Maybe we should just call it a night, okay?
Before one of us says something that we can't take back.
Like, the fact that maybe we shouldn't be together anymore?
I haven't heard Xavier's name in years.
We had an affair. I got pregnant.
Damon...
I think you're that baby.
No. The man who raised me, who adopted me,
he wouldn't have lied to my face my entire life.
I'm sorry, but Xavier is your biological father.
- You're our son! - No, Ma.
That would make Damon and I brothers, and we're not.
I know this is hard for both of y'all, but you just got to...
No, mom, listen, we took a DNA test. We're not brothers.
So either the DNA test is wrong or you're wrong, Ms. Raymond.
- So which one is it? - Neither.
Do you remember how sick you were as a kid?
Having aplastic anemia isn't something that you forget easily.
The surgery was a bone marrow transplant.
Ma, I know.
Over time, your DNA merges with the donor's, essentially...
creating a new one.
Which is why our DNA didn't match.
So y'all should. So y'all two are the ones that need
to take the DNA test.
If all this is true, why'd you give me up?
There were a lot of reasons. But I swear, I only did
what I thought was best for everyone, including you.
Best for me? Being lied to?
Well, my entire life not knowing who my birth parents were,
that was what's best for y'all, that wasn't what's best for me.
Damon.
Episode 11
Okay, that's time. Test to the front of the room.
My bad!
Was it me or was Professor Corte's midterm crazy hard?
It's just you. I'm not trying to brag but I killed it.
Very humble.
How was your fall break? LA was good?
Yeah. It's fine.
Did I just witness another episode of the Damone awkward chronicles?
Don't start. Nate, what are you doing here?
I wanted to check on you. Since you got back you've been
like Rihanna's next album, nowhere to be found.
Well, between studying for midterms, work, and practicing
for the professional qualifying tennis tournament, I've been busy.
This "I'm fine with the break-up" act isn't a good look.
Well, I have other things to focus on other than my break-up, Nate.
When Nico and I split, I thought I could just go through the motions
and the pain will go away on its own. That ain't the truth.
Life is like a tape. You can't fast forward through the hurt.
You have to let the tape play or the bad's gonna keep on repeating.
Well, thank you for the advice but I'm fine. Pinky promise.
All right. See you all next week.
That was quite the turnout.
My students know better than to miss my midterms.
If I recall, you had to learn that the hard way.
- See, that was past Ralph. - What brings present Ralph by?
I'm writing a story on Terry Tucker and the PED scandal in the majors.
And I I thought it would be useful to get the perspective
of a former teammate.
You mean Marcus?
And you think because I know him, I could talk him into giving you
an interview?
Well, it's harder for the source to say no when the request comes
from someone that they trust.
- I taught you that trick. - Has it worked?
Sorry, but you're gonna have to seek him out all by yourself.
All good. It's worth the shot.
This could have been a phone call, Ralph.
I know.
I wanted to stop by in person and get an update
on the Bringston financial story.
I don't have one. I've been distracted by Veronica Skinner.
Not only did she try to get me fired but her reasons for being
at Bringston are a little suspect.
Okay. Well, I get it.
But why does it feel like you're missing my mid-term?
You know what, I received that.
I need to refocus. I'll pull the minutes from the latest board meeting.
Maybe there's something in them that will be useful.
- Okay. - Okay.
Well, you're getting better at controlling your forehand.
- Your accuracy in on point. - Thanks.
Thea, are we okay?
You were kind of mad at me before fall break.
I'm sorry about that. I wasn't actually mad at you.
I was just dealing with my PTSD from Kevin and took it out on you.
But all good now.
Well, I'm proud of you for how you handled that situation.
So now you can focus on tennis and whooping ass tomorrow
at the qualifying tournament.
Actually, I've been playing in pro-tournaments all summer.
So I qualified for this tournament months ago.
But you're going to do great. I know it.
Thank you.
And just open your hips a pinch when you're going crosscourt.
It will help you with your depth. And an added bonus is you might
even put some poor girl onto her butt.
