a snail on a ship?

-What?

-A snailor.

What do you call three trees?

-What?

-A trio.

-How do you make a tissue dance?

-How?

Put a little boogie in it.

Who would Michael Jordan be

without Scottie Pippen?

I dunno. Still be MVP.

Are you dumb?

Isiah Thomas is the coldest dude

on the West side.

He destroys anybody

who gets in his way.

If Scottie wasn't there,

MJ would have just been a dude

who couldn't get past Isiah.

So MJ needs Scottie.

Well, actually,

they kinda need each other...

Y'all are wrong.

They'd be nobody

without Horace Grant.

-Get outta here, man.

-Y'all didn't wait for me.

We would have been late.

How many times

we gotta tell you that?

-Sure. And I'm never late.

-"And I'm never late."

Man, shut up!

Hey! Y'all left me again!

You trying to impress

Ms. Willis or somethin'?

Me? You're the one

who's always like,

"Ms. Willis,

I need homework help."

Going to her after class.

Damn, son. Be cool.

Ms. Willis got money.

You can tell by her nice car.

Eric, she got a Toyota Corolla.

-That's what I said.

-Rich or not, she's available.

I gotta be ready for my moment.

Ain't no moment coming for you.

Plus, she don't mess around with

no one from around here, no way.

Only time she ever talk to you

is if you forgot

to do your homework

and she about to call your mama.

- Justin.

- Present.

MS. - Tyrone.

Here!

I know that's

not Tyrone's voice, Samuel.

Stop fooling around.

Samuel.

My moms named me

after a prophet.

You named after a prophet

and you still broke.

Oh, he got you. He did.

- Georgia?

- Here.

- Beth?

- Here.

Dang.

My head really that big?

I mean, bigger than average.

Please rise

for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance

to the flag

of the United States of America.

And to the republic,

for which it stands,

one nation under God,

indivisible, with liberty

and justice for all.

...for all.

...for all.

Y'all need

to hold it down, all right?

I win.

-Three out of five.

-Okay.

Look over there.

It's the roof. So?

- See all them cracks?

- Yeah.

If you look real close,

they turn into stars.

Try it.

You gotta really try.

I am.

See 'em now?

Yeah.

Hello!

Hey!

My name Malik!

And my name Eric!

And don't you forget it!

-My name Malik!

-And my name's Eric!

Hello!

Don't underestimate us!

Don't you forget us! I exist!

I exist!

Hey! Oh! Hey! Oh!

- Hey, baby.

- Hey, Ma.

Hey, Mama.

Hey, baby.

- They eat yet?

- 'Course they did.

- I had two dinners.

- Yeah?

My big girl.

You look so very proud

of yourself.

Mama,

why you look so tired?

Because your mama was out there

working for this family,

that's why.

Talk to me.

You know what it is, Ma?

I now know how much

everybody makes.

I see all their paychecks.

I know just how much

everybody else is worth.

It was so much easier

when I didn't know.

Well, they're

working you like a dog.

And for what?

They gonna give you a raise?

What you say that for?

You know I can't ask that

right now.

Why not?

We need it. You gotta ask.

And what,

risk getting fired?

There's a whole line of folks

waiting outside the door

just to take my job.

And they all got fancy

college degrees.

Is that a fact,

or is that what they telling you

to keep you in your place?

Look, I'm just trying to hold on

to the little bit

that we got, okay?

Can barely afford to take care

of all y'all anyways.

You say that as if

I don't understand

what you going through.

I'm sorry.

I don't mean nothing by it, Ma.

Y'all wanna try it on?

Hey, try it.

Anybody wants to, go ahead.

Nah, I'm good.

This dude

can't even count.

Man, you just jealous.

I wouldn't be buying no watches

and showing 'em around school.

I'm not trying to get robbed.

You got no money

for no watches anyway.

-It ain't even his money.

-Why does it matter?

-Money is money.

-Serving ain't no real job.

He stands on a street corner,

looking out for his brother.

One of these days,

he gonna get k*lled.

All right.

No need to get into it.

Look, the cops are here.

Why are the cops here?

What's going on?

- Someone got shot.

