Half an Hour Later...
Lodubai Athletic Centre

Receptionist
Volunteers are like, there to get water, and stuff, for team members while they play. The coach tells you what to do, you go do it. Washing equipment, too. We only have one spot left, for the BasketBulls. That's Lodubai's community league team! They play against the other cities. Do you wanna sign up?

Sujay
I say go for it. Adelaide wants us to have experience, not money.

Amina
When did you become her translator?

Sujay
It's what she said.

Padgen
Alright.

Padgen signs the sheet in front of her. Then, another one slides over.

Receptionist
We'll just need a parent or guardian's permission to let you work here, okay? Get this back to us by tomorrow.

Padgen
Got it.

Behind the trio, a cavalcade of whooping and hollering. A bunch of dudes run up to Sujay, all wearing orange basketball shorts and jerseys with black bulls on them. Not bull heads, or whatever, but the entire silhouette of a bull. Amadu is busy smiling, waving to the parents and crowd-members gathered outside. He seems focused on making appearances. Despite all of that, he monster-walks up to Sujay like a goof and gives him a mega-hug.

Amadu
Sujanator! Why aren't you playing this year?

Sujay
No time. You tear up the court for me, huh?

Amadu
About that...

Amadu whispers into Sujay's ear.

Sujay
You do what you have to do, bud. I wanna introduce you to someone.

Amina
Anyway, this kid's gonna volunteer for your team.

Amadu
Oh, shoot, sorry. Chad just signed up.

Amina
No, I meant-

Amadu
HEY CHAD!

Chad puts down a basketball that he was washing, and jogs over.

Chad
Yeah, dude?

Amadu
You planning on quittin' any time soon?

Chad
No way, man!

Amadu
Good. Cause I am.

The room goes silent. All eyes are on Amadu.

Amadu
My fellow teammates... good people of Lodubai.

Padgen
(What's he doing?)

Amina
(His damn thing, again. Always pulls this act in public.)

Sujay smirks as Padgen and Amina look on in shock.

Amadu
Basketball is a noble sport, and a sacred tradition for humanity far and wide, across the globe, for generations. But it is not my calling. In fact, I am positively awful at it. That's why I'm quitting the team, so I can study to become a politician. My goal... is to become the future President of Unistatia, previously known as The United States of America.

Amina
(Vicariously embarrassed.) (It still is... they just needed a shorter word for the newspapers.)

Amadu takes a deep breath, and exhales.

Amadu
But who will take my place? I give you... GEORGIE PORGIE ASTOR! MY PUDDIN' PIE, GIVE IT UP FOR THE BOY!

Padgen watches in confusion and shock as Georgie runs in, a few inches taller than she last saw him, with white dye in his gelled hair. Padgen's stomach turns with fright as Georgie gives her a look of malicious recognition, and his trademark dog-bite smile.

Amina
That can't be his real name. My mom has that song on record, shit's ol' school disco.

Padgen
Yeah, but it was a nursery rhyme first. I'm not sure which he's named for.

Amina
(Smirking.) How is he on puddin' pie?

Padgen
(Laughing softly.) I don't think he cares for it.

Georgie
(Grandeurous.) Thank you, everyone, for having me. I'll play my best, but I've got some big shoes to fill. Seriously, what are you, a size freight?

Amadu
(Laughing.) You're a funny guy, Georgie. But don't be funny on the court, focus on the game.

Georgie
Oh, I'm crystal clear.

Georgie steps out of the crowd and notices Padgen and Amina, and walks over to greet them.

Georgie
(Teasing.) Sup, Padgen. You miss me?

Padgen
(Nonreacting.) Where's Brian? Aren't you two usually holding hands and skipping through daffodils together?

Georgie
He's more of a hockey guy, likes it cold. Stays in his basement all summer.

Padgen
Yeah, okay. Good luck out there, then.

Padgen notices that Georgie's eyes are unusually far-dilated, and that his hair is standing on end. And not just because he's gelled it.

Georgie
(Touching his hair.) Uhhh... yeah, I was messing around on the carpet, earlier. I gotta go, though, okay? Game's starting.

Padgen
(Stepping out of the way.) Sure, go for it.

Georgie
I'm GEORGIE-PORGIE, PUDDIN' PIE! YEEHAAWW!!

He yells to the team, and they cheer for him. Amadu looks on proudly as Padgen and Amina share a concerned look.

Amadu
What's wrong? You two look unhappy.

Amina
Sommin' about that guy.

Padgen
He's not his usual self.

Amadu
(Elbowing Amina.) Ey, ain't no thang, err'body gets psyched before a game.

Amina
(Blushing.) Yeah, I hear that. "Ain't no thang", haha.

Amadu
(Laughing.) Yeah, I'm psyched, too. I'm just gonna play this last game, so... wish me luck, aight?

Amadu and Amina share a quick flat-palmed hug, a fist bump, and a quick palm-clasp. The game buzzer starts. In the court stands, Padgen, Sujay, and Amina watch Amadu and Georgie throw down against the other team. Georgie's doing great, but Amadu's struggling to run and missing all his shots. It's obvious his heart's not in the game. Padgen and Amina share a look of 'meh'. Sujay cheers them on, louder than Padgen knew he could be.

Sujay
(Cheering them on.) YOU GOT THIS, AMADU! GET IT, GEORGIE! LET'S GO BASKET-BULLS!! WOOOO!!

