Playing for Keeps

You know how you grow up thinking you've got something inside you that's really special,

something that means that one day you're gonna show everybody and really make it,

but everyone around you tells you you're crazy?

Well, crazy is the way it's always been...

for me and my best buddies, Silk and Danny.

We were 18 and poor and had been friends for life.

That's me. I'm Spikes. And I was a slugger.

And Silk was always movin' to the beat.

And Danny-- Well, Danny was the dreamer.

And he always dreamed that one day the three of us would find something to do...

so we could stay together.

And he came up with a lot of crazy ideas.

Like the, uh, portable car wash.

And the Homemade Fireworks Company.

And the Private Ticket Agency.

But every time we got up to bat, we struck out.

And as our school days were coming to an end,

it appeared we'd have to go our own ways.

Our future was now at hand.

And now, as we leave our good friends...

and prepare to go our separate ways,

we bid farewell to the dreams of childhood...

and embrace the realities of adulthood.

Principal Canelli, and all the faculty,

we love you... very much.

Thank you, Miss Weiner.

The farewell address will now be given by our class president,

Danny D'Angelo.

Principal Canelli, honored guests,

parents and fellow students.

This is truly an occasion for a great celebration.

For as I look back on our four years of high school,

I cannot help but be impressed...

by what a total fuckin' waste of time this all was!

- -

Let's hear it for an end to binomial equations!

- No shit, man! - And "esta Manuel en casa?"

- Definitely. - And historical dates...

I know I will not use even one more day in my entire life!

- I don't wanna say good-bye to my friends. - All right, Danny!

I don't wanna go our separate ways! Danny.

I wanna do something special. Why hasn't anyone taught me what to do with my goddamn life?

Well, Danny was truly an original.

They took away his diploma, but like he always said,

"School just leads to more school. Then what?"

Anyway, Danny said we hadn't really graduated...

until we defeated the Flyers in a game of Christopher Columbus.

Christopher Columbus was a kick-ass version of hide-and-seek...

played on the streets of New York...

where you were the hunter and the hunted at the same time.

The fact that the Flyers had never been beaten didn't seem to bother Danny.

But it sure scared the shit out of us.

Time limit? 12 hours.

24, and 10 bucks a head to the winners.

- Make it 20. - Mm-hmm.

And dangling victims from the overpass is a definite disqualification.

Jails? Yours is 12th Street.

Ours is the parking lot behind Simpson's.

No weapons, Dino. Right. No weapons.

One minute to hide. Make it 30 seconds. And one last thing, Danny.

Yeah? I don't like you.

That's, uh, reassuring.

- Christopher Columbus! -

We're never gonna beat those guys! Don't worry. I got a plan.

Yeah, right.

Whoa!

Christopher Columbus! Ha! You're caught.

Aah!

Eat my dust, wimp!

Christopher Columbus! Oh, shit.

Oh!

Yes, my son?

Oh.

Oh, yeah. I, uh, I've been real bad, your worship.

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. Hey. No shit? You too?

Christopher Columbus, Steinberg. You're caught.

Help me, Padre! Steinberg?

Shit. There's five guys guarding that jail.

You got any food? What do I look like, Ronald McDonald?

I'm hungry. You're always hungry.

Don't you ever think about anything else?

- Like what? - Like the future, buddy boy.

What future? Don't give me that.

You're the one with all the big plans.

- - Surprise! - Are you guys crazy?

- This is an important game! - Sorry.

- I brought you a Ring Ding, honey. - Oh, thanks, baby.

Brought you a Ring Ding, honey.

Don't you have anything better to do with your life than play this kid's game?

How'd you guys find us, anyway?

'Cause for the last ten years, honey, you've been hiding in the same place.

- Oh. - There are only two guys guarding the jail.

- We're gonna pull a break. - Okay. So what's your brilliant plan?

Uh, diversionary tactics.

Diversionary tactics.

Tracy... take off your underwear.

What?

Yo, Rico! Yo, man, check this out.

Your sister, she gave me a souvenir.

Whoa, she was good.

When I get through with you, you're gonna be singing soprano, Silk!

Oh, Tony!

- Free us, Danny. - Come on. Get us out of here!

Hey, we said no weapons, man. I'm changing the rules. Game's over, Danny.

Well, Dino certainly had a point...

and the fact that he was waving it under Danny's nose brought this "friendly" game...

to an abrupt end.

Our days of Christopher Columbus were definitely over.

At least that's what we thought at the time.

- Where are the burgers? - I gave them to the poor people downstairs.

We are the poor people, Marie!

You keep giving away our food, what will we eat? I don't know, and I don't care.

I'm going on a hunger strike until all the starving people in the world are fed.

And besides, if you're so worried, get another job.

But if we don't fix dinner, Mom is gonna kill us both.

Let's hope there's something in the "rainy day" account.

The "Hotel Majestic"?

Oh, hi, sweetheart. How's my little sweet pea? Ohh.

Ma, what's this Aunt Theresa and the hotel stuff?

Danny, why aren't you at work, huh?

Go ahead, Danny. Tell her.

Can it, squirt. Ma, is it true that we own this hotel?

Danny! Oh. All right. Look, I quit my job.

It was a dead end, Ma. High hopes and no pay isn't gonna do anybody any good.

Now, Danny, listen, you gotta get another job.

All right, all right. Now, would you tell me what this is? Uh, Marie.

Uh, don't you have some homework to do?

In July?

Okay.

Don't worry, Mom. I'm gonna get another job, okay? Now, would you tell me what this is?

Wanna know what this is? This is your great Aunt Theresa's will.

And this is the deed to her hotel.

And this is a bill for $8,000 worth of back taxes.

Why didn't you tell us we inherited a hotel?

What you inherited was this.

Yeah, but a ho-- $8,000 worth of debt!

But a hotel! Come on. Look at that. Just look at that.

Now, tell me. That's gotta be worth more than $8,000. Danny,

this place hasn't been opened for 20 years.

Listen, I want you to forget it, you understand?

Forget it.

We're gonna have a nice, quiet dinner, okay?

Oh. Danny.

Where are the burgers?

Marie!

That leaves one site outstanding for you to acquire for Pritchard right here.

Yeah. The D'Angelo property. It's an old hotel. Been empty for the last 20 years.

Then what's the holdup? The old lady who owned it died before I could get to her.

There's $8,000 in back taxes due in the next 60 days.

What about next of kin? There's a widowed grandniece and a couple of kids.

They can hardly make ends meet.

We'll quietly pick it up in receivership.

I need that property. That's why we're giving you all that money.

- Art! You'll have your property, Art. - No foul-ups, Henry.

- There better not be any flak from the town. - Don't worry about that.

I know my people. They're nothing but a bunch of farmers and penny-ante shopkeepers.

Hey, they offer you anything?

Speedy Messenger Service. How about you?

Well, I sold them on my organization, my cleanliness,

and my ability to work with equipment.