Princess of the Row

Some people that see me...

they might think my life's dirt.

But I always thought of my life like a fairytale story.

You know, the kind with a princess...

...and her magical friend.

The problem with people is, they see what they want to see.

And they think they know me.

Get your ass out of my way! I got a job to do.

Hey!

But the truth is... they don't.

Let go of my damn stick, man! Let go of my motherfucking ass stick.

- Didn't I tell your motherfucking ass... - Hey! Hey!

...if you don't leave my damn stick alone.

Put your fat finger on him again, and I'll break it off.

Hey, what the fuck's going on? Hey!

I'll report your ass to the veterans' place!

They know me down there! They'll arrest your ass!

- Get you locked the fuck up! - I'm a vet too, brother.

That's me. My name's Alicia.

Yeah. You gotta leave me the fuck alone!

You take that crazy motherfucker with you.

That guy next to me?

[indistinct conversation in background]

That's Sergeant Beaumont Willis III.

Whatever you thinkin' about him, you wrong.

- Alright. So, ugh, where was I? - He's going in to battle.

Into battle? Okay.

He's a myth weaver.

So, the warrior goes back...

A storyteller.

He's more. He's my dad.

- Hi, Princess. - Hi.

He's so cute.

That's right. It's your birthday.

Mm-mm. Not yet.

I have to light it first.

I've got a match round here somewhere.

Need a light?

- How you doing, Alicia? Sergeant. - You trespassing.

Don't nobody wanna mess with my shit. I hurt somebody mess with my shit!

I'm not messing with your stuff. Nobody's messing with your stuff.

I fought in Fallujah.

That's right! You're a hero.

I appreciate your service, Sir!

- Alicia, you know that there's a shelter.. - He don't like shelters.

But we understand kids a lot more than those city counselors do.

We're here to keep families together.

I'm here to help you.

Well, if you ever need anything, my number's on the card.

Just give me a call. Okay?

Bye.

Uh...

Okay. Y'all take care of each other now. Okay?

Happy birthday, Sergeant.

Happy birthday, Dad.

Go on. Blow it out.

I found this place the other day.

Figured we'd spend the night off skid row for your birthday.

I know you are tired.

Dad, come on.

You used to read to me at bedtime.

Now I'll read to you.

This is something I just wrote.

"Change was blowing in like a summer storm."

"It was time to take the unicorn away."

"Away from this purgatory."

"For a girl her age, the princess' plan was very clever.

"Using a painter's brush on her unicorn,

"she would create a new painted pony

- "as a gift to our neighbors..." - Painted ponies.

Just like on the merry-go-round.

I used to work at a merry-go-round, in the back of the zoo.

Do you know who I am?

You're my princess.

I love it when you come back to me.

We just had to get you off of skid row.

Dad, one day, I'm gonna take you out of this place for good.

And then you'll get better.

No more crazy stuff.

I like that dream.

That's a good dream.

We stick together.

You and me.

No man left behind.

That's what you taught me, right?

Dad?

I'm tired.

Just go to sleep.

Wakey, wakey. It's your wake-up call.

- Come on. - Dad, wake up.

- Get your asses out. - Dad, wake up. Come on.

Y'all the ones been stealing my copper? Huh?

Here. Let me help you with the door, Sir. How's that?

Now let me make this shit real simple for you. Alright?

- You got about 10 seconds... - Dad, let's go!

...to get your fucking asses

moving before I start pulling fucking triggers. Alright?

Get all your shit out of there. Let's go.

There you go. Get all your stuff. You got it?

- Come on, man. Let's go. - Dad, let's go.

- The fuck you doing, man? - Dad!

Back the fuck up.

Please, Sir, he don't know what he's doing!

- Dad!! - Back the fuck up, now!

Sir, he don't know what he's doing!

It's double-aught buckshot, it'll blow your ass right in fucking half, man.

- Dad. - Man, get the fuck back, man!

Dad!

- God damn. - Dad.

Dad, give me the gun.

Dad, everything's alright.

I promise you, no one's messing with us.

Dad. Dad!

Bastards!

Dad, come on.

Get the fuck out of here!

Come on. Come on! Let's go.

You scared the shit out of me! Never do that again!

You understand?

Now hurry up. I already got to get back to work.

I'm sorry, Aunt Tammy.

Look, don't start with that bullshit!

I'm so sick of this shit. Why you can't just do right?

It was his birthday!

I don't care about his birthday.

You know how many times this month

I had to leave work to come down here and get your ass?

And you gonna pay for it? That's money out of my damn pocket.

Nah. You ain't gonna pay for shit,

'cause you can't do shit except fail all your damn classes.

You down here so much, you might as well be homeless your goddamn self.

That's what you want?

Huh?

Be homeless? Living on the street?

Stupid ass.

Fuck it. I ain't your mom.

I got to take care of your ass.

I'm taking your ass back to the shelter.

Go ahead. Then you won't get your welfare check.

Who you talking to, bitch?

Oh, sweetie, you ain't even worth the money.

You little bitch! Go ahead and run!

Don't nobody give a fuck about you!

- - Guess what? Not your room. It's not your room.

If you want your allowance, you will make your bed.

What a bunch of bullshit.

Every morning. And it's not bullshit.

Okay, so your aunt called me.

What happened?

Guess.

You didn't get along?

Well, you're going to have to tell me, did she act inappropriately?

This is what? Three places in six months.

The Johnsons. The Dwyers. Aunt Tammy.

- Don't you want a home? - I got a home.

Skid row? It's not a home. Not for a 12-year-old girl.

Alright. This, it's not for kids.

But I want you to keep it with you all the time.

You can sleep in your old bedroom tonight.

Okay, Magdalene. We'll figure this out.

It's called a conversation. Two ways.

I hope the drive wasn't too long.

Oh, no. No. Not at all.

Alicia, I want you to meet the Austins.

This is John and Carolina.

Um, they have worked with us in the foster system, what?

- Twenty years? - Mm-Hm.

- Hello, Alicia. It's good to meet you. - Hi, sweetie.

Uh, Ms. Rodriguez showed us one of your short stories about the unicorn.

It was beautiful.