[thunders]
[boy narrating] This is not my hometown. No.
When my parents got divorced, I went to live with my mom
but she said she had some problems with my behavior
and, since my dad was now living in Florida
with his new wife,
I came to stay at my older sister's place in Seattle.
This was six months ago,
which, to tell you the truth,
is five more months than anyone thought I would last.
In exchange for living expenses,
I had promised my dad two things.
One was to get good grades and two was to get a job.
I failed in both,
but that was because I was having a real hard time
adjusting to the time zone.
Dad, I gotta get out of here.
I don't have any money
and I need to finish out my senior year back home.
[man] Where are you going to stay?
I don't know.
-What about your mom's house? -She hates me.
Just call her, your brothers do it all the time.
-But, dad-- -Ray, look it.
I'm not giving you any money.
If you really want to move back, it's up to you.
Dad!
It's on you just to figure it out.
-[woman] Hello? -Mom, it's me, Ray.
[Ray narrating] My mom was never dumb.
She's a mean and insensitive woman, but not dumb.
[woman] You can't live here.
-Mom, what? -I can't afford it, Ray.
I get no support from your fucking dad.
And I have no room in here, so just go up to my dad's.
Well, then I'll have to go to Central.
What's wrong with that?
What's wrong? I'm gonna get killed.
There are bigger problems
than being the only white person in town, right?
But, mom!
Look, it was really nice to hear from you,
but call me back later
if you need anything that's not a place to live or money
and I'll be glad to help.
Mom!
[funky music]
[thunders]
[Ray narrating] Eventually, I called my dad back
and I begged him.
You know, the truth is that he's kind of a pushover.
So I got him to let me stay in his condo back home.
[plane taking off]
[funky music continues]
[Ray] Look at that industrial orgy,
one of the largest industrial complexes in North America,
a community that acts like a clogged toilet.
This area is best described as a spreading cancer.
They call this whole area The Region
and all of its occupants are in turn called the Regionrats
because we feed on just about anything to survive
and we're hard to kill.
[funky music continues]
♪ Don't underestimate me
♪ Two years and you will thank me ♪
♪ Don't think that I'm too blind to see ♪
♪ How you decide what I'm to be ♪
♪ There might be more to me
♪♪
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ There might be more to me
♪♪
♪ Oh
♪ Now walking on someone like me ♪
♪ Could have a consequence
♪ I can't just keep lubricating ♪
♪ Why you left to keep me waiting ♪
♪ I'm not here just for the taking ♪
♪ Watch close, I'm in the making ♪
♪ There might be more to me
♪♪
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Now walking on someone like me ♪
♪ Could have a consequence
[music ends]
[soft playful music]
[phone ringing]
[Ray] Hello?
[man] What's happening?
-Gabe? -Hey, buddy!
Gabe, you're yelling at me.
Oh, shit. Sorry, dude.
Hey, do you still want me to come by and get you?
If that's cool with you.
Killer, I'll see you.
Later.
[voices on the TV]
[Ray narrating] Around here,
it is way more important to look tough than to look good.
Still I wanted to look good,
but not so good that everyone know I did it on purpose.
I had developed an image of not giving two shits
about school or my appearance,
and so I never wanted to seem like a hypocrite.
She is a prep all the way.
Probably picking up Janine,
the girl who lived in my building across from mine,
another prep.
One time, Jeanine asked me to homecoming.
I said no,
mainly because she had eyes like a fruit fly.
I couldn't get over it,
but it was just an instinctive defense mechanism on my part though
because, I mean, aside from the bug eyes,
the girl wasn't all that bad.
But the girl hated me now.
I guess that's the price you pay for upholding standards.
[Gabe] Hey, come on, let's go.
♪ Lemon-colored crayon above me ♪
♪ Venus right beside it
♪ The landscape that I wander knows ♪
♪ The secrets I confide in it
♪ I don't remember what I came to say ♪
♪ My mind drop by your lips
♪ I lost the words...
[Ray] Lots of girls tend to look nice at first sight,
and then, when you keep looking at them,
they seem to deteriorate right before your eyes.
But not her.
Nice to meet you.
[Ray] Hey, you too. Call me Ray.
All right, so here's the deal.
We're picking up this chick, yo, but she don't smoke,
so I'm gonna cash this before she gets in the car.
Here, bro, you take the first hit.
So I hear you're from Seattle.
Yeah, I moved out there to get away for a little while.
[girl] Why?
[Ray] Um, I knew a kid up there and shit, you know.
Where are you from then-- here?
I'm from here, unfortunately.
[girl] Dude, I know how that goes.
♪ So don't resist
♪ One last kiss
♪ Ooh, ho, yeah
♪ I'll be watching you
♪ As I'm lighting up the night sky ♪
[coughing]
♪ And you'll be watching me as I fly ♪
♪ Yeah...
♪ Take what you need...
My uncle, he used to be the sheriff at Lake County
and he tells me everything that goes on over there.
You're such a liar, Gabe.
-Believe whatever you want. -Yeah, I will.
Okay, so, um, Ray,
she doesn't smoke, so don't say anything about weed.
Oh, yeah, it doesn't smell like pot in here or anything.
[Ray] I'm not supposed to say anything.
Oh, really?
Listen, Milada, you want to know what we're smoking?
-What? -Jack shit, that's what.
You're just paranoid.
Milada this is my new friend, Raymond.
Pleasure.
Same here.
Are you really that stoned?
If I was, I wouldn't tell you.
[girl] Milada, let's be nice to Ray, okay?
He's new and you're making him feel unwelcome.
[Ray] Hey, I'm not new.
He's not new. He's just been on vacation.
I've seen him before at school.
When?
Last year.
[girl] You went to Granite last year?
Whoa! Hold on, did you just fucking roll your eyes at me?
What did you just say to me?
You heard me, tons of fun.
[girl] Whoa, dudes, can we please just act like adults?
Raymond, I asked you a question.
Didn't we already cover that?
Yeah, I moved to Granite last year,
but it was a huge mistake on my part.
[girl] Why?
