SPECIAL GUEST STAR
You’re part of the system. Your face is on the poster. Your name is in the title.
TURNER
I am? It says Miles Turner? No, it doesn’t.
It says: BLACK.
(then)
I’m not a person. I’m a category. Giving me the lead doesn’t make me any more of a person. If anything, less. It locks me in. Do you know where I started? Do you know what it took? You can’t come in here, five minutes ago, talking about how hard you have it. If you don’t like it here, go back to China.
With both hands, you push Turner in the chest. He stumbles back, but catches himself. Wow. His pecs are like concrete. Round, smooth, pec-shaped slabs of concrete.
Turner gets up in your face. He’s got four inches and forty pounds on you, all of it muscle.
But your kung fu is solid, and getting better every day, and for a second, you wonder, what would Older Brother do? You wonder: could you take him?
He clenches his jaw, puts up his fists, like he wants to box. You get into a solid fighting stance. Your left foot tingles, ready for action. It’s in the eyes, you remember your training. And for a half-second, you see in Turner’s eyes the smallest flicker of doubt.
GREEN
All right break it up.
SPECIAL GUEST STAR
That’s right. Listen to your partner, Miles.
TURNER
You really like that, don’t you? When Green sticks up for you. Feels good to have WHITE on your side, don’t it? Have her approval.
SPECIAL GUEST STAR
You calling me a model minority?
TURNER
You said it, I didn’t. Don’t you see? This is how it works. We’re fighting with each other. I don’t want to be doing this any more than you do. And Green gets to be the bigger person. Why do you care what she thinks anyway? You heard what you are to her: Asian Guy.
GREEN
Feel better? More manly? Hope you got it all out of your system so we can get back to work.
Green turns to Old Asian Man, watching this. Unsure of how to deal with him. He’s not a threat, not a rival, not a subordinate or superior. Definitely not a potential love interest, no no, come on, he’s an Old Asian Man—now you know, that’s how she thinks of him. And you. And all of you. She stoops down a couple of inches, talks to him.
GREEN (CONT’D)
Hello sir. Thank you for your help.
Talks to him a little louder than normal, more than a little, half-shouting almost, as if he’s hard of hearing, while also doing the thing. You know the thing that people do sometimes with Old Asian People. The sort of half-assed sign language except it’s not sign language at all, just a made-up pantomime, as if Old Asians won’t otherwise be able to understand anything you’re saying. As if it takes all of this effort just to get through to this other consciousness. As if he’s an alien.
TURNER
(to Old Asian Man)
Older Brother. When did you last see him?
Old Asian Man looks at you. As if to ask you: Is this what you want? For me to answer? You nod. He hesitates briefly, then answers.
OLD ASIAN MAN
Long time. Been a long time.
GREEN
Weeks?
OLD ASIAN MAN
Longer. Six month, maybe.
(then)
We have argument.
TURNER
About what?
OLD ASIAN MAN
What else. Money.
GREEN
As in, he wanted to borrow money?
OLD ASIAN MAN
(shaking his head)
Not borrow. Give. He want to give me money. But I don’t want it.
Green and Turner look at each other. Then at you.
GREEN
Older Brother shows up, trying to give away money.
TURNER
Laundering?
GREEN
Possibly. In any case, sounds like he had a sudden windfall.
TURNER
We follow the money—
GREEN
We find our guy.
They’re looking at each other now, their faces having somehow gotten pretty close in the course of this last exchange. Are they going to kiss? That would be weird. But it seems like they’re going to kiss. They should just kiss. But then again, they shouldn’t, because if they ever did, that would be that, no one would care anymore. The whole point is that they never do. They get their faces all close and they smolder and they gaze but they never kiss. Turner finally breaks eye contact and looks at you.
TURNER
(to you)
So where is it? Where’s the money in Chinatown?
GREEN
This is important. If you know something, you have to tell us.
Are you doing the right thing? Something about this feels wrong.
But this is Black and White. They let you have a part. You can’t stop now.
You look at your dad. He shifts his eyes away, and you know in that moment that he is disappointed. But he won’t ever say it. You’ll never talk about it again. He’s gone, slipped back into Old Asian Man. He’s not going to make the choice for you. It’s your role to play.
SPECIAL GUEST STAR
Okay.
TURNER
Okay?
SPECIAL GUEST STAR