Ghetto drug-dealing scene. A group of 3 guys, all of them black, are standing and leaning against the wall of Carpet Right. DEALER 2 is covering up part of the poster promoting the Carpet Madness sale, where there’s 70% off everything, so now it just reads, ‘Madness’. A dog trots by and stops to sniff at the dustbin in the foreground, then cocks his leg and pisses on it, marking his territory. They’re all listening intently to DEALER 1 who's in the middle. POV is head level, focusing on DEALER 1, moving from across the road, stopping in the middle for a car to go past, to closer in on their faces. All the while we are listening to DEALER 1.
DEALER 1
And he just shot Begsie. Put a cap right in his ass. I couldn’t believe it. He didn’t have to go and do that.
DEALER 2
No way man!
DEALER 3
(Tuts loudly) Not Begsie.
DEALER 1
So Begsie’s lying there in a pool of his own blood. His eyes wide open, staring, staring, his body full of holes. He wasn’t even making no trouble you know. I mean, sheeeet. Coulda jus' whipped his ass or something instead.
BUYER 1
Are you guys talking about The Wire?
All the guys immediately turn to face the camera. DEALER 1 pulls a scornful face.
DEALER 1
An’ what’s it to you motherfucker?
CAMERA MOVES ROUND 180 DEGREES to show the face of BUYER 1. We see he’s a spotty white kid with long, greasy hair, about 17. He’s wearing a Yeah Yeah Yeahs t-shirt and is shivering slightly in the cold night air. Next to him, looking a bit nervous is BUYER 1'S MATE, same age, same long, greasy hair, but he’s wearing a Ramones t-shirt.
BUYER 1
Nothing really. Just thought I'd seen that episode, that’s all.
DEALER 3
What you good for nothin’ punks doin’ in our territory anyway. This here the ‘states yo.
BUYER 1
What the council estate?
DEALER 1
(Cutting in) Need a fix?
DEALER 2
Skunk, hash, coke, ketamine.
BUYER 1
A quarter of skunk and 4 wraps of coke.
DEALER 3
(Tuts loudly)
BUYER 1
How come you guys aren’t by the station anymore?
DEALER 1
Got CCTV and all dat shit up there. Cops wanna look like they’re doin’ somethin’, you know. Cleanin’ up the place. But we jus’ become someone else’s problem.
They all laugh.
DEALER 3
You right.
DEALER 1
O-Tyme, sort this shit out yo.
DEALER 1 deftly passes something to DEALER 2, who takes it smoothly.
DEALER 2
Aight. Coke’s £10 a wrap and the skunk's £30. You got the cheese?
There’s a long pause as DEALER 2 stares hard at BUYER 1, while BUYER 1 is looking confused. Then the penny drops.
BUYER 1
Money, oh yes.
DEALER 2
Follow me y’all.
DEALER 2 takes BUYER 1 and BUYER 1'S MATE off to do the deal down a more secluded alley. DEALER 1 and DEALER 3 watch them go till they’re out of earshot.
DEALER 3
So what shit we givin’ those 2 bitches?
DEALER 1
'Special Reserve' man, you know, what we cut the base with. Dat motherfuckin’ shit they use to numb baby’s gums.
DEALER 3 cracks up laughing.
DEALER 3
Dat right there is tight man. It’s all in the game yo.
DEALER 1
Yeah well get the burner out man, we gotta re-up fast, you feel me?
DEALER 3
Hang on a minute, don't talk so fast man, I'm not gettin' it. And what's a burner? Remember, I've only just started Season 3.
On DEALER 1 looking pissed.
CUT TO:
The lounge of a Georgian conversion flat. A group of 3 guys are sitting on 2 shabby-looking sofas. The room needs a lick of paint and is replete with Tupac and Metropolis posters, Mr Nice books, a copy of Evelyn Waugh’s Vile Bodies, Bill Hicks and The Wire DVDs, a lava lamp and a table covered with smoking ephemera, including pipes and a bong. BUYER 2, black, early twenties, and BUYER 2'S MATE, white, same age, are perched on the edge of the sofa, looking a little uncomfortable, clutching champagne flutes and listening intently to DEALER 4, white, mid-twenties, who’s reclining on the other sofa.
DEALER 4
Yes my father’s a Major…ex-Baron Harrold, Lord of Lambeth or something like that. Or perhaps he was a Viscount? Some sort of old school nonsense. Speaking of old skool, there’s this happy hardcore party on tomorrow after the 414. Should be absolutely repulsive. Do you want to come?
BUYER 2
Umm…
DEALER 4
Lottie will be there. And Adam, Miles and Nina. You know, same old set as usual. Have you two topping fellows met them before? Thinking of dabbling in a bit of acid beforehand. You know, shake the party up a bit. Awfully rather good stuff actually. Last time I took it happened to be the first time I met my new flat mate. Couldn’t understand a word she was saying. Bloody marvellous. Although I did have such a pain the next day. So what are you after?
BUYER 2
A bit of hash if you’ve got it?
DEALER 4
Oh yes, I’ve got some rather divine hash from the Netherlands. Forget Afghan and Nepalese. This stuff’s the devil. Rapture! Makes you feel so very queer. But in the best possible way you understand. Beats that rotten skunk those cads sell on the streets. Far too bogus. So would you like some?
BUYER 2
Yeah, sounds good.
DEALER 4
I deal in 10s. Think it’s easier that way. Metric, you know, none of this Imperial nonsense. All those Henry the Eighths and such. I mean to say, we’re not living in the Victorian age now are we? Or are we?
DEALER 4 chortles, while BUYER 2 and BUYER 2'S MATE laugh along politely, looking slightly bored.
DEALER 4
You know, I’ve got a free house in Stockwell Gardens this weekend. Father’s away on business or something, he's abroad rather a lot since mother passed away, in Thailand or somewhere over there. Can’t remember where exactly but I do know he’s back on Tuesday, so if you two stout chaps want to come over? It’s a divine place actually rather good for parties, got a huge glass window in the lounge that opens onto the garden. Can be a bit of a hazard though as sometimes you forget it’s there…more prosecco? Come on, don’t be a bore now, I'm not even tight yet.
PULL BACK through the window to the street outside, where we see BUYER 1 AND BUYER 1'S MATE talking with TWO OTHER SPOTTY WHITE KIDS, who're about 15. They swap something in return for a stack of notes. A police car with its lights on and sirens blaring rushes past heading north. We hear a dog barking.
FADE TO BLACK
THE END