- Did they get k*lled?

- I don't know.

- Somebody got k*lled.

Man, relax. Hey. Hey, man.

Ma, what is all of this?

They said we gotta stay out here

until we get an ID card.

Something about safety.

Whose safety? Our safety?

We been living here...

Think they care about that?

They treat us like roaches

in our own home.

Excuse me. Officer.

We don't really need an ID card

if we live here, though, right?

Everybody needs an ID

to get inside, ma'am.

What about my children?

- Do they live here?

- Yes.

They need an ID

just like everybody else.

No one in or out. New policy.

What do you mean, policy?

They're kids.

What do you need

to keep track of them?

If you have questions,

contact your CHA board member.

We're doing our job.

Don't let me stop you.

Treating us like criminals.

This is what they do.

They chip away at you.

Who was it?

Heard it was a kid.

-How old was he?

-I don't know.

Hey. Kids, come on.

Don't wander off.

It's almost our turn.

It was a little boy.

Where did it happen?

Right outside

the school, with his mom.

This neighborhood's

just not the same anymore.

In broad daylight.

- Dolores.

- Unbelievable.

That's too much.

Eric can help himself, baby.

But look at him.

He doesn't eat enough.

He's skinny.

-Hey, Ma?

-Mm?

Why'd we get ID cards for?

Um...

so that people who don't

live here don't get inside.

The whole neighborhood's

going under lockdown

because of all

the shootings happening.

So unless you're walking

to or from school,

you play inside, okay?

What are we gonna do inside?

Well, there won't be

much jumping anymore,

that's for sure.

You and me can play cards.

That's a great idea, Eric.

You can stay overnight.

I'll call your father.

But the faucet's

gonna drive him crazy.

Can't I just

stay over his house?

You already here.

Besides, that faucet

will get fixed.

Ah, you keep saying that.

And I keep asking them.

Complained three months ago.

What else you want me to do?

What do we do if the whole

apartment gets flooded?

-Flooded?

-I don't know how to swim.

Well, then I will build a boat.

Like, um, Noah's Ark?

No, not that big.

And it certainly won't have

any room for no animals.

But anyone here

who wants to get on,

you can get on.

Where would you get

all the wood?

To make the boat?

Got a point, Ma.

Ain't enough trees

in Cabrini-Green for that.

You're staying here tonight.

That's final.

What about them?

I sense when a place

is past its prime, Dolores.

We can move someplace else.

It's not that simple.

You know that.

Please rise

for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance

to the flag

of the United States of America.

And to the republic,

for which it stands,

one nation under God,

indivisible, with liberty

and justice for all.

Please remain standing

to observe a moment of silence

for Dantrell Davis.

Dantrell Davis

was seven years old.

He lived in 500, West Oak.

He and his mom

were walking to school one day,

and they heard a g*nsh*t.

Dantrell was struck

in the side of the head.

They took him to the hospital.

He was dead

before they got there.

Thank you.

Scientists believe

redwoods first appeared

during the Jurassic period

around 160 million years ago.

Remains discovered

by archeologists

show such forests

with giant trees

were largely spread across

the northern hemisphere.

The forests that still remain,

like those found

in Redwood National Park,

are an important link

between past and present.

These slender trees continually

compete with each other,

reaching upwards

towards the sun

with every cell

of their immense bodies.

As they fight

for the sun's energy,

the trees grow

taller and taller.

Giant sequoias

can grow up to...

Yeah?

Can I go to the bathroom?

You may.

...1.6 million pounds.

Their upper branches

form a crown

which creates a dome of shade,

where among the giant trunks...

What happened to Slug?

Ms. Willis said he could hold it

till we got back.

What are we gonna do?

Let's go!

Yes! We made it!

We made it!

We made it,

made it, made it!

-Oh, look at that.

-That's so cool.

-You like her?

-No.

'Cause if you do,

you should tell her.

You are way too loud.

I don't like her.

I'm in love with her.

-Tell her that then.

-She's way too rich for me.

-Just look at her.

-That's a good thing.

My dad told me it's a bonus

when a woman can buy you dinner.

No, man,

it just wasn't meant to be.

