- Ms. Morello: Just for the record, Chris, you can't afford to be late again. The clocks in this school are set to Eastern Standard Time, not CP time.
- Chris: What difference does it make? We took all our tests. We only got, like, one more week to go.
- Ms. Morello: Counting today, you have been late 29 times this year, and 30 is the limit. If you're late again, you will not be promoted. You will have to repeat the tenth grade.
- Chris: Say what?
- Ms. Morello: Say word.
- Narrator: Oh, there's a word I want to say, all right.
- Tonya: Hey, Daddy, can I get my hair done at Nessa's for graduation?
- Julius: Sure, baby.
- Tonya: Can I get a new dress too?
- Rochelle: You don't need a new dress. You can wear your church dress.
- Tonya: But I wore that for Easter. If I wear it for graduation, I'll look back at the pictures, I won't know what I'm remembering.
- Rochelle: You'll remember that we couldn't afford to buy you two dresses.
- Chris: Plus, in one of the pictures, you'd be holding the chocolate bunny.
- Julius: [to Rochelle about Chris taking his G.E.D] It'll be all right. If he doesn't make us proud, I'll kill him and nobody'll ever know.
- Rochelle: Chris, this is your own fault. If you would've told me you were having problems, then I could've done something.
- Julius: It's not the end of the world. Most people don't get to finish the 10th grade once. You get to do it twice. It's kinda like working a double shift.
- Chris: Do you know how embarrassing that's gonna be?
- Rochelle: As embarrassing as being 40 and still living with your mother 'cause you were too stupid to listen to her and repeat the 10th grade and get your diploma.
- Rochelle: [When Chris makes the decision to drop out of high school] Chris, I'm not gonna sit back and watch you throw your life away.
- Chris: Mom, you can't make me go.
- Rochelle: I did not spend all these years trying to make sure...
- Julius: He's right, Rochelle. We can't force him to go.
- [to Chris]
- Julius: But if you think you're gonna sit around this house all day, think again. If you don't go to school, you go to work.
- Rochelle: Well, what kind of job is he supposed to get with a 10th grade education?
- Narrator: I don't know. Ask George Bush.
- Greg Wuliger: [to Chris] So that's it? You're quitting school?
- Chris: Look, I'm not repeating the tenth grade. I don't know what else to do.
- Greg Wuliger: Well, have you thought about a G.E.D.?
- Chris: G.E.D.?
- Greg Wuliger: In the job market, it would put you on an equal level with any ex-con, except for the ones who finished high school. I suppose it's for the best, though.
- Chris: How's that?
- Greg Wuliger: If you're a sophomore and I'm a junior, there's no way I could be seen with you. I don't have any more cool points to lose, dude.
- Narrator: From the zero you started out with.