- Hold on. - Yeah?
Compliments. Advice. Red carpet smile.
You got some new boy in your orbit.
Is it that obvious?
Yes, it's giving me "I got a bae", but I'm not mad at it.
- It's a good look on you. - Yeah.
So you're not gonna tell me his name?
My courts are for training, not socializing.
Get back to it. From Coach Loni.
She really does have eyes everywhere.
All right, make way, boys! Make way!
We got ourselves a legend coming through!
You know, chill, chill, chill, I ain't a legend yet.
Give me a few more games then we'll talk about it.
No, no, we won the game because of you, man.
If that play was an NFT, you'd make a fortune.
That was the absolute worst baseball I've ever seen you play.
Did you even wanna be out there, Damon?
Coach, I'm sorry, all right? I got a lot of personal...
No excuses! Okay? Pull your head out of your ass before it rides
the pine this season, you got me? Come on now!
- What's up? - Hey! Congrats on the win.
Thank you, but it, it wasn't really my best game.
So you're aware. Great.
I thought I was gonna have to pretend that your pitching wasn't awful.
Well, you would only know that if you came to my game.
So I didn't know that you were such a big Damon Sim's fan.
Slow down, big guy. It wasn't about you.
- I just like the uniforms. - Yeah. I bet you do.
You don't need to take that?
No. What I need to do is, I need to take you on
that date that we were supposed to go on.
So what do you say we try for tonight?
- I'm in. - All right.
Come on.
But Damon, whatever you're hiding from...
you're gonna have to face it sooner or later.
Terry "TNT" Tucker has been suspended indefinitely
from professional baseball for using performance enhancing drugs.
- Yo, didn't you play with him? - Yeah, what about it?
I don't know, it just makes me wonder how many guys
we know that's taking this stuff.
I guess we'll find out in due time. Truth always comes out.
Hey! Our boy made play of the day.
Oh, snap! Yo, between the boys playing like they're playing
and the HBCU Baseball highlights and now this extra media coverage
on JR's play.
Man, the trustees would be blind not to see us as
a championship caliber team again.
Yeah. As long as we don't get hit with another scandal.
Why would we? There's nothing scandalous left.
Yo, when I said a date, I meant like, like a movie or something.
Yeah, I know. But I thought you needed something
a little more healing.
Healing? Thea, where the hell are we?
Athlete heaven. Time for a little physical therapy...
Thea May style.
All right. Breathe through it, okay?
- Are you okay? - Yeah.
- Are you ready for the best part? - There's a best part?
How was this the best part?
- How are you not cold? - I'm cold. I'm just not a baby.
But I bet I last in here longer than you.
- What do I win? - What do you want?
I get to shave your legs.
Bet. But if I win, I get to take you out on a real date.
It's cute you think you've got a chance to win.
Hey, Ma. What you doing here?
I know you said you needed some space but...
I got the DNA test results back.
Damon is my biological son.
- Did you tell him? - He won't answer my calls.
Could you blame him? Ma, you abandoned him.
How could you do that?
Blended families exist, y'all could have made it work.
Your father refused to raise another man's child.
Then you got sick, and with all the treatments
and the bills adding up, I couldn't...
So you had to decide between keeping Damon or taking care of me.
Baby, no. That is not what I'm saying.
Are you sure, Ma?
'Cause that's exactly what I'm hearing, and that's
what Damon is gonna hear. I gotta go. Coach texted me.
Young blood in the slick suit. What can I do for you?
Sorry to disturb you but, if you have a moment I wanted
to talk to you about Terry Tucker.
Yeah, what about him?
I'm doing a story on the rise of PED use in the MLB.
When you two played together back in o-five,
did he exhibit any suspicious behavior?
I didn't notice anything.
And was there any indication of other players on the team,
using PED's as well?
One bad player and you wanna call the integrity of an entire team
into question.
Come on, Marcus. Terry couldn't have been the only player
in that locker room playing dirty.
Like I said, man, I didn't notice anything.
