white-passing- jamal turner

twenty-nine

We talked to Spooky, and he said he would handle it. In the meantime, we had to be out in the open and stay in public areas. The more we stuck together, the better. 

Spooky said he would text Cesar to let him know when everything was finished. Three hours passed, and nothing. Three hours turned into three days and still nothing. Ruby, Jamal, and I went to go check the house from outside but couldn't see or hear anyone inside. 

Izabel was blowing up my phone, but I couldn't answer her. I didn't want to get her into this.

We went back to Ruby's house where Monse and Cesar were. 

"Well?"

 "Spooky's car hasn't moved from the driveway."

"Did you look inside the house?"

"Yeah, through the front window," I said, "Nothing. And the side."

"What about the back?"

"You didn't tell us to check the back," Jamal said quietly.

"I didn't think I had to!" Cesar said, "Check the house means check the house not part of the house!"

"Cesar!" Monse said, "Everyone is doing the best they can."

"Just forget it," Cesar said, "I'm gonna go over there and check myself."

Monse grabbed his backpack, "No! We agreed you can't go back home."

"Maybe this is what Spooky meant by he's handling it," Jamal said.

Cesar's jaw tightened, "You're being stupid."

"I'm just trying to help!"

"You can't!" Cesar said, "If this was some dumbass conspiracy, then maybe you could help, but this is real life!"

"Hey!" I said, putting my hand in front of Cesar, "Watch it. I get you're worried, but you can't insult us when we're the ones helping you."

While Monse tried to calm Cesar down, Ruby said quietly, "What if Cuchillos got to Spooky and he started talking? Are we sitting ducks?"

Cesar heard and looked at us, "What the hell did you just say?"

I  sighed, knowing this was gonna be bad. 

"Nothing."

"No, say it," Cesar said, getting in Ruby's face, "Say it!"

"Look, we're all worried!"

"Yeah. About yourselves. My brother wasn't thinking about himself when he stepped in to save all of us."

"That's not what we meant!" Jamal said.

"What did you mean Jamal, huh?!" Cesar yelled, "God forbid you guys would have to grow up and handle things yourselves!"

I knew I should've kept my cool. I knew I shouldn't have fought back, but I did.

"How dare you, Cesar!" I said, pointing my finger at him, "Since day one when you got jumped into the Santos we've been breaking our fucking backs to help YOU! We've been trying to handle things ourselves the best we can, but at the end of the day, WE ARE KIDS! What the hell do you expect?!"

"AJ!" Jamal said, "Calm down."

"No! It's not fair that you're putting that on us, Cesar!" I said.

Cesar grabbed his bag and headed for the door when he turned, "No, you know what's not fair? Is that you all complain about my brother and the gang, but as soon as you need 'em, you come begging! Well, I'm not sitting on my ass while Oscar's out there saving yours!"

He left and slammed the door. I grabbed one of the pillows on the couch and punched it several times.

An hour later, Ruby got a text from Cuchillos.

How are my five little sleuths? Tick tock. 

It had to be her. No one else would've texted that. We needed to split up for a while and leave. My dad's brother still lived in San Juan, and I was welcome there any time I wanted, so now would be a good time to take him up on that offer.

I called my Tio, and we both started looking for tickets while I packed a bag. My parents seemed to be ok with it, but my sister knew something was up.

"Why are you going to Puerto Rico?" she said, "You've never expressed any interest in going there."

"I need a change of scenery," I said, "Problem?"

"Yes!" Izabel said, "You're not telling us something. What's going on? And why won't you respond to my texts?"

"Mana!" I said, "I'm just gonna be gone for a week or so. And as for Spooky, I don't know what's going on, ok? Maybe he's laying low for a few days."

"Are you in trouble?!" she said, "Mana, I need to know that you're ok!"

"I'm FINE!!" I said. I felt horrible lying to my sister, but I knew it was better than telling her the truth, "I PROMISE! I swear on my life!"

After saying goodbye to my parents, I met up with the gang and went to Cesar's. Well, the Sunshine Motel. He couldn't be at his place. But we had a plan.

"You guys shouldn't be here," Cesar said.

"Wrong!" Monse said, "We're where we need to be. Cuchillos picked us because we found the Rollerworld money, took down the Prophet$, and we're smart."

"We have a plan to take her out," Ruby said.

"A plan?"

"Yep. Step one. Call her using the burner phone. Is it hot here? Imma step outside. AJ, can you come with me?"

I nodded and walked out with him. He was hyperventilating, which was totally reasonable. I was freaking out too. I mean, we were talking about killing a woman. 

We got downstairs, and Jamal threw up.

"Ok," I said, "I'm gonna get us some water."

I went to the vending machine and got us a water before throwing up myself. Ruby, Jamal, and I were sitting down against the wall. 

"Technically, doing this is self-defense," Ruby said, "Cuchillos threatened our lives."

 "It's premeditated self-defense."

"Exactly."

"But do you think it'll hold up as legal defense in court?" I said.

Cesar and Monse came over to us, "It's time."

My heart was racing as I tapped my leg nervously. 

"Once we do this, there's no turning back," Ruby said as a car pulled up. 

There were two dudes who Cesar must've known because they gave him a slip of paper and a phone.

"What is that?" I said.

"It's Oscar's phone."