Because I didn't really know what it was like
before I enrolled.
Because you're so cool.
Only by comparison, babe.
[girl] Milada.
Jesus Christ.
Hey, I'm a Christian and I don't care for your language.
I don't need that crap, so please don't swear around me.
Thank you very much.
[Ray] I'm sorry, for Christ's sake.
[Gabe] Here we go again.
Oh, fuck.
That's a very intelligent comment.
[girl] Wow, dudes, chill.
This is supposed to be a peaceful car.
[Ray narrating] My thesis, Erin was cool,
but Milada was a stuck-up little bitch.
Ah, General Math class.
No smart kids here
and that's why it's called General Math.
Once in a while, I felt like writing short stories,
but I can never write something good
because I always felt like you need to have
a master's degree in English to write something.
Plus, you needed to be pretentious and faggy
and have lots of issues.
I had this idea for a short story
about a concentration camp for senior citizens.
Short story or business plan?
Time would tell.
[bell ringing]
[Ray] Fag or just friendly?
Identify yourself.
Hey.
Oh, hey.
So, how's it going?
[Ray] Um, what is going? What's this?
A note, dude.
Oh, from who?
From me, you dumbass.
And don't let anyone see it, okay?
[Ray] Okay.
I gotta go.
[Erin] Bye.
[Ray] Bye.
-Hey, Ray! -Oh, what's up, Gabe?
-[Gabe] What's up? -Nothing much.
What up, biatch!
What's up?
Brian, Ray. Ray, Brian.
-What's up, Brian? -What up, boss?
Brian's got the biggest car.
Pretty cool jacket, bro.
Thanks, man.
Hey, man, you want to do this?
Yeah. You guys ready?
[Jacob] Let's get fucked up.
All right, fellas, this is the only one I got.
Brian, can you match me?
I got tomorrow, man.
How about you, Ray?
I'll dice, Jack.
[Ray narrating] Most pot smokers here
are really into equal contribution.
Basically, you have to give a little to get a little
and they are really big on matching each other.
I guess you could have just gone
and smoked your own bowl by yourself,
but smoking by yourself
would be a sure sign you had a problem.
Fuck. None of us are gonna get high off this dinky doodle.
Yeah, I know a guy where we can cop some.
Real, where to?
[Jacob] Steer driving, right up there.
[Ray] It's next to impossible
to land any good kind of skunk buds in The Region.
All we had to smoke was this brown brick Mexi weed.
The seeds were especially nasty to smoke
and it tasted horrible.
If you even pass around a bowl with a seed in it,
it's considered offensive and rude.
-[Brian] Ray, right? -Yeah.
I remember seeing you around last year,
but not the year before that.
I spent freshman and sophomore year at St. Mary's.
Hell, this homie's got this here dime bags.
Man, what is this?
This home weed is old-school.
Man, he puts all his weed in a blender and shit.
I mean, seed, stems and all.
Seeds?
That's fucking disgusting.
Man, you ain't gotta smoke none if you don't want to.
Pass that fucking--
[playful music]
All right, so... meet up after class?
I'm gonna skip.
Yeah, me too, man.
Wow!
Man, I'll catch you on the flip side.
I got a jam. I'm fixed. I'm going to be late for class.
[Brian] Hey, hey, hey. Don't slam the door.
-All right don't slam my-- -[slam]
Fucking douche.
All right, I'll call you two cats when I get home.
What are you gonna do?
I don't know, boss.
I got RC Pro on Nintendo. You down?
Where do you live?
[video game music]
Do you mind if I ask you about something?
Shoot.
It's about Erin.
What about her?
She's fucking trouble. That's what about her.
So?
So? I saw that she gave you a ride today.
Yeah, it's not like I asked her to.
She was just with Gabe.
Did she tell you that she likes you?
Yeah, why the fuck would you ask that?
Because she likes new guys.
Well, I'm not new.
Well, you're new to her.
Can I let you in on something?
Go ahead.
She's been dating Colin Otteson.
And this guy Colin is the toughest fuck
I've ever seen, all right?
He plays linebacker up in Carthage, Wisconsin.
What else?
Do you need a fucking what else?
She's a fucking scammer, all right?
They've been dating for two years.
Last month, she played my friend Daniel.
Got his fucking face kicked in.
Worst ass-kicking I've seen all year.
[Brian] What the fuck? Why you stopped the game?
Check this out.
-What the fuck is this? -Just read it.
Well, don't fucking call that whore.
Yeah, well, thanks for the info.
Well, I don't care how tough you think you are.
This guy will bury you if he finds out
that you're after her. Trust me.
What would you do if you were in my shoes?
I've been in your shoes. I fucked her in sophomore year.
What about this guy, Colin?
He wasn't even with her back then.
[Ray narrating] I guess it would have been smart
just to blow her off.
I knew the facts about her
or, at least, the evidence that I got from the Brain.
She had a boyfriend, a huge psychotic boyfriend.
Second, she had a history of playing guys
and then there's the kicker,
the Brain already fucked her.
[playful music]
[man] Hello?
Lue, Lue the Jew, what up? It's Ray.
Nothing dude.
Look, I got Christine on the other line.
Oh, okay. Just give me a call when you get a chance.
-I'm at my old man's place. -All right.
-Hey. -Patrick.
No, this is Elle.
-Oh, where's Patrick? -Oh, no.
My dad kicked his ass and he ran out the door a while ago.
Oh, thanks.
-Hello? -Ricky.
Yo, wuzzup, Koslowski?
Just chilling, man. What are you up to?
We got three roadies coming by for some hot tub action.
You should cruise over soon.
Yeah, I'm gonna get my old man's junk
and I'll be over there soon.
Wack. Cause we're jumping in the hot tub
as soon as the whores get here.
All right, I'll see you later.
[rock music]
[Ray narrating] I met Ricky and Patrick at St. Mary's,
a private Catholic school I got expelled from
for some type of fraudulent claim.
But that's not something I like to talk about.
Even though Ricky was well-spoken and book smart,
he always wanted to lead people to believe
that he was some sort of tough-talking thug
with broken English.
