All American: Homecoming (2022) s01e12 Episode Script

1 [DRUMMERS PLAYING, WHISTLE BLOWING.]
J.
R.
: Whoo! You know it just need to be said.
- Bringston homecomings are fire.
- Period.
It is only the first day, and I can tell I'm already gonna like it more than last year.
Ah, hello.
That's a lie because you met me last year, so that's when the game was changed, honey.
But she ain't know me, so that makes this year the best.
Ain't that right? Oh, my gosh.
Simone It's our friendiversary! That means we have to toast, so that's y'all's cue.
Drinks, please.
- SIMONE: Water for me, though.
- J.
R.
: I got you.
- Do I look like a waiter? - Say, brother, - SIMONE AND KEISHA: Yes! - J.
R.
: take this order.
Oh, I wish Nate was here instead of at her pre-law conference.
You two are a big reason why I came here.
Yo, a lot has changed.
Seriously.
I came being a walk-on, and I made the team.
If I can impress Coach Loni at the pro tournament tomorrow, I'll have a shot at making top 6 and singles next semester.
Girl, you gonna make top 6.
I need you to, uhh, claim that-ah.
Right, right.
- Uhh, claim that-ah.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE.]
[THEA SIGHS.]
A spa day, a candlelit dinner.
If your plan was to help me relax before the tournament, you succeeded.
Well, I'm not done.
Check your phone.
What? You sent me an invite to create a Spotify blend playlist.
Yup.
So in between your matches, you know you can get in the zone with a mix of your favorite songs, a couple of mine.
So it'll be like having you right there with me, even when you're not.
Yeah, something like that.
- [CHUCKLES SOFTLY.]
- Hi.
Mom.
Heh! What's up? Uh - What are you doing here? Uh - Well, I told you I was flying in - for homecoming.
- Uh, yeah.
The weekend for the game against Hawkins.
Well, I wanted to get my full HBCU homecoming experience.
[KEENA AND DAMON CHUCKLE.]
KEENA: Which should include an introduction - to your companion.
- DAMON: Oh, right, right! Heh.
My bad.
Uh, Ma, this is Thea Mays, my girlfriend.
I've heard so much about you.
Well, I wish I could say the same.
But I'm sure I will get to know you just like I've done with all of Damon's friends.
And how are J.
R.
, Santiago, and Simone? Good.
Yeah, everybody's good.
Oh.
That's real good, baby.
Um I should head in and get some sleep before the tournament, but it was so nice to meet you.
- KEENA: See you soon.
- DAMON: See you.
- DAMON: See you.
- [THEA CHUCKLES.]
- Yo, really, Ma? - What? All I did was ask a question.
Now come.
My HBCU experience awaits.
Not bad.
I've been looking for you.
Can this wait till morning? I got a lot of work to do.
Does that work involve the merger with Willis Cobb University? Zeke, how did we get here? The same way other HBCUs have: Low revenues and poor enrollment.
Now, I know everyone will paint me as the villain.
I don't care.
I've tried everything I could.
This merger is the only way to save Bringston.
Even if we lose the heart and soul of our school in the process? What's the point in saving Bringston if it's not Bringston anymore? [DRUMMERS PLAYING.]
[CHEERING.]
It's so cool And scary being around so many women I admire.
- SIMONE: I agree.
- Mm-mm.
Put the fangirl away because the pros are not fans of ours.
They see collegiate players as unnecessary obstacles, - so - WOMAN: True.
And if we had a choice, you wouldn't even step on the court with us.
Katia, I was hoping you'd be here.
Why? You've never been good enough to beat me, and you never will be.
It's a mistake to underestimate me.
Sweetie, it's a little hard to take you or your friends seriously in your little matching outfits.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY.]
[INHALES DEEPLY.]
SIMONE: Thea, as your friend, I hate her.
That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.
Thank you.
Why do you play so much? ♪ Why do you play so much, boy ♪ DAMON: Coach seems better.
J.
R.
: Yeah, like he didn't just spend the last few days chewing us out.
- What's up, boys? - DAMON: What's up? J.
R.
: What's up, dawg? DAMON: Hey, for a program that's strapped for cash, Coach went all in.
