At night after we closed up we drank at the empty parking lot and raced cars around recklessly. Nothing much to do in this retirement town.
They smuggled items out the back door and stashed them behind bushes for later. But I wasn't into that anymore.
Back in LA I lived in a neighborhood called Atwater Village. I hear it's now a highly desirable location. It had everything:
Bordered by Griffith Park, Los Feliz, the LA river snakes through, Silverlake, Dodger Stadium, and Forest Lawn where my grandparents RIP.
I also use to yank Mercedes emblems off hoods in La Brea park. I never got caught. Now nothing here but Buicks.
I use to shoplift large sized chocolate bars from a grocery store across the boulevard. Got caught. An old man threatened to send me to juvy.
Not so much into petty crime and vandalism anymore. Naples was too hot and too humid for anything.
I fell for girls older than me by a couple of years. They liked me as a friend. Shared their cigarettes. Passed notes back and forth.
I saved every letter and many photographs. Until several months ago when I decided to delete the past. Shredder.
My best friend at the time didn't know I had a crush on her. She surprised me with a birthday cake once. I think the first I ever had.
In AV class I met a French guy who use to spike his eyebrows out with spit or gel. That's all I remember of him.
I went on dates with girls who had cars. To clubs and bars in Fort Myers beach. Sometimes all the way to Miami then back at sunrise.
Laid out to tan by the community pool. Drank lots of sugared iced tea. Watched a lot of television. Wasted a lot of time.
At a chinese restaurant in town where I get take-out I would get mistaken as a delivery guy by the old folks.
Took a job at a red lobster. I learned never to be an asshole to your server no matter what. At least not until you've gotten your food.
Gated housing communities. A black doctor and his family moved in across my grandmother's lot and was petitioned out by neighbors.
Finally my ticket out. End of sophomore year moved to Guam with my aunt and uncle. Just for a year. I stayed for two.