Joey Caruso: Well, give me a quarter, too. I'll call my mom.
Chris: No. I only have one quarter.
Joey Caruso: Ah, don't worry about it. [takes quarter] I'll have my mother call your mother. [on the pay phone] Mom. Yeah, it's Joey. All right, if the school calls and says I'm lost, I'm not. Nah, I'm okay. I'm with Chris. Yeah, the Black one.
Adult Chris: [v.o.] Strange realizing that Caruso had a loving family at home. A loving racist family.
Joey Caruso: All right. Love you. Bye. [hangs up]
Chris: Hey, you were supposed to tell her to call my mom.
Joey Caruso: Forgot. Sorry. Why don't you call collect? That's what the guys in prison do.

Adult Chris: [v.o.] All that could save Tonya was a sad look.
Julius: What's going on?
Tonya: Mom's really mad at me.
Julius: [sighs] Tell me what happened.
Tonya: I just wanted to wear earrings like my friends, so I took Mom's gold hoops, and I lost one.
Julius: Oh, Tonya.
Tonya: Do you think maybe I could save up and buy another pair?
Julius: It's not about the money, Tonya. I gave your mother those earrings. You can't replace them.
Tonya: What are you going to do?
Adult Chris: [v.o.] My father could've spanked Tonya, or grounded her until she was grown, but he said something that made her feel worse than all of that.
Julius: I'm really disappointed in you.
[fantasy: Tonya is on her bed wearing Oriental clothes:]
Tonya: Father, I have brought disgrace to myself and to our family.
Julius: Tonya, no!
Tonya: Leave me now, Father. I must whup myself until you can find it in your heart to forgive me.

Adult Chris: [v.o.] Even though Caruso had got on my last nerve, I was afraid I might be his last chance.
Gang Member: [to Caruso] So, you take that to Brooklyn Beach stop, and you're right there, all right?
Joey Caruso: How'd you get here before me?
Chris: I took the express train. This is the local train.
Gang Member: Hey, man, why'd you leave your boy out here like that? We could've hurt him.
Chris: I came back to get him.
Gang Member: What you want me to do?
Joey Caruso: Nah, leave him alone. If he gets hurt, I think it effects my grade.
Gang Member: Hey, man, in the buddy system, you never leave your buddy. No matter what. You understand?
Chris: Yeah.
Gang Member: Good. Now give me your wallet.
Chris: I don't have any money in it.
Gang Member: Did I ask you all of that?
Adult Chris: [v.o.] I guess this is what Martin Luther King fought for, Black and White bullies side by side ready to kick my ass.

Chris: What now?
Joey Caruso: Well, we switch platforms and then head back downtown.
Chris: All right, let's go.
Joey Caruso: Oh, wait. So you really came back for me?
Chris: Yeah. Why?
Joey Caruso: Because I would have left you.
Chris: For real?
Joey Caruso: Yeah, man. You're dumb. Those guys could have killed you.
Chris: All right. All right, you done?
Joey Caruso: Yeah, let's go home, Muddy.

Principal Edwards: So how did it go?
Chris: Huh? Oh, the buddy system? Oh, it was all right.
Principal Edwards: Really? Even after I left you at the museum.
Chris: Wait. You left me and Caruso alone on purpose? You can't do that. I mean, we're kids. Anything could've happened.
Principal Edwards: I had my eyes on you the whole time.
Chris: What?
Principal Edwards: That's right. From Chinatown through the Bronx down through Harlem. Oh. Here's your wallet.
Chris: Okay, I- I really don't understand. What was the point? Caruso still hates me.
Principal Edwards: What about you? Did you learn anything today?
Chris: Well, I learned that Caruso didn't like me yesterday, he doesn't like me today, and he's not going to like me tomorrow.
Principal Edwards: Yes, all that's true. But you're forgetting you learned something else today much more important.
Chris: What?
Principal Edwards: You learned that I was wrong.