Elly's about to make the biggest move of her life-from Germany to America. But before she officially settles in, a school trip takes her to Freeridge, the city she'll soon call home. What she didn't expect? Meeting someone who's about to flip her wo...
Oscar's visit had been different. The way he'd looked at me—it just wasn't like him. Normally, he'd act all tough, but that day, he'd been so... soft, almost worried. It left me with a knot in my stomach, like there was something serious he wasn't telling me. I decided I'd ask him about it next time we saw each other.
But as the days ticked by, he didn't show up. No messages, no calls. It wasn't like him; he never went this long without checking in. I started to worry.
I asked around, beginning with Cesar, Sad Eyes, and anyone from the Santos who might know something. When that led nowhere, I reached out to my friends, Tanja, Keisha—even nearly half of Freeridge. Still nothing. Desperation kicked in, and I went as far as calling hospitals and police stations. But there was no sign of him anywhere.
After two weeks without a word, I tried calling Cesar again. He'd been acting weird and avoided answering my questions every time I'd brought up Oscar. I sent him a series of texts, hoping he'd finally tell me what was going on.
Elly:"Cesar, call me back. Please."
Elly: "I know something's up, and I need to know what it is."
Elly: "I love Oscar, and I need to know if he's okay."
Finally, he responded:
Cesar: "Sad Eyes will come to see you soon and explain."
Relief and anxiety flooded me at the same time. If they'd known something all this time, why hadn't they told me?
Sad Eyes showed up at my place shortly after, and we went up to my room. The second we were in, I started with my questions.
Elly: "Cesar said you'd explain everything. What happened to Oscar? Is he okay? Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?"
Sad Eyes sighed, urging me to calm down before he started.
Sad Eyes: "Look, Elly, Oscar arranged a meeting with Cuchillos and 19th Street the day he disappeared. The plan was for him and 19th Street to get rid of Cuchillos. She was a threat. Since then, no one's heard from him... but Cuchillos reached out to your friends, so she's alive, and... he might be gone."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I could barely breathe.
Elly: "No... that can't be true! I... I can't do this without him!" I choked, feeling the tears come hard and fast. "He doesn't even know about the baby!"
Sad Eyes froze, staring at me.
Sad Eyes: "Wait, what? You're... you're pregnant?" He looked at me in shock, glancing down at my stomach.
I buried my face in my hands, unable to stop the tears. Sad Eyes came closer, putting an arm around me. I leaned into him, desperate for anything to hold onto.
After a few minutes, he finally spoke again, a little more carefully this time.
Sad Eyes: "You didn't tell him?"
Elly: "No," I whispered. "I was planning to, but he was in a hurry to get to that meeting, and I was stuck at school. I thought... I thought I'd have time."
Sad Eyes gave my shoulder a small squeeze. "We don't know for sure yet, okay? 19th Street sent Cesar an address and Oscar's phone. They're going to check it out. If... if something happened, they'll make sure Cuchillos pays. But if he's alive, he'll be there. We just need to wait."
My heart sank. I was terrified, desperate for any scrap of hope. "Then take me with you! I need to be there."
Sad Eyes: "No, Elly. You're pregnant. I can't take you somewhere that might turn dangerous."
He managed to talk me down after a long back-and-forth. I stayed back, but it was torture. Every second felt like hours, and I couldn't shake the terrible feeling that I might never see him again.
Just when I thought I couldn't bear it any longer, my phone rang from an unknown number. Without hesitation, I picked up.
It was Abuelita, Ruby's grandma. Her voice was soft but steady.
Abuelita: "Elly, mi pequeña, I have something of yours. Come over to pick it up."
I was too confused to question it. I asked Sad Eyes to drive me, and he waited outside while I went in alone.
The house was dimly lit, and I made my way through the familiar rooms to the kitchen. And then I saw him—Oscar, alive but hurt, slumped in a chair with Abuelita carefully sewing up a wound on his neck.
For a moment, I could hardly believe my eyes. My heart felt like it might burst, half with relief, half with disbelief.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Please don't forget to upvote and/or comment if you like the story. I would appreciate it ☺️