You're not scared

of cracking your own head,

but you're afraid

of some nice lady?

-You're right. I'm going.

-All right then.

Excuse me, ma'am.

I just wanted to say I love you.

I don't think

I'll ever find anybody

to love like you

in my whole life.

Hey, kid.

Why aren't you in school?

It's Martin Luther King Day.

Mind your own business.

Damn!

So, where they at?

Says here

they're at a train station.

Okay, so why is this dude

helping them carry their bags?

They can carry their own bags.

I mean,

he getting paid to do it.

So? They got two hands,

don't they?

They're going to Chicago,

but where they coming from?

Mississippi.

Just like my grandma did.

Maybe that's where

I'm from, too.

You don't know for sure?

No.

Everybody like

dandelion seeds.

They're blown

from place to place,

then they're just planted

wherever they land.

Or they're like

those trees from California.

Redwoods?

They been in the same

place for millions of years.

All aboard!

Oh!

Why are rich people

so angry?

Look at them fighting.

"Don't you know who I am?

"Don't you know

I live on Lake Shore Drive?"

"You need way more makeup

"to cover up

your ugly personality."

- "Get out of my way!"

- "Smell you later."

Really are some crazy people

in this world.

I know, right?

David, I'm sorry,

but I can't come back

to the office right now.

No, I still can't find

my son. Okay...

I don't know.

But I really gotta

get off the phone

-in case someone tries to call.

-Mama. What's wrong?

Okay, he's here.

Oh, thank you, Jesus.

Oh, my baby.

-You okay? Yeah?

-Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah? Okay. Nobody hurt you?

-No.

-Okay.

-Where were you?

-The Art Institute.

-What?

-The Art Institute.

Okay, but what were you doing

at the Art Institute?

They had us watching

this boring nature documentary.

We had to get out of there.

Who were you talking to?

Your little friend, Eric,

is about to be punished.

Won't be visiting you,

coming around here anytime soon.

But it was my idea

to skip school.

Oh, I'm sure it was, Malik.

Yeah, I'm sure it was.

I'm over here worried sick!

Boy, I should beat your a*s.

Nothing happened to...

But something

could have happened!

That's what

you're not understanding!

God damn it.

Dantrell was k*lled!

Malik, don't that mean

anything to you?

I'm not gonna get shot

like Dantrell did.

You don't know that!

Ain't nothing worse in the world

than what happened

to that little boy.

And that could have been you.

Now, how am I supposed

to keep you safe

if I don't know where you are

or what you doing?

Huh?

You want to be dead

out there on them streets?

No.

I can't keep you safe.

And that hurts me.

But you don't give a damn.

And you don't care

how it affects anybody in here.

Finish your homework,

and also, no TV for a month.

But I can watch, right?

It doesn't matter

who's watching.

You're not gonna be

going in and out this house

without telling me who you gonna

be with and where you going.

Look, I know

you're not his mother, okay?

But you're supposed to be

looking after your brother.

Happy?

You're not gonna see him?

-Why not?

-I don't want to.

Many of you have come

from all over the neighborhood

to celebrate the life

of Dantrell Davis,

a beloved son.

Many of you are wrestling

in this darkness

that seems to eclipse all of us.

When I think of the story

of Young Dantrell,

a beloved son of this community,

a beloved child of God,

my mind goes to the story

of another child,

a child born in Bethlehem,

a child raised in the projects

of east Nazareth,

a child who was raised

by a mother who loved him,

a mother who had to wrestle

mightily with the knowledge

that she could not save her son

from that great destiny

that was before him.

You see, the path of God

leads us through

the crucible of suffering

and persecution of the righteous

and the innocent.

The way to the New Jerusalem

leads us up a road

upon which our Savior dragged

his old wooden cross.

It leads us up a hill

called Calvary.

And what happened on Calvary

was not the end of the story,

but it was only the beginning.

Amen.

Why didn't you

look at him?

'Cause I don't want

to see no dead boy.

So many people

came to see him.

At least he's

in a better place now.

I don't know.

I think he just gone.

No ghost or nothing.

Wait, you don't believe

in no afterlife?

-Nobody knows.

-What about Jesus?

