01x05 - Kevin and Eric Mend Their Relationship

[bunniefuu]

Previously on

The real world...

Eric, your sister came,

And, you know, I didn't know

She was coming.

Hey, kim!

Line two for you.

Kim is not the most popular

Person in our loft.

I thought she moved in.

So then he wrote me

This letter.

He wrote you a letter?

It wasn't my intention for

Anyone else to see it.

That look like a bunch of...

God, this writing.

Scrabble.

I hate him so bad.

And instead of coming to me

And telling me how he felt,

He was just telling everybody

Else how he felt.

There's my man.

It's getting ready to happen.

I want you to just sit there

And check it out.

This is the true story...

True story.

Of seven strangers...

[Laughter]

Picked to live in a loft...

And have their lives taped...

To find out what happens...

What?

When people stop

Being polite...

Could you get the phone?

And start getting real.

The real world.

[Dog barks]

Mm.

[Sputters]

Hey, yo.

Yo.

Yo.

I shouldn't say nothing now,

Should i?

Not cool.

Yo, eric, be a man.

Excuse me?

Oh, come on, man.

Yo, kev, we need to talk,

My friend.

[Scoffs]

He wrote this, and he said,

"Be a man"?

He couldn't say it to your face?

Because that's how he feels.

He expresses himself in

His writing.

Basically what he's saying is

That I'm a front, is that

Everything that--what I'm about,

I'm a front, you know?

Like, I got this curtain in

Front of me, and it's not really

Me, you know what I'm saying?

What is he, sigmund freud?

[Laughs]

He was going out of his way

To try to prove to me that he

Was "down," you know, as far as

Black people go and stuff.

I'm like, "just be yourself."

And who's he to--you know,

To say what I should be like?

"Who are you to judge?"

Right, who is he to judge me?

I said something, you know,

But then he, like, held in his

Response, you know.

And it's like I was saying in

The letter, he keep doing that,

It's just gonna--you're just

Gonna blow up, man.

Something, something, you--

That's stupid. Wait.

"Your life is valued more--

More than mine."

Yeah.

"The black-white..."

Together: "thing is always in

Effect..."

"No matter how hard we..."

"Wish it."

"We wish it would go away."

Now he's turning it into

A black and white thing?

"I wasn't born with a silver

Spoon in my mouth, nor do I have

A father who is a doctor or is

An nba referee like people

In the loft."

So what does that have to do

With you?

Zero.

All right, so I'll give you

A call monday or tuesday.

First tuesday in may?

The th.

All right, see you, mark.

[Wry guitar music]

♪

About a year and a half ago,

Two years ago, I was gonna--

I was supposed to get something

From one of my friends.

And...

What were you supposed

To get?

Steroids.

So I went with him to

The school, but when we got to

The school, we walked in

The school, and there was

A detective there.

He was doing, like--

Like, a speech about drugs and

Stuff like that in the school.

And he knew who we were from

Past experiences.

So we were in the school

And they asked, "did you go

To the office to get a pass?"

And we were like, "no,

Whatever."

So they're like, "well, you

Either got to go to the office

Or leave."

So we were like, "yeah,"

You know, "we'll take off."

And the principal and

The detective came to the door,

And they were watching us.

So I started to walk away,

And he goes, "no."

He goes, "either get in the car

Or you're under arrest

For trespassing."

And now I was--now I started

Freaking out.

So he arrests me for

Trespassing.

What?

I was like, "please."

I was like, "this is [...] Up."

I was like, this is bull[...],"

You know?

But it turned out that there was

Steroids in the back of the car.

So this whole long thing went on

For about a year and a half.

I got put on probation for

A year, and I got, like,

Hours of community--

Hours of community service.

I mean, I had some ups and

Downs, you know?

A lot of downs in my life,

But...

I'm straightening them out,

And they know that, hopefully.

Yeah.

I've been around black people

Since I was this big.

Damn.

I grew up with--i grew up with

Them playing ball at the park.

That's all I did.

