COSA BONITA~RUBY MARTINEZ

5

Kim was snug in her bed before she got an alarming phone call from none other than, Jamal Turner. She quickly sat up and groaned when she looked at the time because it was almost midnight. "Hello" "Kim! Don't say anything okay" before she could reprimand him for calling her so late, the line was switched over and suddenly she heard a familiar voice talking on the other half of the line. "So what exactly was the context when Ceaser said he hit it with Monse?" "He didn't say he hit it he said he smashed...hard but who cares about context?" All of a sudden another voice came onto the phone "I care!" "Dude you can't keep one secret." "Well since everyone's outing themselves I'm here too." "Kim! Really, Jamal, you brought Kim into this she doesn't even know what happened." 

"Well, I do now," Monse spoke up obviously tired of the ongoing conflict. "Can we just meet up tomorrow, Kim you can come too I guess." She thanked Monse and said goodbye to the guys before going back to her contacts where her fathers' phone number was. She wondered what she would say to him or if he would even answer, she knew that trying to get in contact with him was a long shot but she had to try. Kim always remembered her father to be a kind man who was very much a part of her life but after her sister was born he started drifting away from them and spending more time at the office than at home.  

He was very secretive about his business and Kim didn't know much about it, only the name and that after her dad had gone away someone else was running it. Her mom was hysterical after she heard the news and hid them from the traumatic and scarring life that was her fathers she knew that her family held many secrets and she couldn't help but feel that she was obligated to seek them out even if it meant digging into a dark and foreign territory. 

***

The next morning Kim took a fast shower and got dressed, she was partially excited because she would be hanging out with her new friends and partially scared because she was going to be with Monse, Kim could tell that Monse wasn't really warming up to her like the others did but she knew that friendships had pros and cons. She met Monse and Jamal at his father's shop where Jamal was working with a hairnet and apron.  "Hola, So where's Ruby?" "That's what Monse is trying to figure out, she has been texting him for the past half hour." 

"He's not responding." "Just chill, he said he would be here so he's going to be here," Jamal said trying to reassure her but Monse rolled her eyes, "says the guy who's faking playing football" Kim took a fry out of a tray and started chewing on it while plopping herself on the counter. "Maybe he won't notice" "I highly doubt that just look at the pictures you've practically portrayed a football player all your life." They all looked up at the iconic photos and Jamal turned to them with a weary face "Where the hell is Ruby?" 

"You coming?" Monse pulled her hand not giving her a chance to answer. " Where are we going?" "To Ruby's house" the journey wasn't long but when they got there Kim's wrists were sore from Monse pulling her the whole way. "What's going on?" Kim didn't even notice that they had arrived but looked up to see Ruby clad in a pink dress with ruffles and jewels on the breast area Kim twisted her mouth to keep from laughing while Ruby turned a light shade of red.

"I think it's pretty obvious." "Great. walk me through the moment Ceaser said what he said." They started to argue back and forth while Kim was admiring the detail on the dress. She spotted a small older woman on the floor with a needle and thread in her hand and assumed that it probably was Ruby's grandmother. "Did you do this yourself?" She looked up incredulously "Of course, all quality stitching you can't find this anywhere else." She nodded her head mildly impressed before Ruby started moving off the stool. 

"We can't be out here!" Ruby shouted covering himself up. "Hey Kim, hey Ruby. I heard about you Monse getting freaky." Jasmine says rolling in on her Razor scooter. "What are you talking about?" "You ain't gotta be shy with me girl I know you and Ceaser be getting it in." Monse turns back to Ruby with an angry face "No one knows really? I officially hate the traitor and now I'm gonna kick his ass."

Kim was nervous, she had never seen a real fight before and she wasn't sure she was okay with allowing Monse to make a fool of herself trying to fight Ceaser, and plus she didn't want to go back over there. Ruby had tried calling her name but she was persistent she knew what she had to do to get her justice. "Kim, please you have to talk to her. This is only gonna make things worse."

 "Wait, Monse I know you aren't gonna listen to me but just hear me out. Don't you think that this is the reaction that Ceaser wants out of you, you can't feed into the negativity." Kim tried to plead with her but Monse didn't even turn back she just grabbed Kim's arm and tugged her in the direction of Ceasers' house. By the time we had gotten there, it was already dark and the street lights were on, this made the situation feel even more dangerous.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Monse screamed, pushing him off of his skateboard. Monse then got on the floor and started repeatedly hitting him over the top of his head. Kim could only watch as the boys laughed at the spectacle. "I had your back for what, to make you puto friends humiliate me!" She was still hitting him and Kim tried grabbing her arm to get her off but Monse wasn't letting go she was livid. "Monse!" Jamal and Ruby came rushing in pulling Monse off of Ceaser only for her to push them away. "Crazy, I'm crazy?" "Calm down." Ruby tried desperately to try and make her listen. 

"Don't you patronize me, I don't need you, Kim make your choice are you with me or them?" Suddenly all the attention was turned to her. Kim was very uncomfortable and in all honesty, didn't want to have anything to do with what they were fighting about. "I'm not choosing." Monse shook her head at her and stomped away leaving Kim slightly confused and on edge. "What just happened?" She still couldn't believe the events that had just taken place, this was only her second day here and she was already homesick. 

Life back in Beverly Hills was much simpler but it wasn't nearly as exciting as the life she had now. She knew she was in for a joyride of emotions now that she was living in Freeridge. "Sorry that you met us ar such a bad time, we're not normally like this." Ruby says walking next to her, "Well, it's definitely not boring." She wrapped her arms around herself to retain some form of body heat before Ruby touched her shoulder. At that moment she felt a slight chill right where he had touched her and goosebumps started to form. 

"Hey are you cold?" she shook her head but she was shaking so much that he noticed right away. "Here." He handed her his black sweater which she put over her head quickly. She instantly felt warm all over and turned to thank him. "Oh but what about you, aren't you gonna be cold?" "I'll be fine I just didn't want you to freeze." they walked talking together until they came to Jamals' house first and waved him off, then they walked until they got to her gate. "Well, this is my stop. See you tomorrow okay." She tried to remove the sweater but Ruby stopped her. 

"It's okay, I'm a gentleman, you can keep it." She showed her thanks by kissing him on the cheek. It was a good thing it was dark because Kim failed to see the deep red blush that came onto Rubys' face as she walked onto the front porch of her house. "I'm home," she shouted into the dark house but didn't bother waiting for an answer. She trudged upstairs feeling utterly exhausted until she got to her room and fell onto of the bed kicking her shoes off and closing her drooping eyes. She knew that tomorrow would be a better day and that she would try to make amends with Monse and see what was going to happen with the Ceaser situation, she knew that to get back on Monses' good side she would have to think of something but those thoughts could wait until tomorrow when she wasn't feeling so drained. She closed her eyes and breathed in the sent of Ruby still on the sweater, she also sent a silent prayer to God to give her sweet dreams and a good school year.