(A/N the end of this chapter will be reading Pheonixs report like the show did with Spencer's)
"Can you meet me at slausons?" I heard Cam ask over the phone.
"Yeah. I need a break from my paper anyways," I said.
"Okay," he sounded nervous.
I had a feeling this wasnt good. I got in Shawn's car and drove over. He had my usual coffee as I sat next to him.
"We need to break up," he told me.
I held back tears as I asked,"was it something I did?"
"No. I like someone else, and I didn't feel like it would be fair to lead you on. I still want to be friends," he said.
"I'll need some time," I told him.
"But at some point?" He asked.
"Yeah. I respect you not leading me on. I have to go," I said standing up.
I drove back home crying and swearing. I went into with my eyes puffy from crying.
"What's wrong?" Jordan asked me.
"We broke up," I said,"I have to finish my paper."
"Who is your greatest influence?" Jordan asked me.
"Who do you think?" I asked and walked up to my room.
"Good luck," he told me and I walked upstairs to my room.
I finished up the last of my paper and then snuck out to go work on bars for gymnastics. I had a competition for gymnastics coming up as well. I worked until about two in the morning and snuck back into my room.
I walked in to see Spencer on my bed.
"Morning," I said grabbing pjs from my closet," turn around if your going to stay in here."
He turned around and said,"still avoiding sleeping?"
"I hate the nightmares," I said.
"Its been a couple of months. Coops getting em to. Especially since a new gang members appearred," he told me.
"Who?" I asked,"and you can turn around."
"I think she said Preach," he told me and I did a mini scream.
"Are you okay?" He asked me.
"Bro, that man basically raised me. I love him!" I said bouncing a little.
"Be carful," he told me.
"When am I not?" I asked Spencer and he shook his head.
"Hows the paper?" I asked him.
"Good. I did its neon dion Sanders," he said.
"Really? Why?"
"Prime time!" He defended.
"Get out of my room. Your a disgrace," I said opening the door.
"Goodnight," he said and kissed my forehead.
"Goodnight," I told him.
I fell asleep an hour later and welcomed whatever nightmares were to come. I woke up the next morning in tears. I ran to the bathroom and grabbed my blade. I made a few cuts before I hopped into the shower. The water stung as it hit my wrist but i ignored it as I washed my hair and body.
I packed my cheer bag before putting on a hair of ripped jeans and a black hoodie. I turned in my paper, then after school met the boys at the sports bar.
"I hate my father!" Jordan complained.
"Join the club," our entire table, except for JJ said.
He have us a shocked look so I said,"what did you expect? We are the table of daddy issues."
This made everyone laugh.
"That's sad, because its true." Asher said as my phone buzzed.
Corey
Send me pictures of his play off games.
Pheonix
Okay Asshole.
Corey
Thank you Pheonix. You wont have to do this much longer. I promise, daughter.
Pheonix
I better not have to.
"Yo, I'm heading to Crenshaw. I'll see ya," I said standing up.
"I thought you and Cam broke up?" Jordan asked.
"What?" Asher, jj, and spencer yelled.
"Yeah yeah. We broke up," I told him.
"Why you goin?" Spencer asked.
"Preach is out. I'll catch ya tomorrow," I said walking out of the sports bar.
I got in Shawn's car and drove to Crenshaw. I was stopping by his apartment. I walked up and knocked on the door.
He opened the door holding a gun.
"Is that anyway to greet your favorite person?" I asked him sarcastically.
"Oh pheonix. Come in," he said lowering the gun.
"How long you been out?" I asked him.
"Two days. I heard about shawn. I'm sorry," Preach said grabbing me a water bottle.
"I'm over it," I lied.
"Liar. You two were thick as thieves. You arent over it," preach said sitting next to me.
"Damn you for practically raising me," I laughed.
"Have you joined?"
"Hell no. Cheer keeps me to busy," I told him.
"You still coming to Crenshaw on the weekends?"
"Yeah. I stay with either chris or Spencer. If I cant stay there I just go to slausons," I said.
"You want a room here?"
"Preach-"
"Listen. You family. You need a place here. I have an extra room," he told me.
"Thank you," I said hugging him,"can I stay tonight?"
"Of course," he laughed and turned on some video games.
"Time to beat ya ass in mortal combat," I said grabbing a controler.
"I still dont get how you shin kick me to death," he laughed.
We heard a knock at the door and I grabbed my knife. Preach grabbed his gun and we slowly went to the door. We opened the door to see Spencer and Asher.