Really? Or was it maybe just easier to ignore what you saw?
Are you digging up a quote about Terry or about me?
Look, I know you have a thing for Amara.
But do you think taking me down is the best way to impress her?
My feelings for Amara have nothing to do with you or my work.
I don't know if you have any more questions, but my answer
to all of them is, no comment. So see yourself out, Ralph.
Marcus, this is Dr. Epps calling again.
The Pharmacy said you still have not picked up your refill
for Aripiprazole. Marcus, it's not effective if you don't take it daily.
I'm gonna grab a juice before I I see you at night, all right?
- Sorry. - My bad.
You good?
I could ask you the same question. I heard about the game.
We won.
Despite your pitching. What happened out there?
Just, I had one bad game. That's it.
- Why do I feel like you're lying? - I don't know.
Hi. Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt. Hi, Simone.
Hey, D, I'm gonna grab us a table.
All right. I'll see you in a sec.
Since when did you two become besties?
I'll see you around, all right?
Chocolate, like...
I have been looking for you.
- Hey, Auntie. - Don't "Hey, Auntie" me.
Why haven't I seen you since you've been back from LA?
Why you look so exhausted?
And, most importantly, why did Professor Corte just give me
a heads-up that you're getting a C on your midterm?
That can't be right. Auntie I'm all A's in his class.
Which is why he's concerned.
I guess balancing studying, work and tennis is harder than I thought.
But everything will be fine after the match tomorrow.
That was nice and rehearsed.
Okay, I'll dig. What happened in LA?
Because I'm guessing this all has to do with that.
- Jordan and I broke up. - Simone, I am so sorry.
No, I'm fine. Seriously.
Jordan was a major part of your life.
Pretending that losing him is just another Tuesday isn't healthy.
I hear you, but I'm good. I promise. I need to focus
on getting my American Lit grade up, so...
what do you think?
Do you think Professor Corte will give me another shot?
I don't know, baby girl. It's worth asking.
Just know it's okay not to be okay.
And if you find yourself in that place, I'm here.
- Glad you could finally make it. - Sorry, Coach. My mom stopped by.
Actually, can I get your advice on something?
I get it. Now that you've made "Play of the Day" you big time now.
You don't care about other people's schedules, son?
That's not true. Not at all. Sure, everybody been hitting me up
about it, but I thought you'd be happy for me. It's good press, right?
Wrong. Bringston doesn't need any more press right now, son.
Wasn't the HBCU Baseball highlights about media attention?
Coach, this is a good look for me.
Look, everything isn't about you, JR. All right, if they're putting
a focus on you, it'll come at the cost of someone else.
Now, the homecoming game against Hawk is the end-all be-all for us.
And if we don't focus on that, we're finished.
Now, do you wanna be the reason that Bringston Baseball doesn't make it
to the spring?
I need you focused on the team!
You understand me? Do you understand me, son?
- I asked you a question. - Yes, sir. I get it.
Yeah.
So, I've been over the minutes from all the financial meetings.
Remember the trustee I was telling you about?
Veronica or something.
Skinner. Right. Well, she's all over these minutes.
Why is that strange? She's a board member.
A new intern board member. She didn't even take a second
to get the lay of the land.
She jumped in day one pushing to increase funding in the engineering
and liberal arts departments.
And they seem to be listening to her.
Wait, if Bringston is having financial problems,
why are they giving any extra money to any programs?
I don't know. But I'm starting to think my financial story
and whatever Veronica is doing at Bringston are one and the same.
You have any sources close to her?
One. Her sister.
Great. So, work your Amara magic and then break the story.
It's going to be a little more complicated than that, Ralph.
But I'm figuring it out.
So I ended up speaking with Marcus.
Okay, how did it go?
Something's going on with him. He got pretty, aggressive with me.
Aggressive? Marcus Turner? I'm sure you're misreading the situation.
Yeah, trust me, I'm not.
Ralph, just because I stopped pursuing something romantic
with you doesn't mean you get to take that...
