Fire at the Four Strong Winds

It’s 1987 in Mobile, Alabama. Fire leaps from the windows of a house-like structure in a row of small businesses. Two groups of teens and adults accuse each other of starting the fire. Emergency crews blast the structure with water while cops try to get to the bottom of who started the fire. Flashing back to earlier in the evening: COCO, a BIPOC transgender teen is spending their first day "out" - not just shocking, but dangerous with the attitudes of the day and location. Hanging out at the mall with their friends, they run into COLT and his jock buddies. It goes as badly as you’d expect. Colt’s little brother, TERRY, stops him from nearly killing Coco and the cops expel both groups of teens. Colt and crew chase Coco to the Four Strong Winds Coffeehouse, a small, all-ages, open-mic venue - home to the town’s alternative music scene. As the venue’s owner BUDD plays on stage, Coco and friends burst in seeking refuge, putting the haven for the “wonderfully weird” in the spotlight of small-town intolerance. Colt & crew arrive ready to fight but are chased off the coffeehouse’s “bouncers.” Fleeing the scene, Colt has a falling out with Terry for not standing with him. He abandons Terry a few blocks from the coffeehouse. Terry walks back to the venue and, while reconnecting with Coco to a score of local bands performing Folk, Punk, Rock, Ska and more, he is introduced to a judgement-free zone for exploring style, music, poetry, gender expression, and more. Colt and friends return. This time the faceoff is violent and leads to Budd and the coffeehouse bouncers being hauled off to jail. Police, sympathetic to the town’s star athletes, let the jocks go again. Colt sees Terry standing with Coco and chastises him for being near them. Embarrassed, Terry forsakes his new friendship and leaves with Colt. Colt’s friends tease Terry about Coco, sending Colt into a frenzy. Colt decides to "beat the gay out of him.” After a savage beating, Terry escapes into the darkness. Coco and friends come across the bloody and beaten Terry, and though hurt by his betrayal, Coco takes Terry their home for a safe place to sleep. Coco’s mother does not approve and kicks them out. The pair ultimately decide to return to the Coffeehouse, but quarrel and part ways before they make it. Meanwhile, Colt and his buddies return to the Four Strong Winds, ready for more trouble. Budd and his team, who have been bailed out of jail, confront Colt, the police arrive, and the fire starts. The story merges with the opening scene. Terry fingers Colt as the arsonist. The police cannot protect the star quarterback any more and place him in cuffs. As the police drive away with Colt, Coco takes Terry aside and tells him Colt was no where near where the fire began and demands the truth. Terry confesses that he started the fire. Coco pleads to understand why Terry destroyed the place that brought them together. Terry tells her that burning down the Four Strong Winds was the only way to be sure Coco would be safe. If it remained, Colt, or people like him, would come back and do worse things. Coco slaps Terry for the betrayal and walks away.