princesa | Ruby Martinez

seis

NANI

I walked down the familiar street to the Martinez house, where Ruby and Jamal sat on the porch drinking something from inside a brown paper bag
"What's in the bags?" I asked sitting down between them 
"Forties," Ruby said
"Gatorade," Jamal let RUby down, earning a glance from Ruby.
Across the street at Jasmine's house, sat Monse on the porch and Jasmine...doing some sort of...dance routine of her own,
"All we did was try and be good friends, now we're not friends," Ruby said 
Jamal shook his head
"Yo, Bitches be bonkers," he said

both Ruby and I looked over at him 
"No offense Nani," Jamal said 
I nodded "None taken," I said 
"We look dumb," Jamal said 
I laughed 
"No, we looking hard, this how you pull in the honeys," Ruby said, snaking his arm around my waist 
"right honey?" he said 
I laughed "drinking Gatorade from paper bags, bring the hynas," I said
Ruby laughed taking a sip of his 'fourty'
"No, we pull in the honeys by finding the roller world money," Jamal said 

Ruby and I both rolled our eyes 
"This is lame, this ain't even real," Jamal said 
I sighed "You know what's not real? ROLLERWORLD, there is no money buried in our neighborhood," Ruby said 
I agreed "And if there was some cholos  or homeless guy has already found it," I said 
"It is real, you guys just aren't a believer, you two don't even believe in the Yeti," Jamal said 
Ruby whispered "oh my god," under his breathe right when Monse was walking across the street 
"Hey," she said 
"Hey," the three of us answered 
Monse looked at her feet then back up at us "So, I'm cool if you're cool," She said 
"I'm cool," I said taking a sip of Ruby's Gatorade and handing it back 
"I'm cool," Ruby said 
"I'm cool," Jamal echoed 
"Cool, what's in the sacks?" she asked
"Forties," Ruby and I lied
"Gatorade"
We looked over at Jamal, can't this guy just go with the flow for once?
"see you guys tommorrow?" she said
we nodded and waved her off

RUBY 
I sat in my room, abuelita listening to La Noche rather loudly, singing at the top of her lungs and shaking her bones around when I got a text from Nani 

Princesa😍: Hey compa
Me:  Hey
princesa😍: do you think we will be okay without Cesar?
Me: for sure, you don't have faith in me? I can protect you just as well, if not better than Cesar
princesa😍: I knowwww :) 
Me: Also, I think my Abuelita used to be a performer back in the day
princesa 😍: la Noche? 
Me: Yep 
princesa😍 : Awe I feel bad for you 
Me: I feel bad for myself 
princesa😍 : I should go to bed big day tommorrow 
Me: Goodnight princesa, sueño de las estrellas
princesa 😍: Goodnight Ruben, sueño de infinitas posibilidadesI smiled at the texts on my phone, "goodnight princesa...I love you," I whispered to myself before falling asleep

  NANI

The next day I walked out of my house and joined, Monse, Ruby, and Jamal on the walk to school we walked for a few moments and stopped at Caesars house "He's not coming with us," Ruby said"Why would you want him to?" Jamal asked

Monse didn't answer but walked forward, getting closer to Cesar's house 
"Monse! Monse?" Jamal called for her to come back but it was no use 
Jamal began to follow her before turning to Ruby and I saying "See, bitches be bonkers," |
Ruby rolled his eyes and walked with me behind Jamal,
we stopped at the end of the sidewalk that meets Cesar's yard, and we waited for a few seconds, and a few seconds more,
before the taller latino came outside and joined us,
we said nothing until we got to the end of the road
"I can't do this, I can't keep a secret It's gonna implode I don't know why anybody keeps secrets," Jamals said
Monse looked at Cesar "there is one thing I need to tell you,"
she said them, she was cut off by the sound of a gunshot

 Bang
 Bang 

".44.!"Then Oscars voice

 "Cesar, Nani," he called from inside the Impala, Marco sitting in the passenger seat I looked at y friends and gave them a soft smile "See you," I said climbing into the car after Cesarall I could think was
I've got to save him