Two Hours Later...
The Mayor's House, Foyer

Amadu
Mooom!

Adelaide enters from the kitchen, wearing an apron and holding a skewer with sliced bell peppers on it.

Adelaide
Why aren't you at basketball?!

Amadu
I'm going into politics, like you. My team needs a real player, so I found a replacement. I'm gonna hit the library, get a job, and start saving for college.

For a moment, Adelaide stands perfectly still. Then, she just nods.

Adelaide
Okay, good for you. You do what you want, just have a plan. I'll tell you, though...

She steps up to Amadu with wide eyes, flaring nostrils, and points the skewer at his face. Padgen, Sujay, and Amina walk behind him, but back up when they see it.

Adelaide
You're lucky community league is FREE, cause those shoes and shorts sure as hell weren't. Don't you ever walk out on MY team again, making ME look like the fool for putting my OWN SON on it.

Amadu
(Hands up.) Yes, ma'am. I mean, mom.

Adelaide
Good. The rest of you, how'd it go?

Sujay
Dollar store cashier.

Amina
Burger flipper.

Padgen
Nobody wanted me. Too young.

Adelaide
It's not against the law to hire you.

Padgen
They just didn't want me.

Adelaide
What about volunteering at the athletic centre?

Padgen
I turned in a form, but then they rejected it. They have enough volunteers already. No room left.

Adelaide
Can you water a garden?

Padgen tries to think back...

Eight Years Ago...

Padgen finds himself momentarily reliving a memory of living at Emliano's tiny house, on a poorly-paved street. No fence, no second floor, no basement. Just a door on the side, and some pre-built garden beds out front. A black car parked outside in the dirt driveway, shed-door open. Emliano is arguing with the pizza delivery guy over tips, and then throws a fiver in his face, along an expired coupon. From the hose at the back of the house, Padgen collects water into a plastic watering-can. As Emiliano's wife was potting plants, Padgen used to run the watering can to the other yard, plugging the hole in the bottom with his hand. By the time he'd get there, it would already be half-empty.

Present Day...

Padgen
(Squinting.) Yeah?

Adelaide
Alright, come with me.

Sujay
Meet us in the clubhouse when you're done!

Padgen gives the thumbs-up to Sujay, and follows Adelaide to the backyard.

Adelaide
See these flowers?

Padgen
Yes.

There's a few rows of daisies and pansies, orange, pink, yellow and white, with dark leaves.

Adelaide
Water them in the morning, before the sun is out. Then again, after it goes down. Spray each row across for twenty seconds. If the sun is out, the water will absorb heat, and the flowers will burn. Use that hose over there.

She points to a hose on the wall.

Adelaide
Also, you're doing the dishes, every evening. Load the dishwasher, start it, we'll use the clean dishes the next morning. When you see them again, they'll be dirty, like you were never there. Then you do it again. Got it?

Padgen blinks, and nods.

Padgen
Dishes and flowers.

Adelaide
Dishes and flowers.

Padgen
Okay, I can handle that.

Adelaide
I gotta ask: why can't a kid your age be at home right now?

Padgen
They're violent.

Adelaide
Should I call the cops?

Padgen
I'm learning martia-

Padgen remembers that Adelaide recently got two-timed by Boxer, who was probably only on a momentary break from his long-standing fling with Hampton. Also, that she got him fired from the police force.

Padgen
My friend Ibram is still in the foster system, he says it's a gamble whether it'll be better or worse.

Adelaide
You know this is only for the summer.

Padgen
Yeah. I'm hoping my parents make room or get a bigger apartment somehow.

Adelaide
Your birth mom is my therapist, huh?

Padgen
Yeah.

Adelaide
She's smart, but she does have a habit of cutting into people. Makes me feel like I just got open-heart surgery, sometimes. If I wasn't the damn mayor, I'd have found someone else... but I need someone like that, to help me with what I've been through.

Padgen
She's done it to me a couple times, but I don't mind it. Apparently I'm just as bad, for it.

Adelaide
Yeah, you watch that. My kids are sensitive, aight? And don't you be tryin' what your girldad does, neither.

Padgen
She and I are pretty different, honestly. But she seems like a good parent, better than my foster home. I'm hoping I can stay with them until I'm done school.

Adelaide
Don't count on it, kid. Your dad has a good heart, but she's a drifter. She doesn't want the same life every year. I hear she can barely pay rent right now.

Padgen
Can't she just get a new job?

Adelaide
You can't find a job because you're too young to have experience. Well, she can't get one because she's too old for entry-level. Besides, getting a job and keeping it are completely different things.

Padgen
...oh.

Adelaide
I think you should look again, for work, when school starts. You'll need to pay for your own food, because what I pay your mom is what the apartment costs. What your dad brings home is food. See what I'm saying? They ain't got none left over for you, at the end of it all.

Padgen's stomach starts to sink. It's that familiar feeling... 'there isn't enough. I'll have to go without.' That tightening on the guts that starts to eat away at you, before you're even hungry, in preparation for what's about to be gone.

Amadu
PADGEN! You comin'?

Padgen
Thanks, Ms. Mayor.

Adelaide
Call me Adelaide, or ma'am. And you're welcome.

Amadu
PAADGEEN!

Padgen
Gotta go!