My Baby O. Diaz

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The lunch bell rang, signaling the start of the midday break. Kehlani and I gathered our belongings, the conversation about Oscar and his mysterious girlfriend Lena still fresh in my mind. "So, he never mentioned her to you at all?" Kehlani probed, her eyes narrowing with curiosity. I shook my head, a frown tugging at the corners of my lips. "Nope, not a word. I mean, Oscar never really talked about girls with me anyway," I replied, my thoughts drifting to the enigma that was Lena.

We navigated through the crowded cafeteria, scanning the sea of faces for a familiar sight. And there he was, sitting at a table with Lena—her presence casting a shadow over the otherwise cheerful atmosphere. My fists clenched instinctively at the sight of her, a surge of resentment coursing through my veins like a raging river.

"Don't show her you're bothered, Faith. Rise above it," Kehlani whispered, her voice a soothing balm against the storm of emotions swirling within me. I nodded, determined to keep my composure in the face of Lena's thinly veiled hostility."Hey, guys," I greeted, plastering a smile on my face as I approached the table. Tony's cheeks flushed crimson at the sight of me, a telltale sign of his crush that elicited a mischievous grin from Kehlani. "Don't blush too hard, Tony. Faith here's got her eye on you too," she teased, earning a chuckle from Sad Eyes as he made room for us to sit.

Lena's icy demeanor thawed slightly as Oscar wrapped me in a warm embrace, her begrudging acceptance evident in the forced smile she offered me. "You alright, Faith? Find your way around okay?" Oscar inquired, his concern genuine as he pulled away from our embrace. I nodded, grateful for his unwavering support amidst the sea of uncertainty that surrounded me.

As the conversation flowed around me, I couldn't shake the feeling of being an outsider looking in—a mere spectator in the intricate dance of high school politics. Lena's pointed questions only served to deepen my sense of alienation, her thinly veiled jabs leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

The remainder of lunch passed in awkward silence, each moment stretching on like an eternity as I struggled to find common ground with Lena. My attempts at polite conversation were met with stony indifference, Lena retreating into the safety of her phone as if I were nothing more than a passing nuisance.

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, I made a hasty retreat from the stifling atmosphere of the cafeteria, my mind reeling with a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. I barely registered Kehlani's concerned expression as she stopped me in the hallway, her words a distant echo in the cacophony of my thoughts.

"Faith, why are you running? And why are you crying?" Kehlani's voice pierced through the haze of my mind, her eyes filled with genuine concern. I shook my head, unable to find the words to articulate the storm raging within me. "I'm fine, Lani. I just... I need some air," I murmured, my voice barely a whisper as I brushed past her, my feet carrying me towards the solace of Oscar's car.

Oscar's POVOscar jolted awake to the urgency in Tony's voice, instantly alert as he absorbed the gravity of the situation. With swift determination, he closed the gap between himself and Ethan, his movements purposeful and unwavering. Pinning Ethan against the nearest surface, Oscar's grip was firm, his gaze piercing with a silent warning. "You wanna talk shit about my girl, you better watch your fucking mouth," he growled, his voice laced with a dangerous edge. In a swift, decisive motion, he delivered a punch that sent Ethan staggering backwards with a cry of pain. But Oscar's fury didn't dissipate there—it fueled a relentless onslaught of blows, each strike driven by a primal instinct to protect Faith at any cost. The symphony of violence echoed through the air, a testament to Oscar's unwavering resolve. As Ethan crumpled to the ground, blood staining his features, Oscar felt a surge of satisfaction—a primal satisfaction born of the knowledge that he had defended Faith's honor with every fiber of his being. With one final glare of warning, he turned and made his way back to the car, heart pounding with adrenaline. And as he climbed behind the wheel, his gaze met Faith's, a silent promise passing between them—a promise to always stand by each other's side, no matter the cost.

Faith's POVAs we pulled up to my house, I felt a sense of calm wash over me—a fleeting moment of respite amidst the chaos of the day. Cesar came running towards me, his infectious laughter filling the air with a sense of joy that was palpable. I scooped him up in my arms, his warmth seeping into my soul like a comforting embrace.

As Oscar and I walked to the door together, a sense of anticipation tingled in the air—a palpable tension that seemed to crackle with electricity. And then, in a moment that seemed to defy the laws of time and space, Oscar leaned in and kissed me—his lips warm against mine, igniting a firestorm of passion that burned brighter than the sun.

As he pulled away, a blush staining his cheeks, I felt a surge of emotions wash over me—a torrent of longing and desire that threatened to consume me whole. "I, uh, gotta go," Oscar stammered, his voice laced with uncertainty as he made a hasty retreat to the safety of his car.

Alone in the stillness of the night, I couldn't help but replay the kiss over and over in my mind—a stolen moment of passion amidst the chaos of our lives. And as I gazed up at the stars twinkling in the night sky, I knew that my feelings for Oscar ran deeper than I had ever dared to admit.

But amidst the tangled web of emotions and the uncertainty of what the future held, one thing remained certain—no matter what obstacles we may face, Oscar and I would face them together, united in a love that defied the odds and transcended the boundaries of time and space.