That's all I did every [...]

Day since I was in junior high

Till my junior year in high

School--when I got home from

School, I went to the park

And I played ball.

And I had a million black

Friends, you know?

I mean, what the hell?

This black and white bull[...].

I can't understand that.

I can't see where he's coming

From when he says something

Like that, 'cause that don't

Even faze me.

I don't see--i don't see

A conflict.

Then he really doesn't know

You, 'cause he doesn't know who

You hang out with.

Right.

I don't see a conflict between

White and black people on

The level that I'm on.

I see it on the news.

But with the people that I hang

Out with, I don't see it.

I see it as one, you know?

Please.

And I don't know what he

Wants from you.

What does he want, your pity?

He wants you to come over and

Say, "oh, man, I'm really sorry.

Can I help you out?"

You know?

What does he want?

Maybe so.

Maybe that's really--

Well, that's why you got to

Confront him.

You got to write, "all right,

You wrote this letter.

You wrote this letter to get it

Off your chest.

That's cool.

Now what do you want?

What do you want from me?"

And, you know, maybe this

Kid, you know--maybe he's

Hurting inside.

Eric and I have a lot of

Similarities.

I mean, when I was a teenager,

I got into a lot of trouble with

The police as well.

[Gritty guitar music]

♪

Morris is a student of mine at

New york university.

He's one of those kids, who,

You know--he's trying to fight

The pull from the streets and

Stuff, you know, the whole

Drug scene.

I see morris once a week.

I was gonna see eric every day,

And I knew that I was gonna talk

To eric eventually, and it's

Like, morris just seemed like

The more desperate situation at

The time.

And I felt like, god, I need to

Talk to him first, you know,

Help him out as best as I can,

And then I can come back and

Talk to eric.

My father split when I was,

Like, seven or eight years old.

All I know is that I've never

Had, like, a male figure

In my life.

So it's like, boom,

I'm years old.

I recognize there's a lot of

Young bloods out there who are

In the same situation

That I'm in.

There's, like, no male figures

Or whatever.

And I think I'm halfway decent.

At least I can try to be there

For them, you know what I mean?

It's like, to me, like,

To call somebody and, like,

Ask for help is, like--

'Cause I know, like, everybody

Else has their problems.

Everybody has problems.

We'll always have problems, man,

But some of us recognize that we

Got to do--you know, we can't

Just live for ourselves,

You know?

[Energetic drumming]

♪

And now I'm thinking that,

You know, maybe I shouldn't get

Up all up in it--up in his

[...], You know?

Well, it's not that you

Should get up in his face.

Just ask him, you know,

What he really wants from you.

Right.

I mean--

Like, the way I feel right

Now, I want to blast him.

[Door slams]

[Footsteps approaching]

[Tapping]

[Tapping]

So, kev, what's that supposed

To mean, "be a man"?

Let's step outside

And talk about.

Let's go.

[Confrontational rock music]

♪

[Door slams]

Seriously, what good would it

Do me to diss your sister?

I don't know,

But she's uncomfortable,

So you change that.

How do I change that?

You talk to her.

Man, yo--

You make her feel

Comfortable.

No, man.

First of all--first of all,

I'm not going out of my way any

More than I already do.

I speak to her.

I say, "how are you doing?"

That type of stuff.

I'm not going out of my way.

If she feels uncomfortable,

That's her problem, you know

What I'm saying?

I'm not doing anything.

I didn't call her a b-i-t-c-h.

I didn't say eff you--

Nothing like that.

You know what I'm saying?

Matter of fact, when she comes

Into the room, I say, "excuse

Me, do you want me to leave?"

You know what I'm saying?

But you don't need to be

Like that.

No, man, that's the way

I am, dude.

And this is the way I am!

No, that's the way I am.

But this is the way I am!

I got a problem with it, man.

You know what's gonna happen

To you?

What I was trying to say in

That letter is, if you go

Through your life, man, and no

One says anything to you, man,

You'll never change.

You know what I'm saying?