I think he lived,

but I don't know

if he ever gonna come back.

How do we know that?

There ain't no afterlife,

then what's all this for?

Why's it matter?

People die here all the time.

Yeah, but he was little,

like really little.

Where else is Dantrell gonna go?

What if he just...

don't go anywhere?

What if he just done?

That death became a symbol

of the escalating violence

that the city seems to be

unable to control.

Chicago Mayor, Richard Daley.

What we see is,

unfortunately, violence,

a total disregard of human life

by g*ng and drug dealers.

We have a w*r here,

and we have to go after them

the same way they go after

innocent people.

Daley and the Chicago

Housing Authority chief,

Vince Lane, vowed

to take back Cabrini-Green

from the shooters,

the sn*pers, and the gangs.

Malik! Wake up, baby.

Wake up, wake up.

You have 30 seconds

to open this door.

Who is it? I'm coming.

Open up.

It's the police.

Officer, what's the problem?

CHA's been authorized to conduct

a search on your apartment.

Okay. A search for what?

- Be careful.

- Step aside.

-Ma'am, step aside.

-Okay, sir.

- What's going on?

- All right.

Sir, do you have a warrant?

We're searching for drugs

on the premises.

We don't have any...

We don't have any drugs here.

It's just me, my mama, my kids.

There's no drugs here.

What are they doing?

Then you got nothing

to hide.

Dolores?

All right,

we ain't got any drugs.

You're scaring my babies.

Oh, Lord, have mercy.

Tearing up the house. Dolores.

It's 2:00 in the morning.

You're scaring the kids.

Keep calm.

Everyone's being searched.

No, please.

Why are they doing this?

These are her things, okay?

She's not gonna hide drugs

in some damn material.

You're not gonna find anything.

I don't know

why you going there.

Ma, I got it. I got it.

Listen, you got the wrong house.

You're not gonna find anything.

Is this really necessary?

-Get your hands off that.

-Okay.

Sir, you got the wrong house.

You...

Not in my baby's...

My little girl...

Can you just leave us alone?

God damn it!

Mama.

Come, babies. Come on.

Why they doing this, Ma?

It's Diana's beads. Why they...

Why they gotta...

Hey, put my sh*t

right back up there.

Eric. You there?

Man, they threw my mattress.

It sucks, man. Ours, too.

What you gonna do about it?

Kick their a*s.

No, you're not.

Hey!

Come on, man. Hey!

Hey!

I exist!

I exist!

-We exist!

-We exist!

-We exist!

-We exist!

We exist!

We're ready for you.

Um, David mentioned

the senior payroll position,

and that's the one I'd love

to put my hat in the ring for.

See, I've been picking up...

more shifts than anyone else

here in the department.

So you know I'm really committed

to this job.

I just want a chance to advance.

I really think it's

the right move for you.

-Yeah? You do?

-Absolutely.

I just have

one question for you.

You take the bus to work

every day. Is that right?

Yeah, I do.

Would you be able to get a car?

Um... no. Why?

Well, the job you're looking at

isn't actually here

in our Chicago offices.

It's in Peoria.

Oh. I see.

I'm sorry.

He didn't mention that to me.

I don't mean to waste your time.

I really think you should

consider it.

You're a great fit,

and it's a significant

pay increase.

It's three hours away.

It would be a change.

It would.

You don't have to give me

an answer right now.

Talk it over with your family.

When do you need to know by?

Next week.

- That soon, huh?

- I know.

I really hope

it works out, Dolores.

Let me know.

Thank you.

You're kidding me, right?

I don't know

what you want me to say.

Well, we'd have to move,

you know.

We'd have to get a car.

We'll get a car.

Okay, so we're supposed

to move these kids.

That means new schools.

They'd have to make new friends.

Baby, they're stronger

than you think.

You adjusted

when me and your daddy

moved up from Tupelo.

But, Ma, they're rooted here.

Just because I plant them

someplace new,

don't mean

that they'll flourish.

But this ain't about the kids.

It's about you, baby.

What you're afraid of.

You've been saving that.

Yeah.

For this moment.

Listen to me, baby girl.

If you don't grow,

these babies won't.

