RICKY: You know, this is gonna take forever, you being such a bad listener. I said I thought I’d lost it, but clearly, at some point, Stanley went through my shit and took it. I would never give him something like that. Little blabbermouth Stanley? He’d freak out and tell you. I’d be screwed.

<brief laughter>

And I was right.

STANLEY: You didn’t seem so worried about me tattling when you dragged me into the city.

RICKY: Twice. I dragged you twice.

<brief pause>

I knew about you, Stanley. I didn’t know, but…I knew. You know? When I realized you took my magazine, I knew I had to get you out. Show you someplace different.

STANLEY: Yeah, well…you did. Thanks for nothing.

RICKY: You had fun. I watched you dance. It was the best night of your whole life, remember? You said that. You begged me to go again. You couldn’t wait for Christmas to be over so I could take you! I got you your first kiss—tell him!

<silence>

Tell him the truth! Please. What difference is it gonna make now?

GARY: Stanley, this kiss, who was this person? Did he get you sick?

RICKY: Stanley isn’t sick. Neither of us are sick. This was nine months ago, and we’re fine.

GARY: I was talking to my son.

STANLEY: The man didn’t tell me his name…

GARY: Oh, my Lord…

STANLEY: We only kissed, I promise. I stopped right away. He was a Marine or…an Army guy, I don’t know. A soldier.

GARY: You are seventeen…I want that man’s name. Tell me right now.

STANLEY: I promise I don’t know or I’d tell you. He told me to call him “B.”

RICKY: I was looking out for Stanley the entire time. They just kissed. That was it. It was like a PG movie.

GARY: You’ve talked enough!

STANLEY: I pushed B away, and I said, “No.” I said, “No, I don’t like that.” I said, “No.” Dad, I promise.

RICKY: He’s lying.

GARY: Enough—

RICKY: You’re such a tool if you believe him—

STANLEY: When I told B that I was only seventeen, he got angry and said, “I don’t give a shi—you know, I don’t care about that. I’ve had younger boys—”

RICKY: This was totally NEVER SAID.

STANLEY: B got so mad at me, he pointed across the bar at Ricky and his friends—

RICKY: I was at the exact next table. I was not “across the bar.” He never left my sight!

STANLEY: B pointed at Ricky’s friend and told me to watch out. His friend was all skinny. B said, “watch out for that man”—Ricky’s friend—“he has AIDS.”

<silence>

Then B left. I went home right away and told Mom everything.

GARY: You brought my son to a bar where somebody had AIDS?