When he would get fucked up, the broken English dominated,
and he was always fucked up.
-Koslowski! -What's up, Ricky?
How's that Seattle action going for you?
[Ray] Good, good.
Got a lot of fine bitches over there?
[Ray] Tons, especially Asians.
Nice, it sounds like some real good Asian action.
I'll have to make a Seattle mission sometime in the future
so I can get some of that shit.
Where's your parents?
In Mazatlán.
[man] ...to think that is not possible...
Where are the roadies? I thought they were coming over.
Come on, babe, let's gonna do the...
[Ricky] Not sure.
I hope this ain't gonna be a sausage festival.
Pat's over there giving them a piece of his mind right now.
Fuck.
-Fucked up! -What's up, Pat?
Can't sneak out of the house tonight.
Why do they have to sneak out?
Cos they're 16.
Isn't that illegal?
Not for Ricky.
Whatever, Patrick Fuckovski.
You're the one who wants to screw Janice.
Fuck you, you fucking wannabe-nigger.
Yo, quit with the nigger shit, asshole.
Listen, you curry munching fuck,
I've already banged Janice like 500 times.
Yeah, how have you done it like 500 times
if she's only 16?
Because I've been banging her since I was 15.
[Ray] Don't you get tired of that?
Still gotta get her in the pooper...
like your mom likes it.
Fuck you, Pat!
Hey, Ray, what about them grant a roady?
[phone ringing]
Hello?
Yo, Gabe, it's Ray.
[Ricky] Who the fuck is Gabe?
Hey, what are you doing tonight?
I'm at Ricky's place in Twin Hills.
Feel like hanging?
Depends. What's going on?
They got coke over here.
I'll see you real quick and I'll jet right over.
Wait, wait, wait. Not so fast.
We need some girls.
How many?
I don't care. Just no dogs.
I'll see what I can do.
You guys smoke too much of that shit.
Yo, it's not too much of cocaine.
Well, you suck too much dick, you cracked out Apu.
Your mom sucks too much dick guy
and, if I'm one of the cracks,
she'd be the first bitch I'd turn to.
[playful music]
[screams]
[music ends]
[rock music]
[hitting billiard ball]
Ray, what's up, man? How you doing?
Shit, beer.
♪ And if you want it
♪ If you want it
♪ People think that you are smart ♪
You didn't call.
♪♪
Hey, Ray.
♪♪
Hey, Aleya-Aleya-Oda.
Am I saying your name right?
Nice to see you again.
Speak for yourself.
[Ray narrating] I knew Jolene from Geometry class.
When she was a senior, I was a junior.
She was two years older than the other girls
and Ricky was a year older than me
and the same age as Patrick and...
She was 19.
That's Jolene's best friend, Lisa.
Everywhere Jolene was, Lisa was there too.
[Jolene] Which one of you jerks is Raymond?
Hello, Jolene.
You know me?
Geometry class?
Remember? We had Geometry class last year.
I don't remember you.
I set the fire and sat behind your boyfriend James
last year in Geometry class?
[Ray] At least, I think it was your boyfriend.
[playful music]
[Ray narrating] Those two were now missing.
Gone to another part of the house.
What were they doing?
The truth is that I had no idea,
but, as a child, I ate lots of junk food
and watched lots of TV, so I always assumed the worst.
So, Ray.
Yeah?
Do you like Erin?
What?
No bullshit.
Oh, no, dog. Sounds like they own your ass.
No, I do not like Erin.
Okay? I repeat, I do not like Erin.
[Ray] Satisfied?
No.
-[Ray] Why not? -Because you're lying.
[Ray] Oh, how the hell would you know?
Guys, just leave him alone, all right?
Face it. You all know about Erin, okay?
You know what?
I have school tomorrow, so I'll see you later.
[Jolene] Nice to meet you, Ray.
[Ray] Mm-hmm.
Hey, will you please give me a ride home?
I have to be home by midnight
and I don't know where Erin is.
Sure.
Are you sure?
Why wouldn't I be?
What?
I'm trying to figure out if you're a pothead or not.
Why?
Erin's a pothead.
What's that gotta do with me?
She has a boyfriend, you know?
So I've heard.
Where did you hear that? I know she didn't tell you.
-No, she didn't tell me. -How'd you find out then?
Fuck Milada. I don't mean to be fucking rude,
but it's really none of your business.
It's just only certain kinds of guys are good for Erin.
Mostly guys that only want to have sex with her.
[Milada] Thank you.
[Ray narrating] I guess I was wrong about her.
I mean, first I thought she was this huge bitch,
but she was cool.
Most of the chicks that you meet around here
are jealous, possessive
and think that they can screw guys over
and apologize later.
Hi, what can I get you?
I want to get a slice of cheese, please.
Hey, we're having a lunch special today.
You can get two slices and a drink for $5.25.
Um...
Yeah, let's do it. Yeah.
[girl] Ray?
Ari?
Raymond, what are you doing here?
Just grabbing some lunch. What are you doing here?
I've been back a while.
Oh, I thought you loved Boston.
Uh, something happened and I came home.
You work here?
Yeah, I'm the assistant manager.
-Assistant manager? -[laughing] Yes.
Very cool.
[Ray narrating] Last time I saw Ari Lopez,
we had gone out for a meaningless movie date.
Meaningless for her because I had a crush on her.
Then she moved to Boston
and was sending me letters all the time.
After I started dating another girl,
Ari started to freak me out
because her letters were turning into hate mail.
So, I hear you like Erin Watkins.
Are you okay?
-Where did you hear that? -Oh...
Her boyfriend, Colin, is friends with my brother
and I heard he's pretty pissed.
I don't know why cause I haven't done anything
and, for once in my life,
I'm gonna get killed for something I never did.
Can you like tell your brother something for me?
Um, I could, but...
what are you gonna do for me?
What?
Well, don't you think that you should do something
for me, Raymond?
No, I don't think.
What kind of fucking extortion is this?
Aren't we like friends?
Ray, I think I can help you.
