Then & Now [OMB || Cesar Diaz]

then - 11

Layla's been trying to focus on finishing her makeup look of the night but the disapproving glare Danna has been shooting her ever since she got there was unnerving. "Say what you have to say D, you're distracting me," she scoffs.

"You're taking it way too far and you know it," Danna says with no hesitation. Man, she's been holding that one in for a while. "It's one thing to say, flirt with Spooky or date Jamal. But dating a Prophet Layla?" Danna stands up now. "Especially the one that shot Ruby and killed Olivia..." she shakes her head.

"It's not like I️ like Latrelle," she defends herself. "I'm just using him to make Cesar jealous-"

"I️ don't even know you anymore," Danna cuts her off, finally making Layla look back at her with her mouth wide open.

"How can you say that?" Layla now stands. "You're saying if Ruby takes a sudden interest in me and we start dating, it wouldn't hurt you?" She now pushes.

"That's not the same Layla!" Danna snaps. "If Ruby decides he likes you and you like him, I️ wouldn't date the guy that fucking shot him just to get back at him! That's wrong!" Danna yells. "You know what? You do what you want! But I'm not getting involved!" She grabs her stuff and storms out.

"You were supposed to go to the party with me-"

"I'm not hanging around a bunch of Prophets!" Danna turns around to face her. "You can't make me," she tells her before slamming the door behind her.

Layla lets out a frustrated groan. She just didn't get it! How was it possible her best friend wasn't on her side? Wasn't that the whole point of being best friends?!

Layla heads into her room to finish the last touches of her makeup before texting Latrelle her address. She heads out the door as soon as he pulls up and gets into the car with him and two other friends.

"Well damn, aren't you looking fine tonight," Latrelle complimented as she sits next to him in the backseat. "I'm bouta have the baddest chick at the party with me tonight," he brags, making her giggle. "Lay, these my homeboys Roman and Nuski," he introduces.

"Hi," she greets with a smile. They were all sporting their typical green gang colors while she wore pink. She suddenly had a feeling that being in the car with them was not a good idea and that Danna was right but before she could change her mind they had already driven away from her house. Luckily the party was pretty close, only seven minutes away.

They all got out and entered a home that was hosting a ton of Prophets and gang affiliated Prophets, like her. "Can you get me a drink?" She asks Latrelle, wanting to quickly calm her nerves as soon as possible. He nods and they both head into the kitchen, a cooler filled with fruity alcoholic punch and Jell-O shots all over the place. As soon as he gets her a cup, she playfully raises her cup and says, "cheers!".

Two hours later and they were playing beer pong in the living room.  Both teams had one cup each and it was up to her to win the game. Everyone watching intensely as Layla focused as much as her drunken brain could and flicked her wrist, letting the ball fly. It landed into the cup, making everyone in her side cheer. "Hell yeah! Give it up for your Prophet Princess!" Latrelle announces as he picks her up in victory.

"Princess! Princess! Princess!" Everyone hypes her up around her, making her drunkenly giggle.

A couple hours later and she was standing in front of her home, safe and sound. "You know, I️ had a surprisingly good time. You Prophets know how to party," she compliments.

"You should've been fucking with us from the jump Princess. Not them lame ass Santos," he says. "But don't worry, I️ see you right back where you belong."

Layla heard him, but her brain wasn't processing his words as it usually would. Instead she just leans in for a kiss, him returning the favor.

"I️ can't believe this," a voice says, breaking them apart. Cesar stands on her front lawn, looking at them with a mixture of hurt and anger. "You're really with him," he breathes. "I️ though people were messing with me but...it's true."

"Cesar?!" She gasps.  "You shouldn't be here!" She yells. Not because she didn't want to or expected to see him, but because he had a green light on their side of town! Latrelle basically had street rights to shoot him where he stood.

"Damn right he shouldn't, this our block!" Latrelle pushes her behind him. "You so lucky my girl here or else I'd pop you right now. For her sake, you got five seconds to get the fuck outta here before you die tonight," Latrelle threatened.

"No please don't hurt him!" Layla pleads, grabbing his arm.

Cesar looks between the two of them once more before shaking his head. "Don't worry man, you can have her," he bites before running off.

Latrelle looks back at her and yanks his arm away from her. "The fuck is wrong with you? You still like him or something?" He sneers.

"I️-I️ ..."

"Listen here Layla," Latrelle backs her up until her back hits the door, him leaning against the door with one arm to support himself, trapping her inside. "I️ claimed you tonight. Everyone calling you the Prophet Princess," he points at her. "So don't make me look fucking stupid," he hisses. Cesar got lucky tonight but the next time he come on this side, I'm killing his pussy ass on sight, whether you're there or not," he whispers to her face. He then leans in and presses one more kiss on her lips, although this time she was slightly hesitant to respond.

"Goodnight Princess."

"Goodnight," she tells him, heading inside. She quickly pulls her phone to text Danna.

"I️ made a mistake..." she was ready to write out when she stopped herself. She then hastily deleted the message and put her phone back in her pocket, deciding to sleep on it instead.