SATIVA ✞ ON MY BLOCK [OSCAR DIAZ]

II. THIRTEEN

Ximena groaned, putting the phone up to her ear as the line rang for the fifth time. It finally stopped as Oscar's voice came on, "What?"

"Oh, look who finally answered!" She faked gasped, "I need to talk to you."

"There's nothing we need to talk about."

"It's about your brother."

"Like I said, there ain't anything we need to talk about."

"Well," Ximena turned around, looking at the front door, "I'm already outside so you're either going to let me in or I'm waking all of your guys up." Ximena could hear a sigh and ruffling before the phone hung up and she chuckled. A couple of seconds later, Oscar opened the door, in his usual sleep attire.

"I'm sleeping," he stood in the doorway.

"I've been texting you all day," Ximena crossed her arms over her chest, "and you know I have."

Oscar shrugged, infuriating Ximena even more.

"Why isn't Cesar staying here?" She questioned.

"Who?" Oscar asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Do not piss me off right now, Oscar, what happened with Cesar?"

"I don't even know who you're talking about," Oscar stepped out of the doorway, closing the door behind him, "who's the blanco you had driving you home last night?"

"I'm not here to argue over bullshit Oscar," Ximena raised her voice, "You need to let Cesar stay here, the police contacted me the other day. They let Latrell out of jail."

"Yeah, I know."

"And what? You don't care? After everything that he's done?! With me, Ruby, Oliv-"

"I said I know!" Oscar cut her off, putting a hand up to tell her to be quiet, "I'm handling it."

"And what about Cesar?"

"What about him?" Oscar shrugged again, placing his hands in his sweatpants pockets, "He's no longer a Santo, no longer my problem."

"He's your brother!" Ximena yelled, stepping closer to him.

"Nah," Oscar laughed, grabbing the lawn chair behind him before sitting down, "That's not mi hermano."

Ximena looked down at him at he looked up at her and just shook her head. "You're pathetic," was all she could say.

"Mande?" Oscar tilted his head, raising his eyebrows. "You try so hard to be what you call yourself, a 'Santo', or even a man. But your brother, your teenage brother, who you're always supposed to protect needs you right now. He needs you now more than ever, after you're the one who put him in danger."

"He should've did what he had to do," Oscar leaned back in the chair, "or he wouldn't be in this mess."

"So, you can really sit there and turn away your blood for not killing someone?"

Oscar didn't reply, just stared back at the girl.

She nodded slowly again, "Wow. Pathetic."

"Oh please," Oscar chuckled, dryly, "You dislike him more than your letting yourself believe."

"Of course I do! I never said I don't! But I also dislike you right now! You know what? I hate you, Oscar. I hate you! I hate you, for ever coming into my life. For ever choosing me. For getting Cesar into your stupid Santo bullshit. It's all bullshit. If Cesar wasn't asked by you to kill Latrell, none of this shit would have happened. Ruby wouldn't have gotten shot, and he wouldn't be living with fucking PTSD from it! I wouldn't have gotten shot! I would be picking my college dorm decorations right now, I would be looking up my new roomate! I would be happy! Olivia would be alive!"

Ximena stopped herself to finally breathe. She began catching her breath, not realizing how tight she was clenching her fist and how much she had nade herself cry again. She unclenched her fist, her palms stinging from how much her nails had been dinging into her. Oscar had no emotion on his face as he glanced back at her and it fueled her anger even more. How emotionless he could be.

"You finally admitted it, huh?" Oscar nodded at her, sitting up in the chair. He leaned over, touching his elbows to his thighs, "If you hate me so much, why are you even here?"

Ximena scoffed, feeling a tear fall on the corner of her lip as she wiped his away. "You know what my biggest regret in life is? Not protecting my sister enough. When we were little, I always had to bring her along wherever I went and she would always get hurt, no matter what we were doing. My mom always told me I was responsible for her, that when it comes to family that if she hurt, I hurt too. Any pain she felt, became mine, so I had to protect her from it as much as I could. And the day she died," Ximena stopped, trying to gather her thoughts and let herself breathe at the same time, "When she died, I died too. And you will never have any idea how it felt, and I hope you never do, but you will if you don't put your pride aside, Oscar."