Um...
I don't know. I feel...
kind of weird after all those angry letters you sent me.
Ray...
I'm pregnant.
What?
He won't talk to me and...
I don't want everyone to know before him.
I mean, you don't have to tell me...
I'm--
I'm HIV positive.
Who is this guy?
He's in my grade. You don't know him.
Tell me what to say.
Well, whatever you decide to say say it before Tim.
What do I say to him? Where do I find this guy?
There's this guy called Falco.
He's having a party tonight and Tim will be there.
So, do you know how you got the HIV?
I think I got it through a blood transfusion
when I was 13.
I'll leave town in three days.
My grandfather has a farm out in Alabama
and there's a really good AIDS Center
in Birmingham and I'm gonna get treatment...
[Ray] I can't imagine how scary it must be
to find out you have AIDS
and here I am, healthy and angry,
with a don't-give-a-fuck attitude.
I needed to change into a better person.
[playful music]
[phone ringing]
-Hello. -Raymond?
Erin? Hey.
Why did you leave the party early last night
and then you weren't at school today?
I really wanted to talk to you.
I just slept in. Why? What's up?
Well, it's really nice to talk to you again.
I didn't think that you would talk to me again.
Why would you say that, dude?
I don't know, it just seemed like you really liked Patrick
last night and you ran off with him.
No, what the fuck? I don't fucking like Patrick.
I don't care if you do.
Well, I don't,
and I'm sick of people accusing me of shit
all the time, and now you're accusing me of shit too?
Okay, let's just forget it, okay?
[Ray narrating] Oh, she had to be lying to me.
Patrick always scored. Always.
You couldn't bet against this guy's luck
no matter what girl it was.
So, what are you doing tonight?
I'm thinking about stopping by this house party later.
Oh, yeah, Falco's.
I was thinking of going though...
I think I want to go and get a tattoo.
Um...
Maybe we can hang out afterwards
like... around midnight.
Can I come over?
Ray?
Yeah, yeah.
♪ I could tell that things weren't right ♪
♪ By the way you stared into the night... ♪
How the hell do you afford a place like this?
It's actually my dad's place.
He's up in Florida right now with his wife right now.
So he's letting me crash here.
It's just a hub.
It's a fatty deal.
How'd you get the beer?
Check this out.
I actually know this guy. It's a real license.
Here.
Franco Peters?
Who do you guys think is going to be the next president?
What? Who the fuck cares?
I do.
If you paid attention,
you'd know that the number of people on welfare is down,
violent crime is down
and enrollment for women in college is up.
Shit. You hear that Ray?
[Brian] Now what the hell are we gonna do for a living?
Guys, you really need to cut the lazy crap.
You need to go to college
if you want to give yourself some opportunities.
I'm gonna fuck that shit.
I'm gonna start lifting, get a football scholarship.
They do not give free rides to the waterboy.
So, you going to that party tonight or what?
[Jolene] No. Erin and I are gonna go get tattoos.
Didn't you know?
[Ray] What?
Why would I know that?
-Give me that joint, man. -[Jolene] Mm-hmm.
-Give me-- -Mm-hmm.
Man, thanks for hogging this thing.
I've rolled this one, roller's rights.
[Jolene laughs]
[loud rock music]
-[Guy] Hey, Ray! -I have to talk to you.
-Like right now? -Yes, now. Follow me.
What happened?
Some guys are looking for Raymond.
They're Colin Otteson's friends.
So what? They ain't gonna do shit to you, man.
Why are you freaking him out for?
They want to jump him tonight.
Wait. Me?
Ray, you have to leave.
No, you guys just both need to chill out a second, alright?
Those guys, like Rodriguez and Mitchell,
all they do is talk shit.
They never actually do anything about it.
Shut up. Raymond, will you please leave?
Yeah, I'll leave after I talk to someone first.
Who?
Some Tim McQuaid guy.
What? Why is that funny?
Ray, you can't talk to Tim.
Why can't I? What's so funny about it?
He's the one looking for you. He's Colin's best friend.
[Gabe] It ain't no big deal, dude.
If you want to talk to him, I say let's go talk to him.
-I got your back, man. -Raymond, please.
[Ray] No, fuck, you know what?
I haven't even done anything fucking wrong, okay?
I lived in East Chicago for four years of my life, okay?
I saw people getting shot there all the time.
Shit like that makes you tough.
You know those guys over there are from fucking Candyland.
They really don't know who they're messing with
by fucking with me.
I'm out of here.
Fucking awesome!
[Ray narrating] One of the things I always wanted to see
was the Big Dipper.
I always wondered if it was really up there.
But I have no idea how to spot star patterns.
Hey.
You by yourself?
Yeah.
Gabe says you want to tell me something.
Yeah, listen, I know you want to kick my ass right now,
but let me just say what I need to say,
which may make you want to kick my ass even more.
So can I just say this
and then we can deal with the other issues later?
Go for it.
Can you like promise me that you won't do anything
because it ain't easy what I'm about to tell you
and chances are I might say something that's pretty stupid.
[sirens wailing afar]
I promise.
It's about Ari.
-Ari? -Yeah.
-Are you sleeping with her? -No. No, no, no.
Cause I don't care if you are. She ain't my girl.
No, I'm not, I'm not. I swear.
She was warning me about Erin.
And I told her nothing was going on.
And I asked her to see if she can get
kind of your friend off my back for me.
And she said that she would try,
but she asked me to do something for her first.
Yeah, that sounds like her.
Last year she was the teacher's A in my black history class.
Whatever that means.
[clearing throat]
So I needed to pass the final in order to graduate.
She got me a copy of the test.
So I slept with her
and, when I tried to break it off, she totally freaked out.
She told me she was pregnant twice.
Both times I made her take a test in front of me.
Both times were negative.
So keep on going.
It doesn't really matter.
No, no, no, no.
I want to hear it.
So, we were eating lunch
and she was telling me some stuff and...
she said that she has AIDS
and that possibly you might have AIDS too
and she said that she's pregnant.
That's funny.