You may have this modeling

Career, but you think

You'll really be ever--you'll

Ever be happy?

Think about it, man.

What do you mean,

Ever be happy?

Why wouldn't I be happy?

How you gonna walk around

Your whole life with--just

Bottled up in within you, man?

You can't express yourself

To people?

How you gonna do that?

That's the way I grew up.

If you had a problem with it,

You should say it instead of--

'Cause, man, people talk in this

[...] Crib, man.

But honestly, man, I'm

Serious when I say that I

Really--you know, I admire, you

Know, the black race.

I really do.

I mean, i--if I try--if I put it

Down, it's like, maybe these

Are, you know, ridiculous

Examples, but everything--

If you look at all professions

And stuff like that and you look

At the best in, like, these

Certain fields--like, like, not

Only just sports, 'cause that's

Just athletics--black people are

By far dominant over white

In all sports.

Yo, yo, listen.

[Laughs]

I mean, first of all, you start

Off with stereotypes.

You just like, you know,

"You're superior in sports

And entertainment."

That's what a lot of people,

White people, think that's all

Black people can do, you know

What I'm saying?

I'm not an athlete, man.

I'm not a singing--

You know what I'm saying?

I'm not a rapper.

I'm a writer.

Have you ever met a black writer

Before?

Have you ever met a black writer

Before?

I mean, I've never actually

Had a conversation or been

Friends with one.

My point exactly, man.

So did you ever fathom that some

Kid would be writing--a black

Kid would be writing for

Rolling stone or new york times

Or all that other stuff,

You know what I'm saying?

Yeah.

I don't know, man.

A lot of people don't, you know?

And then it's like, you know--

Well, I mean, I've met--

I've met--i've met black writers

That, like, write for, like,

Sports illustrated, like that,

Through my father.

Sports--we go back to sports.

But through my father,

You know?

But they're still a writer.

But I'm saying, you know--

What, you would never write

About sports?

Man, I'd rather not...

I'm just saying.

Because that's--this society

Always stereotypes, and that's

All we can do, you know what

I'm saying?

It's like, when people have

These kind of thoughts, it's

Like, it's limiting to you and

Stuff, man.

It's like, "oh, yeah, kev can

Dance," you know, which I can

Do, or "he can play ball and he

Can do this and do that, man."

How many people know that kevin

Powell can write?

You know what I mean?

Like, don't think, like, you

Know, all of a sudden, I got to,

Like, change the way I talk

Or whatever.

I'm not saying that, man.

You know, I don't care, man.

And part of it was just

The reaction and stuff, because

Things was just getting kind of

Crazy and tense.

We wasn't even talking,

You know?

Because, I mean--me or you,

You know.

I got a lot inside, man.

[Exhales]

Yo.

I appreciate this big time.

Seriously.

What's up, man?

You leaving?

[Indistinct]

Let me walk you, 'cause

I want to--what train?

"A" train?

Yeah, "a."

Come back upstairs real

Quick, man.

I'm gonna get my coat and stuff,

'Cause I want to go down there.

[Sighs]

He probably thought we came

Outside to fight.

[Laughs]

That feels--that feels good,

You know?

Well, I'm not gonna lie.

I thought you was gonna swing.

I was getting ready to duck.

No, no, no.

Nah, man, you know.

No.

I just met him, you know.

It's not like he's been my

Roommate for, like--for a year,

You know?

Eric, break out!

That's the way it is with

Everybody in here.

Nobody really knows each other

That good.

I mean, you can get a feeling,

But nobody really knows how we

Each feel deep down inside about

Certain things.

Missy is, like, my oldest, like,

Love from, like, seventh grade.

And we've had big, big problems,

Like, for the last--ever since

We met.

Hey, don't say that you're

Coming here and don't come.

No.

Cool.

You guys should come in, like,

Saturday or whatever.

We'll hang out.

We'll go out to dinner

Saturday night.

We'll go out saturday.

