Then & Now [OMB || Cesar Diaz]

then - 12

Layla made her way to Dwayne's BBQ Joint to meet up with Danna, Ruby and Jamal for dinner, on Jamal. And although she didn't want to meet up with Cesar and Monse's friends, Danna and Ruby were kind of a thing now and she wanted to show more support, despite being on weird terms with their otter two best friends.

And Jamal was cool. Weird, but cool. Plus she would never turn down free food.

But when she arrived, the whole place seemed empty. "Hello? Danna? Jamal? Ruby?" She called out. She then pulled out her phone and dialed her best friend.

"We're closed-" Cesar said before stopping in his tracks. "What the hell?" He spat.

"What are you doing here?" They both yelled in unison.

"I️ work here," Cesar answered.

"Well Danna, Ruby and Jamal told me to come-" she then stopped when she heard Danna's ringtone playing somewhere nearby. They both turned to look out the window to see the three of them standing outside the restaurant, looking caught.

"Quick! Lock the door!" Danna ordered.

Cesar and Layla both ran up to the front door only for Jamal to successfully bolt it shut from the outside, smirking in victory.

"Jamal!" Cesar roared.

"Danna what the hell?!" Layla cried out as she banged against the glass door.  "Let us out!"

"No!" Ruby points. "We're all sick of you two fighting and us being in the middle of it! Figure your shit out right now and then we'll let you go home!" He states.

"Wow, you're so hot when you take control," Danna compliments, making Ruby blush. "But I️ agree. You guys are meant for each other-"

"Not anymore, alright? Not ever since she started dating the enemy!" Cesar pounded against the glass door.

"Oh but dating your best friend is okay? Maybe I️ should've dated your brother instead! Would that have made you happy?" She snapped back.  "Since we're all dating people close to us!"

"All I'm hearing is that you're so desperate you'll date anyone," he hisses, earning a slap across his face. The audience they had on the other side of the glass window doors hissed in pain.

"I️ hate you!" She yells before walking across the restaurant to put some distance between them.

"Feeling's mutual!" He yells after her.

After that outburst, the two simmer in anger in their respective sides of the restaurant. For one stubborn hour, they refused to talk to each other, instead throwing each other glares and daggers.

"What happened to you?" Cesar asked so quietly that she almost didn't catch it. "You used to be the sweetest girl on the block. Now I️ don't even recognize you anymore," he looks up at her now.

"You happened, asshole," she sniffed.

"How?!" Cesar now stood up defensively.

"You let me into this world of gangs and violence!" She now stood up to face him as well. "I️'ve had a friend get shot because of you, I've had a gun in my face because of you! I've had to be sent away for my safety because of you!" She pokes at his chest.

"You begged me to let you into my world!" Cesar points at her. "Remember?!"

"Because I️ had no other choice!" She cried frustratingly. "You already claimed me! Who else was going to talk to me?! You made it so my only option was you!" She points out.

They both look at each other, their breathing hard as they struggled to control their emotions. "You and Latrelle aren't all that different," she finally says.

"Don't compare me to him," Cesar snaps.

"Two boys of color getting sucked into gang life when they have the potential to be so much more?" She crosses her arms.

Cesar was quiet for a moment before taking a seat at one of the tables. "I️ heard they're calling you the Prophet Princess now," his tone monotonous. "Did you fuck him?" He now asks. "Because that means...you're affiliated with them now."

She frowns at his words. "I️ just wanted you to hurt like I️ was," she admitted.

Cesar now looks at her. "That's not good enough. Did you fuck him?" He now demands to now. "Layla if they find out about us being here alone, together, I'm dead so answer the question!" He demands to know.

"No!" She shouts at him. "We've never had sex."

Cesar looks her up and down before sitting once more. "I️ never meant to hurt you," he breathes. "I️ just took our break up hard and Monse...she was there and then one thing led to another and suddenly she started taking about us like we were in a relationship and by then the whole thing just went too far," he rambled. "I️ still love you," he reveals.

Layla gasps softly at his confession. Oh boy, then she fucked up big time. But she figured, if he could be man enough to admit that then she could be too. "The truth is...I️ still love you too," she says. "I️ mean, I️ don't think I️ would've gone to such length of I️ still didn't care," she now chuckles softly.

"Glad to know I'm worth all this effort," Cesar jokes back.

They both then sat in silence for a moment before she decides to speak up once more. "So...now what?" She wonders.

Cesar looks at her once more. "Well, we could either kiss and make up, shake hands and decide to be friends or never speak to each other again, considering we're...you know," he points at his black shirt before pointing at Latrelle's green hoodie that she was borrowing.

She now stands up and holds her hand out towards him. "Let's be friends for our friend's sake," she offers.

Cesar also stands and takes his hand into hers and firmly shakes it, making eye contact and not letting go. They suddenly found their lips attached to each other as they pulled each other close for a desperate and fiery kiss.

"Well...looks like they're back," Jamal says.

"Our plan worked!" Ruby cheers.

Danna gagged. "Oh god, I️ think a little too well," she cringed.

"Wait," Ruby holds his hand out to the both of them. "If they're kissing...then what happens to Latrelle and Monse?" He asked, making everyone's eyes widen in realization at the whole new type of mess they've created.