Sure wasn't funny when she was telling me.
She's got some serious psychological issues.
Fucking nut.
Yeah, it fucking pisses me off
that like she wants me to do this for her
and now I got all these people wanting to kick my ass.
Yeah, but that's because of Erin.
And...
her boy Colin is pretty sore at you.
I don't get it I've only met Erin a couple of times.
Like she came and rode me to school one time
and now all these rumors are flying around
that we like each other and shit.
I don't know if it's her starting it or who,
but it's just fucking annoying.
Unfortunately, Colin's a hothead.
He can't trust her.
She drives him fucking nuts.
So what should I do?
Stay away from her.
And maybe, if you're lucky,
everything will blow over.
I'll talk to Colin,
tell him there's nothing going on there.
Cool.
But, if I find out that you're fucking lying to me,
I'll come find you and I'll fucking kill you.
Yeah, sounds like a deal.
One more thing.
Oh, fuck man!
That's why people still think they can't fuck with me
-and Colin will be satisfied. -Shit...
You'll thank me later.
Yeah, no. I don't think I will.
Yeah, well I think you should go now.
I'll tell the guys you put up a good fight.
[phone ringing]
Hello?
Hey, what the hell happened, man?
I heard you got into a scrap and then you guys ran off.
I was fucking walking home
and this guy basically beat me up on the side walk.
You know, it's all because that bitch Erin.
God, she's really pissed me off now.
Damn, well is it cool if Milada and I stop by?
Freak girl here wants to see you.
I mean, who's all coming over?
Because I really don't want a fucking post-fight conference
at my house tonight.
Oh, it's just the two of us. Be right over.
Okay.
[Ray narrating] I should have stayed in Seattle.
[doorbell ringing]
[playful music]
Hey, Raymond.
Uh...
You're here.
Can I have a beer?
Shit.
-Um... -What?
I have to write a letter for my uncle
because he's actually on his plane right now...
Why is your uncle coming over at midnight?
Well, my dad needs to give him money
and I'm not supposed to be here.
So, I gotta run downstairs real quick.
Wait, how did you even get here?
-Where did you park? -Jolene dropped me off.
We went to get tattoos together,
but she didn't think that you'd be here.
Where's Jolene?
Once you buzzed me in, she left.
Why?
Because I wanted to be alone with you.
Hold on.
What did you get?
I got...
an evergreen tree
with the Sun behind it.
Right here on my heart.
Cool.
Jesus, Raymond what happened?
You noticed, huh?
What the fuck happened, Ray?
Tim McQuaid kicked the shit out of me at that party.
Why?
I don't know, I was hoping that you can tell me.
Look, I'm-- I'm so sorry.
I tried to tell him that it was over and...
he didn't listen to me.
He doesn't listen to me.
I tried to tell him the truth Ray and he got so pissed off.
Well, what did you say to him?
The truth, that there's someone else.
That's what I said, and he wanted to know who and how.
What exactly did you tell him?
I told him--
I told him that I was with you now.
Erin, we've only talked a couple of times.
I know. I just--
I can't explain how I feel around you.
This just feels right to me and...
I'm so sorry that this happened to you.
It's okay.
[Ray narrating] All my angry feelings vanished
like money in my pocket.
I didn't want to push the envelope
and go for the boob grab.
Instead, we just sat there for hours.
I got a feeling from her hands
like the one I used to get from my mother,
who was usually a very mean woman,
but she would do this whenever I was feeling really hurt.
And I remember thinking,
"So this is what mothers are for."
[Ray] Now they do talk funny,
but there are some solid differences
between The Region and Seattle.
[Gabe] Like what?
Well, people here have poor fucking diets.
What?
What did you have for lunch today?
A greasy ass Polish sausage and some French fries.
I had beef tacos. Tacos are healthy.
[Ray] Not fucking beef tacos, fat fuck.
Look, most people in Seattle are vegetarians.
What's a vegetarian? They don't eat greasy ass shit.
I mean, here there's all this inbreeding.
I'm serious guys.
What's The Region populated with? Fucking hillbillies.
What's a hillbilly?
People who fuck their first-generation cousins.
Look at all these sunburns, Polish sausages and inbreeding.
Fucking x-files-types shit people equals this whole town.
Man, I think you are the one that was inbred.
[Ray] I was born in Chicago, okay? A fucking city.
Not only are my parents not cousins,
they are so unlike each other they basically hate each other's fucking guts.
Where's Milada?
[Gabe] She might be showing up later.
She was breaking up with that asshole.
Oh, Gabe, I see a door opening?
What?
Don't what me, you prick. You know what I'm talking about.
Whatever man.
[loud music playing]
-[Erin] Come, come. -What's up?
Smoke a joint with us, dude.
Oh, no, I'm fine.
Oh, come on, Ray, you can't flake on me.
No, I'm just trying to cut down, you know?
-For me. -No.
Please, because we never spend time together.
Erin, if he doesn't want to, it's okay.
I guess, I'll smoke.
[Ray] It was nice of Jolene to stick up for me,
but I felt like I was just holding up a sign saying,
"Hey, I'm a freak. Leave me the fuck alone."
-Thank you. -You're welcome.
[tires screeching]
Oh, shit.
-What? -I'm gonna go see who it is.
Oh, shit, shit, shit.
-What's going on? -Shit.
Um, like, get lost.
Leave. You need to go.
-It's them. -Shit, shit, shit.
Who?
Ray, what the fuck are you still doing here?
-Leave. -Is it the cops?
Leave! Get the fuck out!
[Gabe] Shit!
Did you guys see who's here? Quick, turn off the lights.
Colin, go home.
I ain't going anywhere.
You like my girl, big shot?
-Colin, please... -Shut the fuck up.
You like this fucking guy?
Huh?
What the fuck are you crying for?
I can't fucking trust you.
Are you going to answer the fucking question?
Do you like this fucking asshole?
Yes.
[playful music]
Colin, stop! Colin!
Shit...
I should fucking kill you right now.
[Colin] You think someone else is gonna love you the way I do?
