I think I fell in love again
Maybe I just took too much cough medicine
I'm the best worst thing that hasn't happened to you yet
The best worst thing
~ Fall Out Boy {American Beauty/American Psycho}
...
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Chapter Thirteen| New Friendships
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"What's up? You look fried." Jamal says, walking up to Cesar the following Monday. "Couldn't sleep last night." Cesar says smiling, sarcastically.
"I'd seriously consider Tempur-Pedic pillows. Changed my life... Or are we talking non-pillow issues?" Jamal says, worriedly. "Just some shit. It's nothing." Cesar says, shaking his head quickly.
"Is it drugs? You slinging? You stole a car? Held up a liquor store? A drug store? A corner store?" Jamal rambles with wide eyes.
"No store."
"Home invasion? Assault? Assault with a deadly weapon? Oh, my God, they made you kill someone, didn't they?" Jamal almost yells the last part, making everyone around them turn to them. "Shh." Cesar says, looking around.
"I really hope it wasn't a white person." Jamal says, shaking his head. "I didn't kill anyone... I kissed Olivia. Or she kissed me, really." Cesar says, rubbing his face tiredly.
"What? You kissed Olivia?" Jamal says, looking at the boy in shock. "Shh."
"Why tell me that? You know I can't keep a secret." Jamal says shaking his head. The twins were the two that first made friends with Jamal, later than introducing him to the crew, and he now knew a secret that could hurt one of them.
"I call bullshit. You've kept the football secret for months now. Unless you all of a sudden developed glaucoma or became a pirate" Cesar says, lifting the eye patch.
"That's not funny. Piracy's a problem. Do you realize someone is going to die when Rosa finds out? We never seen Rosa angry only protective which she gets angry but that's different. But-But I don't want to see Rosa angry." Jamal says, hyperventilating. "Protective Rosa is scary enough, what makes you think hurt and angry Rosa is any different?"
"Which is why you have to keep this a secret." Cesar says, pointing to the boy.
"And- And And I'm cool with my own secrets. Other people's? I've got nine hours tops. And that's with perfect conditions. If there are any extenuating circumstances, all bets are off. I can't be too hungry or too full or too hot or too cold or feel physically cornered. And what about Olivia? She lives with Ruby, and she's trying to get Rosa to like her. Then she does this? She could tell him at any moment. And Ruby could tell Rosa in retaliation to you. He wouldn't even tell it to her nicely just because you hurt him."