He's showing out because the barbecue got canceled last year because of the cheating scandal.
Are you good? Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm I'm good.
Just You know, my dad had an affair, then lied about being my biological father.
Because of the Alzheimer's, I'm left with the fallout, telling my mom.
Bro, how am I supposed to tell her that her husband of 20 years did nothing but lie to her the whole time? Because you got to rip the band-aid off.
Honesty is the only answer.
DAMON: I don't know.
Look, I'm gonna see if Coach needs some help.
- OK.
- All right.
I'll catch you.
Coach, - hey.
- Look at all this, Sam's.
Isn't this the best-looking barbecue you ever seen? Uh, yeah, yeah.
It's dope, Coach.
Yo, with this being the anniversary of the cheating scandal, though, - you good? - I'm good, better than good.
OK, cool, 'cause I wanted to ask you, um you know, when you leaked Shaw's cheating to Dr.
Patterson, the blowback on her was kind of rough.
And, you know, now that the team was almost demolished, looking back, was, like, telling the truth worth the cost? This barbecue is gonna change the game.
Look, all it needs is another pit.
That's what's missing.
I'mma get Yee on that.
I'mma call the news.
They need to be covering this 'cause I'mma get coach of the year after this.
- You just watch.
- Coach, hey, what is going on with you? You just watch.
Coach of the year, baby.
They didn't turn the meat right.
Just give me a few minutes.
Got to turn the meat like that.
OK.
- Uh, you can make your own magic ♪ - Own magic ♪ Dream about it, go get it, take action ♪ - This your ship, you the captain ♪ - You the captain ♪ Get up, get out, and make it happen ♪ - All grind, no hate ♪ - All grind, no hate ♪ - No love or fate ♪ - No love or fate ♪ - About to elevate ♪ - Elevate ♪ About to elevate ♪ [ECHOING.]
Elevate ♪ Hmm.
What's up? Um, nothing.
I just wanted to check in.
I'm good.
- You good? - Yeah.
I'm great.
Then what's with the nervous smile? I don't have a nervous smile.
Yeah.
OK.
Like I don't know your smiles by now.
[BOTH CHUCKLE.]
You want to tell me what's up? Yeah.
There is something that I was hoping to talk to you about.
GABRIELLE: Cam, did you get my text? ♪ CAM: I did, but your text ♪ Was too damn long ♪ - Long ♪ - [GABRIELLE MOCK LAUGHS.]
Whatever.
I'm gonna take some fries.
I got extra.
I was ready for you, you little fry snatcher.
Um, I'm actually gonna catch you all later, OK? - Oh, bye, girl.
- All right.
See you.
OK, I see you.
[APPLAUSE.]
Hey, your girl is no joke out there, bro.
Nah, like, for real, man.
Hey, I appreciate you coming through.
Of course.
Well, you're my baby brother.
Supporting Thea is part of the gig.
Plus, I get to be here for Simone.
Hey, you ever figure out how you're gonna talk to your mom? Uh, yeah.
For now, I'm just gonna tell her about Celine and not my dad.
So you're gonna lie? Nah.
I'm just skipping a few details.
SIMONE: Hey.
When I mentioned the tournament at family dinner, I didn't expect you guys to come see me.
Are you kidding? It's about time I finally get to see you play.
Oh, yeah, hey.
You looked great out there.
Thanks.
THEA: Hey.
Hey.
THEA: So I am playing Katia tomorrow.
DAMON: What? You gonna destroy her.
THEA: Oh, yeah.
I'm glad you got your rematch.
Me, too.
Damon, I need food.
DAMON: I guess we should get you something to eat.
I'mma see you all, then.
J.
R.
: That must've been kind of awkward for you.
Why? I'm happy for them.
So We're playing each other tomorrow.
What? Are you serious? That's so messed up.
I get that playing your friend must suck, but this seems a bit extra.
No.
Coach Loni is using this tournament to determine the top 6.
And if I don't win, it could potentially be a wrap on me officially playing tennis at Bringston for the year.
And if I don't beat Simone, I could lose my spot, which means they could pull my scholarship.
OK, um, forget my last comment.
