All American – California Love

By starrymag | December 11, 2018

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

Leila Keating (Greta Onieogou) leads preparations for homecoming weekend, announcing the plans over the loudspeaker. As Jordan Baker (Michael Evans Behling) and Ripley kiss in her car, she offers him a joint which he turns down. Ripley shuts the door as he tries to leave and encourages him to stay. Leila avoids Spencer James (Daniel Ezra) as he approaches her locker.

 

Coach Billy Baker (Taye Diggs) tells the team he’s proud of them and that they’ll be able to beat Malibu if they keep playing like this. He tells them to have fun at the homecoming dance but warns them not to drink or stay up too late. Spencer asks Leila if she’s planning on avoiding him forever, and she tells him she’s been busy with homecoming preparations. She then admits that she has been avoiding him a little, and he tells her he understands.

 

Spencer tells her he likes her, but she tells him it’s more complicated. Leila reminds him that Asher (Cody Christian) is her boyfriend, and Spencer tells her that he doesn’t do the sneaking around thing. He admits he’s trying to figure out what happens next for them, but he doesn’t want to lose her friendship no matter what. She tells him she can’t talk about this right now and he asks her to meet him later that night, telling her he won’t take no for an answer.

 

Tamia ‘Coop’ Cooper (Bre-Z) returns to Shawn Scott’s (Jay Reeves) apartment and he asks where she’s been. She tells him he should be at school with her, but he tells her that school isn’t in the cards for him right now. Coop reminds him that he wanted a way out and encourages him to follow up on his job opportunity. Shawn reminds her that she hasn’t called Spencer yet, and she promises to once he calls the record company. He tells her he already called and has an interview tomorrow before informing Coop that they’ve been summoned.

 

Spencer comments that people in Beverly take this homecoming thing too seriously. JJ (Hunter Clowdus) asks Spencer who he’s taking, and he replies that he’s going solo. Asher comments that going solo is better than going with a rival, and Jordan tells him that he likes Ripley. Leila sits outside the restaurant, and Olivia Baker (Samantha Logan) asks her if she’s going in. Olivia tells her she saw her kiss with Spencer, and Leila apologizes.

 

Leila admits that she should tell Asher the truth but knows that everything will go to hell if she does. She asks Olivia for her advice, but Olivia tells her she isn’t the right person to give her advice. Leila begs her to, and Olivia tells her people keep cheating a secret for two reasons: either they’re trying to protect the person they love or they’re trying to protect themselves. Leila goes inside and asks to speak to Asher.

 

Outside, Asher forgives Leila and understands she was upset about her father. He admits that things have been rough for him too, and that he should have paid more attention to her. Asher tells her he loves her, and Leila later doesn’t show up to meet Spencer. He calls her and leaves a message, telling her he understands her decision but tells her she’s the one person who makes Beverly feel like home.

 

The next morning, Grace James (Karimah Westbrook) asks Spencer who he’s taking to homecoming. He tells her it’s complicated, and she tells him that he’s not doing high school right if it isn’t complicated. Spencer declares he’s not going to the dance, arguing that he should be focusing on the game. Grace tells him that life is about more than football, and encourages him to talk to Coop.

 

Tyrone confronts Shawn about having to clean up his mess and tells him that he has to start selling drugs to make up for it. He agrees, and Tyrone tells him he has to pick up the product tonight from Swiss. Coop offers to go, but Tyrone rejects the idea. Shawn explains to Coop that he has to do what Tyrone tells him to do. He tells her he can make it back from the interview in time and tells her to take Spencer’s call.

 

Coop goes to Spencer’s house and they catch up. She tells him she’s not mad at him for wanting to keep his family safe, and Spencer tells her that she’s family. Coop asks him what’s bothering him, and he tells her about Leila. She asks if teammates have a bro code, and he suggests that Leila standing him up was a good thing. Coop suggests that some girls are worth the trouble, and Spencer admits he likes Leila a lot. She advises him not to give up, and he declares that he’s going to the dance.

 

Grace helps Spencer get ready for the dance and Coop gets dressed-up as his date. Laura Fine-Baker (Monet Mazur) tells them the others are waiting for them and asks Grace to take her place as a chaperone. Spencer is surprised that Chris (Spence Moore II) is there, and Chris watches as Olivia walks down the stairs. Jordan questions her choice of date, and Olivia tells him she doesn’t have to run it by him. Everyone gets into a group photo after Asher arrives with Leila.

 

At the dance, Coop sees Spencer watching Leila and Asher and tells him that she didn’t come here to watch him sulk. Billy and Grace reminisce about their high school dances, and Billy tells her she looks amazing. Leila is upset about the incorrect banner placement, and Asher urges her not to worry about the stupid banner. She gets upset, telling him she worked hard on the dance, and Asher apologizes. He tells her to enjoy her own dance, but she insists she needs to fix it.

 

Spencer goes over to make sure everything’s okay, and Asher tells him he has a lot of nerve. Asher tells him that the kiss meant nothing to Leila before telling him to back off. Coop comes over before the argument can escalate and pulls Spencer away. Leila asks Asher if he has to be such an ass, reminding him she’s there with him.

