Miguel and James

Miguel and James are friends of Monk from when he was a kid. This scene takes place years before when they were dealing weed as teens.

“It’s a sure thing, man!” James had that look, we knew it from all the other times he had a sure thing.

Miguel wasn’t so sure. “I think its bullshit! I think we’re fucking up here, screwing around with these guys. My cousin says we gotta be smart, and messing with the Pronto’s ain’t smart.

“Are we going or what?” I asked. I had other things to worry about. Lisa was bugging me about the baby and Moses was hounding me about my new responsibilities, and though I didn’t say it to them, what the three of us were up to.

“It’s a easy score,” James insisted, “reliable, man, I’m telling you…”

“Telling us what?” Miguel demanded.

James was unhappy with the question. “Come on, man, if we’re going anywhere, we gotta make some deals. How else are we going to come up with the money to get out of here. Right, Sunny?” James smacked me in the arm. “Are you paying attention, man?”

“Sorry, I was thinking about the baby…”

“I don’t give a fuck about your baby, this is serious shit and you need to step up. I’m tired of carrying your ass, Sunny!”

“Back off, James,” Miguel was just as irritated with James as James was with me. “Sunny isn’t the problem here; the problem here is we’re getting ourselves into something we aren’t ready for.”

“Ready for what, Miguel?” James wasn’t liking the pushback.

“We’re not ready to deal with people like the Pronto’s. They’ll fuck us up big time if we cross them. We already know they don’t like our dealing at the school…”

“I got that worked out, man, I got that worked out,” he assured us.

Miguel wasn’t buying. “Worked out how?”

“It’s a straight up deal. I know a guy who wants us to act as a go between for a deal with the Pronto’s…”

“Go between for what?” Miguel wasn’t letting go.

“Straight up transaction, that’s all.” James leaned back against the truck. “It’s an in, man; an easy deal and a way for us to show we can be trusted. We need this if we want to be something more than field hands or half-assed farmers.” James glared at me as he said this.

“What’s that supposed to mean, James?” I only called him James when I was pissed.

“Seriously? You’re just along for the ride, Sunny. You’ve already fucked up your life by getting Lisa pregnant; how fucking stupid do you have to be to not use a rubber, man. And what exactly are you even bringing to this gig? Miguel and me are the ones hustling and busting our asses while you play house and piss off Moses.” He crossed his arms and glared at me. “I’m only letting you in because we started this together and we’re friends, but you need to start pulling your weight or you can spent the rest of your life with your hands in the dirt with a bunch of grimy kids while Moses bitches about how unfair the world is.” James came over and pushed his finger against my chest. “I’m not going to live that life. I’ve had enough. What the fuck do we have to lose?”

“Our lives,” Miguel said.

James changed tacks, knowing he couldn’t intimidate Miguel like he could me. He smiled. “It’s a sweet deal, Miguel, easy money and it’s just a meeting to set up the transfer.”

“I don’t like it; I don’t trust the Pronto’s. I think we should talk to my cousins first. They know this business better than we do.”

“It’s just a quick meeting, we can talk to your cousins after, ok?”

“I don’t like this, James.”

James shook his head as he looked at us, “You guys need to have a little faith, I know what I’m doing.”