Party Animal-JJ Parker

Pilot...

"Meet the crew." Jordan brought Beverly's newest student and football recruit, Spencer James, to us during lunch. "This is Hadley, Leila, Lucy, and up top is Asher, JJ, and Ciara." They both sat down. "Hey, I think you and Asher play the same position."

"What's up, man?" Asher introduced himself to Spencer.

"Oh, receiver huh?" Spencer asked him.

"Yeah, broke the school record for receptions last year." He bragged. That was so Asher.

"Me, too." Spencer smiled innocently at Asher.

"So, how are you liking Beverly so far?" Leila, my sister and Asher's girlfriend, asked him.

"It's okay, I guess."

"I know it probably feels like lost footage or rich kids from instagram, but it's not so bad once you give it a chance." I smiled at him.

"I'm sure it'll grow on me." He smiled at her.

"Hey, so lay it on me, crips or bloods?" Asher asked Spencer.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm dying to check out a crip walk for real. I've only seen one on Youtube."

"You. Yo, man he was just joking. Ignore him." Jordan told Spencer who clearly wasn't buying it.

"Asher, you wouldn't know a crip walk if it bit you in the damn white ass." My crush, JJ Parker, laughed at him.

"That didn't sound like a joke to me, bro." Spencer stood up.

"Don't be so sensitive." Asher tried to brush it off.

"Sensitive?" He grabbed his bag. "Hey, yo, thanks for the welcome." He thanked Jordan.

"Asher." Leila scolded her boyfriend.

"What? I was making conversation."

"Are you really defending yourself right now, dude?" I asked him, siding with my sister and grabbing my stuff just like her.

"Ciara's right. You were just being an ass."

XXX

JJ's POV...

Asher nudged my shoulder. "Dude, you just gonna let him take our girls like that?"

"Bro, look, I know Leila's your girl, but Ciara isn't mine."

"She clearly wants to be." Jordan commented.

"I don't think she sees me like that, dude." I looked at her longingly as she talked to Leila and Spencer.

"Bro, you're blind if you don't see the way she looks at you." Asher assured me.

"Come on, guys. I'm always just gonna be- gonna be JJ."

"Yeah, right." Jordan said sarcastically.

XXX

Ciara's POV...

"Hey." Leila and I sat across from Spencer.

"Uh, we're sorry about Asher. We know how he can come off, but he's really not that bad once you get to know him." Leila tried to tell Spencer.

"Yeah, right." He said sarcastically.

"To be honest, I think he's intimidated by you." I told Spencer. "They all are." We looked back at the three boys who were all glaring at us.

"With all their yeezys and man jewelry? They got it made. Me, I had to catch 3 buses to get here today. And I've been wearing my cousin Ray's hand-me-downs since I was born. And you know Ray loves him some polyester. Okay, don't nobody like polyester." The three of us laughed.

"Okay, but aren't you some, like, crazy good football player?" Leila asked him.

"Leila, have you never been to a Crenshaw Beverly game?" I asked her. "Spencer smokes our team every time."

"You know a lot about football?" Spencer asked me.

"Yeah. I actually love football."

"What about your boyfriend?" I choked on my water. "JJ? Or are y'all not dating?"

"They aren't but they definitely should be. That's what I keep telling my sister." Leila explained.

"Y'all are sisters?" He asked, sort of surprised.

"Yes." Leila nodded.

"Okay, moving on." I dismissed the two.

"Right there, that guy." Spencer pointed to a guy walking with his friend, holding a lunch tray. "Gait's off, loose hands. Yo, he's about to fall." Low and behold, a few seconds later, he dropped his lunch tray.

"How did you do that?" Leila asked him.

"Happened first time I picked up the ball. It was just a twitch of the fingers, a look, a tick."
"So do us." Leila told him. "I mean, read us, or whatever it is."

"You're like a defensive back." He told Leila.

"A defensive back? Gee, thanks."

"I just mean you're confident, smart. You like attention. That's not the most interesting thing about you. I saw it the minute you crossed the yard. You're lonely. Defensive backs, they like to play on an island, always by themselves."

"I was kind of hoping for a superpower." She admitted. "But not even close, huh?"

"Do me now." I told him.

"You're easy. A cornerback. Always waiting, anticipating. And you always expect the worse before it happens."

"See, that's cool!" Leila said, making Spencer and I laugh.

"Uh, we should get to class." I told Spencer. "But we're glad to have you at Beverly."

XXX

"Hey." I sat down next to Spencer at Jordan's party, leaving my spot next to him to do so.

"Hey, what's up?"

"So, come here often?" I joked with him.

"Every Wednesday after the club. I suppose you got a place like this?"

"Uh, yeah, it's kind of like this." I admitted. Jordan walked by us and rolled his eyes, but I ignored him. I wasn't in the mood to deal with his attitude.

"Yeah, me and Leila, actually, we're just down the street."

"Bigger?"

"I mean, I- I don't really compare. It's not the size that matters."

XXX

"Yo." JJ came up to me the next day at school. "Your dad's gone again."

"Great." I rolled my eyes.

"Are you going to the party tonight or are you just gonna be a party pooper in your room?"

"I can't." I sighed. "Well, I can. I just don't want to."

"So? We have football on Saturday."

"Look, JJ, if I go to a party, I'm gonna drink, and I really don't want to drink. You shouldn't either. Saturday is scrimmage day which means boosters are coming.

"Fine." He kissed my cheek. "Later loser."

"Love you too, dummy." I rolled my eyes.

XXX

"Please welcome the Beverly High Eagles!" All the Beverly fans applauded as the team came out of the tunnel.

XXX

With enough time for one play left, Beverly was down 20-24 and had the ball. Next thing you know, Coach Baker subbed Asher out for Spencer, who had been playing safety all night. And good thing he did. Spencer got the block that allowed Jordan to get the game winning touchdown. I ran up to JJ and hugged him after the game.

"Good job." There was a moment. A small moment where something could have happened, but that moment was over before it started.

"Aye, party at my place!" JJ yelled out. After all, he was a party animal.