The Reyes | b.e.

chapter one

i was looking out the window as the sun was setting outside, smoke leaving my lips as every muscle in my body started to relax.

the whole house smelled of weed and cigarrettes, people doing all kinds of drugs in my living room. i honestly didn't mind cause i got used to it really young, and i was friends with most of these people by now anyway.

i never decided to join a gang; i was born into one. my dad is the person i respect and admire most in this world, and when he died a year ago, he left me and my brother to run it. its his legacy.

i may not agree with everything that goes on here, but i would never shit on anything that meant that much to him. these people were also his family in a lot of ways, which makes them my family too.

he was not a bad person, and he didn't start a gang just for the hell of it. my dad wanted to protect our neighborhood. from the cops. from other gangs. from everyone who might hurt us. he raised me and my brother all by himself and he cared about us above anything.

he was also born into a difficult context and so the drugs were the main way he found to provide for us, having barely any education. it was never something that he wanted.

there were always a lot of people here, either doing business or just hanging out. we had all grown to care about each other and a lot of these people knew me since i was a lil baby. they made me feel safe. we all protected our own.

i walked to the front door and put the joint out on the door frame, noticing matthew in my front yard. i hated that fucker sooo much.

there were a lot of reasons for me to hate him, cause he was just the kind of guy that thinks he's entitled to everything and makes 'deez nuts' jokes at thirty years old and looks like he's gonna tell you to go to the kitchen make him a sandwich at any given time. but mainly i hated him cause he was always bringing over some girl who's either 16,17 or barely legal.

i had every right to be mad at him or even go outside and puch him in the face right now, cause not only was that objectively wrong to any person with even a grain of salt of a moral compass, it was also against the Reyes' code.
one of the main rules my father had is we dont mess with minors. we dont sell to minors, we dont use minors to do our work, we dont involve minors in this shit at all  and WE DONT FUCK MINORS.

he was especially strict with this because he wanted to protect us, but also because having children changed him a lot and he didn't want to hurt anyone else's child either. i think it made him understand something about life.

this time matthew had brought around a blue haired girl with him, and honestly she looked way too cool and waaaay too pretty to be hanging out with his ugly ass. she was dripping in chains and spike chokers, wearing a beanie, big shirt, big pants and chunky shoes, while he was looking like he showered with 1 in 3 shampoo. he's so fucking embarrassing.

i started to go over to where he was to see if i could get his paws off the girl but my brother held my arm as i walked by him.

-bryana, what are you doing? youre gonna start shit with matthew again?

-bro, leave me alone. i know you also get uncomfortable with this, ok, just... stop trying to defend him just to avoid something. im not gonna make a scene, chill out.

he gave me a reprehensive look that i knew just mean "be careful", then he let me go.

-hey there - i punched matthew's arm in a playful tone but used enough strength to know it was gonna hurt him a lil.

-hey, bry. - he sighed, trying to hide how annoyed he was. he didnt like me, i didnt like him, it was mutual.

the blue haired girl looked tense and uncomfortable, but i couldn't tell if he was because of him or because of... literally everything else going on at my house. we both said hinto each other and she went to shake my hand but i gave her a quick hug instead.

-are you.. feeling ok? do you want to come inside so i can roll you a joint?

-yeah, sure - she chuckled and we started to go back inside.

-stay here, i'll give her back in a sec- i said, looking at matthew.

we went inside and she actually looked more relaxed with the mess it was than she looked outside. of course he was the problem. i went to my room to grab the wheat straw paper and a filter so i could roll her stuff, then i led her back to a small corridor where there were some other people. i leaned against a wall and she leaned against the other.

-so, what are you doing here? doesnt really seem like your scene.

-oh, its not. im just chilling with matthew. what are you doing here? arent you too young to be involved with this shit?

-i live here. - i laughed at her comment.

-oh, shit, im sorry. - she said, looking embarrassed.

-no, its fine. id probably have the same question if i were you. how old are you, though?

-19.

oh, she's one of the barely legal ones. i hate him, and i can't even say shit this time cause she's not a minor.

i handed her the joint and she smoked it naturally, like she'd done it many times before.

-aren't you too cool to be hanging out with mattress?

-mattress? - she let out a little giggle.

-anything but his name- i joked.

-i mean, i dont know, bro. he's chill. i guess we're all just trying to have some fun, right? - she blew the smoke out, looking sexy as fuck. im not gonna let my mind go there though cause as far as i know, she's straight.- what's your name again?

-bryana.

-billie. - she said, shaking my hand.

-youre really pretty, billie.

she chuckled and brushed it off.

-yeah, right. - a small smiled played on her lips as she finished the joint, staring dead into my eyes. - i should probably get back, it's getting kinda late and he's been waiting for a while.

-well, you're welcome here anytime you want to come back.

we both smiled and she started to walk away, but i felt like i had to just say something.

-hey, billie! - i called her and she looked back at me, waiting for me to speak.

-be careful with him.

-what you mean?

-i mean youre not the first... younger girl he brings here. i wouldnt say this about any one else here, but hes not a good person. m word's a predator.

she laughed once again at the way i was treating his name like a slur.

-look, im a legal adult. its fine, i can look after myself.

-yeah but youre still a teenager. he's a grown ass man. just because it's technically legal doesnt mean you cant get groomed.

she sighed and looked around like she didn't know what to say.

-im not calling you out, i dont wanna make you uncomfortable or anything like that, just like. genuinely. be careful. as a friend.

-yeah, i... i'll try to. how old are you again?

-18.

-you cant say much either, then- she joked.

-yeah, i can, cause im not fucking around with 30 year olds. now go, otherwise he's gonna be on my dick. - we both laughed and she left.