Another Lifetime

Chapter Twenty-three:

Odessa's POV:
I try to sneak into my house but my parents are waiting for me. "Good luck with that." Jamal goes to his room. "Hey." I smile at them. "I know you did not jus hey me." My mom looks pissed. "How the hell did you get expelled at a football game?" My dad asks. "I slapped Monse... but she punched me after so we're even." That didn't come out like I wanted to. "You know how hard it was to get you in that school? Odessa Julia Turner, what the fuck were you thinking?!" My mom yells. "I thought they just let me in 'cause dad's famous and we have money." I cross my arms. "Watch it, Odessa." My dad always lets my mom take over every argument. "You're gonna spend your weekend writing an apology to the school and on Monday you're walking there to drop it off!" My mom says. "We live pretty far from the school I don't know if-" my dad starts but with one look from mom he stops. "Or I could just go to Freeridge." I suggest. "How the hell do you think you're gonna get there on time when you barely show up to school now?" My mom asks. "Well I can stay at the house you guys have over there." I suggest. "No!" They both say right away. "Odie, you go back and forth with different gang members every year and if you go there you're gonna get yourself into some shit." My dad says and I roll my eyes. "Don't slut shame!" Jamal says from upstairs. He runs down here so fast he basically slides down the steps. "What if we both go? My senior year won't be half as fun without my baby sister." He hugs me and I almost throw up. "Plus I'd get to play where it started for you... and they're undefeated!" Jamal throws in. "I mean that does sound-" my mom elbows him in the ribs. "Nah." He shakes his head. "Well I'm not going back to Beverly. I'm 18 so I guess I can always just drop out." I shrug. "Is that a threat?" My mom asks. "Take it how you want." I go upstairs. "That's all that caucacity she gets from her white side." I say and they just stare at me.

Cesar's POV:
"You sure you can't stay the night?" I ask Monse while we wait for Jasmine and Ruby in the parking lot. "Wouldn't I just be putting everyone in danger?" She asks. "No, they haven't even come looking for you at my place." I lie. "Besides, it's better you move around so they don't figure out where you're at." I explain. "Let me talk to Jasmine about it first. I gotta go get my stuff anyway." She says. "You know I'm feelin' a lot better. Maybe we-" I get cut off by Jasmine. "Y'all missed everything! Jamal carried Beverly but the Ridge is still undefeated." She says. "The fight was worth it." Monse says. "Yeah, I heard you fought a cheer bitch from Beverly." Jasmine laughs. "I did... Odessa. It's cool though, we kinda realized we don't actually like each other." The three of us look at her, confused. "We tried to hard to be sisters when we weren't even friends. We gotta work on it." She explains. "Is your face ok?" Ruby winces. "Yeah, she just slapped me but she had a ring, or bracelet, or something and it cut me." She touches her cheek. "Surprised the Prophets didn't show." Jasmine looks around. "They did. They're just making sure you can't see them." Monse tells us. "So let's go before they find us." Ruby says and I nod. Monse goes with Jasmine but the rest of us go separately.

Monse's POV:
"You think it's good idea for me to stay with Cesar tonight?" I ask Jasmine. "You mean is it safe?" She asks. "If that's what you mean, no... it's never safe and it'll never be safe to be around him. I know it's easy to forget that he's lil Spooky but he is. If you wanna spend time with him though, go for it." She says, honestly. "Ok." I smile.
Cesar picks me up after I get some stuff for tonight but when we get to his house it's not really a warm welcome. "What the hell is she doing here?" Spooky asks. "Nice to see you too." I roll my eyes. "She's staying with us for tonight." Cesar explains but everyone keeps giving me dirty looks. "Relax." I lift my shirt so they can see I don't have my gun. "It's not up to you, any of you, if I say something you don't fucking question it!" He screams and he sounds like someone else but they listen and I guess that's what matters. "Come on." He holds my hand and pulls me to his room. "You really didn't bring your gun? You have it so much I thought it was attached to you." Cesar laughs. "It's strapped to my thigh." I roll my eyes and he nods. "You should probably take it off." He says. "Why?" I ask and he kisses me. "Oh." I nod. "Turn around." I tell him. "You know if we're gonna do this I'm gonna see-" I cut him off. "I didn't say I was doing shit." I smirk and he turns around. I take it off, unload it, and throw it my bag with the safety on. "Can I turn around yet?" He laughs. "Yeah." I kiss him the second he turns and we back up on to his bed. "You sure about this?" I ask. "Yeah." He smiles. "Here." Spooky throws a box of condoms at Cesar's head. "You didn't lock the door?!" I laugh. "I was thinking about some other stuff." He smirks.
The next morning when I wake up he's gone and I'm honestly cool with it. I grab my sweatpants off the floor and throw on a 'Dwayne's Joint' shirt and I sneak out. "We gotta talk." A girl almost hits me when I cross the street so I run.