Guess again, bitch.
[playful music continues]
[Erin crying]
Colin!
Colin.
[sirens wailing afar]
[officer] What do you mean?
I think they gave me dog shampoo.
We don't use dog shampoo.
Pretty sure you guys do
because that definitely smells like dog shampoo.
Kid, you've been charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
The individual you assaulted
was taken to St. Catherine's hospital,
where he's undergoing surgery to repair his jaw,
which was shattered.
What did you hit him with?
-He's in the hospital? -Yes.
My fist.
Witnesses say there was a weapon.
Just my fist.
Now the stories don't quite line up
and no weapon has been recovered so far,
so it'll just come down to your word against his.
Visiting hours are from 10:00 in the morning
until 2:00 in the afternoon every day, except Sunday.
On Sunday, you get the whole day from 7:00 in the morning
until 8:00 at night.
Any questions?
After you make your one phone call,
I'll have those injuries checked out.
Do you have a family attorney
that would normally represent you in this kind of situation?
No.
In that case, one will be appointed to you
by the public defender's office.
[Ray narrating] My family in particular was not very personal.
We had a business-like relationship
and my dad would never bail me out of jail
or any of my brothers and sisters for that matter.
There was no one to call.
I could die in jail before anyone noticed I was missing.
I've been arrested at least 10 times,
but I'd been pinched for the usual kid stuff,
you know, underage drinking, vandalism,
curfew violations and petty stuff like that.
Then I was released to any adult that knew me well enough
to pick me up at some police station
in a narrow-minded town in the middle of any given night.
[ball bouncing]
Yo, what the fuck man?
[man] Get up.
[playful music]
Move your head!
[alarm ringing]
[woman] Yeah, that's broken.
Are you wondering what I'm in for?
No.
I robbed a bank.
Must be a pretty shitty bank robber.
Alright, let's have a look.
-Does this hurt? -Yeah.
Alright.
[Ray] Sweet Jesus...
I take that as a yes.
Yeah, you're going to need stitches.
It's nice to have such a fine nurse working on me.
I was afraid I was gonna get a bull dyke or something.
What are you doing 20 years from now?
That's about the time when I get out of federal prison.
We should hang out, you know.
We should like go out to eat or catch a movie or something.
Shut the fuck up.
[voiceless]
[playful music]
[Ray narrating] The worst part of jail is that it's so boring.
I don't know anything about palm reading,
but I thought that maybe, if I looked at my hand long enough,
I might start understanding.
I wonder if I was ugly or not.
I wonder if I have ugly feet?
Do I have ugly feet?
Do I have too much hair?
[playful music continues]
[officer] You made bail.
Whoo!
What's up, guys?
You look like a rotten sack of shit.
Five hundred bucks to bust you out.
I'll pay you guys back, don't worry about it.
Forget about that action, Mr. Raymond,
we don't need you to pay us back,
but we do need your help today.
Okay, yeah, I'm just gonna go home, shower real quick.
Man, I've been using dog shampoo for the longest time.
Nah. No time for that.
[Ricky] You take a shower in my place.
I can get you some clean clothes.
Come on.
I mean, I can shower at my place, really not a big deal.
Yo, Ricky.
Hey, Brain, it's Ray.
Wasn't too cool, man. I don't plan on going back.
Man, I hear you, bro.
Guess what though, I got your jacket.
Oh, thank you.
Shit wasn't easy either.
Fucking Erin did not want to give that shit up.
Why wouldn't she let you have it?
She was trying to accuse me of stealing the fucking thing.
Did she sound pissed?
Nah.
She actually sounded kind of concerned.
I told her about how you got dragged away by the police and everything.
Oh, man!
Homeboy that you hit went home with his mouth wired shut.
He's gonna be eating chicken soup through a straw.
Well, hey, I need to come get my lucky jacket,
so where are you located?
All right, I'll see you soon. Bye.
Smells like fucking bleach in here.
Oh, shit, I made you look good.
Good my ass. What the fuck am I wearing?
Yeah, at least, you look like you had a shower now.
I need to go get my jacket.
Right, but afterwards,
we need your help with the ultimate mission.
What the hell is the ultimate mission?
We're busting into the country club in Shorewood.
Inside, cash box that might have four grand in it.
It's supposed to be light as fuck.
You guys do realize I just got out of jail, right?
Come on, Ray. It'll take five minutes.
Come on, y'all, you owe us, guy.
I just got out of jail.
Just stay in my mom's car.
We just need a watchdog.
[playful music]
Ricky, can you hear me?
Ricky, do you copy?
Fucking Ricky. God.
[police siren]
-Afternoon. -Good afternoon.
License and registration, please.
Of course.
Here you go.
What happened to your face?
Oh, it was just a little accident.
So, what is your business here today, Mr. Peters?
Yeah, I'm just waiting for my girlfriend to get back, sir.
Where's your girlfriend?
She's out right running.
-Running here? -Yeah.
You know, we just drive up here,
and I park, read the news and she just runs around.
She's training for like a marathon or something.
Well, I've been here all afternoon, son.
I haven't seen anyone running around the park.
Well, it's a pretty big park, sir.
Mr. Peters, stay inside your car, please.
[playful music]
Your girlfriend, Mr. Peters, who owns this car,
she's 50 years old?
Yes, but she looks 35 though.
And when is your girlfriend supposed to be back again?
Um, not for like ten minutes or is it two hours.
I mean, she's in the marathon, so it really varies.
Alright, there's no parking allowed here.
-Oh. -So when I come back here
on my next round, I do not want to see this car parked here.
-Do you understand? -Yeah. I understand. Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, you're gonna have to go around the parking lot
to the main gate.
Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah.
-You have a good day. -Hey, you too.
[officer] Take care.
[voices over radio]
[starting car]
[doors closing]
[car leaving]
[doorbell ringing]
-[Ray] Yeah? -[Jolene] Hey, Ray it's me.
Can I come up?
[door opening]
Jesus, Ray it's hot in here.
Sorry.
Why the hell are you sorry?
I don't know.
You don't know?
