All American: Winter Break

Chapter Eight: An Apology Worth a Thousand Words

It was a little past midnight when the party didn't seem as if it was going to stop anytime soon. The crowd felt denser and the inside of the house had really become like the inside of a casino as the thick cloud of smoke hung in the air. After winning the bet, Spencer was thankful that his poker skills and a bit of luck saved him from an earful from his girlfriend. He was also grateful that he and Chris were able to win the game making JJ and some of the Beverly boys lose. Leaving them to go polar plunge into the pool.

Midway through the game JJ decided to up the ante and throw in that they had to skinny dip. Which had been a bad call on his part thinking he was going to win since he had the upper hand. Little did he know that Chris and Spencer were one step ahead of him. Leaving him to strip butt naked and run through the crowd and into the pool. They didn't expect a group of the kids from the party to jump in after him.

Spencer and Chris turned towards each other sharing another laugh standing on the second-floor balcony overlooking all of Los Angeles. Their laughter died down leaving a brief moment of silence before Chris let out a sigh. Taking in the breathtaking views JJ's Beverly Hills mansion had to offer.

"Damn can you imagine waking up in a place like this and that be your view? Like talk about being Beverly bougie. But man what I wouldn't give to put my moms in a home like this one day,". Chris smiled astonished by the view. Spencer matched his excitement looking in the same direction. The lights of the city sparkled illuminating the clear night sky.

"It wouldn't be a bad view to look at,". Spencer stuffed his hands in his pockets when Chris turned to him gently tapping his arm. "Did you ever get used to it? Living with the Bakers? I'm sure you miss it. You were made for this life. You adapted so easily it was like second nature to you,". Spencer disagreed.

"It wasn't easy at first. Sure you got a nice house, fancy cars, and food I can't even pronounce half the time. But I was away from Dillon and my moms. None of it was easy. I do miss it for different reasons. My home will always be Crenshaw. And to answer your question, no I never got used to the view. I didn't let myself so I wouldn't take it for granted. These folks ain't like us. We grew up differently. We know the struggles of not having food on our plates for dinner. Or our moms working two jobs and not being there to help us with our homework. But what I've learned out here is that we all got our own struggles to deal with. They may look like they have everything, but most of them don't. Sure the fancy house and cars are nice but at the end of the day, I'd rather be home back in Crenshaw with my moms and Dillon than up in this big fancy home by myself,".

The both of them had gotten quiet for a brief moment before Spencer spoke again. "You know what I missed the most about Crenshaw? Besides my family and friends," Spencer asked.

Chris softly laughed. "The chocolate milkshakes we used to get every day after school,". Spencer smiled at the thought of it and immediately could taste it on the tip of his tongue. "No, but I could use one right about now,". He closed his eyes thinking of the chocolate milkshake that clouded his thoughts.

"But what I missed the most was the sounds of the city,". Spencer softly opened his eyes. "It got too quiet at the Baker house. It's crazy to say but I really did miss the sirens I would hear at all hours of the night,".

"Nothing like natural white noise than the ambulance and cops speeding by to soothe you to sleep," Chris joked. Spencer laughed knowing it'd been true. Both of the boys stayed quiet when Chris let out a soft laugh breaking the silence.

"So what are you going to do when you leave for college?" Chris asked. Spencer shrugged. "Record it and save it on my phone or something,". His friend laughed. "I feel bad for your roommate who is about to hear sirens all night,". Their laughter was cut short when they heard JJ's yell from down below. Wrapping himself in a towel he looked up at the boys throwing a thumbs up.