If the merger goes through, we're gonna have to make room for Willis Cobb alumni on the walls.
Who exactly are you thinking about adding? I have a few names: Grant Vos, Kerry Slater, maybe Clara Ramsey.
I don't know who those people are.
They're among the top 3 app developers in the Country.
AMARA: I'm sorry.
What? Are you seriously talking about putting up portraits of app developers next to Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, and Zora Neale Hurston? Hello, Amara.
I heard you've been snooping where you didn't belong and found out about the merger.
Well, somebody has to stop you from diluting the HBCU legacy.
VERONICA SKINNER: Like it or not, Bringston's gonna have to become more inclusive.
You mean more white.
Zeke, help me out here.
This place has given inspiration to generations of students.
I refuse to take that away.
Everything stays as is.
AMARA: Thank you, President Allen.
YEE: Yeah, we've got a great group of young men.
They love to compete.
They come out here and bust it every single day.
- LOWE: The guys are really talented.
- MARCUS: Wreck-it Ralph.
You sniffing around here again? Well, given that it's the anniversary of the baseball cheating scandal, I'm doing a story on the team.
Yeah.
He's doing one of those "look how far they've come" - kind of deals.
- Is that right? Sounds good, as long as you're not rehashing the scandal.
Well, I can't really write a story about how far you've come without looking at how you got here.
I can tell you.
Shaw.
End of story.
No, there's, uh, still a missing piece, the identity of Amara's source.
You're gonna want to leave the scandal and all this whistleblower stuff in the past, do you hear me? Marcus, I'm trying to help you.
Stay the hell away from my staff and team.
That's how you can help.
Uh, yeah.
What the hell were y'all thinking? We didn't do anything wrong here.
I disagree.
You owe me an apology, OK, for going behind my back, talking to a reporter about me! About you? Were we just part of the same conversation? I mean, come on, Marcus.
You're losing it.
You know what? Clean out your offices.
You both are fired.
- LOWE: What?! - MARCUS: Both of you.
- LOWE: No, you can't be serious.
- YEE: Marcus.
I am.
Get out of my gym now.
So, yeah, tennis has given me a lot.
I've been able to see the world, and I enjoy making people see me and women who look like me.
I'm sorry.
You asked about me personally, and all I've talked about is tennis.
You've answered my questions.
You're disciplined and ambitious.
And since you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, sometimes you can be a little intense, but you're learning to tone it down.
- Yeah.
- [CHUCKLES.]
I get it now.
Well, it looks like you got the Keena Sims stamp of approval in record time.
- Shut up.
- Great.
Well, then I'm gonna quit while I'm ahead and say good night, but thank you so much for dinner.
It was my pleasure.
- THEA: All right.
- DAMON: All right.
See you.
Bye.
Hey.
What's on your mind? And don't you say "nothing.
" Otherwise we will sit here until you spill.
I found my birth mother Celine Raymond, J.
R.
's mom.
And J.
R.
's dad He's your birth father? No.
Oh.
OK.
[CHUCKLES.]
Well, who is? Damon Sweetheart, either you trust me with this, or you don't.
Who is your father? Dad's my biological father.
[CHUCKLES.]
Damon, that doesn't make any sense.
He didn't tell you, Mom, 'cause he ain't want to admit that Admit what, Damon? [EXHALES.]
He didn't want to admit that he had an affair when you guys were newlyweds.
I'm assuming Celine told you this.
[SCOFFS.]
Well, I'm not taking the word of some woman I've never met.
Xavier would never be unfaithful to me.
And I don't know what kind of game Celine is playing, but, uh, I'm going to need her number right now.
Damon, I'm not playing.
Celine may be your biological mother, but Xavier is not your birth father.
He and I adopted you, plain and simple.
Have you ever seen the paperwork, ma? Xavier handled the adoption.
We wanted a baby so badly, I didn't care about the paperwork.
So whenever we needed it, your father just took care of it.
Mom, he did that to hide the fact that - there was no adoption.
- No.
All right, he didn't need - to adopt his own son, Mom.
- No, no, no.
We cannot take the word - of some woman I have never met.
- Listen, listen, listen, Mom.
All right? I checked with the State.
