Set Fire To The Rain• Cesar Diaz

Two

3rd person pov

"Arent you supposed to be with you friends up north?" Ruben asked looking at his oldest son

"There was uh, a change of plans. Uh, i have a surprise for you guys" Mario said as he carefully hugged Lana

"Ok, tell us" Ruben smiled as Mario and Lana didnt break the hug

"Its, uh, its, its a really big one" Mario said nervously rubbing his littler sisters arm

"Okay, we're ready!" Geny smiled clapping her hands together, as they all laughed a little and then Mario stopped

"Its like big-big. Lik-like, life-changing"

"Mario!" Ruby called smiling as he and Abuelita came over hugging Mario, as Lana stood by her parents

"!Quienes aqui!" Abuelia smiled hugging Mario

"Ai, Mario. Stop with the theatrics! What's the surprise?" Geny smiled as Ruby put his non casted arm around his sister

"Happy New Year!" Monse smiled coming into the Martinez house hold

"Did y'all now there's a pregnant white girl on your porch?" She added, everyone smile dropped as they all looked at Mario

He chuckled nervously looking at them "Uh... surprise?"

And now everyone including Jamal and Jasmin were now sitting around the table staring at Amber who was slurping her big gulp

She smiled taking the straw away from her lips before looking up at everyone "Im so sorry about your recent loss. My heart goes out to all of you. And as a beneficiary of white privilege, these kinds of tragedies are, like, foreign to me. So on behalf of my people, i am sorry for keeping your people down" Amber said as everyone just looked at her blinking a little

"Is she for real?" Monse asked looking at Ruby, but he was higher than high right now

"I hope so"

"Ok, uh, thank you, Amber. W-we really appreciate that." Geny smiled at the younger girl

"Mama, this all looks amazing" Amber said as everyone gasped, as Mario cleared his throat looking around.

"Uh, Jamal, can you pass the bread?" Mario asked looking at Jamal who got nervous all the sudden

"What bread? i dont have any bread"

"I know you dont, but can you pass it?"

"Why are you so jumpy?" Jasmin asked looking at Jamal, as he handed Mario the bread

"Im not hiding anything" he said looking at her

"I didnt say that you were"

"Good. Because im not. Im not hiding anything hidden or found of finding anything found or hidden. Im living my best life, out in the open. I have no secrets" Jamal said slowly leaning closer to Jasmin, when Lana pulled him back to his chair

"I do" Amber said cutting him off

"And i feel like i should clear my conscience since we're about to come into the new year, and, uh, im about to be the mother to a "whitina" Amber smiled grabbing Mario's hand

"Que?"

"A what?"

"A white latina" Jasmin said looking at Amber

"A-" But Geny was cut off as Ruben shoved a piece of bread in her mouth

"Okay. So there were not a lot of POC in my high school, which is really such a shame, because there's a lot to learn when you just break down the cultural barriers. Anyways, i cant believe this is part of my personal history, but-" Amber sighed going to continue but was cut off by Mario

"Babe, right now is probably not the best time-"

"No, continue" Ruby said putting his hand over Marios mouth

"Gracias. So, i had this friend and he was Latino. Or Hispanic. Which one is it? Whatever. It doesn't matter. Its all the same, right, babe? Anyway, we called him "Ockie," and i thought it was short for octopus. Because he had an extra finger, but it wasn't about the finger. It was because every time a teacher took roll, he'd go, "Aqui!" The finger was just a coincidence. Is that effed-up?"

"Mario?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"Can you help me in the kitchen, please?" Geny tight lipped smile looking at him as he nodded looking away a little

Lana was nervously sitting at the table, Cesar had went to try to talk to Oscar again, and knowing Oscar every Santo was gonna be there and it could all go bad. But at the end of the day if Oscar doesn't let him in, despite Geny and Ruben not wanting him staying with Lana it was that or Lana leaves with Cesar

Plus he'd been more and more helpful from being guilty about everything that had happened.

"Ruby, come on dumb ass" Lana said through gritted teeth as she grabbed his arm dragging him from the kitchen as he's been saying "bunk" for the last minute or three

"Quién te dio hierba, Ruby?" She asked looking at him as they sat on his bed
"Who gave you weed, Ruby?"

"Aubelita" he shrugged as she rolled her eyes

"¿Cómo estás?" Ruby asked looking at his sister as she smiled sadly looking at him

"No debería preguntarte eso? tu eras el enamorado de ella?" Lana shrugged looking at him
"Shouldnt i ask you that? you were the one in love with her"

"Si, pero estabas más cerca de ella que yo"
"Yes, but you were closer to her than me"

"Im fine, we should get back, im sure Jasmin is interrogating Amber" Lana said standing up as Ruby nodded getting up and following her to the living, where Jasmin said in fact interrogating Amber

Lana sighed Cesar had texted her it didnt go well, and he was gonna be in her room instead of being there for the countdown

So, Ruby and Aubelita got her high, and now her and Ruby were eating pie and ice cream as Jamal and Monse came over to them

"Ruby? Lana?"

"hm?"

"What?"

"We can see through your guys brave front. It's okay if you're not okay. We're here for you guys. Just tell us what you need" Monse smiled looking at them

"Do you need anything?" She asked

"Whipped cream" The siblings said at the same time before laughing at one another and doing their little hand shake

"I got you guys. Ima get that whip-whip" Jamal said looking at his two best friends who nodded eating some more