New on the block

Jamal's Got Your Back

Cesar's POV:
"I'm sorry Monse, if you don't want to come back I get it but you need to talk to me!" I say as I knock on her window. I almost have a heart attack when her dad lifts the blinds. "Hey Monty." I sigh. "She's not here." He says. "What? Where'd she go?" I ask. "I don't know." He shrugs. "Don't you care?" I ask. "Yeah, I cared before she decided she was old enough to disappear and not talk to me." He drops the blinds and I'm left standing there. "Do you just really like looking at your reflection in dirty windows?" I hear Monse ask. I hug her but she doesn't hug me back. "I was gonna try and break into my room but I guess he locked it." She says. "What happened? Where'd you go?" I ask frantically. "I'm currently a resident at Jamal's hotel." She smiles. "What?" "Nothing, it's a Jamal joke." She explains. "Why is all your stuff gone?" "I got a storage unit and I went a little crazy when I decided what should go." Why is she joking so much. "Listen, I'll tell you another day. I think we just need some space right now." She sighs as she looks at her bedroom window. "No." I hold her Santo cross in between my fingers. "This means you're mine and as long as you have it on it means I don't want any space." I try to sound sweet but it comes out creepy and possessive. Maybe both, is there a both? Why am I thinking of this when my girlfriend who just asked me for space is right in front of me? "And what if I take it off?" She asks. "Then I'll just have to spend as long as it takes trying to get you to put it back on." Ok yeah that was sweet. "Good thing I'd never to do that." "Never?" I ask. "Unless you give me a reason to. I'm sorry about earlier." Her blinds go back up and her dad stares at us. "Neither one of you live here." He says before he drops the blinds again. "He kicked me out because we went to Mexico. Which by the wasn't worth it because Olivia can't even talk to us anymore." "I thought I was making the right decision when I got in deeper." I say sadly. "I know, I'm gonna stay at Jamal's tonight. If he's cool with it you and Ruby should come over." I can tell we have a lot to talk through. "You can stay with me again if you want." I suggest. "Maybe, but not tonight." There's kind of an awkward silence after that because I don't know what I'm supposed to say. "You left some stuff at my house." "Ok. Um, I guess we should go over there." Monse nods. "Good idea." Monty yells through the window. "He's just cranky he'll get over it." She shrugs. I can't let her do this, she always puts everyone else before herself. We cross the street and when we get there Oscar's just now waking up. "Seriously? It's almost ten." I tell him. "Why's it so dark out?" He yawns. "At night." Monse adds. "Oh cool." He nods. "Whatever, I just need to get my stuff." Monse walks into my room and Oscar looks confused. "Did you guys break up while I was asleep?" He asks. "No, but she's going through it right now. You should talk to Monty he's kind of an ass. He's mad 'cause we went to help Olivia in Mexico." He gives me a look and then he starts laughing like crazy. "Oh, you're serious. No, he's mad because his daughter is basically a Santo and he decided to go full on Prophet." He explains. "Why? Isn't he supposed to be neutral?" I ask. "No, every time something serious happens like all the people that got shot after Monse and Ruby everyone chooses sides." He shrugs. "Is that true?" Of course she heard all that. "I get it if you want to dump me." She hits me in the back of the head and I'm seriously confused. "Are you that stupid? Even if we breakup it won't change anything." "Wow 'mano your hyna knows more about the life than you do." Oscar starts laughing again. "I'm gonna go now, thanks guys." She walks out the door and I don't follow her. "You know she's not safe anymore. Her dad's done with her so them being related does nothing." "Fuck." I mumble before I chase after her. "I'm walking you." I say and she gets scared. "Don't fucking sneak up on people!" She says. "Sorry, I wanna make sure you get there ok." I put my hands up. "I'll be fine, my dad didn't completely abandon me." "What are you talking about?" I ask. "He cared about me enough to put important stuff in the bag he kept when he sold all my stuff." Why doesn't she just tell me straight up? We get to Jamal's and she knocks on the door. "Monse just tell me." I beg. "He gave me a gun." And of course that's when Jamal opens the door. "Cesar." He looks me up and down. "It's ok, we're not fighting anymore." Monse tells him. She walks in and he still does the "I'm watching you" thing. "She just said we're not fighting." I say. I wasn't going to stay but I need to find out more about this gun. She hates that I'm around guns and now she's all chill about having one in Jamal's house. "So this is my new room." She says when I walk in the living room. "Jamal can you grab snacks or something?" I ask. "If you want me out of the room for a little while just tell me." He says. "I want you out of the room for a little while." I say and he gasps. "I'll be in my room. Monse if you need me I got you." He walks away but a second later he comes back. "Because Jamal with always have your back... WHEN Cesar fails you got Jamal!" He yells as he walks away again. He's been my friend for most of my life and he's never been that protective of me." I say until I hear his room door close. "Why do you have a God damn gun?" I ask.