Win-Win

EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - AFTERNOON

Chain link fences line homes along the neighborhood street. Unkept gardens, cars with boots and barking dogs.

EXT. MAX'S HOUSE - AFTERNOON

Spokes flicker and flutter. Screeching is heard as the rubber leaves its mark on the sidewalk. ELIJAH, 15, rocks sweats with a fresh fade. He drops is bike on the overgrown yard and heads up the duplex steps.

Elijah overhears a heated conversation beyond the door.

NANA (OFF SCREEN): I told your mom I was going to take care of you and look!

MAX (OFF SCREEN): Nana. It's going to be okay! Maybe we can go to the bank and talk to them--

Elijah brings his ear in closer.

NANA (O.S.): It's too late!! Oh, God. We gotta go. We gotta go. How am I even going to get all these things together, huh?

Elijah slowly brings his fist up to the door.

NANA (CONT'D O.S.): I don't want you to see me like, this Max. I promised your mom, oh, I told her you'd be okay.

MAX (O.S.): Nana-

Elijah knocks on the rusted, metal gated door. Within seconds, the door flies open. MAX, curly, dark hair and a couple strands of facial hair, stands behind the gated door.

MAX: Hey man, gimme a minute, aight?

Elijah: Yeah man, do your thing.

Max heads back inside leaving the door ajar. Nana is seated at the table swimming in overdue bills. Her head resting in her hand, she scribbles in a little black notebook. Max slings his backpack over his shoulder. He leans in, whispering something in Nana's ear and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

Elijah turns towards the street as Max approaches the door.

MAX (O.S.): We can talk about this more tonight, Nana.

EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD Street - AFTERNOON

The boys race down the middle of the empty street. Max turns back to see Elijah trailing behind.

ELIJAH: Yo! Hold up!

MAX: Damn, it would be nice to have some competition around here! I've been beating your ass since the 1st grade!

Max coasts, allowing Elijah to catch up.

ELIJAH: Yeah, but I've been stealing your girls since the second grade!

MAX (laughing): Yeah, thats true!

No hands, they cruise side by side, catching the wind.

Elijah glances to a silent Max.

ELIJAH (hesitantly): Yo, um, everything cool at home?

MAX: Huh?

ELIJAH: Oh, I don't know, it just seemed like something was going on.

MAX: Oh, yeah. You know it's been hard since my mom..you know. Money's tight. Looks like I gotta start hustling these Jordans. Too bad you got tiny ass feet, you could have come up. You know I keep my shit clean.

ELIJAH: No man, for real, I could see her stressing over that little black book. You guys good?

They turn the corner into and park nestled between two large apartment buildings. A group of guys are posted up on cement stairs next to an open basketball court.

MAX: Oh shit! Look who's here!

Max speeds towards the group and jumps off his bike. A tall white kid stands up from the group. His one hand up in the air and one hand holding up his pants as he limps forward.

MAX: JoJo! Shit, I haven't seen you in a minute!

EXT. BASKETBALL COURT STEPS - EVENING

The guys are gathered around JoJo who's holding a speaker up, playing his latest track. Everyone's bobbing to the beat.

MAX: Damn, that part's sick.

JoJo nods knowingly.

JOJO: Hold up, the best part's about to drop.

The song switches to a heavy bass beat. The whole group shouts in excitement.

ELIJAH: FIRE!

The sound of wiring helicopter blades drowns out the music and the boys all look up to the sky. Suddenly the sound of screeching tires approach as two cars drift around the corner towards the park, leaving behind a plume of white smoke.

JOJO: Oh shit!!

A silver 4 door loses control, fishtailing into a wooden post. Smoke starts to billow from the hood thats now wrapped around the pole. The leading car slams on its brakes. Sirens howl from down the street.

MAX: Dip! Dip! Dip!

OTHER BOY: Roll out!

OTHER BOY: SHIT!!

The boys rush to grab their belongings and scatter. Max looks to Elijah, grabs his bike and darts off. Two of the boys jump the back wall to the park. Elijah loses sight of the others and ducks behind the stairs, with his bike next to him. The sirens are heard much closer.

Two passengers from the leading car load the limp bodies from the silver car into the backseat of theirs. Doors slam and tires squeal away just as the flashing lights of the cop cars round the corner.

POLICE MEGAPHONE: PULL OVER. YOU NEED TO PULL OVER.

The cop cars whiz past with the helicopter right behind. Elijah covers his ears as a beam of light sweeps over the park, narrowly missing his bike. He pulls it a little closer in as he holds his breath.

