SATIVA ✞ ON MY BLOCK [OSCAR DIAZ]

II. NINE

"So, how does it feel to be back?" Ximena followed next to Jamal as they walked down the hall.

As they walked, Ximena could feel some eyes staring at her but she just shrugged, gripping the strap of her bag, "I don't know, weird?"

Ximena honestly didn't enjoy being back at all. Not because of all the school work she had to catch up on, or because of the boring teachers. It was because she felt like she was always being stared at, almost like a new circus attraction. Her and Olivia weren't members of the school or the community itself for long, but almost everyone heard about what had happened. They now knew who Ximena was, who Olivia was, who she dated. It was a lot to deal with, but Ximena couldn't let the murmurs keep her from finishing her final year.

She went through her first week with ease, pushing to ignore the whispering when she walked into the bathroom, or the stares from her peers. After school, her and Jamal would meet and wait for his father to take them to work.

It had been a couple of days since she's heard from Oscar and it was starting to get to her. She missed having him to talk to everyday, she missed being held by someone at night, she missed the late night drives. More than everything she missed the unconditionally affection. But, she knew that it would hindering herself to break down and contact him.

'He's a Santo, a gang member,' she kept having to remind herself. No matter how he treated her, how much he loved her, he will still always be a Santo. And with that label, carried enemies, enemies that didn't care about who they hurt.

She wanted to focus on surrounding herself with more positive people and activities. She studied, she worked, she made herself a promise to not dwell on all the bad. To try to move forward.

Today was her normal weekday shift, three to nine with Jamal, Paula, Logan and now, Cesar. Ximena still didn't know how to feel about him yet. She didn't want to admit to herself how much he hated him for what he caused but she knew it would just end up making her hate herself. It wasn't his fault that he was met with the task of killing Latrell and it wasn't his fault he was involved with this gang rivalry. It was Oscar's. But, it can't be entirely his either because he was raised to be a Santo, he was raised to raise Cesar to be a Santo- see how conflicting this all is? Which is why Ximena just decided to not give herself a headache and tolerate it.

Cesar was careful about her though. He didn't talk to her unless he had to, and when he did he talked like he had latex gloves on his hands. Like if he said the wrong time, he would set her off , which he probably would. He never made eye contact with her, he wouldn't even dare to look her direction.

Ximena leaned over the counter, looking up at Logan who was on the other side.

"Still going to be able to give me a ride tonight?" She questioned, tilting her head.

"Woah, you actually need one? What happened to leaving with Jamal and his dad?"

"They're staying late tonight to do the inventory," she explained, playing with her fingernails, "so, can you? If it isn't a bother."

"You know I'd love to," he smiled down at her, making her internally scream. She made it a point to become closer with Logan. Not anything more than friends, of course considering she had no idea where she still stood with Oscar. But just because he seemed like a good person to be around. She knew Logan was interested in her and she didn't know why, she enjoyed it. She enjoyed knowing that he was staring at her when he thought she wasn't noticing.

"You don't drive yet?" Logan asked, leaning over the counter as well to meet her. They glanced across at each other, their faces a couple of inches apart, softly smiling.

"I actually do, but I had to sell my car to help pay for my hospital bills."

"Oh," he nodded, understandably, "my bad."

"It's fine," she shook her head, "hopefully I'll have enough saved by the end of the summer to buy a new one."

"Well, if you ever need to rid-a ride," Logan cleared his throat, "don't be afraid to call me."

not a lot of dialogue im sorry guys i just wanted yall to get a feel of how things are going rn in ximenas vidaaaa but i swear some spicy drama is comingg