And then sunday we'll just,

Like, you know, cruise around

The city and just do some

Things, you know?

Like, let's make a weekend

Out of it, okay?

Bye.

Bye.

Eric, you happy?

This is the worst part of it.

You don't understand.

Is that girl a skeezer?

[Laughter]

Don't be calling her

A skeezer, 'cause you'll get

The pool stick, believe me.

[Gasps]

It ain't cool.

You know how to play pool?

Rack 'em up.

We're playing again.

So where does girl missy

Live at, eric?

You can tell us.

You want to know the story?

When I was about years old,

I left high school, and I got in

Trouble with the law.

And I really screwed up, you

Know, like, I finally, you know,

Tried, you know, convinced her

That, you know, I wasn't

Screwing around or whatever.

And, um...

Were you?

No, I wasn't.

Not at all.

I was serious.

It's just that I wasn't in

The right state of mind.

I was a bad boy then, and I had

To straighten myself out.

And that's where my relationship

Got screwed up with her, you

Know what I mean?

Is it my shot?

No, I made the shot.

It's my shot, so...

And then I went out there for,

Like, three months and I went

Away to miami and I was down

There with my friends,

And I was partying, partying,

Partying with all my friends,

Going crazy, and she was there

Too, and I paid no mind to her.

And I just, like, totally

Screwed up big time.

So you were the skeezer.

Yeah.

I was, like, standing at

The window watching her walk

Away, and this just feeling came

Over my head like, that was it,

You know?

Like, I just--i ruined the most,

You know--the most incredible

Relationship with a girl that

I've ever had in my life, you

Know, over partying with drugs.

And I saw her walking away,

And I was like, "that's it."

And I didn't talk to her ever

Since that night.

It was all my fault.

She saw you at your worst.

She saw a side of you already

That she didn't like, and she

Know what you can be like.

So me, personally, I wouldn't

Really believe what

You were saying.

I'll go out here and try to get

Mine too.

Uh-huh.

I thought, you know, you was

Really, really serious.

So you're saying I'll have to

Convince her?

If that's--i say don't

Convince nobody, but...

But I want to.

Like, I care about her a lot.

But if that's how you feel--

But if I was her, I wouldn't

Really believe you.

I would still talk to other guys

And see other people.

She does!

She goes out with some dude!

So she--she a skeezer!

[Laughs]

No, man!

I'm trying to get her to

Understand that I'm for real.

And it's taken a while,

But I'm gonna--i'm gonna let it

Go, you know.

I'm just gonna--i'm gonna go

With it, and however long it

Takes, I'm gonna wait.

I have to find a place in new

York to do my community service,

And I'm in the process of

Finding that right now.

Tell me about, you know, why

You're coming to volunteer,

'Cause that's something I always

Like to know, anyway.

I see how important that

A family is and to have somebody

There for you while you're

Growing up.

And that's really, you know, why

I'm so interested in working

With kids, because I know that

When I was growing up, I really

Needed somebody there because my

Father wasn't always there

For me.

[Dramatic guitar chords]

What?

What's that for?

I feel much better now.

[Laughs]

You broke the skin.

I did not.

For the last, like, four or

Five years, all the trouble that

I've got in, I've gotten to,

You know, grow into this

Relationship with my mother,

Because I tell her everything.

I'm gonna ruin you today.

I'm gonna embarrass you.

Look what my mom did.

Fork.

[Laughing] oh, my god.

She knows everything that

I do, you know, all the trouble

That I've been in, you know,

If I was partying or doing any

Drugs or whatever.

I told my mom everything.

Basically, since I was growing

Up, I've been really

A mama's boy.

I'm sorry.

Who?

Sorry who?

Oh, yeah.

We're not sure he's up there

Anymore.

Eric.

Sorry, mom.

I really want to work with kids,

'Cause I have, like--you know,

'Cause I really think that I

Could, you know, put kids on the

Right track and, you know, if

They're having problems and

Stuff, like, at home, and, you

Know, with drugs and all that

Stuff, 'cause, I mean, I've been

Through it all and I've seen it

Happen to my friends and to me,

You know, as well.