What are you doing?
[Ray narrating] There has to be some reason she was there
and it was not because she liked me or anything, you know.
She was too smart for me or too real of a person,
not that I was stupid,
but I would only date stupid girls
because it was the only type of girl that would buy my act.
So, what's up with you?
Like, do you want something?
Hey, you don't have a bag I can score, do you?
No. I don't have anything right now.
You want to cruise around and find something?
Right now?
Sure, yeah, keep me company.
-I'm in. -Put a fucking shirt on.
Okay.
[safety belt alarm beeping]
[Ray narrating] In The Region, there is nothing to do,
especially, if you're under 21.
We were always so bored that it was not so strange
for someone to just not want to go home.
So we would just drive around and seek out friend after friend
trying to find someone to just hang out with
for a few hours.
So, Erin told me you haven't called her yet.
Did she send you?
No.
She wouldn't be too happy if she knew I was in her territory.
Territory?
Did you two sleep together?
I'm just curious.
You don't have to answer if you don't want to.
[Ray] So what's your story?
[Jolene] My story?
[Ray] Yeah, you know, personal life.
[Jolene] How about let's not?
[Ray] I'm sure you'd end up boring me to death anyway.
[Jolene] What makes you say that?
[Ray] This is The Region.
I know a lot of people think this place is dull.
Trust me, I hate it too.
You'd be surprised what you find out about people out here.
[Ray] Over the next hour or so, Jolene and I
drove around the deserted middle America's streets.
I told her about my childhood
and about my parents and my brothers and sisters
and about my favorite things and my least favorite things.
Jolene told me about her childhood too
and how she and her boyfriend met
and how she can never love anyone
as much as she loved that boy,
which turned out was the main reason for her visit.
She and her boyfriend, James, had a fight
and she just wanted the male point of view.
She told me about how someone molested her
when she was little.
A secret that she made me swore on my life
that I wouldn't tell anyone.
[soft music]
♪ These are the best days of our lives ♪
[music ends]
[car approaching]
Fucking asshole.
[tires screeching]
[car crashing and rolling over]
[silence]
[sirens wailing afar]
[sirens coming nearer]
[suspense music]
[thunders]
[monitor beeping]
Mom?
-Mom. -Mm?
Mom, are you awake?
Mm, I am now...
-What's going on? -How are you feeling?
I don't know.
Oh, well, your skull is fractured in three places.
You can't feel it?
No.
They want you to have surgery. Um...
[laughing] It looks like you've been hit with a giant sledgehammer.
Where's my dad?
Your dad is still in Florida.
How'd you know I was here?
I got a phone call.
They asked if you were my son
and I thought they were going to ask if I could...
come and identify your body.
And then the officer on the phone,
a man called, um, Connor--
Conway, something like that, I don't know,
he said you'd been involved in an accident
and I just knew you were dead.
[crying]
I swear... my heart stopped beating
and I couldn't breathe and then...
and then he said you were alive.
And...
that's all he said he could tell me.
[door opening and closing]
Hello, Mrs. Koslowski.
[woman] Carlson.
Uh, Carlson.
Raymond, how are you feeling?
Okay.
Well, you've shattered your cheekbone
and there's some damage to your sinus cavities.
Have you been experiencing some difficulty in breathing?
Yeah.
Okay, so that's gonna continue until after the surgery.
Okay, let me tell you what's gonna go on is
we are going to take two small metal plates
and place them under your skin.
One is going to go on your left eye cheek
and then the other one is going to go
right above the eye socket, right underneath the eyebrow.
And we are also going to have to repair the sinus cavities
and that's going to be a little bit more difficult
because we have to insert a small balloon
for each cavity
so that we can piece the shattered cavity
back together again.
Each balloon we inflate,
there's going to be a hose connected to it
that is going to be running through your nasal passage
and out through your nostrils.
You're going to have to wear this for a while.
It's not going to add to your pain.
It is going to obviously
make the breathing continue to be difficult for a while, okay?
[Ray] Okay.
So don't play any sports.
Don't get into any fights.
Don't engage in any kind of activities
that are going to require physical contact.
How long do I have to wear the balloons and tubes?
Until the sinus cavity has had time to heal.
Probably a month or so.
And then we'll bring you right back in here
and we'll cut those hoses with some scissors.
We'll deflate the balloons
and then we will discard all the rubber
that is living up in the nasal cavity
and we'll just pull it right through your nose.
[doctor] Alright. Very well then.
In a little bit here I'll have somebody come in
and escort you for a few more x-rays, okay, Raymond?
Okay.
-Mrs. Carlson. -Thank you, doctor.
[door opening and closing]
I'm scared, mom. I'm so fucking scared.
[Mrs. Carlson crying] It's okay...
I'm scared.
[soft music]
[thunders]
[soft music continues]
[Brian] After Jolene died,
everybody gathered at Sydney's house.
Everybody you know is there.
Even everybody you don't know.
Everybody was just so bummed
and some people were even crying.
Leslie asked, "How do we really know what happened?"
Everybody just grew silent.
Then, all of a sudden, Erin had to open her fucking mouth.
"I know what happened," she said.
Everybody was shocked.
How would she know anything about that?
"He killed her," she said. Just like that.
Just like it was a fucking fact or something.
How would she know?
She said she saw you driving around.
She said she was parked at a red light and you drove by.
She said you were heading east on Main Street.
Main Street?
She even said that you were in Jolene's car.
We weren't even going down Main Street.
We were going down fucking Ridge Road.
Why the fuck would she say that?
She just said it out of nowhere.
And of course they're gonna fucking believe the bitch.
And Gabe was talking about,
"Oh, Ray, he's always fucking high."
A bunch of guys were talking about killing you afterwards.
I don't know how serious they were, but they did say it.
Who? What guys?
Colin Oddsop and his boys. Who the fuck do you think?
I need to call Gabe.
Yo, fuck Gabe!
I can't trust that fuck as far as I could throw him.
He tries to play the friend bullshit
when there's girls around
and wants to pull a bunk move when the boyfriend is away.
