Another Lifetime

Chapter Nineteen:

Cesar's POV:
"You think RollerWorld is real?" I ask. "I don't know but I hope so." She says and I nod. "If there's even a chance it's real we gotta go for it." I agree with Monse. "We're gonna need to go back home. I'll lay low, stay away from the Prophets, but it's the only way." Monse says. "I'll try and get the Santos to understand but we gotta find out a place to stay until then." I remind her and she nods. "There's a hostel not too far from the school." She suggests. "No, I'm not letting you stay at a hostel." I tell her. "It's not really up to you." She shrugs. "Are you seriously still mad?" I sigh. "What? No, Cesar! I'm just saying I can make decisions for myself." She tells me. "I know. I just want you to be safe." I hold her hand. "I don't wanna put anyone else in danger." She looks like she's gonna cry so I hold her. "I'm fine." She pulls back. "I should probably go back to my room. Odessa's gonna kill me if she finds out." Monse gets up but I stop her. "She won't." I tell her but she pulls her hand back. "No one else needs to get hurt 'cause of me." Monse walks out and I just stare at the ceiling the rest of the night.

Monse's POV:
I walk out and Odessa's standing in the hallway. "We gotta talk." She walks to the room I'm staying in and I follow her. "I knew something was different when you called him Cesar but I just thought maybe y'all were friends. Now I get it." She says. "I'm sorry." I don't even try to make an excuse. "Whatever. You should probably go." Is she serious? "I know what we did was wrong but the first time anything happened I didn't even know you guys were together." I defend myself. "The first time? How long were you guys going behind my back?!" Odessa yells. "Since the party in Malibu." I admit. "But we didn't keep doing stuff!" I say, quickly. She doesn't even say anything, she just walks out and I try to sleep. I get a text the second I lay down... it's Latrelle.
L: $ee you $oon
I don't even bother texting him back. Fuck him.
**** Next Morning ****
I wake up at 8am and the house is quiet. "Cesar." I go to his room and wake him up. "What?!" He sits straight up. "It's just me, I think they're gone." I tell him. "We're not." I hear Jamal and when I turn around. There's a damn baby monitor in the corner of the room. "We skipped school." Odessa says. Me and Cesar go downstairs and they're at the table. Ruby and his girlfriend are there too. "What's going on?" I ask. "I called in some reinforcements." Jamal tells me and he hands me a binder. "That's everything we know about RollerWorld so far." He explains. "They all know what went down yesterday?" My heart is beating outta my chest and they all nod. "Are you guys crazy?! You can't get involved in this!" I yell. "I'm a Santo." Jasmine reminds me. "We're both affiliated." Ruby points between him and Odessa. "And you came to me for help." Jamal points out. "Fine but if this get you killed it's not my fault." I sit back down. "I'm a Santo too... kinda." Pope walks in from another room. "But I don't believe in RollerWorld. What I do believe in is the fact that I sold Monse stolen guns yesterday." She says. "You did what?" Odessa turns in her chair and looks at Pope. "We've been planning a take down since before any of this, right lil Spooky?" Pope looks at him and so do I. "That's why I didn't want you to be the one doing the deal. We were gonna leave an anonymous tip that someone had a car full of stolen guns." He explains. "I can't believe I felt bad for not telling you Pope was the one who did the drop." I roll my eyes. "You let my sister drive around with stolen guns in her car?!" Odessa yells at Pope. "Your sister?" They're almost all surprised. "I knew." Jasmine shrugs. "How?" Odessa and I say at the same time. "She knows everything." Ruby shrugs. "Anyways, back to the project. We gotta get this done 'cause something tells me none of us have a lotta time if the Prophets find out what we're doing." Jamal suggests. "Straight up harboring fugitives in this bitch." Jasmine shakes her head. "Wait, why aren't you overreacting?" Odessa asks. "We knew you had a sister in Freeridge, I kinda just assumed it was Monse. Dad doesn't usually have small groups for brunch. Back to RollerWorld." He shrugs. "Y'all aren't gonna find it. Why don't you just stay here? It's not like Prophets are just kickin' it in Beverly Hills." Pope says and I glare at her. "It wouldn't work. They'd come for me and everyone would get hurt." I tell her. "RollerWorld's my best bet and if there's even a small chance it's real, I'm going for it." I say. "So, catch us up." Cesar opens his binder.
After talking for at least two hours we're almost caught up. I knew some of it but Cesar never believed in RollerWorld. "Can I talk to you?" Jasmine pulls me aside. "What's up?" I ask. "Where are you staying after this?" She asks. "I don't know. Cesar said I could stay with him but-" Jasmine stops me. "No way, if lil Spooky's back the Prophets are gonna go there first." She tells me and I nod. "Exactly and if they find me it's gonna make it all worse." I agree. "Ok, so stay with me." She offers like it's no big deal. "I don't know you like that and won't your parents-" she cuts me off again. "I live alone. My dad died last year." Shit. I heard about it but I completely forgot. "It's fine. I know what I'm capable of and, considering what you did for that ugly ass cholo, I think you can handle your shit. Plus it's good we barely know each other, it's gonna make it harder for them to find you." She convinces me. "Ok." I nod. "But if you go back to school, we don't know each other. I won't be caught dead around someone who wears all those doodoo outfits." She says and I laugh. "These aren't even my clothes!" I tell her.