There is no record of my adoption at all by anyone.
I know it's hard, but it's the truth.
I got to go.
Uh, - I'll call you later.
- Mom.
Let me be the one you want ♪ The one you need ♪ [KNOCK ON DOOR.]
I want to be your everything ♪ - What's up? - What's up? You tell me.
I kind of felt like you had something to say yesterday.
Um, actually, Cam So you know how I said that there are some things that I needed to work on before I could be ready to get into a relationship? Yeah.
Well, I've done the work, and I'm ready if it's not too late.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY.]
Uh, we got something pretty dope this spring.
I just don't want to mess up what we have, you know? [KNOCK ON DOOR.]
Keish.
Oh.
- My bad.
- CAM: No.
No.
You good.
I should probably go.
- Keisha.
- No, no.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
Don't worry about that.
Let's worry about you.
Um, you have to play a friend today.
That sucks, by the way.
No, it doesn't because Jerika is not my friend.
She can't be, not until after the match.
You better go, girl ♪ You better go, girl, show out ♪ Go, girl, you better go, girl ♪ You got a fire that can take over the whole world ♪ You better go, girl ♪ You better go, girl, show out ♪ You know it's your world ♪ - And I feel like ♪ - It's my turn ♪ - I feel like ♪ - It's my turn ♪ I feel like it's my turn ♪ You got a fire that can take over the whole world ♪ [APPLAUSE.]
UMPIRE: Game, set, match, Hicks.
[APPLAUSE CONTINUES.]
Jerika.
I'm really sorry.
No.
Don't be.
I'm so proud of you.
RALPH: Bringston is merging with a PWI.
OK, we need to get this article out as soon as possible.
I think we should hold a beat.
Amara, people have a right to know what's happening.
I agree.
But I don't want to publicly air Bringston controversy again just to stand by and watch the aftermath.
Hey, look, I get it.
After the cheating scandal, people in our community came at you pretty hard.
My hesitation isn't about that.
It's about saving Bringston.
We need to be strategic Release the article when we know we can bring awareness and allies to our cause.
OK.
We do this your way for now.
Hey, Candace, it's me.
We need to hit up every alum at homecoming.
There's something they need to know.
MARCUS: I told you to stay away from my team.
Didn't I make myself clear? What was made clear was that you were Amara's source on the cheating scandal.
You need to leave.
When I mentioned the whistleblower yesterday, you nearly took my head off.
And that got me thinking, see, you were Shaw's assistant coach.
There's no way you didn't know what he was doing.
You had access to everything that you needed to expose him, and you had access to the perfect person to hide behind, Amara.
You let her stand out there and take the hits on this one alone.
Now, I know.
Amara, she probably told you she could handle it, but she shouldn't have had to.
Teams are built on trust, right? It means all this, all this is a lie.
Ah, but none of that matters to you as long as you win the girl and the team.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
Can I see the mic? [MICROPHONE IS TURNED ON.]
Hey, hey, everybody.
Listen, I want to thank you all for coming out.
- [APPLAUSE.]
- MAN: Whoo! Yeah.
I hope you all are having a great time, but there's an elephant in the room, and it has cheating scandal written all over it.
Now, there's been a lot of talk about an anonymous source, who they are and why they did what they did.
And I want to put all that to rest here and now.
It was me.
MARCUS: Now, I know what you all thinking, all right? I can hear it.
But I'm not the bad guy.
I did what I did so you boys can walk on that field with your heads held high.
Now, I did the right thing, damn it.
This time, I got it right.
[ECHOING.]
But I'm not the bad guy.
Bad guy Bad guy Bad guy You guys, man, have no idea what it's like to be me To wake up every morning and to look in that mirror and feel betrayed by what I see.
I can't unsee it.
I can't unsee me, man.
I'm not a bad man, y'all.
I'm not.
Coach, let's get some food, all right? I still got stuff to say, Sims.
I have to get it out.
I have to quiet the noise, J.
I got to quiet the noise.
Let's just take a break for a second, all right And then you can take the mic back.
You happy now, huh, Ralph? Huh? - Huh? - J.
R.
AND DAMON: Coach, Coach, Coach - MARCUS: Let me go.