If you want to think about

How you can use the career that

You're in in terms of helping

Kids, we can, you know, work on

Developing a program about that.

If you want to play basketball

With the kids, that's

A possibility too.

Oh, really?

The recreational part of

A teen program is usually

The hook that draws them in so

That we can help them

In other ways.

h*!

You go to school?

No.

Unfortunately.

I'm trying to get back to

School, but I got to wait till

September.

Yeah.

I left my senior year.

Yeah, I did too.

Me too.

With, like--

I left in december.

I left in, like, january,

February.

I had, like, three months to go

And I left.

If I could go back to first

Grade, you know, to when I

Started knowing what I know now,

I mean, I would've studied

My butt off...

[Rollicking rock music]

♪

Because if you don't have

School, you don't have nothing.

[All cheer]

When's missy coming?

About an hour.

The night that missy came,

That was the first time since

We--since what happened in miami

We had really gotten together

And were gonna go out.

[Billiards clacking]

No, it's not that I'm nervous.

It's not that I'm serious.

It's just that she never tells

Me what's on her mind.

You know what I mean?

I have no clue, like, what she's

Thinking or, you know, like,

What she expects or what

She wants, you know what I mean?

It's been a whole year from when

I started to bring myself back

On track and to believe in

Myself, and she had a major part

To do with it.

The biggest problem with her

Parents is that she--they knew

My troubles from before.

They knew all about me.

I grew up in the same town.

You know, like, if I was in

The paper, her parents knew.

And, you know, you know,

Logically, any parent in--

You know, in the world wouldn't

Want their child to be hanging

Out with somebody like me.

[Bright percussive music]

♪

It's nice to meet you.

[Bright percussive music]

♪

Missy got to the apartment

And she came upstairs in

The elevator and she walked out.

I mean, I don't know what it is,

But every time I look at this

Girl and I see her smile, I just

Feel like the whole room is,

Like--is glowing and is

Lighting up.

And I feel like my face is

Lighting up too.

Let's go eat.

Hi, eric.

No, how about--how about,

Monica, you sit here or--and

Either me or you sit there?

Because I don't want to--

He wants to look missy

In the eyes.

We'll switch. Come on.

So? What's wrong with that?

And I don't know if I'm in love,

But if love is thinking about

Somebody hours a day,

And when you hear a song or you

See a car or, you know, get all

These, you know, flashbacks and

Stuff of stuff that's happened

With this person, then I guess

I am in love.

Then she faints every other

Day in the shower.

Fainted in the shower.

We had this really, really

Strong relationship.

She would come over to

My house.

She would go out with my sister.

You know, she was friendly with

My whole family.

And I think that's important.

[Giggling]

I'm very mad at you.

No you're not.

Stop.

Are you going to dinner

With us?

No way.

[Giggling]

I'm kidding.

Missy, she had a little

Problem last week or something.

She was feeling a little faint.

You know, I'm real scared

For her and I'm nervous, 'cause

I don't--you know, you never

Know these days, you know, what

Could--what's wrong with you.

Missy's--i don't know.

I've been waiting for her

To call; she probably left

A message on the machine.

She went to the hospital

This morning.

She's--i don't know.

She was in the shower the other

Day and then she was walking

Down her parents' stairs,

And she fainted.

You can drop us off on

The corner; it's cool.

Well, I think eric asked me

To go with him to the knicks

Game because he probably feels

Most comfortable with me

At this point.

I guess in a way it was his way

Of saying, you know,

"I respect you" and stuff,

You know, because I thought

It was--i kind of was like,

You know, flattered.

And I thought it was kind of

Funny, you know.

We've had our arguments or

Disagreements, what have you,

But we've also, I think, if not

Worked them out, at least

Fleshed out some of the issues

And things.

[Dramatic rock music]

♪

The pistons were good, you know,

But I'm a big knicks fan,

And the knicks just looked awful

And they really are pissing me

Off right now.