It's time.

I was looking for you.

I'm always here.

Can you see it?

No.

Sometimes it don't work.

Maybe I gotta be asleep

or dreaming or something.

You get dreams?

Sometimes.

You ever had a dream

that felt so real,

you thought you was awake?

Did you?

Yeah. There was this one time

when my dad was cooking

a big turkey in the oven.

And it had stuffing

and gravy, everything.

Me and Amber was just

making the house nice.

Then the doorbell rang.

So I went up to answer it.

When I opened the door...

it was my mom.

You saw your mama?

I knew it was her.

That's how I knew

it wasn't real.

She's watching over you.

-I feel sorry for her if she is.

-Why?

Not much to see.

Eric, you ever think about

what it would be like

outside of here?

Why? This is where we from.

We were born here.

We live here and we die here.

But you ain't never

been nowhere else.

You could always dream,

think about other places.

All right, then,

what you dream about?

Like, where do you wanna be?

It's always a house.

With two stories.

And on the first floor,

is a big living room

with a bunch of couches

and a TV.

Brand-new kitchen.

Everybody got their own room,

so me and Dee

ain't gotta share no more.

And Mama,

she got her own garden

so she can grow tomatoes.

House so big,

we get lost inside.

All right, now.

First off, stories?

Come on. We got 16 of 'em.

And tomatoes?

Dude, you don't even cook.

It's just a dream, Eric.

It ain't real.

Man, I don't get you.

-Where are you going?

-Finna go home.

-Hey.

-Hey.

Grandma, why you move here?

Out of all the places

you could have gone.

You know,

your granddaddy, Gordon,

oh, that man loved the sun.

Loved the South.

Tupelo.

He had a shoe store.

And when that got burned,

we knew we had to go.

We knew it was time.

So we just got on the train

and came to Chicago.

And when we first moved in here,

families would be out here

with their kids,

and they'd be treatin' this

like a giant porch.

Everybody knew

each other's name.

Everybody was family.

You know, we always wanted

better for your mama.

That's why we moved here.

That's why we came here.

It just seems like we always

runnin' from something.

All aboard!

All aboard!

Psst.

Four.

-What are you doing?

-Uh...

I just dropped my scrap paper.

Then why is it on Eric's desk?

I don't know.

Get up, both of you.

Let me see your test.

I'm gonna

have to call your father.

You can go back to class.

Why'd you get me in trouble?

Why does it matter?

It's not like anything does.

- Eric.

- Malik Johnson.

Why won't you admit

what you did was wrong?

I won't do it again.

Son,

you know what I need to hear.

And until you say it, you won't

be coming back to this table.

You know, it's a miracle that

you're not failing more classes.

But if you gotta cheat

to get ahead,

you deserve to pay the price.

But he's trying so hard

to impress you.

All he wants

is to make you proud.

Amber,

please let me handle this.

Yo. We found a mattress

on the fifth floor. Try to help?

My dad finna come home soon.

Come on, dude, it's A-plus.

Can't miss it.

I told you. I can't.

All right. We'll see you.

Half my class

isn't even graduating.

Isn't that crazy?

Wow.

You gonna be the first person

in this family

to graduate college.

Hey. You'll be the second.

No pressure.

Um, look, I know everybody's

busy, but, you know,

let's make sure we make some

time to help Ms. Johnson move.

They're moving?

Ms. Johnson's leaving?

What?

With everything

that's been going on,

they're moving out.

Malik didn't tell you?

No.

Son.

What's up, man? You hungry?

No, I don't want no food.

-Okay.

-So you moving?

That's what my dad told me,

that you leaving.

She just started looking.

But you was dreaming about it

before it happened.

'Cause you told her,

'cause you want to leave.

-I didn't say anything.

-Do you want to leave?

-Eric.

-Leave me alone.

Can't sleep either?

Faucet keeps me up.

Mm. Me, too.

What's going on? Talk to me.

How do you say goodbye

to somebody?

I don't know

that you ever really do.

I mean, you...

you always carry them

in your heart wherever you go.

Such a big world out there.

So much I wanna do.

I have this dream.

