Now let me tell you something. The trouble of being a teenager is you don't know nothing. The problem with teenagers is you think you're smarter than people who already been down the road you're traveling. You know what I'm tryin' to say to you, boy? DO YOU?!
Yes sir.
Did you tell your father I threw you out of school? [Sams, with his head down, doesn't answer] [picks Sams' head up; yells] Look at me DAMN IT!
Why not? No guts, huh? Afraid of what he's gonna say to you, aren't ya?
My father doesn't live with us anymore, sir.
Oh, is that what you're doing now? Going around, feeling sorry for yourself, boy? Huh? Go on. Get outta here! You're wasting my time!
[crying]
Please let me back in, sir. I have to get back to school. I can't go home and tell my mama I got kick out of school.
Now why should I let you back into my school, Sams?
'Cause I'm gonna do better, sir.
How?
By doin' my work.
What else?
And stayin' out of trouble.
What have you been thinking about all this time? Why should I believe you now?
'Cause I've changed my ways.
I don't believe you, Sams. I don't think you changed a thing. Go on, jump!
Yes, you do! You smoke crack, don't ya? You smoke crack, don't ya? LOOK AT ME, BOY! Don't you smoke crack?
Y-yes, sir.
You know what that does to you? Huh?
No, sir.
[taps Sams' head with his finger]
It kill your brain cells, son. It kill your brain cells! Now when you're destroying your brain cells, your doing the same thing as killing yourself. You just doing it slower! Now, when I say if wanna kill yourself, don't **** around with it. Go on and do it expeditiously! Now go on and jump! JUMP!
You're quite sure about this, are you?
Yes, sir.
All right, Sams. I'll tell you what I gonna do: I'm gonna go back on my own word just this once and let you back into my school, because you're still a baby and you don't know shit. But you understand this, boy: You're not gonna get a moment's rest. I'm gonna be on your case every minute. You mess up just once and your outta here. Now you understand me? Do you understand me?
Yes, sir.