They know some good plays and

Stuff, but the real exciting

Part came after the game.

So I was like, "wow, this is

Cool," you know, to check it out

From behind the scene.

But I told him that I wanted

To meet isiah, so...

Where's isiah at?

And, you know, sure enough,

There we were standing in

Front--in the locker room,

You know.

And dennis rodman was there.

Bill laimbeer.

Like, the reporters were just

Hounding isiah.

And waited and waited, like,

Ten minutes till the reporters

Were done.

Okay, that's it, fellas.

Thank you very much.

How's it going, man?

Good.

Good. How you doing?

All right. How you doing?

What's up?

I think you met my mom.

I think you met one of my

Sisters once before.

My dad's jack nies.

Oh, is he?

And he's just such

A nice guy.

He was so cool to us, you know,

And he just took the time out,

You know, to talk to us.

Good luck with the rest

Of the season.

Thanks, man.

Yeah.

Tell your brother I say good

Luck to him.

Thanks a lot.

That was really good,

You know.

I was like, "wow, this is cool."

My smile must've just been so

Big, because, I mean, isiah

Thomas, he's, like--

That's major, right there.

It was good.

It was the best seats I've ever

Had at a basketball game.

[Whistle blows]

And the reason why we had

Good seats was because my father

Was reffing the game.

I don't get to see my dad too

Often, and he really doesn't

Have that much time after

The game to talk.

So, you know, it's like,

See what he's up to, where he's

Going next, you know,

This and that.

You know, just stuff that any

Kid really needs from his dad,

You know, and I got a hug from

Him, you know, and, you know,

It was cool seeing him, but I

Don't see him that often.

I wish I could see him a lot

More than I do.

Bobby who?

Bobby cop, from first grade.

Remember the kid that came over

That day and I said,

"Remember bob?"

And you're like, "no."

Like I'm supposed to

Remember.

Well, no, I'm just saying.

Who was in his class

In the first grade?

Nah, he was my best friend

Since first grade.

That'd be like me remembering

Who was in--

But you didn't see--

Him all through high school.

I remember the name, though.

Yeah.

I sat there, 'cause, I was

Like, you know--i didn't really

Know my father.

He pretty much disowned me when

I was, like, eight or nine

Years old.

My mother, my father were never

Married, but, you know, I did

See him every now and then.

A lot of times now I wonder

Where he is, and, you know, what

He looks like, what's he doing,

You know, those types of things.

And I was looking at eric and

His father--i was like, "wow, if

Nothing else, at least they can

Be in each other's presence."

You know, you just got to,

You know, take what you get,

And, you know, make the best of

It, so...

All right, take care.

See you.

[Laughs]

See you.

All right. Okay.

[Laughs]

[Phone ringing]

I can't just--i can't just ask

You, like, nicely.

Missy, could you please stay

Home this summer?

Right now she's doing--you know,

She's feeling fine.

You know, everything's cool.

She's in the gym.

She's working out.

All right.

I'm going to bed.

Give me a kiss.

[Laughs]

The doctor says that it possibly

Could be from, you know,

Overexerting herself, you know,

Working out too hard, but I'm

Praying for her every night and

Hopefully, you know, things will

Turn out for the best.

[Laughs]

Next on the real world...

What are you doing?

I think you have a sturdy

Frame.

Is that what you look for in

A woman, a sturdy frame?

Yes.

I also have wide hips, so I'd

Be great for breeding.

Julie actually has lipstick.

Are you trying to change your

Image or something?

You know, sex sells.

Hmm?

Ooh!

[Laughs]

Isn't that house k*ller?

I could never live anywhere else

But here.

Watch these birds.

They're fishing.

Check this out.

Right out there, like, where the

Water begins, a lagoon right

There, up in the middle,

There's a big rock.

But you see it, and then it's

Flat, and then it cuts down

Like a little edge.

Yeah.

Well, that's my piano.

I used to sit there and pretend

I used to play the piano.