All Eyes On Me | All American

Chapter 8

         "Make yourself at home." Layla says as we step into her home, tossing her keys on the nearby stand. "Mi casa es su casa!"

Layla house is house is looks like it belongs on the cover of a magazine, the aesthetic is so upscale that I don't even want to sit down on the couch. Beverly definitely has a way of reminding me that this is not where I belong whenever I start to get too comfortable out here.

The house screamed expensive from the door, not that I expected anything different from somebody who lives in Beverly Hills. The living room had a three piece gray velvet set, a long couch, loveseat, and upholstered chair. Flanking the gray velvet set, two elegant nightstands on each side of the sofas. The nightstands, crafted in a sleek design, feature a soft gray finish that matches the furniture ensemble. This weird shape lamp on both stands, I knew nothing was inside the storage drawers because rich people never put anything inside those.

In the center, a matching coffee table, flowers sitting in a clear vase in the middle of the table along with a candle. A fireplace that had this matte finish that match the gray velvet furniture. Above, a flat screen television — it was bigger than any tv in my home and any tv in the Bakers house.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Layla smiles. "I don't know the last time I had a sleepover. It's nice to have people over, my dad isn't home often and it's get kinda lonely being here by myself."

"Well, if you ever get too lonely just call me." I tell her, wrapping my arm around her as we walk through the house together. "I would not mind watching a football game on that tv."

"I'll hold you to that." Layla laughs.

Reminds me of that quote I heard: the wealthiest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least; however, riches mean little if loneliness is the cost. My family may not have much or as much as anybody out here in Beverly but we have each other.

"So," Layla drags out. "Olivia told me about the bet." I wasn't even surprise because of course she did. "And I decided to take matters into my own hands so that there's no excuse that both of you back out, I have everything covered for the both of you. All y'all have to do is show up. And after tonight my new name will be the Love Guru."

"I'm not calling you that."

"Anyways, when I say I have everything covered, I mean everything." She takes my bag and opens a door. "You won't be needing this right now. Everything you need is in the bathroom."

The bathroom is nothing short of elegant, which was not surprising in the slightest. But it did make me wonder, if this is just merely one of the bathrooms in the house then how does the main bedroom bathroom look? The cream marble floor extends seamlessly to the walls, making this feel like one of the most expensive rooms in the house. And this is just the bathroom. Overhead, a chandelier suspended hangs low, not low enough for me to reach it but low for the bathroom to have a high ceiling.

Beneath the chandelier sits a luxurious tub, the kind of tub in movies the rich people sits in while they're eating fruits and reading books. Don't know why they do that, but they do.

This bathroom alone cost more than the rent my mom pays back in Crenshaw, and all the other bills.

Freshly showered and moisturized, I discovered a sleek two-piece black bathing suit placed between the Jack and Jill sink. The first piece is the top, it's designed to be fastened by tying two pieces together. It's paired with high-waisted bottoms; the top didn't bother me because occasionally I wear tops — whether it's just to sit near the pool or got outfits. But the bottoms were the problem, even when I wear bikini bottoms I always have on a cover up so that my butt isn't on display.