 

Spencer finds Leila sitting in the hallway, and she apologizes for Asher. She tells him that kissing him was a mistake and that Asher is going through a rough time. He tells her he admires her ability to put others before herself but tells her that she deserves her own happiness. As Grace and Billy search for the banner, Grace asks if there’s something between Spencer, Asher, and Leila. Billy comments that a pretty girl between two arguing boys seems familiar, and Billy finds the banner. However, Grace realizes they’re locked inside the office.

 

Ripley suggest to Jordan that they leave and have a night full of surprises. He tells her he loves surprises and they leave together. Coop brings Chris over to Spencer and tells them she can’t enjoy herself with them glaring at each other. She tells them to work things out and they laugh about it after she walks away. Chris asks how it feels to be a part of this, and Spencer tells him he doesn’t feel like a part of it. Chris replies that this life seems to fit him like a glove, and Spencer warns her that Olivia is like as sister to him. Chris tells him he genuinely likes Olivia but is worried about her feelings for him. Spencer denies that Olivia has feelings for him, but Chris tells her that she does.

 

Leila takes Asher into the hallway and tells him that their relationship isn’t working anymore. Asher is upset she’s choosing Spencer over him, but she insists it’s not because of him. She tells him they probably should have done this sooner, and Asher gets upset, accusing her of being selfish. Leila senses he’s been drinking and suggests he go home. However, Asher declares that the party is just getting started.

 

Asher walks back into the gym and asks JJ for his flask. They drink, and Olivia advises him to slow down, telling him she can recognize a downward spiral when she sees it. He tells her he’s celebrating and realizes that she knew about Leila’s kiss with Spencer. Asher tells her he thought she was different, but she’s just like everyone else.

 

Coop gets a call from Shawn telling her that he got the job. She is excited for him, but he is not thrilled about picking up garbage. He tells her that he won’t be able to meet Tyrone, and she promises to do it for him. She tells Spencer she has to go and tells him to stay when he offers to go with her. Leila approaches him and tells him that she’s tired of doing the right thing before asking him to dance.

 

They go to the dance floor and Asher gets upset watching them. A student interrupts their dance, telling Leila that they’ve run out of drinks. Billy and Grace continue to reminisce, and Billy tells her to ask him a question. She asks him why he married Laura, and he tells her that he loves Laura but Grace’s decision to marry Corey broke the last tie he had to Crenshaw. He admits that he was tired of the responsibility that came from him being a black man from the hood, and Laura arrives to unlock the door.

 

Asher goes on stage and asks for the microphone. He introduces the crowd to members of the football team and calls them up to the stage. Asher calls out to Spencer and calls him the best there is before asking Leila for confirmation. He calls her out for cheating on him with Spencer but tells her it’s okay since he cheated on her first. Asher calls out Olivia and challenges her to tell Leila that they slept together before he is escorted off stage.

 

Olivia follows Leila into the hallway, and Leila asks how she could do this to her. Olivia admits that it was a mistake, and Leila is angry that Olivia gave her advice knowing she betrayed her. Leila calls her a treacherous bitch, and Olivia calls her a hypocrite. She tells Leila that they’ve both messed up, but Leila walks away. Spencer and Chris approach Olivia, and she declares she knows she’s a terrible person. Spencer runs after Leila, but she gets in her car and drives away.

 

Billy confronts Asher about drinking on school property and asks if anyone drank with him. Asher lies that it was just him, and Billy tells him that he has no choice but to suspend him for the next two games. Asher begs him to let him play, but Billy tells him he did this to himself. Coop meets up with Tyrone, who tells her that she’s too late. She convinces him that she can be a valuable asset, and he hands her a gun to take care of some gang members. Coop refuses, and Tyrone warns her and Shawn to watch their backs.

 

Olivia assures Chris she’s not always a big mess, and Chris questions what excitement their third date will bring. Olivia notices Asher on a bench and tells Chris that she needs to help him, as she knows what it’s like to hit rock bottom. Chris tells her to call him when the dust settles, and that she’s worth waiting for. She kisses him before joining Asher, dumping his flask on the street.

 

Coop asks Shawn why he’s not excited by his new job, and he tells her he’s not happy about cleaning for minimum wage. He admits it’s a legitimate job, and he’ll stick with it. Coop lies that everything went well with Tyrone and Swiss, but Shawn sees through her story. She tells him that Tyrone isn’t happy with them, and admits she’s scared. Shawn gets upset and declares that legitimate job isn’t his life.

 

Jordan hangs out with Ripley on the beach and tells her he’d like to keep seeing her. He realizes how late it is, but she suggests they go for a swim. Jordan reminds her he has the homecoming game, but she tells him she doesn’t care. Ripley tells him to loosen up and he agrees to stay with her. Spencer finds Leila at his proposed meeting spot and joins her on the bench. He pulls away when she tries to kiss him, telling her they should wait until their feelings are less complicated. Leila tells him she hates when he’s right but asks to finish their dance. He agrees, and they dance together.