What is it with you two?
Look, I'm a grown-ass man that can handle rejection just fine.
But I've got two eyes, and what I saw wasn't right.
Look, If I was you, I would give him some space. I should go.
Is it me or does it feel like we're in a cheesy romantic novel?
I'm gonna need you to retract your shade.
- I love romance novels. - Thea, I know you don't.
No, you're right. They're corny and unrealistic.
At least so I've heard. I do love this though.
It's been the best night.
Yeah.
Nah, it really has.
Damn, I didn't mean to...
Yeah, well, you did. All right?
- What's going on, man? - DNA test results came in.
It's cool, bro. I already filled her in.
She's your mother. We're half-brothers, man.
Look, I know this may be hard, but ignoring our mother
isn't gonna make it any easier.
I don't care what the DNA test says, all right?
She's never gonna be my mother.
Bro, she gave me up without even a second thought!
Okay, D, I hear that. I do. But what about us?
So ghosting me has been intentional.
Say it, Damon.
Look, you were sick, all right?
And she took care of you and got rid of me.
You are literally the chosen son.
Okay. Damon, if I could change it, I would.
But you can't. And so, now every time that I look at you,
I'm reminded that it was more important to take care of JR
than it was to keep me.
Understood.
I'm sorry about this, all this family drama.
That is not how I wanted our date to end.
You didn't deserve that.
Yeah. And JR didn't deserve that.
Wait, his mom literally gave me away.
Yeah, she did. Not him. Neither of you asked for this.
Look, I understand that you're hurt, and you need to do
what's best for you.
So talk to your birth mom or don't.
But burning your new found brother, who's been your best friend
since you got here, won't do you nor him any good.
Jessie Raymond, that hair!
You're supposed to be in my chair every two weeks.
Yeah. I'm actually not here for a haircut. I'm here to talk.
Sorry, I wish I could, but I got a big tournament.
Well, I was here to talk to Nate but, you do wanna look like you need
a vent session.
You good?
Simone, your face just called. I think it needs you to pick it up.
Whatever.
- Is this about Damon? - I got this.
You go handle your business on the courts, missy.
Bring home something shiny for the room,
since you've yet to add anything to the decor.
Since you're here, I might as well get you right.
You know, I found out Damon is my biological brother.
That was not on my bingo card. You two must be thrilled.
Actually, he don't want nothing to do with me.
I just...
I feel like my illness always takes things from me.
First, my brother. Baseball.
I can't do anything about the brother part.
But look at the views your video has gotten.
Peep the comments. If they aren't talking about
which MLB team you're gonna be on, they're talking about
who's gonna date you.
So I would say no one and nothing has ever taken baseball from you.
I don't know. Now Coach is saying I'm taking too much attention
away from the team.
You know, is that who I am?
Do people get kicked to the curb because of me?
Now, you listen to me.
You cannot blame yourself for the choices your mother made.
You didn't choose to be sick. Damon will see that.
As far as your coach, don't let him steal this moment
because you've earned it on and off the field.
Yeah.
Matter of fact, I'm gonna work with you as your social media manager
to make sure you don't miss this moment.
So, it's for real?
I know you'll never be able to forgive me.
But I do love you. And I'm here, if and when you're ready
to have a relationship.
- You love me? - Yes.
But how? You don't know me. For eighteen years you knew
that I was out there, and you never bothered to contact me.
No phone calls on Christmas, no birthday cards, nothing.
Because that's what Xavier wanted.
My dad wanted to keep you away from me?
He had just married your mom when I called to tell him about you.
He didn't wanna lose her, so...
I agreed to stay away.
Not only did my dad lie to me my entire life,
but he kept my birth mother away from me because he didn't want
to own up to his mistake?
Damon, I'm...
- I gotta go. - I'm sorry.
You can see the Dunnett from here.
Yeah, I was fortunate to find this place.
Fortunate? Girl, I am sure you earned it.
That was always your MO.
I think your sister, Veronica would beg to differ.
