Love My Neighborhood

Chapter Five: "It's been a while Freak"

A/n: Do you guys hate me? Because I hate me, it's been years since I've updated, wouldn't be surprising if most of you forgot about this book, but here I am regardless, very late, but still here. So enjoy this update!! 

"Okay," I pull out a chair and sit on it, "From the top, don't leave anything out, and I do mean I want to hear everything, even the possibly traumatizing details." 

Sighing, Jared runs his hand through his already messy hair, pointing out that he's been stressed when I was gone. 'As he should' I mentally smiled. I was having a mental breakdown, but I refused to let the past stop my future. "Okay, Rosa, was my first everything. My first love, my first girlfriend, my first kiss, my first time, my first heartbreak" There was a pause, and he met my eyes. "But she was also my first enemy." I leaned forward because that had me curious.

"My grandparents live in Columbia, so during the summer we'd stay with them, but as we got older we just ended up living with them. Our grandparents didn't like the fact we moved around a lot because of my dad's job, they said we needed a stable home, and stable community and friends. That's where I met Rosalina Santiago." He sighs again, and leans back in his chair. "I met her in primary school and later found out that she lived on our street, and her family was close to my grandparents, so we automatically became friends. We became the four musketeers'." His smile is wistful.

Holding my hand up, I stopped him, "Wait, you said four musketeers', who's there other than you, Mikayla, and Rosa?" He laughed as he realized his mistake. "I forgot to add that Rosa has a brother, his name is Rodriguez."

"I know that name, but I cant seem to place it." As if a lightbulb went off over my head, I pulled out my phone and went into my most recent calls, and turned my phone to Jared. "A Rodrigo Santiago called from an international number just before Rosa called you, I completely forgot about it because of the whole fiasco that followed after. How did he even get my number?" Deciding that thinking up an answer would be futile when we could just get it straight from the source I dialed back the number and put the phone on loud speaker. 

The phone rang and rang, I was about to hang up when a voice answered, "Well this is surprise, you called back."

"How did you get my number?" I asked bypassing the pleasantries, there was a moment pause then a low laugh. "I guess you know of me."

"How did you get her number Rodriguez?" Jared asked again, glaring at the phone. Another moment of silence, then a sigh. "Your abuela, I asked her and she gave me."

"Why does your grandmother have my number?" I asked confused at the fact that the lady I've only spoken to a handful of times not only has my number but is giving it to people that I don't know.

"Incase she can't get in contact with me, you're always with me so you would be her next best bet." He shrugged as if that was the most normal thing, well maybe it was I'm not well versed in these situations.

"But that doesn't explain why you asked for Jessie's number or why she even gave it to you or why you called her." Jared redirected his attention to the phone on the table between us, and I mentally smiled after learning that Jared's grandmother didn't just hand out my numbers to people without a valid reason. "So please explain that, along with why you BOTH called on the same night when I haven't heard anything from Rosa in years and you just usually text me like once a month."

"Well I asked for her number under semi-false pretenses, she thinks that I know your fiancé and that we've before and I called her because I wanted to-" I cut him off.

"That's wholly false, you don't know me and you've never met me." I smiled victoriously, I've never met this man before in my life.

There was a laugh, "Actually you have, it was a chance encounter, but I'm sure it was you. Little less than a year ago a young man asked for directions to a jewelry store in a mall and he kissed you on your hand after you told him your name and you even asked him what his name was." Silence all around.