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In Chapter 7 of FILLMORE, after Clarence gets busted by the cops for beating up and robbing the white boys, his mother and father decide to send him to go stay in San Francisco with his sister to keep him out of trouble ...
EXT. CLARENCE’S HOUSE - DAY
Clarence rides a MOTOR SCOOTER
in the front yard, doing fancy tricks.
Joe watches, delighted.
Clarence ZOOMS up to him,
SKIDS to a stop in the dirt.
JOE
Where’d you get it?
CLARENCE
Where you THINK? I STOLE it.
JOE
Damn, you got BALLS.
CLARENCE
(sees something)
Shit. It’s the COPS.
IN THE DISTANCE
We see a POLICE CRUISER
coming down the road.
CLARENCE
KICKS the engine into gear,
ROARS toward the side yard.
Joe starts RUNNING toward the woods.
Clarence ditches the bike.
Crawls under the house and hides.
The police car pulls into the driveway.
The COPS see Joe, who’s almost
made it to the woods,
but he TRIPS and falls.
The cops JUMP out of the car,
RUN over to Joe. GRAB him.
ROOKIE COP
GOT you, you thieving little SHIT.
GRIZZLED VET
Where’s your friend CLARENCE?
JOE
I d-don’t know.
I haven’t seen him.
John comes outside.
JOHN
What’s going on out here?
GRIZZLED VET
This boy and your son beat up
a couple of white boys
and robbed them last night.
JOE
I don’t know what
you’re talking about.
ROOKIE COP
(SMACKS him)
Shut up.
GRIZZLED VET
We’d like to talk to your son.
Go fetch him.
JOHN
I’m sorry, officers.
I don’t know where he is.
How can you be sure it was Clarence?
GRIZZLED VET
If you know what’s good
for you and your family,
you turn that boy over to us.
JOHN
Yes, sir.
GRIZZLED VET
We’ll be back.
They glare at him.
Drag Joe toward their patrol car.
John sighs. Starts walking around
the house toward the back yard.
JOHN
CLARENCE SIMS.
I know you’re HIDING somewhere --
He looks at the edge of the property.
The tree line.
Then at the back yard.
Then at the house, sees Clarence
hiding in the crawlspace
below the house.
John points at him.
Face turning beet-red.
Clarence climbs out.
JOHN
In the house, NOW.
EXT. CLARENCE’S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Clarence sits in a chair,
head hung low.
John and Idola sit on
the couch in front of him.
JOHN
Do you realize how much TROUBLE
you’re in, young man?
Your foolishment is putting
the whole family in danger.
These white folks are ready
to come after all of us
because of you. Damn hard-head.
(beat)
We’ve made a decision --
IDOLA
Your sister Thelma in San Francisco
is gonna to take you in.
CLARENCE
San Francisco?
I don’t wanna go to SAN FRANCISCO.
JOHN
Listen to me.
You’re a special boy.
You’re smart, but you’re
too wild for these parts.
You’re gonna go stay with your sister
until the heat dies down, you hear me?
IDOLA
This is the best thing for all of us.
Understand?
(hands him a pair of underwear)
Here, take this.
I’ve sewn three thousand dollars
into the lining.
It’s more money than most
colored people see in three years.
We were saving it for all the children
so you could get out of here
and have a better life somewhere else --
(sighs)
But it's your money from the eight thousand
we got in the settlement from the accident --
but now you’re gonna give it
to your sister for her expenses.
She and her husband barely
have enough to live on.
(beat)
This is a second chance, Clarence.
You have to make choices in life,
and we choose to get you outta here alive.
If you stay around here,
you’re gonna get yourself hung.
PUSH IN ON Clarence. Nodding.
Eyes filling with tears.
EXT. CLARENCE’S HOUSE - DRIVEWAY - NIGHT
Clarence and John stand next to his car.
John puts a hat on him.
Gives him a cigar.
Opens the trunk.
Clarence gets in.
JOHN
Now don’t worry.
You’re gonna be okay.
Just don’t make any noise.
CLARENCE
Okay, Poppa.
Clarence nods.
Gets in the trunk.
John closes it.
Gets in the car and drives off --
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