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  Hey beautiful people! Welcome to Up Close and Personal. It's your favorite host, Hector Rodriguez. We had a change in plans for this show. The McCoy brothers won't be joining us today, but I have with me a brother/sister duo. He's overbearingly protective of her. She's the loveable friend you can talk to about anything. Please give a warm welcome to George and Koko Hobson!

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The brother and sister come out onto the stage and take a seat.

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Hector: Well, it's certainly a pleasure to have you on the show today.

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Hector's eyes Koko from head to toe as he shakes her hand. George frowns, staring Hector down.

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George: Watch yourself, Rodriguez.

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Hector draws his hand back and holds it out to George.

George doesn't take the offering.

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Koko: Don't be rude G.

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George looks over to Koko, blows out a rough breath, then reluctantly takes Hector's hand. He squeezes tightly.

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Koko: George. Stop it.

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George releases his hand, grinning.

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George: My apologies, Hector.

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Hector gives his hand a quick shake to get some feeling back into it, frowning.

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Hector: No problem, Jorge. I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot.

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Koko: I apologize for my brother. He can be... a bit much.

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George rolls his eyes at Koko, leaning back in his seat.

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George: Just keep your eyes to yourself and we won't have a problem, si?

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Hector clears his throat.

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Hector: Right. Well, lets get started, shall we? 

Overprotective is an understatment.

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Hector mumbles under his breath.

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Koko: Yes, please. Let's begin.

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Hector: Okay, so I want to start off asking you about a little of your background. You're bi-racial, correct?

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George: Yeah. Our father is African-American and our mom is Mexican. 

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Koko: Our mom and dad have been married for almost thirty years. All of us are pretty close.

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Koko smiles.

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Hector: Well, you answered a few questions for me. What about growning up in a household with two different languages? Did you learn Spanish? Did you speak it while at home?

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Koko: Yeah, our mom taught us Spanish at a young age. She used to sit with us and have full conversations with me and George in her native language. We learned pretty quickly.

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George: Our dad always interrupted our playful convos with mom. Throwing grapes at us or crumbling pieces of paper and aiming it at mom's head. We almost always ended up on the floor, triple teaming him.

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George chuckles as he reminisces. Koko laughs along with him.

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Hector: That sounds like a fun memory. I can just imagine all of you guys grappling on the floor, laughing.

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Koko: Yeah, good times.

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Hector: Do you still speak the language or have you kind of gotten out of habit?

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George: We don't really speak in Spanish around our friends. They understand some words, but they don't know the language so, we don't bother. We still speak it around our parents though... and maybe with Marlon. He decided to learn early on, trying to impress my sister.

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George shakes his head, smiling.

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George: He also, happens to be Koko's boyfriend... well, I don't know what they are at the moment.

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Koko folds her arms, frowning.

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Koko: That's to be determined.

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Hector: Do you want to clarify? 

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Koko: No.

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Hector: We'll revisit that later. Moving on. Now, my team did some research and found out that you two have another brother? Where is he and was he a part of your lives growing up?

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The siblings tense at the mention of their brother. Koko's eyes mist over.

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Silence.

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Hector: Is it something I said?

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Intense Silence.

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Hector: I didn't mean to---

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George: He was kidnapped when he was eleven.... They never found him.

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George's voice breaks as he leans over to get himself back under control.

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Koko: He was George's twin; not identical but you couldn't tell, they looked so much alike. It happened right in front of G. He couldn't stop the guy that took him and he blames himself to this day. I tell him all the time it's not his fault, but he doesn't believe me.

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Koko glances over at her brother, as she rubs his back.

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Hector: Wow, that's horrible. I can't imagine what you and your parents must have gone through.

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George: It nearly destroyed them. They searched for years, trying to find him: private investigators, detectives. They even gathered search parties full of friends and family, but we just... couldn't find him.

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Koko: After a while, the cops closed the case and said that he was probably dead.

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Koko swipes a tear away and George sits upright again, holding his sister's hand.

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Hector: They blurted something like that out... just like that?

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George: Just like that.

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Hector shakes his head in disbelief.

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George: They gave up on him, but I'm not. He's not dead, I can feel it. Micky is out there somewhere, and I'm gonna find him.

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Hector: That's his name? Micky?

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Koko: His name was... is Miguel. Micky is the nickname we gave him.

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Hector: I don't mean to shatter your hopes, but it's been a long time... eighteen years. Unfortunately, I don't think he's---

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George leaps out of his seat, lunging at Hector. Koko pulls him by his arm.

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George: Cállate la mierda, perra! He's alive and I will find him!

 

Koko: G! Stop, it's not his fault!

 

George pulls back, running his hands over his face.

 

Hector backs up a bit.

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Hector: You're upset, I can see that, but calling me a bitch and telling me to shut the fuck up on my own show is... rude, to say the least. I'm offering my opinion here.

 

George: If I wanted your opinion I would have--- I'm sorry. It's just... I can't give up....

 

George blows out a ragged breath. Koko leads herself and her brother back to their seats.

 

Hector: I understand emotions are running high right now. How about we move on, okay?

 

Hector takes a quick look at his notes.

 

Hector: We will revisit the question about you and your boyfriend, Koko. What happened between you two?

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Koko: No. We won't. I'm not answering that question, so you can move on to the next one.

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Hector: Well, it's kinda hard to do when I have Marlon backstage in our green room. He hasn't heard anything that has been said up until this point. Let's welcome him, shall we? Marlon, please come out.

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Kkoko: What?! No, I don't wanna see him!

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Marlon makes his appearance on stage; his eyes locked on Koko.

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George stands.

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George: Marlon. Don't.

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Marlon: G, I don't wanna do this with you. Esto es entre Koko y yo.

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Marlon walks closer until he is a couple of feet away, eyes still focused on Koko.

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George: Correction. You made it my business when you had sex with somebody else and lied about it.

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Hector: Whoa, wait a minute. Is this true, Marlon? Did you betray this beautiful woman's trust?

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Marlon: Did I fuck up? Yes. Did I lie about it? No. When we broke up, I didn't wanna feel anything, so I went out and did the stupidest thing in my life... I slept with someone else. Then, when we got back together, I saw no reason to bring up things that happened when we weren't together at the time. I didn't want to hurt you, Koko, but I ended up hurting you worse by not telling you.

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Koko slowly walks toward him, her eyes glistening with tears. Marlon's gaze remains on his girlfriend.

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Marlon: It's no excuse. I should have told you. I'm sorry, baby. I don't know what else I can---

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Koko smacks him across his cheek, hard. Marlon clenches his jaw, but remains still.

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Koko: You did more than screw somebody else, you ass. You had sex with your ex... several times!

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Hector: Oh shit! The ex? Bad move, Harmon.

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George: Shut the fuck up, Rodriguez. You've caused enough trouble.

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Hector throws his hands up in surrender.

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Marlon reaches out for Koko, but she shrugs away.

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Marlon: I'm sorry.

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Koko: Oh, you will be.

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Koko pushes past Marlon, and he follows after her.

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Marlon: What the hell is that supposed to mean, Koko?!

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George rushes off after them.

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George: Leave her alone Marlon. Let her breathe, damn!

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Hector: Well seal my mouth shut with super glue. I'm speechless. I didn't see the show taking a turn like this... But, then again, they don't call me troublemaker Rodriguez for nothing.

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I guess that's it for this segment.... A word of wisdom; don't have sex with your ex while you're in a relationship with someone else. Until next time folks!

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