"Damn it guys. I know the dumbasses," I said putting my knife back in my boot.
"You carry a knife to school?" Asher asked.
"You've heard me talk about my life right?" I said.
"Welcome the dumbasses in. I forgot Spence here knows where I live," preach said.
"How do you know?" Ash asked
"I grew up here for a couple years," I told him.
"I need help with my paper," Spencer told me.
"I told you not to write on neon sanders," I said to him.
"Prime time!"
"I will kick you out," I said to him.
"How did you write it on shawn," he told me.
"I didnt write it on shawn," I said.
"What did you write it on?" Asher asked.
"It isnt important. Why you here?" I asked asher.
"I wanted to make sure your safe," he admitted.
"You together?" Preach asked me.
"Nah! He my Beverly brother," I told him.
"My moms is mad I'm considering my dad," Spencer continued.
"He has influenced you. Hes why you play football. Him abandoning you led you down the road to get to Beverly. But mama grace. Damn she played yo mother and father," I said to him.
"Thank you Nix. I think i have an idea," he said hugging me.
"You good?" Asher asked me.
"I'll call if i need anything. Now get out if here before ya get shot," i laughed and shoved him out.
"What did you write the paper about? Your greatest influence?"
"Growing up in a gang life. I never joined one, but it influenced my life. It has broken me to the point of no return and made me the stronger because of it," I told him.
"I want to read that paper. For now, you need to go sleep," he ordered.
"Fine dad." I said sarcastically and he rolled his eyes.
I went to bed and woke up the next day. We were required to wear our uniforms since it was play off day. I ate some breakfast with preach then got in Shawn's car to go to school.
"You have so much potential Miss Scott," our teacher said dropping a paper with an A+ on my desk.
After school I dropped the paper off and talked to preach before heading to my game.
"Let me read this," he told me.
(If you asked anyone who my greatest influence is, they would tell you shawn scott. For a while I would have said that to. However, I've grown. I realize now I cannot place the title of my greatest influence on person. I can only give this title to one thing, growing up in life full of gangs.)
"Stay safe. Keep coop safe. Spencer cant lose anyone else," I told preach and hugged him.
"Just go cheer. I'll be fine," he told me and walked put of the door.
(I have started race known as life behind everyone else. I live in a different fear then everyone else. Most people dont have an anxiety attack everytime they are stopped by the cops because of who their brother it. Most people dont grow up thinking their life was for nothing, and their only hope was to end up in a wooden box six under)
"Ready Hailee. We doing our new stunt tonight?" I asked as we stretched for our game.
"I dont get how you arent terrified," she laughed.
"Cause we got this," I laughed and did some small tumbling.
(There are things I have learned from the gangs though. Good things. Like, how loyalty and trust can keep anyone alive. Without those things you will end up alone)
It was the end of the game and I was so proud of Spencer. this is one of his best games I've seen him play. I looked over and saw him frozen. I looked where he was staring and saw his father.
(I also learned that I never wanted in this life. I wanted to be an example to every little girl that she could get out. I would say the main reason I never joined a gang is what the man who raised me told me. "If you join a gang you will have to kill. And if you could kill a man what cant you do. And if you can kill a man it will change you. It changed me.")
Spencer went back into the game, his mind obviously not okay.
"You got this eleven!" I screamed.
The other girls joined in. Spencer gave me a weak smile. His head was out of it. After a minute he had to send Jordan in.
(The gang life has taught me so much about life. Just because you start the race behind doesnt mean you have to lose. You can meet amazing people no matter where you go. Loyalty trumps all. Most importantly, the gang life taught me strength. I am so much stronger after everything I've been put to. It hurt me but didnt break me.)
We managed to win the game and I ran to Spencer and hugged him.
"Can we leave?" He asked.
"Yep. Lets go," i told him grabbing his hand.
We walked out to my car. He didnt say anything. He had changed before we left so he put his bag in my backseat. I got in the car and tears streamed down his cheeks.
"Hes back."
"Where do you want to go? Bakers, your house, or Preachs?" I asked him.
"Mine," he whispered.
So I started to drive.
(So in conclusion. The gang life has been hard and its brutal. However I couldnt imagine me being where I am without it. In some ways it's my biggest curse and in other ways it was my saving grace. I guess that's what my greatest influence is. Not a person or thing. A life.)
We walked into see cory standing there.
"Hello children."
(A life I wouldnt trade for anything.)
(A/N. Corey isnt her dad. He thinks of her as a daughter)