Episode 24

This week's episode begins with GINA and MIRI who are arguing in MIRI's apartment.

MIRI - No, wait Gina, don't leave please. Let's talk about this.
GINA - No Miri. We already talked about it and I thought you understood.
MIRI - Look, just hear me out and maybe you can further help me understand.

(GINA stops collecting her things to listen.)

MIRI - My cousin pleged down at Mission where you used to go. From then on, his life has gone downhill. His grades dropped and his chapter got in big trouble for hurting some pledgees the following year. I write about what I feel from what I see and experience. Besides my cousin, I have read about countless stories of people pledging and dying, or getting drunk somewhere and all kinds of crazy things happening. How can anyone black want to associate with being greek anyway?
GINA - It has nothing to do with anyone or anybody greek or from greece. And if you did your research, you would see that that is hardly the case.
MIRI - Well Gina, here is the deal. I never said that I was unwilling to learn. I am a student of life. If you can prove me otherwise, then by all means I will work on my impression and behavior toward greeks as a whole. But let me say that I really don't think you can change my impression. When my cousin changed, it hit me close to my heart.
GINA thinks - How am I going to get him to see things differently? It will take more than me telling him how great Alpha Kappa Alpha is.
GINA - Miri, it seems that you are unwilling to give anything I say a notion of thought. So what's the point?
MIRI - If your organization, or any of the other ones is as noteworthy as you say, then it should not be that hard of a problem for you to change my mind.
GINA - Yeah right.
MIRI - No, Iâm serious. As a matter of fact, you prove me wrong and I will make you a consultant on the project. I care about you Gina and I don't want to insult you. But you can't blame me for the way that I feel. Fraternities and sororities have gotten a lot of bad press over the years and that is a fact. There has to be some truth to it.
GINA - The NAACP gets bad press at times. Minister Farrakhan gets bad press all the time. Since when did the media dictate what we should and should not think?
MIRI - They don't and they shouldn't. But when you hear it over and over, it just sends a certain signal. I never see anything that these organizations do besides throw parties, fight or pledge and humiliate each other.
GINA - What about the many service projects that the chapter here does? They post flyers all over campus of what they do. That is how I found the sorors here at Ahpla. These women take time out of their college schedules to go into the community and help our people out there who are hurting and who need us. What about the toys for tots program that they are doing for the holidays? That brings many toys to kids in the community? Have you ever known any members of greek organizations? Besides your cousin?
MIRI - No. No one else in my family and no friends of mine have ever pledged. You are the first AKA that I know personally.

(GINA looks toward MIRI's manuscript again and sees a stack of green fliers on his desk.)

GINA - What are these green things?
MIRI - Oh, one of my good friends is performing at Pharoahs tonight. Her name is Stephanie Renee. She is the bomb. I met her on the circuit and we hit it off and have been like sister and brother ever since. She is the Michael Jordan of spoken word. If you think I'm nice, wait until you hear her. So I was handing out some fliers for her show tonight.
GINA - Really? I think I may have heard of her. Do you know why her fliers are green?
MIRI - I don't know, what difference does that make?
GINA - No reason, I just like green myself, for obvious reasons.
GINA thinks - I got him now!
GINA - I tell you what. Since you will take some time to convince, why don't you give me a day to get my argument together. That way I can be as on point as possible.
MIRI - Ok, cool. As long as you don't leave mad. I do care about you and I don't want to hurt you. I just go with how I feel and this is what I have been led to believe. If you can prove me wrong, then by all means, I will change.
GINA - Cool. So we will table this discussion until later, after we go see Stephanie perform. If she is as good as you say she is, I want to be front row for her show.
MIRI - Oh no doubt. When I first heard her speak, I was mesmerized. I was supposed to perform that night. But after her, I didn't want to go on. She brings such a presence to the mic, if you close your eyes and listen, I swear you will have an outer body experience.
GINA - Wow, sounds like a powerful sister.
MIRI - Oh she is. I can't wait for you to meet her. She is really cool. Very deep.
GINA - I am looking forward to it. And I am looking forward to changing your mind mister!

(GINA pushes MIRI's forehead with her finger. MIRI laughs.)

MIRI - Good luck.
GINA - Um hmm. Now go reheat my food.
MIRI - Ha ha ha ha ha ha, no problem.
GINA thinks - Wait until he finds out about Stephanie!

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We pick up with BOBBY, REGGIE and NINO who are in BOBBY's car and headed to RONNIE's house.

