Con Mis Amigos - On My Block / HIATUS

confrontation

"Where exactly are we going?" I followed after Monse. She was fuming, steam was practically blowing out her ears.

"The Santos joint."

"Wait. Oscar as in, Spooky Oscar?"

"Well, yes. Who told you about the name Spooky anyway? Actually never mind, probably Ruby. Since he has such a big mouth but only tells the most unimportant and irrelevant shit."

"Are you sure we should go? Doesn't everyone fear him around here?"

"I have to go talk to Cesar. I couldn't give two shits about that puto. Cesar must've said something to impress him, he fears him, just like everyone else does. Oscar got out of jail like six weeks ago and I know Cesar wouldn't say anything that terrible to hurt us. It was all a fit to impress Oscar."

We finally arrived at a beaten down home. There were Santos surrounded everywhere. Talking, smoking and drinking. You could name it all. There was indistinct music in the background but all I could focus on was the off centered couch in the middle of all this.

There was a boy, I assumed who was Cesar. The darkest brown hair that could pass for black paired with the most mesmerizing mocha colored eyes. He was smiling towards an older man, tattoos covering one side of his neck. A cross? I didn't assume the man to be very religious, especially if he's a gang member.

"That's Oscar, he's talking to." Monse pointed out in front of me before raging her way across the street to meet them.

I quickly followed after her, unsure of what to do.

"Are you sure we should be doing this right now in front of everyone else? What if they gang up on us and kill us or something?" I panicked. These guys obviously intimidated me. I think they intimidated everyone.

"They won't, I know Cesar won't let that happen. Trust me, I know him well enough to know he wouldn't say anything and mean for it to hurt the crew. Guess the boys just don't understand that." Monse rolled her eyes. "Come with?" She looked at me. "I might just need backup," her eyes trailed back to the four muscular men lifting weights.

"O—okay." I knew I didn't want to, but I'd do it for Monse any day. She needs a friend right now and I know that.

She took a deep breath before placing a blank stare on her face and walking in with me trailing behind her.

"Cesar, can we talk?" She asked him and ignored the stares of everyone around us.

"New girl? Looking like a fine ass hyna." Oscar jumped in, staring me down. Do the boys around here just think of women as objects only? I mentally scoffed and felt uneasy. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"An underaged hyna." Monse shut him down, knowing I felt uncomfortable.

"Not for some." Oscar shook his head and laughed.

"Who's your friend?" Cesar looked me down before looking back at Monse, "Replaced me already?"

"Her names Mariana, and leave her alone. She's not involved in this." Monse pointed from herself to Cesar, back and forth.

"Then tell me, why exactly is she here, Monse?"

I could see Monse's anger behind to rise again as she balled her fists.

"Tranquila, compa." I whispered toward Monse, in hope she wouldn't lash out on Cesar.

"Take into consideration what your pretty friend Mariana has to say about this. I'd listen if I were you." Cesar laughed.

I knew Monse had enough, and I had too. I felt her grab my wrist and she pulled us out of that hell zone.

"Come back later, Mariana?" I heard Cesar call after me which made me turn my head. He winked once we made eye contact and licked his lips before turning to his older brother and laughing.

I felt internally disgusted and wanted to go up there and slap Cesar myself. I guess Monse could say the same once she broke the silence between us.

"I'm going to fucking kill him." Monse swore. "And for once, Ruby and Jamal were actually right? He's changed, Mari. I'm sorry, he was never like this before. Now I know it. Now I know the three us of never meant shit to him." She shook her head in disbelief.

"Nothings worse than losing a friend, I know that. But school starts soon. We can't get hung up over Cesar. You and I both know that he isn't worth it." I tried to calm her and locked my hand with hers. I squeezed it reassuringly and smiled.

"High school is an opp for reinvention. Just think about it! Goodbye drama, hello romance!" I smiled, thinking about it.

"More like goodbye romance, hello drama." Monse jokingly mocked.

"Imagine it! All the parties! All the booze! All the cute boysss," I dragged on.

Monse looked down at our still interlocked hands and back and me and flushed.

"Oh sorry I—" I tried to pull my hand from hers.

She quickly put her free hand over our already connected hands and stopped me. "It's okay. I like it," she flashed her new pearly whites at me.

-

"I told you, Cesar is not to be trusted! I don't tell you guys this for your own benefit, and you guys never listen to me," Ruby lectured Monse and I. After that terrible Cesar confrontation, we decided to go back to Ruby's.

"How many times have I told you guys that you don't want to know? How many times have I tried to tell you guys to forget it?"

"Many!" Jamal pitched in, backing up Ruby.

"What about what Mario said? He said we have to stick together." Monse fought back.

"Marios not some sage. Don't take his words to heart. They're just words." Ruby reasoned.

"If that's true then why should we take Cesar's words to heart? They're just words."

"Sometimes it's not what you say, but how you say it. And Cesar said it like he meant it. But things could be worse."

"What's worse than losing a friend?"

"Going into high school with a rep. You're smart enough to know a rumor could ruin your life, Monse."

"I know. But I was just trying to keep our crew together."

"Wait, and so you guys went over there, in front of Spooky, in front of Cesar, in front of everyone? Tried to confront Cesar, got nothing out of it, and you guys just wasted your time because you still know nothing?" Jamal went over the details.

"Well, yeah but—" I tried to reason.

"We're still not telling you." Ruby and Jamal said in unison which gained dissatisfied glares from both Monse and I.

"You know what? We should go. Mariana, Jamal, and I. It's getting late Ruby, you should get to bed, pequeño chico," Monse said, grabbing Jamal and I's arms before turning around and pulling us out the door.

"Monse! I know what you're going to try to do. I know you're going to try to guilt it out of Jamal! But guess what, it's not going to work!" Ruby threw back at us before slamming the front door shut on us. "Ay dios mío."

-

an: i'm going to try to update every thursday and/or sunday but i cannot guarantee two updates a week. I've been really feeling the writing motive and have actually been writing and occupying myself with some new chapters and upcoming(?) book ideas. also i am very glad to see that this book is growing bit by bit each day! leave a vote and or comment on what u think and future predictions for what will happen in this book. i just really want to interact and engage with my readers so i don't feel like i'm reading and writing this all alone lol. i also want to see what u guys don't like and ur suggestions on maybe how to improve my writing and etc. && i know i use "like" a lot in the dialogue but when i write the speech lines i like to read it aloud as i type and think of it in whoever i'm writing for's voice and try to match it to their personalities and such so i can try to make it seem as realistic and relatable as possible if that makes sense.