Look, Jada, I'm sorry for what happened in college.
You got caught up in my activism wake and I got you suspended.
Stop. I got myself suspended. You didn't make me do anything
that I wasn't gonna already do anyway.
Sometimes trouble's the price you pay for doing
the right thing.
But then if you truly don't blame me, why is Veronica here
at Bringston with a vendetta?
She tried to have me fired.
I am so sorry that she has been coming after you.
And now she's meddling in Bringston's finances.
Is that somehow about me too?
Veronica doesn't mix personal with business like that.
And Bringston isn't the only board that she's a part of.
- What other board is she on? - Willis Cobb. It's a...
PWI in Marietta.
Yes. They're having money troubles just like Bringston.
She's helping them get their finances in order too.
This is what she does for a living, Amara. She's good at it.
So, you're saying it's possible that Veronica is here to help Bringston?
I wouldn't go that far. Wherever Veronica goes,
whoever she quote, unquote helps, ends up sold.
Girl, you won. You qualified for your first pro tournament.
How are you not screaming right now?
I am excited. I'm just tired.
You got to get it together, girl. We are going out to celebrate, right now.
Becca...
I know you probably wanna call your boyfriend and celebrate
with him first, but you got twenty minutes with him,
and then we're going out.
Tell Jordan I said what's up.
Hey.... What's going on?
How can I help? Simone.
No. Damon, I'm fine. You can go now.
You are not fine, all right?
You're a worse liar than me.
I'm going through some stuff right now and I'm having
a really hard time handling it on my own.
But I can't talk to you about it.
Look. I know that things have been weird between us since
we got back from Chicago, and I know that I crossed the line
and I need to respect the boundaries between you and Jordan.
Damon, I cannot talk to you about this! Please, just leave!
So what, we can't support each other anymore?
Come on, is this who we really are now?
Yes. And I need you to figure yourself out without me.
And I need to take care of my stuff without you.
Yes. Okay. The body is bodying. This is great.
I can get three Yard Yak videos off this one workout.
I appreciate you helping me out with everything.
I meant it when I said you have to take advantage of this moment.
Just don't forget my ten percent when you get that first pro-baller check.
Are you hard of hearing or just plain stupid?
Now, I told you to focus on baseball and let go
of this social media crap, JR!
I do not need another Damon Sims on this team!
You don't have another Damon Sims on this team.
You got a Jessie Raymond, Jr. And you know what?
I'm not gonna apologize for what I've been through
or who I am.
I'm not breaking any school rules, so you'll just have to get used
to seeing my name trending.
They're all looking at you because you were doing
a lot just now.
Respectfully.
- So, are you going to say it? - You were right.
And remind me which thing I was right about?
'Cause I'm right about almost everything.
I lashed out 'cause I was hurt.
But you've made me realize that I can't burn my friends
and family.
Not now when I need them the most.
Well, look at that. An athlete learning something useful in college.
Yeah. Like, you helped give me the wake-up call that I needed
to talk to my birth mom.
How'd that go?
It was hard. And learning that my dad had a part in it
on top of everything, just...
But, like, just being around you these past few days,
you really helped me together.
It's cool because you and me, it was not complicated or messy.
It just feels right.
Yeah.
I want to give this a shot. Like, a real shot.
As in us being like a couple?
Yes. What do you think?
Well...
- It's like that? - No. I would like that, too.
All right. I'll call you later.
Yeah. You better.
I have a boyfriend.
- Hey. - Hi.
You know that black scarf I let you borrow?
I'mma need it back.
Oh, okay. What's the occasion?
Simone and Jordan broke up and now she's ready to deal with it.
Still doesn't explain the scarf but whatever.
- Thank you. - Yeah.
I owe you an apology, man, for how I've been acting lately.
It's all just been a little much, you know.
Yeah. Life's been heavy.
Yeah. I sat down with Celine, man.
And?
I'm not ready to take it to the next step with her.
But even though I'm not sure about her, I know for a fact
that I'm ready to get to know my new brother.