NINO - Man are you crazy?
BOBBY - Hell no!
NINO - We can't go over to this nigga's crib.
BOBBY - Why not?
REGGIE - Yeah why not? I say we go over there and fuck him up!
NINO - First of all, how you gonna be so stupid as to step to a nigga in his own crib? We don't know what kinda shit he could be packin'. Secondly, you aren't even sure if he had anything to do with this shit.
BOBBY - You defendin' this nigga?
NINO - No not at all. If I was sure, I'd be bout it. But we have to think smart here. You are running for brother of the year and you are president of our chapter. How is that gonna look if you get into a fight with some nigga over a girl?
REGGIE - Damn, that's true.
NINO - And I really hate to be this way, but on the real, you brought this shit on yourself.
BOBBY - What?
NINO - How many times have we warned you that you were playing with fire messing around on Alexis?
BOBBY - Aw nigga whatever, like you don't cheat.
NINO - I don't.
REGGIE - Everybody on this campus is gettin' their freak on though. I wouldn't even use that as an example. Just because you choose to stay loyal to your girl.
NINO - I'm not using it either. But if you choose to cheat, then don't sit around and cry if you get busted. That's all I'm saying.
BOBBY - Fuck you nigga, aint nobody crying.
NINO - You will when you realize how good of a girl Alexis is.
REGGIE - Oooh, low blow.
BOBBY - He's right though. Alexis is a good girl and I love her.
REGGIE - Nigga, you love yourself, just like I love myself and the rest of these dudes on this yard love themselves. As long as these girls want to give it to a playa, I aint complainin'.
NINO - But where does it end bruh? You are hurting feelings and that isn't cool. If you tell a babe that you are seeing other people, then that's ok. But yall are telling these girls that they are the only ones and that is where they get hurt. Now you have a really nice girl who is probably home crying her eyes out over this nigga, and he is dealing with somebody else.
REGGIE - And got her pregnant at that! Damn Bobby, what you gonna do?
BOBBY - I don't know yet. It really hasn't hit me. My main goal now is to talk to Alexis. If she could just hear me out, maybe I could smooth things over with her.
NINO - But what about the baby? Trina aint trying to have it is she?
BOBBY - From what she told me, she is.
REGGIE - Damn! That is crazy!
NINO - Well first things first. Let's find Alexis and see if she will at least hear a brotha out. Where is she?
BOBBY - I guess she went home. She stormed out of Trina's place and sped off. But she really would have no where else to go but to her place.
REGGIE - Well let's go over there and see what happens. We can deal with Trina and this nigga Ronnie later.

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Our scenes change and we rejoin THERESA who demands to know from JASON what is going on. QUINTON and LARRY LAR listen for JASONâs response.

JASON - Theresa baby, can we please talk about this at some other time?
THERESA - What is the deal? You are acting mad shady and I don't like it. If you don't talk to me now, don't plan on talking to me ever again.
JASON - I don't mind talking to you, but this is between you and me. Not everyone in the bookstore.
LARRY LAR - Oh and uh, don't forget us. Moe and Larry over here.
QUINTON - I'm gonna put a stop to this bullshit right now. You played us, now I'm about to play you.
JASON - No Quinton, you don't understand.
QUINTON - Theresa, my name is Quinton and I am interested in pledging Alpha Phi Alpha. Jason and I are not in any study group, we are prospects for the fraternity.
THERESA - What?
QUINTON - Yeah. If Jason wasn't interested in Alpha, I would not even know him.
THERESA - Is that true Jason?
JASON - Theresa...
LARRY LAR - I'm afraid it's true. But that isn't even the worst part. Tell her the rest Q.
THERESA - Yeah, tell me the rest Q.
QUINTON - Well we were supposed to meet the Alphas at the Alpha house earlier today with food. We get there and we can't find our boy Jason here. We give some excuse that he must have been busy and we caught hell for it. So Jason shows up in the nick of time and tells a story of how he was in the library and didn't get any of our pages. Of course the brothers don't believe him so they send one of the Alphas to the library to retrieve his books and his notes.
THERESA - How could that be? He wasn't in the library?
LARRY LAR - That is where I am confused to sweetheart. This brother comes back with books! I was like, oh shit!
JASON - All right! You guys happy now? Iâm sure you have upset Theresa.
THERESA - No you upset me Jason! You didn't tell me that you wanted to pledge Alpha. You know I don't get down with stuff like that.
JASON - I'm sorry. But I have always wanted to be an Alpha. My god father is an Alpha and he was influential in raising me. But I thought it was better to be discreet about it.
THERESA - No, you knew what I would say if I had known.
LARRY LAR thinks - Oh no, here it comes.
THERESA - Now that I do know, I am going to say it. Stay the hell away from me! You lied to me and to your boys, and if you would have been honest with me, we could have worked it out. Now I can't trust you so I'm out!
JASON - Wait, give me another chance.
THERESA - Oh and by the way, I hope pledging gives you some stamina!

(THERESA turns and walks away.)

JASON - Can I call you?

(THERESA keeps walking. LARRY LAR chuckles under his breath.)

JASON - I hope you guys are happy.
QUINTON - Actually I am happy now. I feel so much better that I ruined your game. I think we are even now.
JASON - I guess. Hey look, you know that wasn't on purpose. I really didn't know that the situation at the house was like that. Can you forgive me?
LARRY LAR - Give me a paddle, I will forgive you with about ten hits.
JASON - Bro, the way I feel right now, I would let you do it.

(JASON drops his head.)

QUINTON - Look man, if we are going to do this thing, we have to be in this together. All for one and one for all.
LARRY LAR - Oh god you are corny. But I get your point. So our line name is going to be the three musketeers now?
QUINTON - Three musketeers it is.
JASON - Thanks guys, from my heart. I may not be able to patch things up with Theresa, but I appreciate you guys forgiving me.
LARRY LAR - Don't worry, I'm sure I will get it back from you later at some point.
QUINTON - Yeah me too nigga.
JASON - Well for starters, I'm buying the sprites. Come on, let's get the sodas.
LARRY LAR - Cool.

(JASON, QUINTON and LARRY LAR turn to walk away. They never noticed the woman in the store a few feet away with her back turned to them.)

ASHANTE thinks - So this dude pulled a fast one on frat huh? I wonder if my sands Donte would like to know that this p-boy really wasn't in the library at all today.