Your House Will Pay

While at work, Shawn receives desperate texts about Darryl from Nisha. He finds out that Darryl has been in a minor car accident. He’s fine, but he cut school again and was driving without a license. Because Nisha cannot find Ray, who has become elusive, Shawn takes the rest of the day off to meet Darryl at the scene of the accident.

Shawn finds Darryl in a Burger King parking lot. He begs the driver of the other car, an older Black woman, not to call the police. He promises to pay for damages and to later discipline Darryl. Afterward, Shawn buys Darryl some French fries at Burger King and lectures him on responsibility. He tells him that the choices you make as a teenager stick with you for the rest of your life. If he continues making poor choices, he is going to end up like Ray or himself, and Shawn does not want that to happen: “I want your life to be better than both of ours” (153). Darryl argues at first, but eventually becomes sullen and starts crying. He tells Shawn that he is already in trouble.

Later, Shawn drops Darryl off at home, and Sheila interrogates her grandson.