- DAMON: Coach, calm down.
MARCUS: I'm fine.
I'm fine, Damon.
J.
, I'm fine.
OK? I'm fine, OK? DAMON: Coach.
I have to give credit where credit is due.
You've been dominating.
[HESITANTLY.]
Thank you.
You're next.
You still have a lot to learn, little girl.
[GASPS.]
[GASPING.]
[GROWLS.]
- Thea, you OK? - THEA: Look.
She [RAPID BREATHING.]
[SOBBING.]
Wow.
So much for being a man of integrity.
Dude, what are you talking about? Come on, fellas.
Coach showed mad integrity.
Shaw was cheating.
He was robbing dudes of their education.
Coach Marcus, he did the right thing.
No.
Keeping this thing quiet, forcing Shaw out, or going to the administration, that would have been the right thing.
We would've still had a season last year, and our funding wouldn't be in question this year.
Hey, look, our opinion about what Coach did isn't more important than finding him.
Clearly, he needs our help.
I'm not helping a dude I can't trust, so you do what you got to do.
Come on, boys.
- DAMON: Yo.
- SANTIAGO: No.
J.
R.
: So after all we been through, our team is back being divided? How are we supposed to beat Hawkins this way? DAMON: All right.
Look, listen up.
We'll find Coach first, and then we'll fix the team.
All right.
Let's split up.
Check everywhere.
If you find him, hit me up.
This was Katia.
She knows I can beat her, so she sabotaged me.
So why go through all this trouble if you can just use a different racket? Are you being serious right now? For elite tennis players, the specifics of their racket are very key.
Weight, handle, grip, string gauge are all precisely selected to meet our individual needs and to maximize performance.
I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I have to forfeit.
The hell you are.
Girl, you're gonna borrow my racket.
What, and make a fool of myself on the court? [SCOFFS.]
Absolutely not.
What, then you're just gonna let Katia win? SIMONE: And if anyone can play with a different racket, it is you.
Thea, you have to believe that.
You always tell me that tennis is a mental game.
So, girl, here we are.
You need to woman up.
As far as pep talks go, that wasn't bad.
[SCOFFS.]
You're welcome.
Here.
Go practice.
OK.
- Kill it.
- [THEA EXHALES.]
[RINGTONE.]
- DAMON: Yeah.
- SIMONE: Damon, um You got to get down to the tournament.
Thea needs you right now.
DAMON: Oh, all right.
All right.
Then I'm on my way.
No cap.
How hard was it to make that call? [SIGHS.]
The hardest.
GABRIELLE: Got a question.
What happened between you and Keisha? Got an answer: damn, you nosey.
Can't we just skip ahead to the part where you just tell me already? Nah.
Why don't we chill at the spot where you mind your business, yeah? Nope.
'Cause the way she was looking at you yesterday, her encouraging me to bid on you at the black and white gala so that you could perform with the ATLs, something's up.
Wait, wait, wait.
Keisha's the reason that you I put myself out there, and she rejected me.
And now she's saying she's ready, but I can't put myself through that again.
Can we get back to work now? You happy? Actually, I got to roll.
I will make sure that I text you about rehearsal tonight.
And, Cam, it probably took a lot for Keisha to finally say that she's ready and own her crap.
So maybe you should believe her.
Well, she'll be here soon.
Oh, here she is.
Listen up, guys.
AMARA: Thanks for coming, y'all.
I know Bringston merging with a PWI is a shock.
Zeke's one of us.
How could he let this happen? When we're done, I'm paying him a little visit.
OK.
Before you all start lighting the torches, let me ask you something.
When Zeke reaches out for donations, how many of you show up to support Bringston financially? But when it's homecoming week filled with parties and food, oh, y'all show up for that.
Damn.
You didn't have to put it like that.
I see a room full of successful, well-connected people.
Tap your contacts.
Let's raise enough money to stop this.
Let's save Bringston.
Yeah.
DAMON: Yo, thanks for hitting me up.
Yeah.
It's no problem.
Thea needed all the help that she can get, so plus, I've never seen her like that before.
Remember when I said we couldn't support each other? Uh, yes.
Kind of hard to forget.