[soft music]
[voiceless]
[Ray] I'm sorry.
I'm really sorry.
You really shouldn't be here.
Ray,
I can only tell you this once.
It doesn't matter to me
whether or not you were driving Jolene's car.
I just want you to know that I'm a Christian
and I'm not gonna judge you,
but people have.
I can't risk my friends
to continue to be a part of your world.
So, from now on, we can't talk anymore.
And I don't want you to think
it's because I don't care about you. I do.
It's just...
I can't spend my life campaigning for your innocence.
I'm so sorry, Ray.
Bye.
[steps going away]
[rock music]
♪ Hey, hey
♪ It's what you feeling on the inside ♪
♪ You're really lonely on the inside... ♪
[Patrick] Holy fucking shits!
You look like shit, dude.
I almost thought about calling the exterminator
when I saw you.
Tell me about it.
So, she's dead?
The girl who came to Ricky's party?
We should go now.
Okay.
All right, Ray, let's go to Saints.
Yo, Singh has some of that propellant 70 shit.
Ricky is gonna huff it.
Let's go watch this retard brain-damage himself.
Are you down?
Yo, come on, I know you're down.
Yeah, I'm done.
[Patrick] Yo, Ray, where you going?
I'm going to run to my car real quick.
[thunders]
[phone ringing]
-What? -[Mrs. Carlson] How'd it go?
Yeah, I went this morning with the Brain.
"With the Brain"?
-My friends. -Oh.
What time's the service?
It's at 10:00 in the morning, but I'm not gonna go.
Why the hell not?
-Because... -Why not?
Because everyone thinks I fucking killed her.
Well. Did you?
What?
Did you?
How can you even ask me that?
Then you got nothing to be ashamed of.
If they don't like it, they can shove it.
Okay, I'm not going.
Ray, you need to stop acting like a fucking baby
and start being a man--
[doorbell ringing]
Yeah?
[Mrs. Carlson] It's me. Open the fucking door.
[soft dramatic music]
[Brian] Fuck.
What?
I got something for you.
[soft rock music]
♪ Bleeding
♪ Everybody wants to meet you there ♪
♪ Time stands still
♪ Your last breath is what you'll hear ♪
♪ Dreaming
♪ Warm light bathes your face tonight ♪
♪ Leaving
♪ Planet earth, I say goodbye
♪ This is the best day of my life ♪
♪ This is the best day of my life... ♪
[Ray] If I learned anything,
it was that this place was what it was.
But I knew now that it wasn't the place
but the people that I wanted to run away from.
The rumors, the put down artists, the backstabbers
were all mixed up in my life.
It was me against the world.
But it was time to make my move.
Only this time I would seek some warmer lands.
♪♪
♪ This is the best day of my life ♪
♪ My memories fade through my eyes ♪
[music fading]
Hey, hi how are you?
I'm good. Thanks.
Uh, can I get the prosciutto panini
and a white coconut cream?
[Ray narrating] I've seen her in here before
and I thought about asking her out.
But I dated a long line of decent looking brainless girls,
you know, the kind that you wonder,
"How did she even get dressed in the morning."
Hey, girl.
Is that supposed to be pepperoni?
Oh, crap, did I leave my fly down?
Wait a minute.
Aren't you that greasy boy that's always staring at me
when I'm eating?
Yeah...
I'm so hungry. Everything here looks so good.
How about a salad?
Ha, no. I want real food.
I'm starving. I am not eating a fucking salad.
[Ray] And that's when I fell in love.
After I waited the mandatory month to take action,
I asked her out
and all she wanted to do is go to a matinée.
But it was there that a whole new world opened up for me.
[man] We had two bags of grass, 75 pellets of mescaline,
five sheets of high-powered blotter acid,
a salt shaker half full of cocaine,
a whole galaxy of multicolored uppers,
downers, screamers, laughers.
Also, a quart of tequila, a quart of rum,
a case of beer, pint of raw ether
and two dozen amyls.
Not that we needed all that for the trip,
but, once you get locked into a serious drug collection,
the tendency is to push it as far as you can...
[Ray] Not all writers were eggheads from universities.
Some were just guys telling stories
without a bunch of fluff and big words.
So I'm starting to think that I want to try to write,
but I'm not really sure what being a writer feels like.
I guess a real writer would start by doing some research,
but I really don't have time in my life for that shit.
And I have a very limited vocabulary,
but... I guess I'll try it
and keep an eye out for my writers badge in the mail.
[triumphal music]
[music ends]
[rock music]
♪ From the peaches of the dooms to downtown on the square ♪
♪ You can see the pollution everywhere ♪
♪ You might think it's gross and it smells like shit ♪
♪ But we don't give a damn cos we're used to it ♪
♪ From the hardware to the US steel ♪
♪ Hammond has such a cozy feel
♪ From Broadway and Fifth Avenue ♪
♪ The people of Gary welcome you ♪
♪ We are NWI
♪ It's where we live and it's where we die ♪
♪ You can run for cover, but we will never hide ♪
♪ Cos we are NWI
♪ We like to drink and smoke more than normal folk ♪
♪ We're hip to the fun, we were born to run ♪
♪♪
♪ We are NWI
♪ It's where we live and it's where we die ♪
♪ You can run for cover, but we will never hide ♪
♪ Cos we are NWI
♪ We're hard to kill and we're ready to fight ♪
♪ Cruising down the boulevards and out all night ♪
♪ Diversity in style, yeah, we got some ♪
♪ Cos we are the kids of The Region ♪
♪ We are the kids of The Region ♪
♪ We are NWI
♪ It's where we live and it's where we die ♪
♪ You can run for cover, but we will never hide ♪
♪ Cos we are NWI
♪ We are NWI
♪ It's where we live and it's where we die ♪
♪ You can run for cover, but we will never hide ♪
♪ Cos we are NWI
♪ We are NWI
♪ It's where we live and it's where we die ♪
♪ You can run for cover, but we will never hide ♪
♪ Cos we are NWI
♪ We are the kids of The Region ♪
[music ends]