It's always about this train

taking me away from here.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

Where does it take you?

I think it takes me

to Mississippi.

With my people.

Our people

aren't there anymore, baby.

-No?

-Mm-hmm.

We're from Chicago.

Cabrini-Green.

Although we could take a train

somewhere else, someplace new.

All I want is a house.

Two floors.

And outside, there's a garden.

Big garden.

Where you can grow tomatoes.

Hmm.

A garden. And some tomatoes.

Mm-hmm.

What else?

A house.

House so big,

me and Dee ain't gotta

share a room no more.

Yeah.

Definitely getting

a little too big for that.

I want you all to write about

where you're from.

One paragraph, five sentences.

Write more if you want.

And there's only one computer,

so everyone's gonna

take turns this week.

When the snow falls

in Chicago,

it's like a blanket.

The whole city falls asleep.

It's quiet.

And nobody makes a sound.

I wait for so long

for the snow to melt,

I grow old.

The sun finally comes out.

And it looks like

the lake is on fire.

Me and Eric,

we've done everything together

since we were born.

This is what I know.

We saw it together.

We lived it.

We grew up together.

A place is the people.

This is where we from.

This is where

we're from.

That's mine.

-What are you doing?

-"When the snow falls in Chicago

"it's like the whole city

falls asleep."

Stop, that's mine.

"The sun comes out,

it's like the lake is on fire."

Why you acting

so weird about it?

-Man, stop.

-"Me and..."

What are you doing?

Give it back.

Why'd you write this?

'Cause it's true.

Take it out.

No. Why would I do that?

You're just mad 'cause

I'm leaving.

'Cause I'm leaving

and you're not.

- Oh, my God!

- Oh, my God, Malik!

Are you okay?

Can I see him?

He's resting right now, baby.

Maybe just come back tomorrow.

Can we pray together?

Come on.

Heavenly Father,

watch over us, your children.

Heavenly Father,

watch over us, your children.

Thank you for all that you do,

and continue

to do every single day, God.

And grant that we

may mend all that is broken.

And grant that

we may mend all that is broken.

We ask that you

continue to walk with us,

continue to live

in our hearts, dear Lord.

Heavenly Father,

I pray that Malik

gets his house.

A house with two stories.

A house so big,

he gets lost inside.

Somewhere far away from here.

A place with lots of trees.

A place where he can jump.

Where he'll have new friends.

Where he can be happy.

In Jesus' name

we pray.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Yeah, did we save

some of the newspaper?

And shouldn't those photo albums

be in the box

with the other ones?

Will you mark them?

These aren't marked.

We gotta mark the boxes.

Didn't I already

give you graduation money?

That was the graduation fee.

Cap and gown fee are separate.

We only owe $20.

Here you go.

Small price to pay

for ya'll to come

to my graduation this summer.

I gotta run.

Well, I'm proud of you.

So you know

Dolores called me and said

they're leaving on Thursday.

Have you talked to Malik yet?

I don't think he wanna

see me right now.

What are you talking about?

He's your friend.

Don't you want to talk to him

before he's gone?

Look, it honestly don't matter

who started it,

or who's right or wrong.

But he mad at me.

Okay. Maybe he is mad at you.

Or maybe he's waiting

on you to apologize.

But I'm scared to talk to him.

Look, son.

We don't get a lot of time

here on earth.

Like, tomorrow

is not promised at all.

Never in a million years...

did I think

your mother'd be gone.

Or I wouldn't be able to get up

and talk to her, give her a hug.

I took for granted that time,

and now it's gone.

And once that time is gone,

there's no way to get it back.

You understand

what I'm saying, right?

Look.

I trust you're gonna make

the right decision.

You're not a baby anymore.

You're grown now.

And you know right from wrong.

You got this, all right?

Should we take 'em with us?

No, let's leave 'em.

Good idea.

Good morning, baby.

I made some Salisbury steak.

Here you go, Dad.

Hey.

You leaving?

Yeah.

I'm gonna miss you.

I'm gonna miss you, too.

Hey, um, I just wanted to give

you something before I gotta go.

What is it?

The secret to jumping.

Spit it out, then.

Don't be afraid to fly.