Well, I feel like that wasn't right.
And if there's anything I learned these last couple days, it's that we all need each other.
So if you ever want to talk, I'm here to listen.
Uh, yeah, these past few weeks have been a little crazy.
So I'm guessing you talked to your mom about Celine and your dad.
J.
R.
called me up.
Right.
Heh.
You know, if I wasn't so determined on finding my birth parents, none of this would've came out and my mom, she wouldn't be in pain right now.
Damon, this is not on you.
This is on your dad.
I want to confront him so freaking bad, but I can't.
'Cause of his Alzheimer's, he'll never be held accountable for the messed-up stuff that he did.
Well, for whatever reason he did what he did, at the end of the day, you know he loves you.
So hold on to that.
Yeah.
Thanks.
Mm-hmm.
You know, it was pretty dope you being here for me and Thea despite, you know Damon, we both can be adults about it.
From the moment we met, there was always something between us.
Yeah.
No cap.
[CHUCKLES.]
But you got Jordan, and I got to respect that.
And now you're with Thea, so we're back to being friends Uncomplicated friends.
Yeah.
I'll see you around.
Hey.
Um Do you ever wonder what things would've been like between us, like, had the timing been different? All the time.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION.]
[SIGHS.]
UMPIRE: Fault.
Double fault, point, hook.
- 0-15.
- [APPLAUSE.]
DAMON: That's OK.
You got this.
Shh.
[EXHALES.]
This one goes out to the ladies ♪ Who do big things and go crazy ♪ No, we don't turn up in the club ♪ UMPIRE: Point, Mays.
0-30.
DAMON: There we go.
I came to shut it down, I'm the one that's doing damage ♪ While I'm posing ♪ [ECHOING.]
For the cameras ♪ UMPIRE: Game, set, match, Mays.
Let's go! [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE.]
[CHUCKLES.]
OK.
Yeah.
This racket is obnoxiously heavy, and I don't know how you use it.
Um Uh, Ma, how you doing? Time heals all wounds.
Xavier's affair is a wound that will take some time.
Yeah.
Simone told me I should focus on the fact that he loves me.
I agree.
You should focus on the best in him.
- Ma, can I ask you something? - Hmm? Like, when you look at me now, do you just see the worst in him? Never.
Damon, baby, you are my bright light, the best thing that's ever happened to me.
And we'll always love you.
Now, Xavier and Celine's mess will never change that.
You hear me? Yeah.
Just like it'll never change the fact that you're my ma And you always will be.
SIMONE: So you want to talk about happened with you and Cam earlier? Uhh It's a short but epic story.
- OK.
- I took my shot, but he's moved on emotionally.
It was just bad timing, I guess.
Yeah.
Sometimes timing is an issue, and other times, it's just needing to fight for your relationship.
I'll never regret going to L.
A.
to fight for Jordan because now I know it was never meant to be.
But, honestly, Keish, do you really think that you put all your cards on the table for you and Cam? [CELL PHONE CHIMES.]
- Oh, my God.
- What? Coach Loni wants to see me.
She's ready to name the final top 6.
- ZEKE: Amara.
- AMARA: Hey.
Glad you got my message.
First, thank you for giving a quote for the article.
I'm releasing it in a few days.
It felt like the right thing to do.
Well, there's a lot of that going around.
Zeke, the alumni managed to raise $4 million.
It's unbelievable.
That's enough to stop the merger, right? Unfortunately, we're gonna need a lot more than that now.
Simone.
- Hey! - Hey.
So I hear someone kept their spot.
Well, my wins prior to you handing me my ass impressed Coach Loni, so, yeah, I get to keep my scholarship.
Well, I'm very happy for you.
Save some of that happiness for yourself.
After the way you just played this tournament, there's no way you didn't Simone, no.
As a courtesy, Coach Loni gave me a heads-up.
She said I put in the work, but it just wasn't enough, so I didn't make it into the top 6.
Playing tennis at Bringston is over - For the year.
- I'm sorry.
[CELL PHONE CHIMES.]
If ever you ♪ Walk away ♪ - [KNOCK ON DOOR.]
- [DOOR OPENS.]
