His Brother [On Hold]

Chapter Nine

A few weeks had passed by, and within those weeks, Isla had gotten to know Oscar a little better by all the times he gave her a ride home or came to pick her up for school, and listened to her ranting about her days to him.

Cesar and Ruby had also apologised to Isla about keeping a secret from her, and she was happy about it but it wasn't before she actually had to ask them about it before they apologised.

Thanksgiving was also the day Isla went back home to Mexico for a weekend to be with her family. And it felt good for Isla to finally have someone to talk about everything too.

But right now, Isla was currently sitting at the kitchen table at Ruby's with her other friends, eating thanksgiving leftovers.

"Wait, where's Mario? I was hoping to see him" Jamal asked Ruby.

"He went with his new bougie girlfriend to Nevada" Ruby spoke smugly.

"Instead of coming home?" Monse asked in disbelief.

"He's in the bone zone" Cesar told them.

"True" The friends chorused.

"Can you pass the tres leches?" Olivia questioned. "My mom makes the best tres leches for my birthday. Guess not this year"

"Don't say that. Maybe your folks will be home before your birthday" Isla pointed out.

"In a week? I don't think so" Olivia shrugged.

"Wait, your quince is in a week?" Ruby frowned. "And you didn't tell us? Mom, dad, Olivia's quince is in a week!"

"It's not a big deal" Olivia whispered as Ruby's parents walked in.

"What?" Ruby's mother asked. "Mija, is that true?"

"Olivia, don't worry about a thing" Ruby's dad spoke up. "I'm gonna get my shifts covered at work and we'll do it here next Saturday"

The family started cheering, and talked all at once about the party. Isla noticed Olivia's face changed as she walked a little away and into her bedroom.

"Go!" Isla whispered to Cesar, and pushed him towards Olivia's bedroom.

After a few minutes, Monse and Ruby followed Cesar as Jamal grabbed Isla. "Come on!" Jamal dragged Isla to the kitchen where Abuelita was washing some plates.

She turned around, glancing at Jamal. "What's new with RollerWorld?"

"Ha! Nothing" Jamal exclaimed. "Nada. I hit a dead end"

Isla frowned. "What do you mean a dead end?"

"What she said" Abuelita added.

"Like a literal dead one. Like Lil' Ricky is dead" Jamal muttered. "After the football game, I followed Oscar's lead to an address. And it took me to a graveyard where I found Lil' Ricky's grave"

"Wait, Oscar gave you a lead?" Isla questioned confused. "I always knew he had a soft heart deep, deep inside"

"Not the point" Jamal told her, and showed them his phone with a picture of the grave. "He died in 1982, 19 months after the heist"

"But how? Why?" Abuelita frowned. "Did the Prophets disembowel him through his throat?"

"Seriously, woman, we're psychically linked" Jamal spoke dramatically. "Those exact same questions crossed my mind, which is why I had to go deep. I had to go where I never thought I'd need to go"

"Oh, Jamal, where'd you go?" Isla asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"The library" Jamal whisper-shouted. "That night I pulled an all-nighter doing some serious fishing with the fiche"