I feel like we've done said these words to each other before,
but somehow we keep ending up in the same spot.
Yeah, but J, this time it's different, right? All the secrets are out, man.
We are family. And I'mma always have my brother's back.
Boy, you something else.
So, Mr. Play of the Day.
So now that we officially brothers, do I get like a family discount
or I got to pay full price for my, autograph?
Nathaniel's helping me take it to the next level.
But that's if Coach still let me play.
Okay, hold on, what do you mean?
He yelled at me yesterday for going viral, like, out of nowhere.
Almost like Coach wasn't himself.
Okay. You too? He chewed me out for not being on my game.
He didn't even ask what was up or anything.
You think something's wrong with him?
I don't know, man. I think I know somebody that would.
When did you find time to dig this hole?
Don't ask questions to things you don't want the answer to.
Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today not
to mourn the loss of Simone's first love, but to celebrate what it was.
These were...
They were some of the best days I've ever had.
But I know that there are other best days to come, right?
Hey.
I'm in love with you, Simone.
This is your graduation. Our alternative graduation.
I know they say it's bad luck to see your bride with her dress
on wedding day but I can't stop staring at you.
This is the only copy of our wedding photo that I have.
I felt so loved on that day.
I just hope I never forget that feeling.
You'll have this feeling again. It's okay.
Just release.
May the memories of our love create a safe place
for these beautiful flowers to grow.
- I love you. - I love you, too.
- It was so beautiful. - I'm sure it was.
I'm so proud of you for letting the tape play.
But between you and JR, I'm exhausted.
So unless y'all paying me by the hour, I'll be stepping
away from my therapist duties for the night.
Who's that?
- Hey. - Oh, hey.
Sorry to pop up like this, we just really need to talk to you.
Okay.
Actually, now is probably not a good time.
No, it's fine. We were just leaving.
No, we can just head out, it's okay.
Now, I don't know what's happening here, but leave it in the hallway.
In here, we are family, got it?
Now, if no one murdered anyone, go wash your hands.
Dinner isn't gonna cook itself.
Hello?
- Where you going? - I was just...
Aren't coaches supposed to yell?
Yeah, but look, this time it felt different, all right?
He came and just told me that I suck, didn't even try
to make me better or anything. That's not him.
Okay. He just wants what's best for you.
Sometimes that means figuring things out for yourself.
Yeah, but what's the explanation for how he went off on me?
I'm trying to tell you, Coach is bugging.
Are you sure you're not being just a little dramatic?
They're not the ones being dramatic.
I told you to focus on baseball and let go of this social media crap, JR!
Now, I do not need another Damon Sims on this team!
You all just go ahead and eat. I'll go check on Marcus.
Hey, is everything okay?
You tell me. I'm not the one sending reporters snooping around my office.
Marcus, I didn't intend for anything...
Did he have to pay you to sell me out, or did he give that for free?
Look, I don't know what's going on with you, Marcus,
but something is wrong. Let me help you.
No, I don't need your damn help, okay? I never did.
- Thank you. - Yeah.
God, this amount of secondhand awkwardness cannot be healthy.
What you doing?
Yeah, what's with all these articles about Willis Cobb University?
No clue. But my homegirl just transferred from there
and she's pissed.
They axed the engineering program and cut the funding to the liberal arts.
She's an engineering and English double major.
That's weird 'cause one of my frat brothers go there,
and he said they building a new business school.
He said the old building was fine, they just got that bag
and they gotta find a way to spend it.
So, wait, they're cutting funds in two major departments
but have enough to rebuild something that
doesn't need rebuilding?
That's hella weird.
Yes, it is.
You all should get going. I have some work to do.
Ralph, I know it's late. But I've got it. Willis Cobb
is cutting engineering and liberal arts,
but Bringston is adding funding to those programs.
All the programs Bringston is cutting, Willis Cobb is adding funding to,
and vice versa. Ralph, Bringston isn't being sold.
It's gonna merge with this predominantly white Institution,
which means it won't be Bringston anymore.