Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CESAR
The street lights flickered on as I jogged home from Ruby's, the last night of summer fading into twilight. Tomorrow was orientation, marking the return to routine.
As I passed a shadowy alley, a girl's voice pierced the quiet, pleading, "Please just leave me alone!"
My pace slowed. Freeridge alleys weren't exactly safe, day or night, but I couldn't ignore her distress. Taking a deep breath, I cautiously stepped into the alley, calling out, "Hello?"
A muffled scuffle erupted near the dumpster, but the darkness made it hard to see. "Please stop!" the girl cried, her voice a bit louder.
Squinting, I made out two figures looming over the girl. "Hey!" I shouted, my voice firm.
As I approached the alley, I heard a tense exchange. Two figures stood over the girl, one forcing himself on her.
"Keep walking, nothing to see here," the other one said to me. "No," I replied, my voice firm.
The man closest to me stepped forward, his tone menacing . "¿qué dijiste?" he asked. "I said no," I repeated , breathing deeply.
His friend intervened, pulling him back. "That's Spooky's little brother, Vamos," he said.
But the first man wasn't done. He kicked loose pebbles at the girl's feet, his voice low and dangerous. "Esto no ha terminado," he said to me before they both fled down the alley.
I hurried towards the girl, who was shivering in just a hoodie and cargo shorts. "No es seguro aquí," I said. She remained silent, putting the hoodie on. "Deberías irte a casa" I urged her.
She didn't respond, so I switched to English. "Do you have a place to go?" I asked. She finally looked up, her eyes filled with fear. "No," she whispered.
"No, I don't," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
I furrowed my eyebrows, confused and concerned. "This is where you sleep every night?" I asked, gesturing to the spot beside the dumpster.
She nodded, her eyes fixed on the ground. "What's your name?" I asked, extending my hand. She looked up briefly, then back down before shaking my hand hesitantly. "I'm Jo" she said. "I'm Cesar" I replied.
Jo withdrew her hand and tucked it into her hoodie pocket, avoiding eye contact. I cleared my throat, unsure how to proceed. "Um, so Jo, why don't you come with me?" You can sleep at my house tonight," I offered.
"I don't know if that's a good idea," she said, her voice still small. After what just happened, I don't want you out here alone," I insisted. "And it'll just be for tonight" I said.
She stood still, her gaze unwavering. "Her, I'm not going to hurt you," I said gently.
Jo remained silent for a moment, then finally looked up at me. "Just for tonight?" she asked, a hint of hope in her voice.
"Just for tonight, I promise," I said, offering my hand once more.
She slowly took my hand, and we walked out of the alleyway together. As we walked down the street, I let go of her hand, sensing she felt comfortable in my presence.
As we approached my house, I noticed Oscar's car was nowhere to be seen, meaning he wasn't home. We crossed the street and walked up to my porch.
______________
REWRITTEN: 12/31/24
a/n: i do not own none of the omb characters or the plotline, i only own my character and additional characters I'll add later in the story
I will try to follow the original plotline but because Oscar isn't in most of the scenes, I will be making up my own plotline