DAMON: Am I in trouble or something? You just rolled out after your match.
I heard your conversation with Simone at the tournament.
[SIGHS.]
Look I haven't been honest.
I mean, I didn't lie either, but I guess there's something I should've told you.
[EXHALES.]
Simone and I, uh We used to be close.
Like, real close.
I mean, we didn't act on any of our feelings.
She has someone, and now I have someone.
So am I just, like, a place-holder for you or something? Thea, no.
Look, I'm glad that things didn't work out with Simone 'cause that allowed me to find you.
If I mean so much to you, why didn't you tell me about your dad? I don't know.
Maybe because you're my bright light, and I just didn't want any of my family drama darkening anything that we have.
But, Damon, if we're gonna have a real relationship, you have to let me in on all of it.
You're right.
And And I'm sorry.
OK, from now on, there'll be nothing but complete honesty, OK? So is there anything that I should know? Ah, Simone and Jordan broke up, and now she's ready to deal with it.
No.
I'm a clean slate.
So am I out the doghouse? Hmm.
"Hmm"? With my love ♪ - [BOTH CHUCKLING.]
- [CELL PHONE CHIMES.]
Um, it's Dr.
Peterson: Emergency family meeting right now.
Look behind, I'll be runnin' ♪ With my love ♪ After you ♪ - Keisha? - Hey.
What, you crashing our A-T-L rehearsal? Nah, they're actually not pulling up.
Sure they are.
Gabby texted me.
'Cause I asked her to.
She was helping a sista out.
What is this? Why bring me here? Um, the way I came at you earlier was weak.
I know that now.
And one thing I learned about myself through therapy is that I am not about my emotions.
So one day my therapist asked me to write a letter to my future self.
- Oh, I bet you clapped back on that one.
- Yeah, I did.
- I bet.
Ha ha! - Yeah, ha ha! But then I wrote the letter.
OK.
"Hey, girl, it's me past Keisha hollering at you from a year ago.
" "As you read this, I hope" "we continue to find ways" "to move forward, because" "I really like who we're becoming," "that we're more aware of what we want," "that we're not" "scared of how we feel.
" "We're worthy of love, girl.
And I'm ready to give it in return without fear or reservation.
" "When I think about my life, I don't fear the things that could happen.
I'm excited about those things now.
" "And I hope one of them is Cam.
And after we're done telling him all that, I hope he wants what we want.
" So Do you? - Hell yeah.
- Yeah? - Hell yeah.
- KEISHA: Yeah? [CHUCKLING.]
Somebody ♪ I'd better let you ♪ - Live your life ♪ - [CELL PHONE CHIMES.]
And someday ♪ We'll be smilin' ♪ Me and you ♪ - KEISHA: Hey.
- DAMON: Yo.
Where's Dr.
P.
at? She's just making a quick call while we wait for Simone to get here.
Hey, bro, what's up? Can I have a chat with? For sure.
Oh, hey.
- KEISHA: Hey, girl.
- THEA: Hi.
AMARA: Hey, you two.
I haven't been able to reach Marcus.
Me and the guys looked for him everywhere.
We couldn't find him.
Yeah.
I'm gonna stop by his place again after this.
I'll come with you after the family meeting.
Um, hey, so There's something important y'all need to know.
AMARA: When I called Willis Cobb to get a quote, they realized the public scrutiny they'd be under.
In the wake of Black Lives Matter and everything, they got scared about how people would react to a PWI taking over an HBCU.
So they pulled out of the deal.
- No merger.
- Auntie, that is great news.
Yeah.
But there's more.
Since Bringston couldn't be merged, the trustees voted to have it sold unless enough money is raised by the end of homecoming week.
As in this homecoming week? I know this is a lot to take in.
[CELL PHONE CHIMES.]
Uh, I'm sorry.
Excuse me.
MARCUS ON RECORDING: Amara, hey, it's me.
I just want to say I'll miss you.
You brought a lot of good to a life that had a lot of bad.
Please don't try to find me.
Just let me be at peace.
J.
R.
: Hey, uh, Dr.
P.
? - DAMON: Was that Coach? - We need to find Marcus now.
I think he's planning on doing something To himself.