Snowfall – Baby Teeth

By: Jessica Wolff

Franklin Saint (Damson Idris) instructs Leon Simmons (Isaiah John) and Kevin Hamilton (Malcolm M. Mays) on how to bag the crack cocaine in its new form.  He tells them that he plans to give this new batch away for free in order to create the market for the drug.  Kevin asks to sample the product, and Franklin reluctantly allows him to.  He samples it and the high immediately affects him.  Franklin and Leon observe Kevin’s reaction and Franklin believes that they’re going to make a lot of money.

Teddy McDonald (Carter Hudson) and Victoria (Justine Lupe) wait in a diner for someone who they believe knows something about Victoria’s sister’s disappearance.  Upon learning that the man’s name is Jim Stewart, Teddy believes that it’s a set-up for money.  The two of them talk about the actor Jimmy Stewart, and Victoria admits that she’s more of a Cary Grant girl.  As they decide to leave, Jim Stewart (Billy Boyd) approaches them.  He tells them that he partied with Victoria’s missing sister at a club.  However, he asks them for money in exchange for the name of the club.  Teddy tells him that he keeps money in his car for emergencies and leads them outside.  He slams Stewart’s head against the car and coerces him to reveal that the club is called Club Glitter.

Lucia Villanueva (Emily Rios) brings Gustavo ‘El Oso’ Zapata (Sergio Peris-Mencheta) to Ramiro’s (Jose Zuniga) house.  Ramiro tells her that her father is waiting for her, and Pedro Nava (Filipe Valle Costa) tells her that he’s been busy when asked where he’s been.  Teddy answers the door and Alejandro Usteves (Juan Javier Cardenas) tells him that he’s been trying to reach him.  He tells him that he’s worried about their operation, and that he’s going down to find out what’s going on.  Teddy asks him about Club Glitter, promises that he’ll keep Victoria from finding out the truth about her friend’s disappearance, and warns him to be careful and not get himself killed.

Kevin excitedly tells a story to Leon, still on a high, but Leon reminds him that he was there when the story happened.  A woman approaches them and asks about the high they are giving away.  Kevin gives her a sample and tells her to spread the word.  Husky (Greg Eagles) comes over and asks Leon about the product.  When Kevin gives him a sample he attempts to steal the rest of the product.  Kevin and Leon wrestle him to the ground and beat him while the rest of the park looks on.  Lucia sits with her father, Mauricio (Carlos Linares), and wants to talk to him about the future of the family business.  He tells her that she’s impatient, and they laugh about a story of Lucia as a kid.  Mauricio recognizes that is still affected by what happened to her sister, and advises her to surround herself with people she can trust.

Teddy and Victoria go to Club Glitter and split up in their investigation.  They show various people the picture of Victoria’s sister, but nobody has any information.  They meet at the bar, and Teddy apologizes about the lack of results.  Victoria decides that she wants to get drunk and dance, and orders them shots.  Franklin shows Jerome Saint (Amin Joseph) and Aunt Louie (Angela Lewis) the new product and tries to convince them to help him with the business.  At Louie’s urging Jerome agrees to help out a little and asks Franklin what he’s going to tell his mother if the business takes off.  Franklin doesn’t answer as he leaves, and Louie argues that they should help because Franklin is going to do this with or without them.  Jerome reminds her that they have a good life, and she tells him that it will be even better if the business takes off the way Franklin believes it will.

Ramiro and Pedro find Gustavo staring at the horses in the stable.  He asks him if he’s ever been riding at night, and Gustavo tells him he’s never ridden a horse before.  Ramiro asks him about his family, and Gustavo tells him about his mother’s death.  He then asks if Gustavo has any other family, and he tells him that it’s just him.  Ramiro tells him that he has them, and offers to give him riding lessons.  Several drinks later, Teddy and Victoria are drunkenly dancing on the dance floor at the club.  A waitress comes over and takes them to the hallway to talk.  She tells them that Victoria’s sister was partying with some guys at the club one night and gives them the address of the place they left to party afterwards.  Teddy tells Victoria that he’ll meet her outside and uses the phone to ask a request of someone.  He uses a combination of drinks and cigarette ashes to make himself vomit on a Big Guy’s Girlfriend (Mara Hernandez).  The Big Guy (Errol Sack) throws him to the ground and beats him up.  Victoria comes over and helps him up.

Lucia and Ramiro talk about the business and Lucia realizes that Pedro told him everything.  Lucia finds Gustavo waiting outside, and tells him that he shouldn’t sleep in the house anymore.  Ramiro watches them talking, and Gustavo leaves.  At his apartment, Teddy tells Victoria to get a first aid kit from the bathroom.  He quickly picks up all of the incriminating files and shoves them in the oven.  Victoria hands him the first aid kit and notices the photo of his family on the refrigerator.  He tells her that he and his wife are separated and that he doesn’t want to talk about it.  She thanks him for his help, and tells him that she’s going to the address that the waitress gave them.  He suggests that she crash at his place for the night, but she refuses to stay.  Teddy goes with her, and reminds her that they are in this together when she protests.

Franklin arrives at the park and checks in on Leon and Kevin.  Leon criticizes him for not being there when the attempted robbery occurred.  He tells him that he’ll take him to Goodwill to get new shoes, and Leon demands to be paid.  Kevin reminds him that they’ve put their lives on the line for the business, and Franklin argues that he’s almost died twice.  Leon and Franklin yell at each other, and Franklin throws some money in his face.  They start shoving each other and Leon tackles Franklin to the ground.  Kevin pulls them away from each other and tells them to calm down.  Franklin and Leon yell at each other and Leon storms off with his boom box.

Arriving at the address, Victoria attempts to access the house.  When she gets no answer from the intercom, she tries to climb the fence.  Teddy reluctantly follows her but Mrs. Warren (Stephanie Nash) approaches them and tells them that this is private property.  She yells at them for trespassing, and Victoria tells her that her sister went to a party at the house.  Mrs. Warren tells her that no such party took place at the house, and Victoria shows her the picture of her sister.  However, Mrs. Warren doesn’t recognize her and threatens to call the police.  Victoria apologizes and Teddy asks her to let them know if she finds any helpful information.  Once Victoria is out of earshot, Teddy tells her that the bathrobe really helped sell the story.  Victoria breaks down at the car, and admits that she misses her sister.

The next morning, Franklin and Kevin talk about the business and Kevin asks him if he’s heard from Leon.  When Franklin tells him that he hasn’t, Kevin believes that Leon will come back like he always does.  They arrive at the park and find that everyone is staring at them.  They realize that they are there to buy the product, and they are excited.  Lucia oversees the bagging of the cocaine and yells at Pedro for telling Ramiro everything.  Ramiro steps in and observes the warehouse, complimenting them on their work.  He asks them if Gustavo is there, and Lucia tells him that she doesn’t know where he is.  Ramiro asks if he knows about their discussion, and Lucia assures him that he knows nothing about it.

Leon goes to Franklin’s house to apologize, not knowing that Lenny (Craig Tate) is watching from his car and cocking his gun.  Franklin leaves Kevin to deal with the last customer in the park and goes home with his earnings.  He goes into the house and sees Leon bleeding out in his backyard from the window.  He runs out and takes off his shirt to stop the bleeding.  Franklin calls for an ambulance, and Leon tells him to hide the drugs.  He grabs the bag and the rest of the materials and hides the bag in the closet of the house next door.  Franklin runs back to Leon and stays with him as the ambulance arrives.