The park is once again quiet and he slowly lifts his head. Everything is strangely still aside from the car that is still spewing liquids, the blinker clicks rhythmically.

JOJO: OH SHIT MAN!

Elijah jumps.

ELIJAH: What the fuck?! whats your problem, dude?

JOJO: What?

Elijah shakes his head and shoves JoJo.

ELIJAH: We gotta get out of here.

JOJO: Not before I check out that car first.

JoJo moves towards the car. He turns to Elijah with a smirk.

ELIJAH: You fucking serious right now?

Elijah chases after him.

ELIJAH (CONT'D): Yo, this is a bad idea, what if they come back and catch us fucking with their shit?

JOJO: Oh, you think so, genius? With all those cops on their ass? Nah, we got some time. Might as well see if they got anything good in there!

JoJo looks around before opening and sliding into the driver's side door. He leans over and cranks the passenger side window. Elijah looks in nervously. Food wrappers litter the floor and stained seats.

JOJO: Man, you gotta relax, over here looking hella sketch.

He pops open the glove box and rifles through papers.

JOJO (CONT'D): Why don't you look in the trunk?

The trunk pops open a crack and Elijah reluctantly heads over and opens it. Elijah stands frozen and eyes widened.

JOJO (O.S.): Yo, anything good?

Elijah doesn't respond.

JOJO (CONT'D): Yo! Elijah! You find anything back there?

ELIJAH: Oh shit.

JoJo comes around to the trunk and hovers next to Elijah.

JOJO: What's oh shit about?

JoJo looks down to an unzipped duffel filled with stacks of cash.

JOJO (CONT'D): Oh. Shit.

The two turn to one another.

ELIJAH: No.

JOJO: Yes.

ELIJAH: No.

JoJo sticks his hand into the duffel and grabs a stack. He fans it across his face.

JOJO: Yo, look at this! There's like I don't know, twenty thousand dollars in here?! When's the last time you've seen that much money!?

ELIJAH: Never. And I'm keeping it that way. Let's go, man. This is like a fucking, I don't know, like a crime scene!

JOJO: They're after those guys and don't even know about this car right now.

JoJo's eyes on the prize, he shoves Elijah to the side.

JOJO (CONT'D): This is my money now!

JoJo begins stuffing stacks into his pockets, his waist line, one stack in his tube sock. Elijah watches in disbelief.

JOJO (CONT'D): Yo, this shit will change someone's life right here!

Elijah watches the pyramid of cash dwindle.

ELIJAH: Fuck it.

Elijah swings his backpack to the front, unzips and begins stuffing stacks. He grabs the last stack and zips up.

JOJO: Aight so, we're not telling anyone, right?

ELIJAH: Yeah, I'm good.

JOJO: Well, let's get the fuck out of here!

INT. ELIJAH'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Posters cover the peeling walls. A twin bed sits by a window lit by street lamps. Elijah sits on his bed staring at his backpack which seems to be staring back.

EXT. BASKETBALL COURT STEPS - AFTERNOON

JoJo is decked out with all new apparel. A gold chain dangles from his neck, fresh sneaks on his feet and a brand new phone in his hand. Several others are there including Max.

JOJO: Y'all feelin' my necklace tho, huh?

Max takes a look at JoJo's ice.

MAX: You get signed overnight or what?

JOJO: Just came up on a lil' sumthin' sumthin'.

Elijah rolls up on his bike. The group greets him.

JOJO: Waddup, Elijah?!

MAX: Sup, man.

ELIJAH: My bad I'm late. I had to do something.

JOJO: All good. I was just about whip out my new track.

MAX: JoJo's all signed and shit now!!

The boys break out in laughter.

Tires screech as a car whips around the corner. The boys freeze and look to the road. Some grab for their things.

This time, a minivan approaches. A woman's voice is heard yelling from the passenger window.

WOMAN (O.S.): MAX!! MAX!!

JOJO: The hell?

OTHER BOY: Who the fuck is that?

ELIJAH: Is that Nana?

MAX: Nana!?

Max books it over to the minivan. The boys watch from afar.

NANA: Max!! We got the money!! We got the money!!

MAX: WHAT?!

NANA: I prayed and I prayed and it was answered!!

MAX: What are you talking about?!?!

Nana steps out of the car and embraces Max. The two have a moment.

Back at the park, JoJo looks to Elijah. Elijah looks to JoJo's sneakers and back to Max and Nana. A smile from ear to ear.

CUT TO BLACK