Maurice is a friend of Lil J's. On the day of the drug deal gone wrong, Lil J is supposed to apply for a job at the Home Depot with Maurice. However, when they arrive they discover that the line is too long for them to possibly have a chance. Maurice decides to stay and take his chances, but Lil J leaves. Towards the end of the novel, the reader learns that part of the reason Lil J left was that he was afraid Maurice would find out about Lil J's stint in jail in Texas.
